New Beardie Coming.

[xOXiDiZEx]

Hey guys, I will be getting my first bearded dragon in a few weeks from a friend who recently hatched his first clutch. I've read some books, and some care guides on them, and they seem like a really cool pet, but i have a few questions remaining. Since there not even a week old yet, about how long will I be able to keep it in a 10 G tank. I plan on using newspaper for a substrate for a easy clean up, but how often should swap out the paper? Also, I wanted to get one lamp, and i'd like some suggestions on the bulb i should buy for it so i can have its heat and everything else the beardie will need right in one lamp. I already have the tank, thermometer, newspaper substrate, what else besides the lamps would i need that i cant think of? Thanks everyone for your help .

[Mettle]

Lots and lots and lots of crickets. Likely pinheads to start, but it won't be long before you can move onto to larger sizes. Also be sure to keep fresh greens in your home at all times and offer them daily to your dragon... As a baby there should always be greens available and you should probably feed two times a day, if not three.

Swap the paper as needed. There's no recipe for it. You'll know.

Upgrade when necessary as well. It's hard to give a time span because it really does depend on how long it takes the little beardie to grow.

I personally am not a fan of 10 gallon tanks though. They're far too short for providing really good temperature gradients. If you could find a 15 gallon or even better a 20 gallon long that would be great. Also get a lid for it just in case it manages to climb out.

The lighting you're talking about is mercury vapour lighting. I like the Mega Ray brand. It's pretty popular and very highly rated. When using these bulbs though be sure to follow directions on where to position them in order to make sure you're not over doing the uvb exposure that your animal is receiving.

It's also a good idea to get a heat probe or infrared gun to measure temps in the tank.

Beardies really do make fantastic pets. Best of luck with yours.

[nico]

congratulations, though I would recommend a somewhat older beardie. Wait, is this your first one?

[Crazy4Herps]

Hey guys, I will be getting my first bearded dragon in a few weeks from a friend who recently hatched his first clutch. I've read some books, and some care guides on them, and they seem like a really cool pet, but i have a few questions remaining. Since there not even a week old yet, about how long will I be able to keep it in a 10 G tank. I plan on using newspaper for a substrate for a easy clean up, but how often should swap out the paper? Also, I wanted to get one lamp, and i'd like some suggestions on the bulb i should buy for it so i can have its heat and everything else the beardie will need right in one lamp. I already have the tank, thermometer, newspaper substrate, what else besides the lamps would i need that i cant think of? Thanks everyone for your help .

Congrats! They really are great pets, I'm sure you'll have fun!!

A 10gal will be fine for the first few months. Then you'll want a 20 or 30gal. By the time your beardie is 8 months old, you will want to move him/her into a permanent cage. Many people use 40gal breeders for adult beardies, but I am of the belief that an adult beardie should be kept in no smaller than a 4x2x2' viv. They really appreciate extra space.

Avoid coils and UV compacts!! These bulbs can make beardies go blind. As far as UVB bulbs go, you have two safe options; a fluorescent tube or a mercury vapor bulb. Fluorescents give off UVA/B but no heat, MVBs give off both. However, MVBs are very hot and overheat easily, and should not be used in anything smaller than a 40gal due to fire hazards. So, you will need two bulbs until your beardie moves to his/her permanent enclosure.
For now, you will neat a heat bulb of some sort and a fluorescent UVB tube. Be careful when selecting one. There are many brands that can seriously damage your beardie's eyes. By far the best fluorescent tube is the ReptiSun 10.0, which should be replaced every six months and should be 6-9" away from your beardie's basking spot.
http://www.petmountain.com/product/r...-uvb-bulb.html
Once your beardie moves to his permanent enclosure, you can use a MVB. The best MVB out there is the MegaRay. MVBs should be at least 12" away from your beardie's basking spot and should be replaced yearly.
http://www.reptileuv.com/megaray-products.php

Solid substrates such as newspaper are the way to go. However, you will need to change the newspaper every time your beardie defecates, which may be several times a day. For ease of cleaning, I recommend tiles.

Aside from crickets, crickets, and crickets, you're good!

If you have any other questions, ask away!

Good luck, and have fun.