New Bearded Dragon

[Lana's_mom]

Hi,

I got a new Bearded Dragon last night. Someone didn't want him anymore, so I took him. He came in a 40 gallon tank with a basking light, which I think is just a flood light bulb. So I know he needs a UVB bulb, I think I have one but not sure if its a UVB Bulb or just a regular bulb. It's a strip light that my sister used to use on her son's turtle tank. Either way I am going to get a new UVB bulb to be sure. So my questions are, how long til we should handle him? Is it the same as with the snakes to leave them alone for a week or 2, or is he able to be handled sooner? Can I up grade him to a 75 tank? He is an adult Beardie, pretty big. And What are the best choices for substract for a natural looking tank, but is also the best for him. He is on sand right now, its what came in his tank. And How long will it take for him to start eating for me? I know he is a bit stressed right now, my kids were so excited that they kept looking in the tank at him, and he didn't like it. I offered him some veggies, collard greens and shredded carrots, I have other veggies too, but that was the first stuff out of the grogery bags, he has shown no interest in them. He showed no interest in the crickets I offered him, so I picked them out of the tank and put them back in their box. The beardie already has a spot on his tail that I was told is from a cricket bite, and its just a big bump on his tail. Any thoughts and advice is apprecaited. We are excited to have this guy in the house with us

[The Serpent Merchant]

Bearded Dragons aren't like BP's, while they need a few days to settle in, they tend not to have big issues with moving.

You need a UVB bulb ASAP I would suggest the Zoo-Med Reptisun 10.0 bulb. Do not use the compact fluorescent bulbs (spiral bulbs) as they can cause issues. You want the linear fluorescent tubes.

With bearded dragons the bigger the cage the better, as long as you can provide proper temperatures/UV light.

Sand isn't the best choice for substrate. It can cause impaction problems, and actually isn't a good representation of their natural environment. I used paper towels in the past, but have since switch to slate tiles (any natural looking stone or ceramic tile works great and look even better)

He should eat for you within a day or so. Bearded dragons have a much higher metabolism than snakes do. They need to eat most days of the week.

This thread goes over how I keep my bearded dragon: http://ball-pythons.net/forums/showt...n-Interim-Cage

[PigZilla50317]

Hello your new pet sounds way exciting and to get him puppy dog tame talk to him when you turn his lights on till you turn them off I know it sounds corny but my Beardies will go out of their way to find your voice in the room when I call their name. Talk softly and non threatening and I promise you the Lizard will respond back.