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Re: Water dragon info
Handling/Aggression
Water dragons can become very docile and friendly. Many owners let them roam their room or house for periods of exercise. To have a tame dragon, you must first train it. Training a hatchling is much easier than an adult, and it will grow into your touch and smell better.
When first handling a water dragon, never grab or pull it. They will not forgive you. Water dragons will learn who to trust, or not to trust from positive and negative experiences. Be gentle, and let the dragon learn your scent.
Diet
Hatchling water dragons are voracious eaters because they have a lot of growing to do. They should be fed at least daily an insect diet. As they get older vegetables and fruits will be taken. A baby water dragon can be fed anything that fits into its mouth. This include appropriately sized crickets, meal worms, super worms, earthworms, and even goldfish or small mice. Feed as much as they will eat in 20 minutes and remove any leftover prey items.
As baby water dragons grow into adults the size of their food should increase. At a year of age they will be almost done growing and can be fed 3 times a week. Now that they are bigger, larger prey items like mice, fish, and roaches can be fed more often. Adults will still take super worms and crickets, but meal worms will be much too small for them.
Adults will also take vegetables with every feeding. They prefer carrots, sweet potatoes, and yellow squash. When served, this salad should be chopped into cubes that are small enough for a water dragon to eat. Most water dragons will love you forever if you provide them with the occasional strawberry or blueberry. Raspberries and bananas work too.
Housing
Hatchling water dragons grow quick so many cages will be needed until it finally becomes an adult. Babies can start in a 10 gallon tank. You have to be the judge of when the cage is too small. There should be plenty of room to move around in and explore. Once it gets cramped upgrade to a 20 or 40 gallon.
Adults need an enclosure that is at least 3x3x4. Adults and hatchlings will spend much of their time off of the ground so height is an important factor. There is not really a maximum size enclosure for adults. The more room, the better.
Substrate
The substrate’s main purpose is to hold and release humidity. Simple substrates like newspaper and paper towel are easy to clean and replace. Some keepers will want a nicer looking substrate like non-fertilized potting soil or sphagnum moss. You must realize that it is a lot of work cleaning and replacing these substrates every few months. Do not use wood shavings because they are toxic to reptiles.
Shelter
Plenty of foliage and thick, sturdy branches off the ground will satisfy your dragon. Hides on the ground tend to be big and take up a lot of room. Make sure they feel like they are in a tree canopy high off the forest floor. However, they will climb down to eat and swim in their water.
Temperature/Lighting
Reptiles are ectotherms, or cold blooded. They require heat to survive unlike us. Water dragons like it fairly warm. An overhead bulb should be used to heat the tank to 84-88F. These temperatures can drop 15F at night.
Depending on how large the enclosure is, two or three bulbs may be needed. There should be a cooler side or spot in the tank in case the water dragon feels it needs to cool off. The bulbs you use should also contain UVA and UVB. UV rays are an essential part of a water dragon’s cage.
Under tank heaters should be avoided because they do not heat the air, only the tank and substrate. Avoid hot rocks because they will overheat and cause burns.
Humidity/Water
Because water dragons live in forests and canopies, water and humidity is plentiful. This should be duplicated in captivity. 60-80% humidity can be maintained by misting the enclosure once in the morning and once at night. Be sure the tank gets a chance to dry out or else mold and fungus may develop.
Hence the name, water dragons love their water. A large, deep water bowl on the bottom of the enclosure is a must. Rocks and other objects can be placed in this bowl for something to lay on and come partially out of the water. Water dragons may spend a lot of their time in it so the water will need to be filtered or changed daily, or every other day. This water bowl will help with the humidity. If you have humidity problems try having live non-toxic plants scattered around the enclosure.
Cleaning
Replace the water every day. Paper substrates need to be replaced when soiled, and loose substrates every 2-4 months. Spot clean daily, and clean out the entire cage with 5% bleach solution once a month or when needed. Be sure to remove any leftover prey items.
^^ Above seems to be the most thorough article I could find on them thru google. Does all this sound accurate? Is there anything key thats missing here?
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