# Rankin Dragons Newbie



## ellismera (Sep 28, 2013)

As Title states,

any advice/ caresheet would be greatly appreciated so i know I'm doing something right. Had a look but cant find many threads on Rankins and websites give mixed advice :whistling2:.

Thanks :notworthy:


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## Fry (Jul 9, 2012)

Quite similiar ot the bearded dragon with regards to basic care but what exactly is it that you want to know?

Give your current temps/food/care regime and you'll be given an indication on the direction you should be going :2thumb:


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## ellismera (Sep 28, 2013)

Right I have two rankins in a large Viv, 60x60x60, called dibl and ardeo. I have no idea what age they are but they are small. (palm of my hand). I know I have been told they are too young to sex and are not yet 6 months. They are currently on calcium sand but I am removing this today and putting kitchen paper towels in untill my reptile carpet comes. They have a uvb bulb that is full length across the tank and a thermostat set at 30 degrees c. And the gauge for these is at the opposite end to the heat lamp. I am getting a more powerful bulb today because the thermo is never turning off, but the thermometer at the hot end says 30 degrees. Going to get a thermometer for the cooler side too.

They also have a heat mat under their tank which is plugged into the thermostat with the heat lamp. Erm...

In their tank they have an exo terra cave, some driftwood with no holes and some logs for climbing. A water bowl, cleaned out daily and a food bowl with veggies (but they aren't keen).

For feeding I am dusting the crickets with D3 several times a week and trying to feed them in a rub (really useful box). One will eat, one isn't keen. But will kind of hand feed in the tank if you drop the crickets in front of him.

Both aren't keen on being handled but I've only had them since 24th Sept.

Love em too bits :flrt:, wanna do what's right for them


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## TheGuvnor (Apr 26, 2013)

Hi there. I have a Rankin myself, awesome little things aint they :flrt:.

Right, first off, good job on having a Dimming Thermostat (has to be dimming, any other type wont work). I always say It should be first thing on your list.

The probe place in the cool-end as you have it is perfect. Mines set to around 28c.

They say a Rankin like a cooler basking spot than a Beardie on the care-sheets. Around 36c. But I found that at this temp, my little guy had trouble with constipation, and undigested mealies in his poo. 
So, I bumped the temps up to the same as my Beardie, good old 40c. 
Ever since he's basking more and no poo problems. So its up to you mate.

As for eating veg, mine will have off days for sure. But even if they eat a little, just remember how tiny there belly is. So they will fil up pretty quick.

I dont feed crickets myself, I wont with any of my reps. I hate the dam things. Nasty little s:censor:ts. So just Locust, Dubia's and mini mealies. Although I have been using Cali-worms of late. My Rankin loves them, and they are so good for him. So the locust are used for my other reps.

Glad your getting shot of the calci sand. Its very very bad for dragons. 
My Rankin is on Repticarpet, no problems at all with it. I do have so slate in the viv broken up, dotted about like crazy paving, purely for cosmetic reasons really.

I'd maybe think about getting some Repashy's Calcium Plus. It's the much needed vitamins AND Calcium all in one powder. So you don't have to worry about remembering what day you dusted vits, and what day you dusted calcium.

Try hold off the handling for a couple of weeks. I know they are so friendly etc. But the moving stress can effect in different ways. Could effect eating, basking, poo, even tho they seem fine being picked up. Just let them settle and get use to things.
And try not to hand feed much. They soon get use to it and you could find they wont hunt for food. fully expecting you to feed them.

Any more info you need just post, or PM.

Enjoy.:2thumb:


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## ellismera (Sep 28, 2013)

Hi theguvnor,

Thanks for the advice, its making me feel better already. I have repticarpet on order, eventhough the guy I brought them from was adament they would be ok on sand because they dig in it lol.

The thermostat is a dimmer. I will boost its switch off point to about 35 degrees as their poo seems ok but the tank is only 30.

With veggies, what have you tried. Mine will eat a little kale, but won't touch parsnips, sweet peppers, or a few other things people advise! And do you food process it for the little ones?

As for feeding, they won't hand feed fully anyway, so I've been pulling them out the tank and feeding them in a rub (really useful box). They can still hunt but I can monitor an equal.intake.for each dragon and then they don't have creepies left in their tank. What do you think? 

What's the calcium thing your on about is it pellets?


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## ellismera (Sep 28, 2013)

Oh lol. I have a calcium and d3 combined powder atm by komodo. Its a powdered multivitimin complex with calcium and d3


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## TheGuvnor (Apr 26, 2013)

ellismera said:


> Hi theguvnor,
> 
> Thanks for the advice, its making me feel better already. I have repticarpet on order, eventhough the guy I brought them from was adament they would be ok on sand because they dig in it lol.
> 
> ...


Sand Is fine when they are older. But I'd only use Play-Sand, as its much finer. But saying that, I wont use it on my Rankin. Will keep him on Repticarpet. But my beardie is on playsand.

Dont set your dimmer stat any higher. Keep it at around 28c. It will give your little guys a place to retreat to if they get to hot. This will be your cool-end.
And as I said before, you will want your Basking spot to be between 37c & 40c. If its NOT getting that high, can you move the basking area up or bring the basking bulb towards the basking area at all?. If not, get a higher watt bulb. I know you said the hot end was 30c, Is that the hot area in general?. Can you get a reading directly on the basking spot?. That basking area *needs* to be 37/40c.

For veg/salad, I give them the same as the rest of my lot get. Spring Greens, baby leaf salad, Basil, Parsley. But all mine seem to love Butternut squash and Wild rocket.
With the squash, no need to mess about cooking it. Just cut off the skin and cut the inside up in to small chunks:no1:.

Also, the rub method of feeding is fine if it works for you and you can monitor intake.
Oh, and that powder your dusting with, as long as it has vitamins in to, should be fine. As they do need these.

One other thing. PLEASE make sure you gutload the crickets (or any live food) before you feed to your little ones.
This should be done everyday. What I do is give the crickets any left over salad the dragons don't eat. And the odd piece of potato and Sunday veg, and the skin off the butternut squash.
After all, it gets those much needed vits and goodness into the dragon as they are in the live food's system (it takes about 24hrs to gutload apparently)


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## ellismera (Sep 28, 2013)

Thanks for all the advice. Feel much better now. The hoppers and crickets come gutloaded as the pet shop already has fruit and veggies in with the live food.


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## TheGuvnor (Apr 26, 2013)

But they don't stay gutloaded. You must provide them food still. Or get some bug grub.

Sent from my GT-I9300 using Tapatalk 4


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## ellismera (Sep 28, 2013)

I've been putting extra veggies in the box when I get them.on top of what the mans put in. Is this correct?


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## TheGuvnor (Apr 26, 2013)

Perfect.

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