# bearded dragons just curious



## Chrisuk33 (Oct 10, 2010)

just want some information on keeping a baby bearded dragon to adult, i dont have one but would like information to think about should i decide to get one like.....

a baby bearded dragon can be kept in a 2ft viv but how long can they be there before they need a bigger one? can they go from a 2ft to a 4ft viv when the sizes require it?

i cant put it a babe in a rub box because it also needs uv light yes? so id have no whe to atach its uv.

ok so say i have a 2ft viv and i want to get a bearded dragon, what quipment list should i be looking at? light heat etc

what are the temps?

how long should the uv light be kept on etc and if your light is a heat bulb, what takes over as a heat source or..... should i get a ceramic bulb and use a normal uv light as well???

what do you feed them, i heard you dont feed babies meal worms

would it be a good idea not to pick up a baby bearded drgon untill its older cos there quite fragile im told?

i just wanna know everything should i decide on one, one day


----------



## MattThing (Dec 27, 2009)

Should answer most of your questions, if not all, check it out.

Caring for a Bearded Dragon - Hades Dragons UK


----------



## Chrisuk33 (Oct 10, 2010)

MattThing said:


> Should answer most of your questions, if not all, check it out.
> 
> Caring for a Bearded Dragon - Hades Dragons UK


yes in answered some but not all


----------



## beckih1979 (Nov 15, 2010)

Chrisuk33 said:


> yes in answered some but not all


What do you need to know?


----------



## Chrisuk33 (Oct 10, 2010)

beckih1979 said:


> What do you need to know?


well im a total blank sheet when it comes to bearded dragons, i know there daytime reptiles which is good but...

i dont understand that if its siad that for one beardie you need 1 4ft viv, that people often buy them in pairs, but something tells me that most dont have a massive 8ft viv so whats the story?

also if i goat a baby beardie is it ok to just have one or do they do best in pairs? because if i got one it would be a baby male and thats it if i could.

also if a had a 2ft viv spaire could i keep it in that as a baby and then when its ready to move out, put it in the 4ft viv?

is it ok to use a ceramic heat lamp ( non light emiting bulb) for the basking spot and have a seperare uv bulb for its vitamins. so i could switch of the light at night snf just keep the ceramic going?

ive heard conflicting information about the temps.
basking spot 90-95f or 115F making sure that the other end is about 10 to 15 degresses cooler?

as a baby you feed it on small crickets and broccolli? anything else?


----------



## Chrisuk33 (Oct 10, 2010)

beckih1979 said:


> What do you need to know?


well im a total blank sheet when it comes to bearded dragons, i know there daytime reptiles which is good but...

i dont understand that if its siad that for one beardie you need 1 4ft viv, that people often buy them in pairs, but something tells me that most dont have a massive 8ft viv so whats the story?

also if i got a baby beardie is it ok to just have one or do they do best in pairs? because if i got one it would be a baby male and thats it if i could.

also if a had a 2ft viv spaire could i keep it in that as a baby and then when its ready to move out, put it in the 4ft viv?

is it ok to use a ceramic heat lamp ( non light emiting bulb) for the basking spot and have a seperare uv bulb for its vitamins. so i could switch of the light at night snf just keep the ceramic going?

ive heard conflicting information about the temps.
basking spot 90-95f or 115F making sure that the other end is about 10 to 15 degresses cooler?

as a baby you feed it on small crickets and broccolli? anything else?


----------



## beckih1979 (Nov 15, 2010)

Bearded Dragons are really a solitary animal they do not need company as such. I would not recommend keeping more than one in the same enclosure, if you get 2 males they could fight til the death, a male and a female sexually mature at different times and he could constantly pester her and even 2 females may not get on. There are so many situations that could arise I just don't think it is worth the risk. Beardies are not always easy to sex when they are young either so you may not be able to guarantee what sex you have.

I would not keep a Beardie of any age in a 2ft viv if you wanted to start smaller I would go for a 3ft and then move in to a 4ft at a later date.

You ideally need to use a normal clear reflector bulb for the basking spot not ceramic as this replicates the sun with the bright light.

You would not need to keep the basking and UV light on overnight as this would disturb the beardie from sleeping, normally a 12 hour cycle is sufficient.

The basking spot should be about 110-115 and the ambient temp in the hot end 90-95.

Nutrition Content

The link above should take you to a chart showing what fresh food beardies can eat as there are lots of them and of course the regular live food. You might find that a baby beardie will not show any interest in salad/veg to start with but it should still be offered freshly everyday and they will eventually give in.


----------



## Chrisuk33 (Oct 10, 2010)

beckih1979 said:


> You ideally need to use a normal clear reflector bulb for the basking spot not ceramic as this replicates the sun with the bright light


ceramic bulbs dont emit any light its just heat waves.



beckih1979 said:


> You would not need to keep the basking and UV light on overnight as this would disturb the beardie from sleeping, normally a 12 hour cycle is sufficient.
> The basking spot should be about 110-115 and the ambient temp in the hot end 90-95


kinda confusing, i mean for instance when putting the thermostat sencor down low enough under the basking area to get a basking heat of 115F, this would mean the closer you got to the actual heat source the hoter its going to get ambiently, the only ambient heat to get coller is as you move futher from the heat source, so do you mean the middle of the viv to be around 95f?
i understand turning off the UV light at night but if i turn off the basking heat source (non light emiting) there will only be room temp heat, probabbly around 60 to 70F on a good day im not sure thats enough, or is it? 



beckih1979 said:


> Nutrition Content
> 
> The link above should take you to a chart showing what fresh food beardies can eat as there are lots of them and of course the regular live food. You might find that a baby beardie will not show any interest in salad/veg to start with but it should still be offered freshly everyday and they will eventually give in.


----------



## beckih1979 (Nov 15, 2010)

Maybe I didn't word that right sorry. A clear reflector bulb emits light so it is better as it is more like the sun. They are alot cheaper than ceramic too.

The basking spot is wherever the beardie will be laying to bask and by the ambient I mean the air temp around the basking spot in the hot end of the viv. Does that make sense?


----------



## Chrisuk33 (Oct 10, 2010)

beckih1979 said:


> Maybe I didn't word that right sorry. A clear reflector bulb emits light so it is better as it is more like the sun. They are alot cheaper than ceramic too.


if i use a light emiting heat bulb such as this reflector, then at night it will get turned off and it will have no heat source but what is provided in my room its self 60 -70f??? is that ok??? and if so, why a light eniting heat bulb and a UV?



beckih1979 said:


> The basking spot is wherever the beardie will be laying to bask and by the ambient I mean the air temp around the basking spot in the hot end of the viv. Does that make sense?


im not sure its possible to do in the way your saying or maybe im mixed up, you see a basking spot as i understand it is the heat of as you say 115F,
when i had a snake in a viv the way to acive this would to put the thermostat and thermoiter about 6 inch off the bottom, or what ever surace you have set up like a rock, this is how you know you have 115f, thats how i was told snake wise so i imagine its the same in that respect, however, the futher you are away from the heat source the cool it is , like by the time you get to the other side it should be about 10 or 15 f cooler, is that what your saying????


----------



## beckih1979 (Nov 15, 2010)

Ok sorry I am not the best at explaining things in writing.

It doesn't have to be a light emitting bulb if you really don't want it to be but obviously in the wild they would have the bright light from the sun and I just feels this replicates this much more than a ceramic could.

As long as the temp in your viv doesn't go below 70 overnight you would need no additional heating. If it does go below 70 this is where I would use a ceramic bulb.

For measuring the basking spot temp you need to put the thermometer as close to the spot as possible if you were to measure the temp 6 inches from the floor this would be incorrect as the beardie would not be hovering 6 inches above ground. So wherever the beardie will be sitting got the probe as close as poss. 

By the ambient temp I mean the air temp at the hot end should be around 95 (the same end as the basking lamp but not directly in the basking spot) and the cool end should be 80-85


----------



## Chrisuk33 (Oct 10, 2010)

beckih1979 said:


> Ok sorry I am not the best at explaining things in writing.


could be just me cos i have a form of dyslexia :lol2:


beckih1979 said:


> It doesn't have to be a light emitting bulb if you really don't want it to be but obviously in the wild they would have the bright light from the sun and I just feels this replicates this much more than a ceramic could.
> 
> As long as the temp in your viv doesn't go below 70 overnight you would need no additional heating. If it does go below 70 this is where I would use a ceramic bulb.


i think a cermaic bulb would be useful, i can get one for about 12 that last 4 or 5 month, as for the light thats where id also use a uv light tube and switch that light off at night


beckih1979 said:


> For measuring the basking spot temp you need to put the thermometer as close to the spot as possible if you were to measure the temp 6 inches from the floor this would be incorrect as the beardie would not be hovering 6 inches above ground. So wherever the beardie will be sitting got the probe as close as poss.


ok so at the level of the basking spot, it should be 115f?



beckih1979 said:


> By the ambient temp I mean the air temp at the hot end should be around 95 (the same end as the basking lamp but not directly in the basking spot) and the cool end should be 80-85


if i screw a heatbulb/ceramic to the celling of the viv (guarded of course) pointing stright down then at the basking level where you told me to put the seconors should be 115f but by the lawa of science if set the basking spot level at 115f the closer upwwards back to the head source the hotter it will get, but that doesnt matter because at the basking spot level will be 115f, yes?

soo.. this mean ambient heat can only be measured cooler by the futher away moving towards to the right of the viv, that is if the basking spot is on the left i mean??


----------



## jools (Apr 4, 2009)

OK. I understand, and respect, that you want to get things right. I suspect that you want to use the 2 foot viv that your Leo is in ATM. So - to simplify things:
For a beardie. Yes a 2 foot viv is fine to start off with as long as you can get the right temperature gradient but it will be very quickly outgrown. 
Ceramic versus spot light: In normal circumstnces a spot light is better. Beardies associate light with heat and will usually bask better with a spot. All light goes off at night as you know. They will easily tolerate night temps of 60F so unless your house goes below this a spot bulb is better. If your house does go below this regularly then use a ceramic. Either should be connected to a stat.
Setting the temps: The first thing you need to do is get the ambient temps right. In a small viv then it would be best if the bulb faces straight down. I would start off with a 60W bulb in a 2 foot viv but this will depend on your room temp and you may need to use a 40W. Place your stat probe about half way along the viv, a few inches above the floor, and set it to 90F. You are aiming for ambient temps of mid 80s cool side and mid 90s warm side. You will have some playing around with the position of the probe and wattage of the bulb to get this right. Once you have the ambient temps right you need to adjust the basking temp. You do this by placing a rock or branch under the light and raising or lowering it, nearer to or further from the bulb until a temp of 110-115F (for a baby) is achieved. 
I hope this helps.


----------



## Chrisuk33 (Oct 10, 2010)

jools said:


> OK. I understand, and respect, that you want to get things right. I suspect that you want to use the 2 foot viv that your Leo is in ATM. So - to simplify things:
> For a beardie. Yes a 2 foot viv is fine to start off with as long as you can get the right temperature gradient but it will be very quickly outgrown.
> Ceramic versus spot light: In normal circumstnces a spot light is better. Beardies associate light with heat and will usually bask better with a spot. All light goes off at night as you know. They will easily tolerate night temps of 60F so unless your house goes below this a spot bulb is better. If your house does go below this regularly then use a ceramic. Either should be connected to a stat.
> Setting the temps: The first thing you need to do is get the ambient temps right. In a small viv then it would be best if the bulb faces straight down. I would start off with a 60W bulb in a 2 foot viv but this will depend on your room temp and you may need to use a 40W. Place your stat probe about half way along the viv, a few inches above the floor, and set it to 90F. You are aiming for ambient temps of mid 80s cool side and mid 90s warm side. You will have some playing around with the position of the probe and wattage of the bulb to get this right. Once you have the ambient temps right you need to adjust the basking temp. You do this by placing a rock or branch under the light and raising or lowering it, nearer to or further from the bulb until a temp of 110-115F (for a baby) is achieved.
> I hope this helps.


all information is greatlfully recived
if i sold on my leo it would be the entire kit and viv to, not sure if im going to yet, so i wanted to make note of the dos and donts before i decide anything.

the confusing thing im thinking of is this heat thing.

ok so far i understand that at the level of basking (few inches off the surface as you told me) needs to be 115F

ok about this ambient temp..

if like i said i point the basking lamp directly down,the sencors are a few inches off the surface will be 115f, soo.... directly back up towards the heat source it gets hotter thats just basic science but as long as its 115f at that level you want its fine. if i afix this basking hot area on my left then the measurement of ambient temp to go cooler can only go towards the right side of the viv, futher you move way cooler it gets.

soo.. on this understanding, at the basing level its 115f, towards the middle of the viv and cooler end it needs to be 95f.

am i correct in understanding?


----------



## dickvansheepcake (Jul 8, 2009)

No. Directly under the basking bulb needs to be 110-115. The area around it needs to be around 95 and the cool end (opposite end to the basking bulb) needs to be around 80. It's really not that complicated!

You need too measure the surface temperature of the basking spot, not a couple of inches off the floor. If you have a piece of slate as the basking surface then you need to have the thermometer probe lying on the piece of slate. The surface temp needs to be 110-115 (for babies anyway, older dragons should have a basking temp of 100-105)


----------



## Chrisuk33 (Oct 10, 2010)

dickvansheepcake said:


> No. Directly under the basking bulb needs to be 110-115. The area around it needs to be around 95 and the cool end (opposite end to the basking bulb) needs to be around 80. It's really not that complicated!
> 
> You need too measure the surface temperature of the basking spot, not a couple of inches off the floor. If you have a piece of slate as the basking surface then you need to have the thermometer probe lying on the piece of slate. The surface temp needs to be 110-115 (for babies anyway, older dragons should have a basking temp of 100-105)


its not whats hard, i think eather people are not understanding what im saying or im not understanding what there saying.

if i screw a ceramic heat bulb from the celling , point directly down on the very far left of a vivarium, which would mean from the bulb to the floor is heat, how much heat at the basking spot level near the ground is where the thermosatat and thermomiter comes in, they will make sure its 115f at the basking spot level.

science says that at the basking level 115f is the bulbs lowest working heat, as you get closer to the heat bulb the hotter it gets but that dont matter as long as its 115f at the basking level where the beardie is yes?

what you have left is "middle and right side of the viv", and that is the part where as you move way from the heat source it gets cooler so middle and right side of the viv will become around 95f or cooler at the far right


----------



## jools (Apr 4, 2009)

It does not matter what temperature the air is directly adjacent to the bulb. What does matter is that the highest physical point that the beardie will bask at (on its branch/rock/slate - whatever you are using) is measuring a temperature of 110-115F.
Thermostats do not go up to this temperature. Therefore the stat probe is placed away from the bulb halfway along the viv. If you set it up as I recommended above, by adjusting the position of the probe, adjusting the setting of the stat, adjusting the angle and wattage of the bulb and adjusting the height of the basking spot you should be able to acheive:

Basking spot temp (measured with the thermometer positioned exactly where the beardie will bask) of 110-115F

Cool side air temp of mid 80sF

Warm side air temp (except directly under bulb) will be roughly 95F.

I hope this answers your questions.


----------



## Chrisuk33 (Oct 10, 2010)

jools said:


> It does not matter what temperature the air is directly adjacent to the bulb. What does matter is that the highest physical point that the beardie will bask at (on its branch/rock/slate - whatever you are using) is measuring a temperature of 110-115F.
> Thermostats do not go up to this temperature. Therefore the stat probe is placed away from the bulb halfway along the viv. If you set it up as I recommended above, by adjusting the position of the probe, adjusting the setting of the stat, adjusting the angle and wattage of the bulb and adjusting the height of the basking spot you should be able to acheive:
> 
> Basking spot temp (measured with the thermometer positioned exactly where the beardie will bask) of 110-115F
> ...


actually no not really, thermostat prob is there to get the temp you want, so i would not put that probe towards the middle of the viv cos i dont want that area to be 115f , i want the level the beardie is basking at to be 115f on the far left so the probe would be under the bulb but down to the surface of a rock or floor , what ever level its basking at.

the only way air will ambiently get cooler is as you move away to the middle and then the far right


----------



## jools (Apr 4, 2009)

You set the thermostat to about 90F - this is virtually as high as it will go. Therefore it will give you an ambient temperature in the middle of the tank of 90F. You will therefore get the higher temp the nearer the bulb you go.


----------



## Chrisuk33 (Oct 10, 2010)

jools said:


> You set the thermostat to about 90F - this is virtually as high as it will go. Therefore it will give you an ambient temperature in the middle of the tank of 90F. You will therefore get the higher temp the nearer the bulb you go.



ok that i understand, so do i put the thermostat sencor at floor level/level with the surface of a basking spot? does that mean ill need 2 sencored thermomiters? one for the basking spot and one for the 90f area where the thermostat sensor is, cos im told thermostat dails and sensors are not 100% accurat?


----------



## Jeffers3 (May 18, 2010)

You only need the thermometer to _check_ the temperatures when setting it up. A single probe is OK for this as you can move it.

Once set up, you really only need a single reading (at the hot end). Despite what many people say, there is nothing wrong with using the dial type thermometers for monitoring temperatures continuously, as long as they have been checked for accuracy at the temp at which they are used (ie calibrated).


----------



## Chrisuk33 (Oct 10, 2010)

Jeffers3 said:


> You only need the thermometer to _check_ the temperatures when setting it up. A single probe is OK for this as you can move it.
> 
> Once set up, you really only need a single reading (at the hot end). Despite what many people say, there is nothing wrong with using the dial type thermometers for monitoring temperatures continuously, as long as they have been checked for accuracy at the temp at which they are used (ie calibrated).


do you have a hide at both ends?


----------



## Jeffers3 (May 18, 2010)

I don't have a hide at either end, although mine can sit under his basking log, if he wants.


----------



## Chrisuk33 (Oct 10, 2010)

Jeffers3 said:


> I don't have a hide at either end, although mine can sit under his basking log, if he wants.


so there not nervous reptiles like snakes and leos who require sowhere to hide?


----------



## Chrisuk33 (Oct 10, 2010)

something just crossed my mind, what if you have a wire guard on your light and ceramic heat bulb, i hear beardies are good jumpers, and with the guards being wire, how would you stop them being able to jump on to them thinking hey its a climping frame but atually getting hurt?


----------



## Jeffers3 (May 18, 2010)

I suppose you could have nervous beardies, but I've never seen one! They can be a bit skittish when they are young, but they are usually really laid back when they're a bit older.

As for the wire guard, I've never seen mine try to get anywhere near it. They have to be one of the laziest animals tbh. Mine loves basking and will sit there for ages.


----------

