Hi, relatively new to reptiles

[Caters]

Hi. I am relatively new to reptiles and I am saying that because I don't have any reptiles at the moment and never have had reptiles before. But I did do a lot of research before I even told my momma that I wanted a lizard.

My dad built a big cage for my future bearded dragon. And my momma has designed and is building a castle for him/her. I have gotten the bowls and the lights for the bearded dragon as well as a temp gun so that I can know exactly what the surface temperature is(which is important because too hot or too cold can be disastrous).

My momma also got some sand. I was like no on using sand as a substrate because I know what happens when sand gets wet. It expands. And because I would be starting with a hatchling(which I have done research on and what I could find for feeding is 100% insects 5 times a day and making sure the insects are no bigger than the space between their eyes), sand expanding in its digestive tract could and most likely would cause impaction which can be fatal. So instead she will use the sand on the last layer of grout for the castle to add roughness and thus traction.

So basically I have the lizard side of things all taken care of and am concentrating more on the insect side of things.

[dannybgoode]

Originally Posted by Caters

Hi. I am relatively new to reptiles and I am saying that because I don't have any reptiles at the moment and never have had reptiles before. But I did do a lot of research before I even told my momma that I wanted a lizard.

My dad built a big cage for my future bearded dragon. And my momma has designed and is building a castle for him/her. I have gotten the bowls and the lights for the bearded dragon as well as a temp gun so that I can know exactly what the surface temperature is(which is important because too hot or too cold can be disastrous).

My momma also got some sand. I was like no on using sand as a substrate because I know what happens when sand gets wet. It expands. And because I would be starting with a hatchling(which I have done research on and what I could find for feeding is 100% insects 5 times a day and making sure the insects are no bigger than the space between their eyes), sand expanding in its digestive tract could and most likely would cause impaction which can be fatal. So instead she will use the sand on the last layer of grout for the castle to add roughness and thus traction.

So basically I have the lizard side of things all taken care of and am concentrating more on the insect side of things.

Sounds a great build. Note that if your dragon is kept properly at the right temperature etc there is zero risk of impaction.

Whilst I would not recommend sand on its own - not because of any health risk simply because it's not natural - I said use a sand biased soil mix. 70% sand 30% fertiliser free soil. Nice and natural and will encourage your dragon to exhibit a range of behaviours.

One thing you haven't mentioned it's lighting (both UV and full spectrum) and heating - what type of heat bulb will you use and how will you control the temperature. A temperature gun on its own is incredibly useful but what will you do it it tells you is too hot or if the temperature looks fine but then it's a really warm or cold day?

[Scubadiver59]

Great to see you have your whole family involved...that doesn't always happen!!

Oh...welcome to sSNAKESs!

[SSSam]

Buy your insects from a reputable and reliable website/store to lower the risk of ur dragon getting parasites and diseases. Also try to locate a reptile vet in your area in case your animal gets sick. Good luck !