feeding

[BigMatt]

my baby beardie isnt eating as much as i think he should. I feed him vegtablesin the morning, and when i come back more than 3/4 is still there. And when i put crickets in, he only eats one or two. I justgot him sun, on mon he was eating the some of the crickets. I dunno if its a new house thing or if something is wrong

[crazyboy]

What are the temps?

[BigMatt]

88-90 for the basking

[ICULIZARD]

Put your temps up. Keep the ambiant temp throughout the tank at 80-85. Basking temp should go up to 100-115. Start at 100 at see how he does.

:) Good Luck

ICULIZARD

[tHeGiNo]

I agree with Megan, definitely raise the temperatures. Also, if it is just crickets he does not like, try offering a varied diet. He should definitely be eating more then 'a few' crickets :).

[BigMatt]

what watt bulb is the best?

[tHeGiNo]

Halogen bulbs from Home Depot work like a charm.

[BigMatt]

im thinkijng about getting this bulb


http://www.petco.com/product_info.asp?familyid=10810&sku=9631655172&tab=5&dept_id=2547&c1=2541&c2=2547&c3=&ct1=Heating%2C+Lighting+%26+Accessories&ct2=Fluorescent+Light+Bulbs+%26+Fixtures&ct3=

[tHeGiNo]

Definitely not. My body produces more heat then that thing, lol. Also, do you have a UVA/UVB bulb? This is also essential in order to have a healthy, active bearded dragon.

[BigMatt]

well right now i have a regular 100 watt bulb im gonna buy something tonight soon so im trying to get anything i can get. I was thinking of either getting that bulb or a floresent strip light

[tHeGiNo]

Ok, let me inform you on a few things. Bearded dragons require two sources of light. Both of these are mandatory, which means they are NOT an option, they are a must. First, you need a heat lamp. A regular 100 watt bulb will definitely not do the job. Either get a heat lamp from the petstore, such as the 150 watt version of the following: http://www.petsmart.com/global/product_detail.jsp?PRODUCT%3C%3Eprd_id=84552444177 5087&FOLDER%3C%3Efolder_id=2534374302023694&ASSORTMENT%3C%3East_id=2534374302023694&bmUID=1076629666236.

Second, and very crucial, is UVA/UVB rays. These can only be produced through special reptile lighting, such as the following link: http://www.petsmart.com/global/product_detail.jsp?PRODUCT%3C%3Eprd_id=84552444177 7918&ASSORTMENT%3C%3East_id=2534374302023694&FOLDER%3C%3Efolder_id=2534374302026319&bmUID=1076629734636. These bulbs permit activity and the process of vitamin D3. The lack of this lighting will lead to certain diseases, and ultimately death.

Your basking spot should be around 110. Try to achieve this with one bulb. If not, lower the bulb closer to the basking site, or put two bulbs. I hope you fix this up, for your bearded dragons sake.

[Bighead]

I use the ESU UV Coil lamp thing for my day geckos because I don't have enough horizontal space for a regular flourescent bulb. I use that in addition to a spot, but they have worked great for the last couple of years. The flourescent reptisun 5.0 is a better bet for beardies because you have the space and being semi desert animals, the have higher UVB requirements. The coil lamp has 3% and the regular flourescent has 5% (hence the 5.0). They will also be able to absorb the UV wherever they are in the cage as opposed to just underneath that bulb. If you decide to go for it anyway, it's $7 cheaper at Petsmart if there's one in your area. Good luck with your beardies. You should put some pictures up if you can.

[Bighead]

P.S. When they say that the 20 watt coil lamp is the equivilent to a 75 watt incandescent, they are talking about amount of light, not type of light or amount of heat it puts out.

[BigMatt]

well a 75 watt household bulb gives only out to about 88 degrees

[tHeGiNo]

Those coil lights give off very minimal UVA/UVB rays, from what I have heard. Bigmatt, please invest in both heating and UVA/UVB rays.

[BigMatt]

i just got a strip light with uva and uvb and have a 100 watt house bulb right now. Any sugestions for a good basking lamp?

[tHeGiNo]

Either the one I already suggested, the Zoo Med one I mean, or the similar one made by Exoterra. If not, you can pick up flood lights from homedepot for a few bucks which do the job perfectly.

[Bartman]

Do you have pics of your tank, it would be easy to see if your tank is good...with a 100 watt bulb im surprised your only getting 90 degrees..how far is the basking spot from the bulb?

[drewlowe]

The wattage of the bulb will depend on the room temp and the temp. Required. You will have to play around with different wattages to get the desired temp you need.

Basking lights- you can use ZooMed they come in 50,75, 100, 150, Exoterra same wattage, and then theres the bulbs you can buy from home depot that are pretty much the same (not sure on wattages availible). I personally use Zoo Med.

Then as metioned you HAVE to have UVB, I reccomend the ZooMed 5.0 It is trusted by MANY keepers. Exoterra also does well. Besides those 2 brands i wouldn't waste my money. They have tested several different brands and they just don't measure up.

Make sure you get a heat lamp with ceramic and not plastic. The ceramic ones should run 10-15 dollars and the plastic ones are around 5. I've found with using them the plastic ones can't handle the higher wattage and will not last that long, Where the ceramic ones you can use a higher wattage and i've had all of mine for 3years + with no problems. (Yes i have used both and i will spend the extra money for a ceramic one).

Also what is your substrate and what are you feeding the beardie. Not trying to be rude or anything but i wish you would have researched this and had the setup correct before purchase, but at least you are trying to get the right setup and that's a step in the right direction.

[BigMatt]

i have the right setup i have newspaper substrate i feed him vegtables in the morning and crickets twice in the afternoon. Im trying to convert him to pellets but he hasnt ate them yet. I bught a vibrating dish but still no use

[tHeGiNo]

You do not have the right set-up if you have basking spots of 90F and no UVB/UVA.

[drewlowe]

What Kind of Veggies are you feeding him, very important to know? Why are you using a vibrating dish, for bugs or for veggies.

[drewlowe]

I'm going to show you an example of how the lights should be. As stated you need a basking light and a UVB. It doesn't have to be exactly like mine, it's just an example.

http://www.ssnakess.com/photopost/data/500/1695Beardies-cage152.jpg

As a side note this is an OLD pic they are not on sand, and haven't been in a while i only went through my OLD pics to find one with the lamp setup showing so i didn't have to take a new pic and upload it and all that. Saving myself some time. LOL

[BigMatt]

i bought a strip light and have 100 watt light bulb i tink this will work now. he ate alot more crickets today

[tHeGiNo]

Just a normal 100 watt house bulb? If so, that will not work. What kind of strip light did you purchase?

[BigMatt]

a uv bulb i think its esu. Whats wrong with a 100 watt bulb?

[drewlowe]

Esu is not a very good brand by what i've been told, I would stick with Zoo Med or Exo Terra at least a 5.0. You shouldn't use a regular house bulb for beardies you should use either a basking bulb or a flood light. Something with a tighter beam for basking.

[BigMatt]

ya i plan to switch to 5.0. ive also heard esu isnt very good but its better than nothing. Whats the best basking lamp for a baby bearded?

[drewlowe]

Either a Zoo Med or exo Terra basking bulb, I personly prefer Zoo Med basking bulbs, or you can purchase flood bulbs at home depot or similar stores.

The wattage will differ though, i live in a basement with temps usually around the mid-high 60's low 70's so I have to use 2 150 watt bulbs. Yours may be different depending on your room temp and how far away your light is from the basking spot. You will need to play around with the lights to acheive the correct temps.

[BigMatt]

ya here lately its been 70-85 and 100 watt getts the temps to 95 but in the summer when its 80-95 it should work good