I have kept/bred/raised water dragons for over 14 years. They live long and healthy lives with me and other than two WC's that needed treatment when they first came to me, none have had to go to the vets. None have developed MBD either.

I have a regular incandescent light in a hood on one end of the cage for basking. The size of the bulb I use depends on the temperature it provides. I have a tube light Repti-sun 5.0 running along the cage.The light from the UVB light should not pass through glass or plastic. Proper basking temperature is important in food digestion, thus nutrient absorption. Mine don't get any direct sunlight....but it would be good for them.

I gutload all the insects properly. I dust them with a phosphorous-free calcium powder most times before feeding them to the dragons. Insects have a poor calcium/phosphorous ratio and this seems to make up for it.

Twice a month I dust the insects with a vitamin/mineral powder making sure that the source of the vitamin A is beta carotene. Beta carotene sources of vitamin A don't build up in the system but preformed vitamin A can.

Twice a month I dust the insects with a calcium/D3 powder because my dragons don't usually get direct sunlight. D3 produced from exposure to UVB or sunlight can't overdose but from supplements it can, so caution is advised.

The cage is 2/3rds land and 1/3 water which should be changed/kept clean every day or two IMHO.

Keeping them this way...my present male is over 12 years old. (He was WC so I don't know his exact age.) My females live for over 11 years and produce babies from about the third year on. I have raised many of the babies into adulthood too.

This is a little more than you asked for.....but I hope it will help!

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