Adult Beardie Care

[CoolioTiffany]

I just have a few questions as I may be purchasing an adult (or sub adult) Beardie next week at a reptile expo. I've been doing some research and reading care sheets (so far the one of beardeddragon.org seems most descriptive and most helpful).

Do males and females stay around the same size, or are females larger than males, vice versa?

I will be housing it in a 40g tank, but if that is too small I will most likely purchase a larger enclosure. How can I get a basking temp to about 95F? I will have a large log the Beardie can bask on that will be 6-8 inches away from the top of the enclosure (care sheet said to have the UVB light in reach of 6-8 inches away from the Beardie, so I will have the log 6-8 inches away from the screen top) so I was wondering what watt basking bulb should I purchase?

On a daily basis, should I feed the Beardie greens, crickets, and pellets? I've seen baby Beardies eat pellets, so I'm not sure if only the babies are supposed to eat pellets, or both the babies and adults.

What are some good vegetables, greens, and fruits that you give your Beardie?

How many crickets (on average) does an adult/sub adult Beardie eat daily?

Thanks for your replies, I'm really looking forward into owning a Beardie

[Briankm]

Hiii, Great job on doing your research BEFORE getting a beardie, lol.

for substrate go with paper towel, newspaper, a non adesive shelf liner, repticarpet, or even tile, like slate tile. For hides you can use about anything, half logs, fake plants for the corners, or even card board boxes with a little hole cut for them to get in to...For an adult, it should be fed 3 x a week as much as it will eat in one sitting. Fresh greens every day for life no matter what the age, like mustard greens, collard greens, dandelion greens, endive, escarol, all squash, etc, and fruit for treats. Staple bugs are roaches, crickets, or silkworms, and others for treats like horn worms, supers, butters, and wax worms, but those are for a rare treat due to the fat content...Phoenix worms are also great, but since they are well.. pretty much tiny, it takes a lot of them to fill up an adult beardie
As a baby, they can go through 25-40 crickets 3 x a day, so do the math, lol, adults may eat the same, but you feed them less than babies, more like 3 x a week, once a day...

You will also need a pure calcium, without D3, and another with D3, and a multivitiman. Doses vary with age also...

You will need a digital thermometer with a probe, or a temp gun for acurate readings.

Get either the ReptiSun 10 linear tube, or a MVB, those are the best, and steer clear of compacts and coiled lighting as they have been causing health issues...

If you want the best UVB and heating, get either the Megaray MVB, or the T-Rex MVB flood, 100 watt. those provide heat and UVB all in one. If you get a MVB, no other heating will be necessary as long as the basking temps are at least 110f (for a baby) The cool end should be 80-85f. If you cannot achieve these temps, you can add a regular house hold bulb, just to help raise the temps. And with a MVB, you do not need to offer any D3 at all, as these lamps help them produce enough D3 due to the high levels of UVB they emitt...To use a MVB though, you must have at least a 40 gallon breeder tank. These lights get hot... If you get the hundred watt one you will have to have it at least 12" away

I'm pretty sure that the linear tube should run the length of the enclosure and the beardie should be able to get about 6-8 inches from it. Someone correct me if i'm wrong there.

For more veggies go to beautifuldragons.com and go to nutrition content

MegaRay

T-Rex

Feel free if you have any more questions, and congrats on getting a new beardie, they rock! Sorry if i missed anything. just ask about it


They do Not need a bulb at night as long as the temp doesnt drop below 65*

[CoolioTiffany]

Wow thanks for the awesome answer!!

So pretty much I feed the Beardie crickets (as much as it will eat) every other day? And I already cleaned out my 40g enclosure tonight, scrubbed the inside with soap so hopefully that disinfects everything that was in there.

At the herpetology society I volunteer at they feed their adult Beardies fuzzy mice, so I was wondering how many fuzzies should I offer weekly?

[Briankm]

Beardies really shouldn't be eating fuzzy mice unless you want to fatten him up or maybe give him a treat like once a month or so? Just don't offer weekly. It's just a treat. So use your own judgement.

Yea. Crickets or whatever feeder insects, as many as it will eat in a sitting, every other day works. Greens every day.

Make sure you gutload and dust the crickets

[CoolioTiffany]

Beardies really shouldn't be eating fuzzy mice unless you want to fatten him up or maybe give him a treat like once a month or so? Just don't offer weekly. It's just a treat. So use your own judgement.

Yea. Crickets or whatever feeder insects, as many as it will eat in a sitting, every other day works. Greens every day.

Make sure you gutload and dust the crickets

Yeah I think they were trying to fatten up the Beardies because they are in an outside enclosure (always have been) so they are making sure they are getting fattened up for the Winter.

Don't worry, I will for sure dust & gut load the crickets. Whatever is remaining I can give to my Leopard gecko, she's finally starting to love crickets

[Briankm]

Haha, nice

Yea. they're just really high in fat and don't really need to be fed to them . but thats cool. i bet the beardies love being in an outside area, lol. all that natural sunlight. Probably a pretty big area too haha.

[CoolioTiffany]

Haha, nice

Yea. they're just really high in fat and don't really need to be fed to them . but thats cool. i bet the beardies love being in an outside area, lol. all that natural sunlight. Probably a pretty big area too haha.

LOL yeah it is a pretty big enclosure with probably close to 10 Beardies in it. They all get along too, and are pretty chill

Those Beardies inspired me to buy one myself LOL. I like the adults a lot more though, a lot easier to care for and really chill.

[Briankm]

Yea they're great pets. the babies are definitely a lot of work though. and eat a lot

[CoolioTiffany]

Yea they're great pets. the babies are definitely a lot of work though. and eat a lot

That's why I'm starting out with an adult

[BOWSER11788]

hehe if i could go back i'd get an adult