New BD for 10 year old

[AngelicVampyre]

First off Mods if this in the wrong place sorry.

Some of you might have read about the little boy I look after who had a Marbled Gecko. Well the Gecko died. We where told he could handle it, then told he could not but before I got this message through to the 10 year old the poor thing was so stressed it sort of fell over and died in the poor boys hands. So we did some looking around and he now has his heart set on a Bearded Dragon.

I just want to make sure that everything is going to go smooth so I am making sure I cover my bases and get all the right info this time! We got a set up today.

Tank about 60cm length and 40cm width and about 70cm tall. We have placed reptile grass on the bottom with rocks and a wood trunk/stump thing that goes about 1/2 way up the tank. On top at one end and the side that the stump thing is up there is a UV black light through mesh which also works as a heat lamp and sliding doors at the front which will be locked to aviod the 3 year old getting any ideas. We also have a small/shallow water dish and a thermometer with an optimal range gage (eg 20oC to 30oC is highlighted)

Is there anything else that you can think of that we need for a tank set up? (will try and post pictures in the next few days)

As for food, small crickets while he is young moving onto larger ones. We where told nothing much bigger then the width of their eyes as a guide. We have a small transport cage that we can put the crickets and him in so that he can easily find them. Meal worms (in small amounts due to hard shells and not until he is a year old) banana with crickets mixed it other then that fresh fruit and salad introduced early to get him use to it.

As for handling, up until he is six months really just resting on the boys hands for around 15 mins a day to get him use to humans.

He also has his brothers old baby bath so that he can fill it with a small amount of water and let the guy have a swim every now and then.

We are applying for a licence and looking for a baby. Is there anything I have missed? The only thing we will not feed the dragon is mice because his sister has pet mice so not going there!

I really want this to work out so any other pointers would be great.

Also any idea to work out sexes? Thomas really want a male (as most little boys would)

Thanks

PS - Also thanks to me looking at baby pictures of these little ones I SO want one now! But between 4 birds, 2 dogs, 2 1/2 horses and 2 cats I think I have enough.

 

[Lukey47]

well im no expert but a picture always helps if not to much hassle just to make it easier for the experts lol

 

[AngelicVampyre]

well im no expert but a picture always helps if not to much hassle just to make it easier for the experts lol

Did not have my camera on me today and not going there tomorrow as it is my day off but might run past and get a picture to post otherwise it will be on Tuesday

 

[Lukey47]

ok then well hope someone can help you
but from what i can see your doing the right thing but thats just what ive researched
make sure u got a warm n cool end
and r u only just applying for ur license now?

 

[x_aussie_bloke_x]

shouldn't u already had it before you got the gecko?

 

[Lukey47]

shouldn't u already had it before you got the gecko?

was thinking same thing haha

 

[AngelicVampyre]

ok then well hope someone can help you
but from what i can see your doing the right thing but thats just what ive researched
make sure u got a warm n cool end
and r u only just applying for ur license now?

He only decided on the Dragon on Friday and we found out we need a licence so got all the paperwork and sent it off. He is a VERY busy boy so today was the only day that he has free hours during the day until next holidays so we dicided to go to a repitle shop and get the set up otherwise we could not get the Dragon when the licence came though.

Also you do not need a licence for a marbled gecko in Victoria (well that is what the Wildlife and Game Licensing Service told me when I ran them before we got the gecko)

 

[Lukey47]

He only decided on the Dragon on Friday and we found out we need a licence so got all the paperwork and sent it off. He is a VERY busy boy so today was the only day that he has free hours during the day untill next holidays so we dicided to go to a repitle sjop and get the set up otherwise we could not get the Dragon when the licence came though.

well ur boy will need free time to feed and take care of beardie everyday

 

[AngelicVampyre]

He will have time to do that but shops are not open on the weekend much past 3 or 4 pm where we are so although he finishes up his sports commitments around 4pm that did not leave us enough time to get to the store. So it was decided that we would go this weekend and get this all set up and wait for the licence.

 

[channi]

The tank will be able to house a baby but as the youngun grows you will need to get a larger tank, you will need approx 120 cm length. Also unless you intend on sitting in front of the tank for twelve hours a day you should get a thermostat. You also ultimately want higher temps then 20-30 more like 25 cool end, and 38 warm end, good luck with everything.

 

[AngelicVampyre]

The tank will be able to house a baby but as the youngun grows you will need to get a larger tank, you will need approx 120 cm length. Also unless you intend on sitting in front of the tank for twelve hours a day you should get a thermostat. You also ultimately want higher temps then 20-30 more like 25 cool end, and 38 warm end, good luck with everything.

Thanks for that will make a note about the higher temps. As for the tank we where warned against getting one that is to big as we want to get a baby dragon. So we will be looking at a bigger one in the future. Also will look at thermostats. Are they easy to fit and how do they work?

 

[channi]

your best bet for thermostat is one that plugs into the outlet then you plug your heating device (light) into that then set the desired temp and put the temp reader in the basking spot and it will turn off the light when the correct temprature is reached.

 

[AngelicVampyre]

Cool will have a look at one thanks for that

 

[AngelicVampyre]

Here are the pictures as promised. I measured and it is 60cmX30cm I know that this will be to small for the long run but all the research we did said to start with a smaller cage and move to a bigger one once the lizard length is half that of the enclosure.

Here is a link to one he found on ebay that he thinks will be what he moves to.

http://cgi.ebay.com.au/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=280201424474&ssPageName=ADME:X:AAQ:AU:1123

thanks for all the help so far.

 

[dazza74]

that 1 on ebay you will have to ask sea april to fit you a thermostat it will cost you an extra $50 plus what you pay for it

 

[cris]

You dont need a thermostat to keep any Ausralian reptile except for when they are inside eggs.

Heating can easily be provided by using a 50 watt halogen light directed onto a branch or other basking site, use a thermometer to check that it gets to atleast around 40C in the hottest part. Adjust the basking temperature by changing the distance between the basking site and the light. Regardless of if you use a thermostat or not you should turn off heating when it is going to be a very hot day.

There are differant opinions on the use of thermostats(even with the commercial interests of petshops aside), if you do choose to get one get an expensive one as the cheap ones are more prone to failure.

 

[AngelicVampyre]

Yeah I have e-mailed the guy also ben talking to him about stands he's been great. I think that should be big enough when we need it further down the track.

 

[AngelicVampyre]

You dont need a thermostat to keep any Ausralian reptile except for when they are inside eggs.

Heating can easily be provided by using a 50 watt halogen light directed onto a branch or other basking site, use a thermometer to check that it gets to atleast around 40C in the hottest part. Adjust the basking temperature by changing the distance between the basking site and the light. Regardless of if you use a thermostat or not you should turn off heating when it is going to be a very hot day.

There are differant opinions on the use of thermostats(even with the commercial interests of petshops aside), if you do choose to get one get an expensive one as the cheap ones are more prone to failure.

Thanks for that we had the UV Black light on yesterday and the basking site got to 38C (itmight get hotter if the air conditioner was not on going to have to do something about that).

Was reading some stuff and said that you should have a heat light on during the day to get maximum heat and then switch to the UV Black light at night as it stimulate moon light, they still get their UV quota and they get maximum heat during the day as UV Black lights may not produce enough heat. So this is what we are thinking we might do.

How do you know if the Dragon is not warm enough?

Thanks for the info.

 

[chanyanchris]

good luck

Looks good,gourgous enclosure.Ours cost us $850(just enclosure) its 4 and a half foot x two feet x 2 feet.Can stick enclosures on top of each other and they look good in lounge.Like big cabinet.
We just got our beardies on saturday.2 yellow phase,4weeks old.gourgous things(I think) I want more.I have a two yr old son,he just want to get in enclosure wit them lol.
I think maybe juv might be better for a ten yr old,he can hold him straight away but then again if he wants to learn frm the start and be a daddy to a newborn,GO for it.
I know that everyone has missed the importent bit bout CALCIUM and MULTIVITAMINS but then gain you could already know that frm gecko(do geckos gotta have it too.see I aint smart either).
When feeding the crickets don't forgot ta give em a sprinkle of calcium every time feed and multi-v's twice a week.
I can't say much I'm still learning myself but i do read alot and so does my partner.
There pooh comes out brown/black,with wat seems to look like a white worm on it too.This mean they are getting there calcium.
And don't be stressed if they look like they scared of crickets,they are just settling in,(this is wat happened to ours,didn't see them eat for 3 half days.They must of but cos there no cricket in there lol)after stressing for that look,they dn't stop.so feed em as many crickets they can eat in ten mins.Have fun and wish him luck this time.

Channy

 

[chanyanchris]

How do you know if the Dragon is not warm enough?

Thanks for the info.

Well if u wanna know how warm it is I guess u need ta stick sumthing up its bum???LOL:lol:
Nuh sorry i wouldn't know.But we have one wit digi time and ya just let it sit where eva ya want to know temp.