Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Ok i'm looking for some experts opinions on my setup. Gandolf is almost 2 yrs old now and 19 inches. Right now she is eating Lobster Roaches but I have a small colony of Discoids that are coming along nicely and in probably 6 months she will be feeding on those. Her greens are mixxed up every week. Mostly though it has Kale,mustard greens,dandalion greens,collard greens and squash. Thow in a strawberry or grapes once in awhile.Opps also forgot she gets romaine with all her salads.

The tank is a 55 gallon, with two basking spots. And a reptisun 5.0 bulb. I want to change this to a longer tube,but have to wait till i get to the swap so that I can get a good deal on the bulb. The basking spot on the right gets a little high and I think i need to change it but i'll see what you guys thing. It gets to about 125. She usually only sits under it after eating. Then tends to move down to her cooler one or sit in the middle of the log like she is in the pic. That spot sits about 90. The basking spot on the left on the rocks is around 90 also.

The hide under the rocks sits at 82,middle bottom of tank is also low 80's and her food sits about 85. The substrate is that brick stuff that you soak and it expands I tend to really like this stuff and haven't read any negitives about it so thinking it but be ok.

Her lights are on a timer and go on at 8:30 in the morning and turn off around 9:30. Her roaches get dusted with reptical and reptivit every other day.As I posted earlier she isn't really eating her greens since she started getting roaches and if i dust the salad she won't even think about eating them.

So let me hear if i'm doing good or bad and what I should change.

Thanks Hale

It sounds like you are doing a great job. About the basking 125 - as long as she can get away from that, it seems like it is fine. Also, I WAS going to suggest making a temperature gradient, but it looks like with the top and bottom of the cage there already is one! It looks like you are doing good, keep it up!

What you could try is dropping the salad down so it looks like it is moving, sometimes stimulates them to eat. Also, try not feeding the live prey for a few days and only offering the salad. As Gandolf is an adult now, he doesnt require the live prey every day .

Good luck!
David - KDRKreatures
-----
KDRKreatures.com
Exotic Reptile Breeders - Specializing in Bearded Dragons

Email

If your beardie is using the higher basking spot, then keep it. All in all the setup looks pretty good. That tank's a little small to try to setup two basking sites in, which is why the gradient doesn't quite go down as low as most try to, but if your beardie is doing well in it, I'd assume there isn't a problem.

Yea I only had one basking spot before on the rocks and I kept that at 105 but the other side of the tank got a little chilled. Decided to use the 55 gallon as much as possible and create another spot,since he wasn't eating his greens or as active of late wanted to put a higher basking spot in. So far it seems to have helped with his activity.

I also was considering that the tank would be a little small and was thinking either custom or going to a 75 gallon.

Keep'em coming

Thanks Hale