Well. I don't know if you're interested but I kind of went crazy for a bit researching about beardies and have posted some articles in one of the article collection stickies above. I think they seem to suggest a more unconventional bearded dragon diet. Nonetheless, the conventional works well enough.
So I'm getting a breaded dragon
- Thread starter silvertip0
- Start date
Thanks everyone for the help. I will go to the store soon to pick up some good dark leafy greens. I have been trying to feed it everyday but in total it has only eaten 6 crickets and 1 superworm but it didn't touch the lettuce. Is this just because it is in a new environment. It does not seem to be aggressive but it is jumpy so I will wait longer before I try and interact with it.
I would stay away from super-worms, not really a good staple, more so a treat. Their hard shells are a pain to digest. I support the Dubia roaches, I just started a colony for my 5 dragons and I can truly attest that they are soooo much better. Slower, don't jump, don't stink, don't fly, live longer, easy to breed (live bearers), easy to raise, easy to catch and you don't need to feed as many as well as they hold their gutload for up to 72hrs. I also like how easy they are to feed.
Another note about bugs, make sure to calci-powder them, Flukers makes a really good one for indoor lizards. They dont need a water dish but they do need frequent misting or 2-3 15 minute baths a week to hydrate. Mine like being in totes in the driveway in the summer soaking in totes. They really love the straight sun, just make sure the outside temps are 85-100 and that you keep a real close eye on them as birds of prey love to swoop down on them.
Some really good staple greens have been mentioned on here, another one is cactus leaves (one of the best but harder to find, most grocers can order them in if you ask.). Mine also LOVE baby dandelion leaves and flowers, just remove the stalks and dont give them stuff with a lot of sap. Also make sure to wash everything well and if you use local stuff make sure your parents havent sprayed herbicide or pesticide recently.
Rule of thumb is never feed your dragon anything that will not fit between their eyes. This also helps when chopping up fruits like strawberries, melons, yellow squash, etc.
Also dont feed wild caught bugs, especially lightning bugs unless you want to see a painfully agonizing death as they are highly toxic to dragons.
A note on breeding, I recommend strongly against it for your current situatoin, especially if your step mom freaks about them! One pair can produce 200 babies a year, 200 babies can eat about 5,000 crickets a week, 5,000 crickets a week is about $500 a month if you buy 1,000 count boxes. Not to mention you have to keep them in small groups to prevent nipping (they bite each other), daily cleaning and sanitizing of each and every baby cage, a heat lamp and uv lamp for each cage and on and on and on. Basically, it will definitely NOT fit in your room and is pretty much a full time job. Just enjoy it as a pet, at least until you really get the hang of it, my five are all close to or are breeding age and I am planning on breeding but I also have a garage FULL of empty aquariums ballists and space as well as a growing dubia colony and have spent hours/days/weeks researching and talking to seasoned breeders... I am still nervous about it!
Beardies are awesome pets, just be careful as they are a gateway reptile that leads to an addiction that can be just as crazy as MFKing!
Here is a really good reference (though slightly out of date) on what is good for dragons to eat. I dont agree with some of their bugs but their plant list is spot on.
http://www.beautifuldragons.com/Nutrition.html
Best of luck!
P.S. Most serious dragon keepers will also tell you, don't use sand, calci-sand, walnut shells or any other particle substrates, contrary to popular misconception, beaded dragons do not natively live on sand, they live on hard compacted clay and particle substrates can KILL your dragon through a condition call compaction. Slate tile layed in the bottom of the tank is optimal but newpaper and paper towels both would be a better option that partical substrate!
Last note: Most UVB and Heat lamps should be about 14-17 inches from the dragons perched head position and you will need to change out your UVB about every 6 months (UVB 10.0, not 2 or 5), also your basking spot should be about 105* F.
Someone also mentioned MVB (Mercury Vapor Bulbs), I would warn against them as there is a huge uproar in the reptile community about these bulbs right now as their manufacturing quality from ALL brands is very flaky at the moment, not putting out nearly the rated UVB, burning out in short periods of time and in general a waste of money.
For basking spot, make sure to never use an under tank heater, dragons don't feel very well on their stomachs and will literally sit there and burn themselves.
Sorry for the novel of a post but like I said, there is a ton to know about Bearded dragons, once you understand them, they are no more difficult than anything else.
Solid post Cablemonkey! I am also about to get a beardie (looking at adopting an adult in need of a home if possible). I'm definitely starting a roach colony or two (definitely dubia, might try another non-climbing, non-flying species too just for fun) to support him along with other herps I plan on acquiring. I was also going to look into the best foods for the plant part of the diet, so that link was very helpful.
