I know BDLvr commented he didn't feel cage size really played any role in how baby dragons fair. I just find some baby dragons can feel rather 'lost' in a large tank, or intimidated, not really due to cage size but due to too much open space. I believe most baby dragons in the wild stick to areas with alot of cover, maybe even go into trees. I don't know for sure...but other mostly terrestrial lizards when adults have young that tend to take to the trees till they are old enough or more accurately, big enough to escape predators on the ground.
Another thought is its a bit easier to monitor baby dragons in a smaller cage, than a big one...and crickets have a less chance of vanishing under the substrate or cage furniture before a baby can get over to eat them, in a smaller cage.
The 20 gallon will be ok for your baby for a few months, depending on its growth rate (I would move her into the adult cage when it reaches 12-14" in length). As its a very small baby, dusting with calcium once a day should be fine...though you can dust every insect feeding, and a multivitamin once a day...but I find once a day each is more than enough. it really depends on how much your baby eats.
Feed her at least 2 times a day though 2-4 times would be better for the first couple months, then twice a day after that till its about 8 months old, with insects should be fine. After 8 months, one insect feeding should do till its about 14 months old. At that point just feed salads with a couple insects per day. Its best to always offer salads, even if the baby doesn't show any interest. Sometimes just dropping a few crickets right on top of the salad, will get htem eating greens right along with the crickets. For babies, chop the greens very fine...easier for them to eat, more likely some will stick to the cricket or the dragon's tongue while he tries to eat the cricket.
Having greens in the cage all day and over night will also give any stray crickets that may have gone into hiding before they can be eaten, or you could take them out, something to eat. Leaving crickets in over night isn't good, as they do have a tendency to bite baby dragons while they sleep.
To gut load the crickets, using the same greens you feed your dragons is great. However they need a protein source as well, so rushed/soaked dragon pellets work for that, or crushed low fat cat/dog food, tropical fish flakes, skim milk powder mixed with various grains (ie rolled oats, wheatbran etc) (though not much of the 'cereals' or powdered milk). You can buy brand name gut loads for crickets, or use a recipe online...(just google cricket gutload, or homemade cricket food). Chicken mash also works, if you can get access to it.
Personally I just use crushed rodent lab blocks (usually I soak small pieces in a bit of water, then mash them), dragon pellets (or juvenile iguana pellets), fish flakes and fresh greens for my crickets, when I have any. I used to use a recipe I found online but the website it was linked to is gone, and I haven't used it in about 8 years or so...not since my first bearded dragon was a baby.
As your dragon is pretty young, I suggest not bringing it outside for natural light. This can add alot of stress to it, and being so young and it has already gone through the stress of shipping (or being moved from the breeder to your place) you don't want to stress it out more. Wait till its had about a month in your care and is eating fine etc. Then you can try to take him out for about 10-15 minutes a day, supervised. They don't really need alot of time in the sun to get all the UVB they need...and since you will already be giving calcium with D3, you don't realy need much sun exposure.
If your dragon seems to get really stressed...or stops eating if you take them out (ie won't eat the rest of the day and the day after) cut out the outside trips. Try again in a month. The important thing is to get it eating regularly. You have two UVB 10 bulbs, it will get enough UVB from those bulbs, you can do without natural sunlight for the rest of the year. Next spring you can bring him outside more...but its really up to you and how your dragon responds to being outside.
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PHLdyPayne
Forum Princess
I recommend a smaller cage, like a 20 or 30 gallon 'long'. Very young dragons tend to get intimidated by a large cage...and it does make it harder for them to find food, unless you intend to feed crickets in a dish.