Heat help!!

I'm planning on getting a bearded dragon from a friend who can not care for it. I've done my research about the temperatures and I figured what I do for my BP would be too low. Come to find out the BD is not in great shape. They live in PA and they didn't provide it enough heat so I am really wanting to get this poor boy home and get him warmed up. I don't even know how cold the tank is but if it's anything like her house then the poor thing has been freezing. I went to Petco and got all the essentials (a 55 gal tank (poor guy has been cooped up in a 20g), some UV lighting, sand,...yada yada. I am horrified about heat rocks so I figured a 100w ceramic heat emitter would be good. They were out of the zoo med porcelain clamp lamps. And the box it says that using anything other than their lamp will void the warranty. I knew I had a spare 10" Fluker's clamp-lamp sitting unopened at home. .It does say on the box that the lamp is for both incandescent bulbs and ceramic heat emitters. So that gives me some relief...but I always used the zoomed ceramic bulbs with the zoomed porcelain lamp which I have on my BP's setup. I grew even more concerned when I went to screw the bulb in and it just doesn't feel right like it's a little off. Does anyone have any experience with using zoo med's cermic infrared heat emitter (100w) with a 10" Fluker's Clamp Lamp? It does have a porcelain screw in. I appreciate the feedback.

If the ceramic feels loose... It's defective. If you do use it it will most like work but you'll be buying a
New one in a few months.
Make sure he has a basking site at 100.f. That and the UVB is the most important.


Check out what's new on my website... www.Homegrownscales.com

The clamp lamps are practically identical. As long as the socket is not made out of plastic and the clamp lamp is rated for 100 watts you should be fine.

I have found that the socket actually loosens (it is 2 parts that screw together) and it feels wonky but the CHE and socket are wiggling to the reflector. If the CHE is wiggling and not the socket it needs to be replaced.

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Originally Posted by Godiva

I went to Petco and got all the essentials (a 55 gal tank (poor guy has been cooped up in a 20g), some UV lighting, sand,...yada yada.

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Skip the sand! Or any subtrate. These guys are really prone to impaction without adding sand to their gut. You can use newspaper, paper towel or my personal favorite, non-adhesive shelf liner http://www.amazon.com/Duck-855083-No...7977018&sr=1-7 You can find this at most Walmarts. It's cheap, easy to cut to size & cleans up easily. Poop can be picked/wiped up with a paper towel and then switch out the liner every week or two for cleaning. The dirty liner can be washed in a bucket or in the washing machine if you aren't squeamish. :D

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Originally Posted by Hoolym

Skip the sand! Or any subtrate. These guys are really prone to impaction without adding sand to their gut. You can use newspaper, paper towel or my personal favorite, non-adhesive shelf liner http://www.amazon.com/Duck-855083-No...7977018&sr=1-7 You can find this at most Walmarts. It's cheap, easy to cut to size & cleans up easily. Poop can be picked/wiped up with a paper towel and then switch out the liner every week or two for cleaning. The dirty liner can be washed in a bucket or in the washing machine if you aren't squeamish. :D

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x2 I have mine on paper towels

x3 on sand being a no-no. In fact, it's a HUGE no-no in the reptile world, especially with Beardies. It causes impaction, which can (and usually is) fatal to reptiles.

Try newspaper, tiles, or a Reptile Carpet. We have used all 3, love em all, but currently, Aaliyah has tiles which have the best visual value. :)

http://lllreptile.com/info/library/a...earded-dragon/
LLLReptile has pretty good caresheets, but I would read as many as I could to verify information and get more opinions. Also, a book always comes in handy. ;)

A Beardie Nutrition bible is: http://www.beautifuldragons.com/Nutrition.html (There is not ONE person I know who's serious about Beardie care that doesn't reference this site.) :)

Good luck on your Beardie. They're somewhat high maintenance pets, but very rewarding. :D

Hi guys. I wanted to thank you all for your suggestions. No sand is a go! I read somewhere during my research that is what you use on beardies. Don't believe everything you read and triple check sources is the lesson. When you all mentioned impaction I palmfaced myself. I got a couple of xlarge zilla green terrarium liners, split them in half for easier cleaning just like I do with my BP and he seems very very happy with his kale and carrot shavings and his newer warmer home.

Thank you all.

to much kale is bad it has a calcium binde in it

The best greens to feed are turnip, mustard, and collard. If you read the stats on them, they are naturally high in calcium. Kale is perfectly fine also..

Anything that is high in oxalates should not be given. Oxalates are what blocks the bodies ability to absorb calcium..

http://whfoods.org/genpage.php?dbid=48&tname=george

" Foods that contain oxalates:

The following are some examples of the most common sources of oxalates, arranged by food group. It is important to note that the leaves of a plant almost always contain higher oxalate levels than the roots, stems, and stalks.

Fruits:
blackberries, blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, currants, kiwifruit, concord (purple) grapes, figs, tangerines, and plums.

Vegetables:
spinach, Swiss chard, beet greens, collards, okra, parsley, leeks and quinoa are among the most oxalate-dense vegetables.
celery, green beans, rutabagas, and summer squash would be considered moderately dense in oxalates."

So why are collards one of the best greens to give a dragon yet its on the list for high oxalates?

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Originally Posted by Jay_Bunny

So why are collards one of the best greens to give a dragon yet its on the list for high oxalates?

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Oh wow! I can't believe I didn't notice that! I was so concerned with skimming it for kale that I missed the listing of collard.. Thanks for pointing that out. I've posted that link in the past too.. I guess it's good I only give mine mustard and turnip greens then because those are the only ones he likes aside from spring mix and certain veggies.

Don't forget Escarole.

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Originally Posted by Foschi Exotic Serpents

The best greens to feed are turnip, mustard, and collard. If you read the stats on them, they are naturally high in calcium. Kale is perfectly fine also..

Anything that is high in oxalates should not be given. Oxalates are what blocks the bodies ability to absorb calcium..

http://whfoods.org/genpage.php?dbid=48&tname=george

" Foods that contain oxalates:

The following are some examples of the most common sources of oxalates, arranged by food group. It is important to note that the leaves of a plant almost always contain higher oxalate levels than the roots, stems, and stalks.

Fruits:
blackberries, blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, currants, kiwifruit, concord (purple) grapes, figs, tangerines, and plums.

Vegetables:
spinach, Swiss chard, beet greens, collards, okra, parsley, leeks and quinoa are among the most oxalate-dense vegetables.
celery, green beans, rutabagas, and summer squash would be considered moderately dense in oxalates."

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Something to note on this whole oxalate thing - it is a negligible problem when fed in moderation. If you only feed your animal spinach, it's going to have problems, but if you include it in the diet as just a small part of what's offered, it's fine.

A simple "spring veggie mix" from the grocery store often works well at providing a good variety of greens for beardies. My experience has been that often new keepers are so scared that veggies they're not familiar with will be "bad" for their animals that they offer only an extremely limited number of "safe" veggies, rather than embracing the dozens that are potentially out there. Avoid onions and grapes (just like with dogs) and your beardie should do great.

See if you can find a study on just how much of these oxalates are found per plant. Last I read, spinach has 1.7 grams per 100 grams of spinach. 100 grams of spinach is as much as a well started baby ball python weighs - it's less than 2% of the plant's weight. If you beardie eats one leaf of spinach, that's not even 1 gram of spinach, meaning that it is consuming less than .02 grams of these harmful chemicals. It is a tiny, tiny amount that is not a problem as long as it's fed in moderation.

Also, read that full link - it actually tells you in that page that watching your goitrogens/oxalates is a non issue unless you have a very specific dietary problem. So worry less about the oxalate thing, and worry more about variety. Just keep the diet switched up, you won't notice any problems.

-Jen

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Originally Posted by Hoolym

Skip the sand! Or any subtrate. These guys are really prone to impaction without adding sand to their gut. You can use newspaper, paper towel or my personal favorite, non-adhesive shelf liner http://www.amazon.com/Duck-855083-No...7977018&sr=1-7 You can find this at most Walmarts. It's cheap, easy to cut to size & cleans up easily. Poop can be picked/wiped up with a paper towel and then switch out the liner every week or two for cleaning. The dirty liner can be washed in a bucket or in the washing machine if you aren't squeamish. :D

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Originally Posted by Kamille Kirkendoll

x3 on sand being a no-no. In fact, it's a HUGE no-no in the reptile world, especially with Beardies. It causes impaction, which can (and usually is) fatal to reptiles.

Try newspaper, tiles, or a Reptile Carpet. We have used all 3, love em all, but currently, Aaliyah has tiles which have the best visual value. :)

http://lllreptile.com/info/library/a...earded-dragon/
LLLReptile has pretty good caresheets, but I would read as many as I could to verify information and get more opinions. Also, a book always comes in handy. ;)

A Beardie Nutrition bible is: http://www.beautifuldragons.com/Nutrition.html (There is not ONE person I know who's serious about Beardie care that doesn't reference this site.) :)

Good luck on your Beardie. They're somewhat high maintenance pets, but very rewarding. :D

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Quote:

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Originally Posted by Godiva

Hi guys. I wanted to thank you all for your suggestions. No sand is a go! I read somewhere during my research that is what you use on beardies. Don't believe everything you read and triple check sources is the lesson. When you all mentioned impaction I palmfaced myself. I got a couple of xlarge zilla green terrarium liners, split them in half for easier cleaning just like I do with my BP and he seems very very happy with his kale and carrot shavings and his newer warmer home.

Thank you all.

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I've kept many many bearded dragons over many years on sand and have never had a single impaction... not a single one. I have also never heard of anyone actually getting an impaction from sand although the rumors have always been floating around.

However, I have heard of dragons getting impactions from Calci-Sand. They lick it, and it clumps differently than playsand. I do keep hatchlings on papertowels because sand can be dangerous for dragons under 8'' but it's completely wrong to reject sand as a suitable substrate for juveniles and adults.