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hi could any one give me some advice pls i have a new wd and am a bit unsure of the lighting situation, i have a uv light and a spot light do i turn them off at night and leave my heat mat on for warmth or what thanks

I have kept/bred/hatched/raised water dragons for over 15 years.

I use a regular household incandescent bulb for a basking bulb. For young dragons, I keep the temperature in the low 80'sF. Their small bodies dehydrate and heat up fast. Adults I keep in the mid to high 80's...or even the low 90'sF. I place the basking light to one side/end of the cage. Appropriate basking temperature allows for good digestion, thus plays a part in nutrient absorption.

I use a Repti-sun 5.0 tube UVB light. There have been health problems caused by the compacts...so I don't recommend them. Exposure to UVB (from UVB tube lights or from the sun) allows the dragon to produce D3 which allows it to use the calcium in its diet.

I have a water container that is big enough for the whole dragon to fit into and put the water only deep enough that when its feet are on the bottom of the container, its head is still able to be out of the water.

I gutload and feed the insects a nutritious diet. Crickets get an assortment of greens (dandelion, collards, mustard greens, endive, escarole, kale, etc.) and veggies (carrots, sweet potatoes, sweet red pepper, squash, zucchini, etc.).

I feed the dragons a "salad" of the same greens and veggies and a little bit of fruit (apple, pear, melon, berries, etc.)...dusted with a phos.-free calcium powder.

I dust the insects before feeding them to the dragon at most feedings with a phos.-free calcium powder. Most feeder insects have a poor ratio of calcium to phos. and this helps make up for it.

I dust twice a month with a vitamin powder that contains a beta carotene source of vitamin A. Beta carotene won't build up in the system like preformed will. Excess preformed vitamin A will prevent the D3 from doing its job and can lead to MBD.

I also dust with a phos.-free calcium/D3 powder twice a month. D3 from supplements can build up in the system though, so don't overdo it.

Calcium, phos., D3 and vitamin A are the main players in bone health and play other important roles in the body too...so its important to have them in balance. You need to look at what you feed your dragon, what you feed the insects and what supplements you use when trying to attain a balance.

Hope this helps!

(BTW..females of 2 or older can lay eggs without being mated, so its important to provide them with a place to lay them.)

if you use an incandescent bulb for heating then do you cut it off at night so that the dragon gets a period of darkness?...if so then what do you use for heat during the night?...I use a black light for heat then have my UVB light on a timer...am I doing anything wrong?

You said..."if you use an incandescent bulb for heating then do you cut it off at night so that the dragon gets a period of darkness?"..yes, of course! Don't they sleep in the dark in the wild?

You said..."if so then what do you use for heat during the night?...I use a black light for heat then have my UVB light on a timer...am I doing anything wrong?"...if the temperature doesn't go lower than about 66F during the night, there should be no need for night heat. If you are using the black light during the day as a "basking" area your dragon may not recognize it as a place to bask...also I'd be concerned about the light spectrum that the black light produces.

Some black lights produce UV...but its not in the range that the dragons need....
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ultraviolet
http://listserv.uoguelph.ca/cgi-bin/wa?A2=ind0405e&L=waterdragon&P=1369
"BL fluorescents may be used to provide UV for reptiles during the day - but you still need bright white light to promote basking"..."Never provide UV at night".

go to tricias water dragons.com
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