Bearded Dragon Care

Housing:

I house all of my bearded dragon hatchlings in hatchling racks and my babies and adults in 48Lx24Wx18/24H custom PVC enclosures with sliding glass doors. PVC is an excellent choice of material as it holds heat very well and assists in keeping humidity in the correct range.

Lighting and Heat:

Bearded Dragons will need a hot side ambient temperature in the 90's and a cool side ambient temperature 75-80. In addition, they require a basking spot temperture of 100 degrees fahrenheit. They will require a UVB linear light fixture with either a T5 or T8 tube bulb. I use the Arcadia brand UVB fixtures and bulbs in all of my enclosures. In addition, I use the ZooMed repti basking spot lamp but you may use any heat bulb that you wish. The wattage will depend on several factors including the material of your enclosure and your current room temperature, I use 75 watt bulbs in my enclosures with very good success. As for placement of your heat and lighting, you will want to install your UVB to one side of the enclosure, making sure to overlap your basking unit, placing it on the same side as your UVB fixture.

Diet:

Bearded dragons eat both insects and leafy greens. As babies, their diet will consist of 80% bugs, 20% greens. They will switch over to 20% bugs, 80% greens into adulthood. I feed all of my dragons live feeders and our staples include Dubia roaches and black soldier fly larvae. We offer the occasional treat of superworms, mealworms, wax worms, and hornworms. I dust all of our feeders with calcium with D3, as calcium is a staple in their diet and is detrimental to their health if not regularly included into their diet. Baby dragons eat alot, up to 3 times dailly. Some will eat more bugs per serving and some less, so it is best to observe your bearded dragon during meal times so that you are able to gauge how much they will consume. Salad greens should be offered daily, you may choose to hand feed your bearded dragon as doing so may entice him/her to eat their greens. We offer the following leafy greens to all of our dragons: spring mix, arugula, collard greens, and mustard greens. All of our leafy greens are homegrown in my outdoor kitchen garden, washed thoroughly, and served fresh daily.