sportsjock20
Hey, I know this forum isn't circulated a lot but I have some free time to post some beardie tips for beginners. There are a lot of care sheets out there. Some great, good, and bad! However, I just want to give some tips, I'm not going to type up a whole care sheet. There are a few things that new beardie owners should look out for. Those include: substrate, uvb lighting, tank sizes, signs, etc.
Substrate choice is probably the most complicated thing because there is so much conflicting stuff out there. The risk with all substrates is what some people obsess on: impaction. Most know what impaction is, its when reptiles eat their substrate and it gets stuck in their system. But most people are afraid to even try particle substrates despite the benefits of some. So basically, whatever substrate someone chooses, they have to make sure to keep two eyes on their beardie to make sure they don't ingest it. If they do, not to be discouraged and use another one.
When it comes to lighting, there is no two ways around it, beardies need uvb lighting. There are a lot of lights out on the market, from regular uvb fluorescents to mercury vapor bulbs. Mercury vapors provide uvb AND heat. I, however, don't have that much money since they are pretty expensive. I use lights in Zilla's new desert series 50. They are pretty good, I'd recommend them. That is the most adequate lighting for desert/diurnal reptiles. The equivalent to this is ReptiSuns 10.0, which I hear is pretty good.
Please research tank sizes and ask around because beardies can't stay in the same tank forever. Little ones require smaller tank, adults larger tanks. Keeping a beardie in the wrong size tank could stress or inhibit growth.
Substrate choice is probably the most complicated thing because there is so much conflicting stuff out there. The risk with all substrates is what some people obsess on: impaction. Most know what impaction is, its when reptiles eat their substrate and it gets stuck in their system. But most people are afraid to even try particle substrates despite the benefits of some. So basically, whatever substrate someone chooses, they have to make sure to keep two eyes on their beardie to make sure they don't ingest it. If they do, not to be discouraged and use another one.
When it comes to lighting, there is no two ways around it, beardies need uvb lighting. There are a lot of lights out on the market, from regular uvb fluorescents to mercury vapor bulbs. Mercury vapors provide uvb AND heat. I, however, don't have that much money since they are pretty expensive. I use lights in Zilla's new desert series 50. They are pretty good, I'd recommend them. That is the most adequate lighting for desert/diurnal reptiles. The equivalent to this is ReptiSuns 10.0, which I hear is pretty good.
Please research tank sizes and ask around because beardies can't stay in the same tank forever. Little ones require smaller tank, adults larger tanks. Keeping a beardie in the wrong size tank could stress or inhibit growth.