Reptile & Amphibian Forums

ok, so i am soo in love with these lizards and i don't even have one...soon, very soon! i just finished reading liz palika's your bearded dragon's life..first wanted to know from you guys if that is a good book. from what i know her adivce has been nothing but good. second, i am trying to compile a list of all the things i need for my new friend (so i can get a bit here and there so the expense won't hit quite so hard) and lighting is confusing me. you need the uva/uvb bulb for the basking spot. do you also need the uth to get their bellies warm? and do they need a night bulb? thanks for clearing this up!

jamie
1 baby corn
soon 1 baby beardie!

Here is a list of things that you will need for your BD. I'm sure things will be added by other members if i've inadvertantly missed anything. Remember some of these items are hotly debated so i'm listing what I prefer on them. Also the only reason you need a night light or any other supplemental heating at night is if the temperature in the room drops below 60 degrees at night.

Herp Vet - know where to go before you need to
Enclosure (4x2x2 recommended for adults, smaller OK for youngins)
Substrate - Shelf Liner or sand
Cage furniture - Basking rock or branch and a hide
Basking Light - Whatever wattage incandescent that will provide 105-110 degree basking spot
Dome light fixture for basking light
UVB Light - Reptisun 5.0 bulb flourescent fixture
Timer(s) - to control all lighting for a 14-10 day night cycle
Digital Thermometer - indoor/outdoor type or infared temp gun.
Food - Crix, pellets, greens
Supplements - Trex Sandfire SuperFood is a great all in one source for vitamins and calcium.
Food Dish
Cricket enclosure - rubbermaid tub, critter keeper or 10g tank work well.

It seem like alot of stuff, but all of the stuff listed is essential for your BD's needs to be provided for. Hope this helps and come ask questions when you have them. This stuff can get confusing at times.

Much of your supplies can be obtained at Home Depot/Lowe's. Like the lighting fixtures, timers. As was said, any bulb will work as long as the proper basking temp is aquired. No need for an expensive Pet Store bulb that is 10x the price.

Your other option for UVB is a Mercury Vapor Bulb. It is an all in one UVB/Basking light. Depending how big your enclosure is, you may need additional lighting just for brightness. I use an old Reptisun 5.0 for the cool end of my 65 Gal. tanks. It's kind of dark w/o it.
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www.classylizard.com

This really can be confusing, especially when you want to make sure that you don't forget anything for a new little guy.

Jamie