Getting Ready for Your New Pet - short version

There are three things that we feel the need to cover here that are critical to having a healthy bearded dragon. Lighting/heating, substrate/cleaning, diet/hydration. See below.

Always feel free to contact us with any questions you might have! FireFlii Graphic Dragons website and social media links can be found here:

https://www.linktr.ee/firefliidragons

--------------------------------------------

LIGHTING & HEATING

There are two main forms of lighting that are necessary for a healthy bearded dragon: UVB & BASKING.

UVB

For UVB lighting we strongly recommend using T5HO fixtures and fluorescent UVB tubes for your enclosures. These provide much more UVB compared to T8s or coil style bulbs. The HO part of the name means high output. You can use T8 fixtures and fluorescent tubes but the lower UVB output reqires that your bearded dragon be able to bask or lay much closer to the light.

UVB is essential for Vitamin D3 production to prevent metabolic bone disease. No matter how much calicum you give them, it will not work unless they have adequate D3 to process it. The brands we prefer are Reptisun 10.0 and Arcadia 12% fluorsecents, these are considered the highest quality full spectrum UVB available. If you are using a glass tank, where the lights rest on top of the mesh screen, it is highly recommended you use a T5HO bulb as the screen tend to block out up to 50% of the UVB.

BASKING

For Basking Bulbs here we use 50W or 75W reptile basking bulbs bulbs depending on the distance to the basking area. We have tested these in every enclosure we have, and for our setups they provide the perfect temperatures we are looking for with the help of a dimmer that is attached to every enclosure to get the perfect temps. You can also use incandescent or halogen flood lights from any store that carries them. It may be a matter of testing several bubls to find what works best for your setup. Every setup is unique and yours may require a higher wattage bulb (if further from basking spot) or lower wattage bulb (if closer to the basking spot). Our bulb is about 12" to 15" away from the basking platform. Bearded Dragons require a temperature gradient in their enclosure so they can regulate their own heating needs. The cool end needs to be around 80 Degrees, and the basking platform needs to be 95-105 for adults, and 95-100 for hatchlings/juveniles. A digital temperature probe or thermal temp gun should be used to ensure the perfect basking temperatures. Night time temperatures should not dip below 60 Degrees, if they do a Ceramic Heat Emitter (CHE) may be necessary, but please do your research before using one. Never use under tank heaters, bearded dragons cannot sense heat very well from their stomachs and it can easily burn them if too hot.

Lighting should be on a 12 hr on/12 hr off schedule. It is important that there are NO lights on during the night. There are timers that can turn the lights on and off for you if that would work better for you. All my lighting is on timers.

----------------------------------------

SUBSTRATE & CLEANING

SUBSTRATE: What you use for substrate can be a very controversial topic, especially for beginner keepers. I suggest new owners use paper towels because it is absorbent, easy to spot clean, and doesn't pose a potential for impaction issues. Other alternatives include but are not limited to: Newspaper, Craft Paper, Sand, Alfalfa Pellets, and Reptile Carpet. Be aware, if using loose substrate and your animal ingests it, there can be potential for impaction. Please do your research, and use what works best for you.

CLEANING: We recommend spot cleaning your enclosure daily to ensure your dragons don't accidentally ingest their own feces. Deep clean your enclosure every other week with F10SC, Chlorhexadine or a Bleach/Water solution mixed 1:10 (one part bleach to 10 parts water). If you are using bleach or chlorhexadine be sure to rinse your enclosure well and always let it dry before returning your bearded dragon to it.

------------------------------------------

DIET

Bearded Dragons need a variety of both insects and leafy greens in their diet, in addition they also need Calcium w/ Vit D3 supplemented and a good multivitamin. For hatchling/juvenile/sub-adult dragons we recommend a Greens:Insects ratio of 80:20, for adults we recommend a Green:Insects ratio of 20:80. Adults need more leafy greens, and the babies need more protein to support their rapidly growing bodies. Always remove uneaten insects from the enclosure after every meal to avoid bugs biting your dragons.

HATCHLINGS/JUVENILES

For insects we always encourage a variety, as it is very much so possible to have "too much of a good thing". We feed a rotation of Superworms, Dubia Roaches, Crickets, and Black Soldier Fly Larvae (BSFL). It is recommended to feed your juveniles/sub adults a diet that consists of 20% Greens / 80% Insects, and many smaller feedings a day rather than 1 or 2 large feedings. We never encourage letting your animal eat endless amounts of insects as there are a multitude of health issues that can be a result long term, Gout, Fatty Liver Disease, Obesity, etc. Never offer food that is larger than the space between your dragons eyes as a general rule of thumb. For all hatchling/juvenile/sub-adult dragons we dust food 1x per day, 5 days per week with Calcium w/ Vit D3, and 1-2x per week with a multivitamin/mineral supplement.

​ADULTS

It is recommended to feed your adults a diet that consists of 80% Greens / 20% Insects, and reduce insect feedings to 2-3x per week. We never encourage letting your animal eat endless amounts of insects as there are a multitude of health issues that can be a result long term, Gout, Fatty Liver Disease, Obesity, etc. Never offer food that is larger than the space between your dragons eyes as a general rule of thumb. For all adult dragons we dust food 1x per day, 3 days per week with Calcium w/ Vit D3, and 1-2x per week with a multivitamin/mineral supplement.

------------------------------------------

BATHS & HYDRATION

Baths are highly recommended for juveniles 2-3x per week. Use luke warm water, no deeper than their elbows. This is a good time to mist/spritz the juveniles with water to encourage drinking. Contrary to popular belief, bearded dragons cannot absorb water through their vent. This was demonstrated in a science experiment with colored dyes so drinking is very important, especially since juveniles typically don't ingest a lot of greens which is where adults receive a lot of hydration. Another great way to keep your dragons hydrated is by misting the greens prior to feeding every day. For adults, we recommend bathing them at least 1-2x per week for additional hydration in addition to the fact that it stimulates their bowel movement! Bathing is a good opportunity to witness your scale baby defecating without soiling their newly cleaned enclosure.