Bearded Dragon Care, General Specs.

Question
QUESTION: Hi Tracie,

I've had my beardie since early August now, got him when he was 6 weeks so that would make him roughly 9.5-10 months old now. I've never asked an expert about my setup and how it could be improved, so I thought I'd start here. He went into brumation in early November and didn't come out until the first week of March, it was a very long wait. I've heard about all the ways to help them brumate (shoebox, bathing schedule), but my beardy seemed perfectly content with laying in the sand in the corner of the tank, waking up here and there taking a few steps.
The setup I had when he came out (Reptiglo 10.0 compact and fluker 60W bask bulb in small fixture)didn't seem to cut it, he needed something more powerful. So I went out and bought a much deeper dome fixture and the exoterra solar glo 125w, I went with this bulb because it takes away the necessity of two fixtures and now I have a single deep dome. I have had this fixture since he came out, it sits on metal screen cover of a 20 gallon tank, my beardy can get closer than the recommended 30 cm, the tank itself is 35 cm high. He can get 15 cm away at points. I have sand substrate, some stack rocks that sit on the cool side, and a wooden jungle gym on the basking side. Basking spots get anywhere from 95-110F and the cool side stays in the 70s. He has seemed content for the past few months, eating mealworms regularly and collard or romaine, taking poops regularly. The main concern I have is if the bulb is too powerful for a 20 gallon tank. He will sometimes go and lay under the wood jungle gym in the shade, it almost looks as though he is basking but not directly under the light (stretches out and closes his eyes), or maybe he wants to go to bed early?. Does this behaviour indicate that he may be too hot or too close to the light source? Maybe I should shorten the lighting cycle? He has grown almost double since coming out of brumation, I would say from tip of nose to tip of tail hes 18cm (I think the 4 month brumation slightly stunted growth). Any suggestions from an expert like yourself would be greatly appreciated.
Thankyou

ANSWER: Hello Graham,

So your dragon of only a few months went into brumation?  Wow, well, I am glad that he came out of it, as it normally is not a good idea to let that young of a dragon go into brumation because it can greatly affect their growth & their bone density.
He is now 7 inches, is that correct?  
The bulb may be too much for the 20 gallon tank, yes.  However, the Solar Glo is not a real strong UVB light though it is a mercury vapor bulb.  There is not a whole lot out on the market right now unfortunately.  You would be better off using a Reptisun 10 tube bulb.  It is stronger, UVB speaking, than the Solar Glo is.  I completely understand why you are using it though.  If you want to use the Solar Glo for the basking light, with the Reptisun 10 tube bulb, that would be a great combination.
Are you using a digital probe or a temp gun to measure the temperatures?  The basking temperature needs to be 95-110 which you do have right now.  The basking light shouldn't be any closer than 6 inches, which is acceptable at the 15 cms.  
I would keep the light schedule at 12 hours day & 12 hours of night for him, as it is coming into summer soon.  
He may be showing early signs of calcium deficiency if he is slow & lethargic right now.  Do you give calcium supplementation 5 times per week?
I would try to feed crickets or phoenix worms, with less mealworms because the mealies are higher in fat & not as nutritious as the crickets or phoenix worms.  
Do you have a picture of him?

Tracie

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Hello,

Thankyou for the information. I got the little guy in mid August and the breeder I received him from said he was 5 or 6 weeks, so that puts him born lets say July 1st. He went into brumation in early November, so he was just over 4 months old. I was afraid it would be deadly because I knew that he didn't poop before going under, and still had some food in his system. He slept in the sand, putting his head up every day or so, for all those months until March 1st. I would give him water when he was up and he seemed good to me so I went along with it not knowing if he would ever wake up lol good thing. I just measured he's roughly 25 cm or 10 inches. As of right now the highest spot on his jungle gym is 6 inches from the bulb, he rarely goes that high so regardless I think the bulb distance is ok. I have a reptiglo 10 compact canopy fixture, I can go pick up a tube fixture though really cheap at Rona if it is better.

I do have a digital probe for temp, i just measured it left it in there for 30 min and the central basking temp stays at about 102.
I have this repcal calcium powder that I sprinkle on his lettuce or collard here and there. He isn't showing slow signs I mean he is still very alert and runs after the worms very fast, i've even taught him to jump up and grab the worm in mid air! But its just usually in the last 4 or 5 hours of his day I'll find him tucked away under the wood, basking in the shade, looking like he wants to go to bed early.

I can take pictures of my whole setup and Dudley and send them I have no problem with that.

Thankyou
Graham

ANSWER: Hello Graham,

Great, I will look forward to seeing your pictures of Dudley & your setup.  
Yes, it sounds like the distance for his lighting is fine.  
The basking temperatures are fine, since you use a digital probe to measure them with.  
I would change the compact/coil light out.  Can you get a Reptisun 10 tube bulb?  That is a much better brand than the Reptiglo 10.  
He needs to grow more so having a better UVB light will help him out.  I am glad that he made it through that brumation for his age!  
Good, the calcium needs to be used 5 times per week for babies & juvies & for adults, roughly 4 times or so.  The repcal calcium is fine.  
That is really cool he jumps in the air to grab his worms!  


Tracie

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: I was surprised he came out of brumation too I knew that he shouldn't have been going under, I think it had something to do with my lighting and it's power.
Ya i can get a reptisun 10. I will probably head to Rona get a cheap fixture (because they rip you off at Petsmart) and hook that up as a combination. Should I be using the tube light and Solar Glo for 12 hour days? or probably 12 hours with Solar Glo and like 7 or so with the tube light. I agree he does need to grow more, the last beardy I had was much bigger at this point in his life, Sadly he passed away though right before I got this one. Bit of a freak accident, Beardies are just too fragile lol have to be careful with them.
Ill keep going with the Calcium as well, I have one question about these Fluker's Freeze dried crickets. I bought some because I thought they would be great when i'm out of food or good to just give him anyways, they are 'gut loaded with calcium'. It was great value I had to get them, what do you think about these? How do they compare to live crickets?

And ya the air jump lol, ill hold a worm through the cage lid he'll find a way to jump up and grab it off the jungle gym its pretty cool :)
I've taken a few pictures, although on this site it seems I can only upload one picture, any suggestions?

Thankyou
Graham

Answer
Hello Graham,

Yes, sometimes they will go into brumation if the lighting is not quite right.
Yes, you can use the Solar Glo for 12 hour days, it is very weak, so using that in combination with the Reptisun 10 would be great.  
Do a 12 hour light cycle & a 12 hour night cycle with no light at all.  
I am sorry to hear you lost a dragon previously, it is never easy when something happens.
Well, as long as the freeze dried crickets do not make up the majority of his food, there is nothing wrong with giving them ocassionally.  
The freeze dried crickets & fresh crickets are probably similar in nutrition as long as the live feeders are gut loaded well.
That is great he loves to hunt down his worms!

If you would like you can send more pictures to my home email at  Drache_613@hotmail.com

You can upload one a time here, so you could do a follow up with another attachment, if you would like to, also.

Tracie