Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Iam considering getting a Bearded Dragon soon and i need help at what i will need and what i could use before i get him or her
i dont own any lizards that are mine or that i take care of so i dont have any clue at to what iam looking for or what i need i hope someone can help

I currently own

1.0 Burmese Python
0.0.1 Ball Python
0.0.4 Mice
0.1 Green Igunana (my brother)

Lee

you need a heat sorce, a UV sorce(a UV light cuz you won't be able to set him in the window all the time) a good substrate, something for him to bask on and hide under, a timer to turn the UV light on and of according ot the seasons. umm other stuff too but i can't think of them right now. a food scorce.. I would sugest getting a book about them and reading it.

Ithat's all I can think right now.. there are good websites out there where you can buy bulbs for them and other things for them as well.. A good tank is also a must.

if I'm forgeting vitals other people will cathc it and fill you in.. I just attained a bearded dragon and it was quite a spendy thing getting ready for him.

I rec. you read the care sheets at this website (see link). There is alot of info to know in the beginning but they are well worth it. Welcome to the world of beardies! You'll have a blast.
Reptile Rooms Care Sheet - Bearded Dragons

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Stacey

Im going to get a Reptarium that is 30 x 16.5 x 28 . Im going to use the cage tall way so it will be 28" high what size ceramic heat emmiter should i get and what should i get to hold the emmiter and what size?

My room with all my snakes where the dragon will stay ranges from 74 to 85 degrees mostly staying at 80 so what size emmiter would i need and also what size reptisun 5.0 light should i get and what hood for the light? Also what substrate i should use and what all to include in the cage? i know its alot of question but i would rather get information this way as the caresheets on the internet can be confusing so if someone could help me i would apprectiate it alot

If you could answer all my question i would be very happy and it would help as i really love these animals but need to learn what all i need and the best way to take care of them before i get one and i also want to have everything before i get one.

if you want to e-mail me my e-mail is thomas1345@netzero.com

I would NOT go with a ceramic heat emitter. Beardies need intense lighting for several reasons. It makes them more active, increases thier feeding response, etc. The heat emitter would not provide any form of light for them. It is best in my opinion to get a reptisun 8.0 or 5.0 that will stretch across the cage then get a regular flourescent bulb for the other side of the double bulb fixture. They will need to get within 6" of the UVB bulb to have any benefit from it. Then get a spot bulb over the basking area. I can't tell you what size bulb to use for the spot as you will just have to play around with the distance from the bulb and wattage and such to get the basking temp to 105 -115 degrees F. The other end of the cage should stay around 80- 85 degrees F. That should do you for lighting.

I also want to add that I don't think the dimensions of the cage are big enough for a beardie. Maybe a small one but then you'll have to get a larger one when he matures into an adult. Whiuch is less than 18 months in most cases.

For a substrate I suggest Duck shelfliner from Wal-Mart. It is 5 bucks a roll and is great. Much easier to clean than other substrates and in my opinion healthier for the dragon.

If you want to study some on your own and not rely on everyone else to give you info I would suggest buyuing the book Bearded Dragons by Robert De Vosjolio. It is great and has almost anything you could want to or need to know about them. Also, the link Stacey gave you to reptilerooms.com has a wealth of info on many things pertaining to beardies. Another site for info on foods and growth charts and such is beautifuldragons.com

I strongly suggest reading the care sheets mentioned above and buying and reading the book mentioned BEFORE you purchase ANYTHING for your beardie. Though they may seem a hassle at first once you have one you'll see that they are a very rewarding species to keep. Nothing is better than a happy healthy beardie staring back at you!! good luck!!

Robert

I would keep the length of the reptarium cage instead of putting it up on it's side to gain the height. Though dragons do like to climb, floor space is also important. The size of tank you are thinking of using would be good till the dragon is about 6 months old (or about 15" snout to tail tip length). Once the dragon gets that big/old, should switch him into at least, a 4'x2'x 2' (or less in height, but I wouldn't recommend dropping below 16" of height).

Calci sand should never be used at all, washed play sand could be used after the dragon is at least 10" long. Personally I would recommend using the shelf liner mentioned before or plastic table cloth. These two substrates are just so much easier to keep clean and there is no risk of impaction due to injesting by the dragon.

Read as many caresheets as you can find as they will contain all the basic recommendations needed to properly house and care for a bearded dragon. Purchasing one or more books about dragons is also a good thing to do. There will be some contredictions but most are easily workable to your own preference. A search on the internet will lead you to many care sheets and wonderful websites as well as the websites from bearded dragon owners/breeders that regularly post here.

Read these forums regularly as well, since many common questions are asked again and again as well as less commonly asked questions. It is good to know what common ailments bearded dragons have and how to treat them and when to rush your dragon to a qualified reptile vet. It would also be a good ideal to find any local reptile vets before you get your dragon. It's always nice to know which vets handle exotic animals and which ones have dealt with bearded dragons before you get a dragon and especially before an emergency happens.

Bearded dragons need daily attention unlike snakes that are quite happy to be fed once a week or less. Dragons like green iquanas need food at least once a day, sometimes as much as three or four times a day when only a few weeks old. Though it is recommended to wait till the dragon is at least 6" long before buying it to ensure it's eating well and thriving.

Hi
here on my website i have couple links .
byeeeeee

http://run.to/b22

some folks have sid much of this ... here's my bit.

my dragon is more like a "cat" wants to roam my whole two bedroom 900 sq ft apt.

will eat 2-3 times a day and spends serveral hours basking under the UVB / Basking lamp.

NO HEAT ROCKS, NO HEAT MATS! I think of a BD as like a solar powered device. thats right! sun-power, he uses UVB and visible light to heat up the stove in his tummy and "cook" the dinner he just consumed. he also uses that light to make Vitamin D3 and related stuff to convert the calcium he gets in his diet into strong healthy bones and scales.

he morphs the shape of his rib cage to best capture and hold heat. he also morphs skin color to do the same.

and when hes in the dark and too cold he shuts down.

add bright warm light and in afew minutes he is fully charged and ready to start exploring the area...

after a few laps around the place he will start looking for a safe place to bask or hide depending on how he feels.

just an informal description of some things I see my dragon do.
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