New beardie question

[stratus_020202]

I just bought a new little beardie a few days ago. I've been reading about them for a month now, and have had his cage set up a week before i purchased him. I am still learning though, and the more I learn, the more I think I'm doing it wrong.

He's only in a 10 gal for now, but will soon be transferred into a 50 gal. I have a screen top with a reflector lamp as his basking lamp. I know they need UV, and I have a UVA Basking bulb, and I use a Moonlight bulb at night. That's it.

My question is, do I need to get a UVB bulb to use in conjuction of his basking bulb, or do I just have the wrong bulb? Does anyone have any pics of thier beardie enclosures?

I want my new baby to be healthy

[Briankm]

You NEED to have a UVB bulb also. most UVB bulbs do not give off heat and you need both the uvb and a basking bulb. unless you get an MVB which produce both heat and UVB and last for about a year as opposed to other UVB bulbs which last about half a year or so

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...Also, if you get a baby, it will need to be fed bugs 2-3 x a day, as much as it will eat in a 10-15 min period, and 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 for hatchlings due to the tiny size and high calcium.

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, 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...



MegaRay

T-Rex

Feel free if you have any more questions, and congrats on getting a new beardie, they rock!

How big is he? Can you post some pics of him? He's gonna out grow that 10 Very fast. So the sooner you can get him into the 50 the what are the dimensions of the 50?

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

Do you know approximately how old he is? Or his exact age?

Brian.