Dragon Questions

I just got 2 BDs. They are in a nice set up for now, it's a little big, so I am wondering if I should downgrade.

They are a pair of 4 inch long babies, in a 30 gallon aquarium. They are on paper towels, have a water dish, hide box, basking area and food dish. Should I get a 10 gallon??

Also, the first day I had them, they were eating greens/veggies, and now they won't eat them! What should I do???? Should I be very worried?

Let me know...anyone!

Thanks
Nicole

Definately put them in a smaller tank. I would say perhaps a 10 gallon for now. Their enclosure is too big for them to effectively hunt down food. You should probably cover the sides of the tank with construction paper or something to that effect so they do not get stressed out. How long have you had them for and can you give any other information about them as to whether or not they are stressed(you can tell by looking at their bellies. should be white but will develop black lines when stressed) and if they are hydrated.

In my opinion it is too hard to regulate the temps in a 10 gallon tank and provide a proper gradient. I would reccomend a 20 gallon. Also remember that as they get bigger, you will need to seperate them at least until they are adults. Once they are adults, a tank with the dimensions 4'X2'X2' will do for a pair.

I agree with drew, you should keep them in the 20 gallon. But if they arent eating very much, you should remove all decorations except for the basking rock/branch and food dish. This should help them to locate everything easily.

Hi All and Thanks! They don't seem stressed. I got them on Friday, and I have been keeping them very hydrated. Their bellies are nice and white. They are hunting crickets fine, no trouble at all, they just won't eat the greens. I put paper around the tank on Friday, as soon as I got them, and I have been keeping a VERY close eye on them. They pound the Crickets as soon as they are dropped in the tank.....they just don't seem to want the greens now.....ARGH!

Anyway, I will switch them over to a 20 gal tomorrow, for now, all the stores are closed!

you shouldn't expect the babies to eat greens for a while yet. They are probably only like a month old and should be eating as much protien as possible. So for now, dont really worry about the greens.

ALWAYS offer greens to babies. They may not eat a lot of them but they aid in digestion. Babies should be on a 80% insect 20% ratio. A 10 gallon tank will work well as long as it does not get to hot. If you find it gets too hot a 20 gallon will work well too as long as there is not a ton of places for crickets to hide.

I have been offering dark greens, Dandelion Greens, Turnip greens, and collard greens....I also add yellow and green squash and carrots. I just don't see them eating the "salad"....just crickets! I will keep offering greens twice daily, which is what I have been doing, and I will switch to a smaller tank. What temps are considered too hot?

The basking spot should be 95-100, and you want the cool side of the tank to be low to mid 80s when the light is on, this is why it is hard to use a 10 gallon. With a 10 gallon, if you get the hot side around 100, the cool side will be very warm also.
Often when people bring their new beardie home they offer them lots of food items crix and greens both, you need to remember they were probably housed with as many as 20 siblings so they are used to "scrambling" for their food. When they have no competition, they often over eat at first, then they get a tummy ache and may not eat for a while. They also prefer crix over greens usually, so feed the greens first thing in the am then offer crix. I feel that a hungry beardie is usually a sign of a healthy beardie, so keep an eye on there appetite.

Casey and Darla Hulse
Natures Spirit Reptiles/
www.nsreptiles.com

Actually, babies prefer slightly higher temps in their basking spots, generally around 105*F-115*F. Adults generally only need around 95*F-105*F in the basking spot.