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baby beardeds

G

g_dubb245

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My little brother came home yestetrday with a baby bearded dragon that his friend gave him its about 5"-6" its in a big 55 gallon tub with soil substrate and it has little crix in it but the bearded doesnt seem to be able to catch them and it wont touch the greens is there a solution to this and am i correct by telling my brother that the soil is bad and sand is better?
 
g_dubb245 said:
My little brother came home yestetrday with a baby bearded dragon that his friend gave him its about 5"-6" its in a big 55 gallon tub with soil substrate and it has little crix in it but the bearded doesnt seem to be able to catch them and it wont touch the greens is there a solution to this and am i correct by telling my brother that the soil is bad and sand is better?
Click to expand...

Before I get to sand let me give you a few tips that may be useful. I would move him into a smaller enclosure first thing. A simple 10 or 20 gallon tank and screen top would be great for starters and can picked up at any pet store for around $20-$40 depending on what size you choose. A 55 gallon tub is much too large for a small baby dragon. He will spend more energy trying to find and catch crickets in a tub that large than he will ever receive by eating them. Also a tub that large won't provide him with the security he needs at such a small size.

You also didn't mention a heat source, such as a heat lamp. He needs to be warm to remain active and properly digest the food he eats. If you don't have a heat source get one asap. DO NOT use a human heat pad or a heat rock. They get much too hot, are hard to regulate and will burn him. Get an overhead heat lamp.

It's not uncommon for a young beardie to turn his nose up at greens. Just keep providing them and he will eventually start eating them. Also be sure to provide plenty of fresh water for him to drink. Make sure the crickets you give him are size appropriate. They should be no bigger than the length than the space between his eyes. At 5-6" in length I would say 1/4" to 3/8" crickets would be ideal.

As far as substrates go, axe the soil. I would move him into a smaller enclosure and use paper towels for the time being. He will be able to find the crickets easier and you will be able to better monitor what he's eating. If you choose to move to sand later on make sure it is sifted. If you choose not to use sand there are many other options available to you. You can look around here in the bearded dragon forum for many threads concerning substrates and weigh the pros and cons for yourself. Link

Here is a link for bearded dragon hatchling care that you may find helpful.

If you have any other questions feel free to ask and the members here will be happy to help ya out.

Good luck,
 
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Mike did a very good job of explaining things. However, I would like to offer a suggestion about the substrate opinion. Nix the paper towel idea as well. Often times the crickets will hide underneath the paper towels lulling you into a false belief that your beardie is eating. Before you know it there are way too many crickets in the tank with the dragon which will stress it out. We use bare bottom enclosures for our young ones and it works out great. Bare bottom is very easy to clean as well because you can rinse it out and disinfect while the beardie is soaking in a bath.
 
Matt Haines said:
Mike did a very good job of explaining things. However, I would like to offer a suggestion about the substrate opinion. Nix the paper towel idea as well. Often times the crickets will hide underneath the paper towels lulling you into a false belief that your beardie is eating. Before you know it there are way too many crickets in the tank with the dragon which will stress it out. We use bare bottom enclosures for our young ones and it works out great. Bare bottom is very easy to clean as well because you can rinse it out and disinfect while the beardie is soaking in a bath.
Click to expand...


Yeah, bare bottom enclosure is probably better.

I guess I'm set in my ways. The good and the bad :hehe:
 
thank you guys so much that helps alot. yes i do have a 20 gallon tank and a over head heat lamp and an undertank as well from when my ball pythons were smaller. Thank you so much.
 
ok my brothers been watching her for hours now and he says she ate a cricket and a meal worm no greens and she just "pooped" and it smells alittle bad and its a little watery is this normal
 
g_dubb245 said:
ok my brothers been watching her for hours now and he says she ate a cricket and a meal worm no greens and she just "pooped" and it smells alittle bad and its a little watery is this normal
Click to expand...

It's possibly watery and a bit stinky cause the dragon was stressed out. Once he's settled in and calms down a bit the poop should return to normal. The fact that he's eating is great. Though at 5"-6" in length I wouldn't feed any mealworms cause they are hard to digest at that age. Dusted crickets and greens will do fine until he gets bigger. Roaches would be great too if you have any.

You seem to be off to a great start with him. Just keep an eye on him for the next few days and give him plenty of "down" time to relax and he will be a happy, healthy little dragon!!!
 
i would definatly not use soil as a substrate becasue when there that small they usualy like to try to eat the substrate i started mine off with just paper towels as the substrate
 
im sorry to say the baby died this morning but thank you all for the advise and now that i have a proper setup im going to look into getting a healthy one any advise on what to look for?
 
Get one from a reputable breeder and not some pet store. Also try to avoid one so young for your first. A couple months old minimum would be a good place to start.
 
sounds good theres a reptile show in july by my house so ill do some more research and get one then. thanks alot everyone
 
Sorry to hear about your loss Neil. And when you go to the show look at them close and make sure it is a reputable seller. :)
 
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