I have noticed each of  our beardies have there own personalities, habits, and needs. The following are some guidelines that we use to
raise our dragons and should be viewed as such…


COLOR

A lot of factors go into the coloration of a bearded dragon including family bloodlines, time of day, temperature, diet, vitamins and
minerals,  stress, excitability, mating rituals, resting, sleeping, or basking in their lights or the sun. They can be one color one minute
and change in the blink of an eye and you may be shocked with what you see.


LIGHTING

Your dragon should be able to get within 3-6 inches from a basking light or heat source. Make sure that you use a basking light or heat
source of proper wattage and a second light that provides adequate UVB and UVA rays. There are bulbs on the market today that
provide both UVB/UBA and heat, but be sure to check temperature of the heat they put off, or two lights can be used at once…a clamp
light with proper wattage light bulb to maintain temperatures (see. Temp) and a strip light with a Repti-Sun 5.0-8.0-10.0 bulb. You
may also need a night light to hold temperatures, depending on your houses normal temp at night. Bearded dragons love light the
brighter the better, the more spectrum you provide the happier and healthier your beardie will be. Beardies love natural sunlight and
should be exposed to it on a regular basis. Do at your own risk, babies may not like the idea of going outside because the fear of
becoming prey. It is always a good idea to wait until they are use to you and being handled. We do not recommend leaving them
unattended while outside but if you do in some type of cage or pen make sure they have a place to get in the shade and have water. We
usually hold mine in my hand in the sunlight for 10-15 minutes depending on outside temps.


TEMPERATURE

Basking temperatures should reach between 95-105 degrees F. to digest food properly and stay healthy. Please keep in mind this is just
for a basking area and the tank should have a cooler zone where temperatures reach 80 to 85 degrees F. at the other end of the tank.
Night temps should not drop below 60-65 degrees F. DO NOT GUESS. A digital thermometer can be picked up at any pet store or
related supplier on the market. Move it around the tank, check all areas, all the time. You do not need a Hot Rock they can cook or burn
your dragon.


HOUSING

As babies and sub-adult (6 months old) a good guide is 10 gallons per beardie but do at your own risk. When they eat they can become
very aggressive and you will end up with loss of toes, feet, tails ect. Once they reach sub-adult age and size, separate and move to a 40
gallon Repti-tank minimum or larger per beardie. Your larger breeds such as, German Giants might need even more room. They need a
lot of floor space so try to stay away from fish tanks if possible. You can decorate the tank anyway you see fit but keep in mind if its
green they will try to eat it, if its small and laying on the ground they will taste it and if its cluttered, its hard to keep clean and
disinfected.


SET UP

You ideal set up and the one we use is Repta-carpet on the floor (not indoor / outdoor carpet  toes get caught, it sheds and they will eat
it and its hard to keep clean) get a set of Repta-carpet so while one is getting clean the other is in the tank. We clean our cages with a
diluted bleach water combo and the same for the carpet then spray it off with hot water and let it drip dry. After about 6 months or
depending on the condition of the carpet we replace it with new. Be sure to rinse the newly purchased carpet before the first use….it is
dyed and usually has some type of soap or chemicals on it. There are many substrates on the market today, just make sure they are safe
to eat and easy to clean. Sand is your choice but we found that it holds odder, a pain to replace and it gets into everything. Some
breeders do not use water bowls because they tip over and the dragons treat the like toilets but I find it easier to clean a water bowl then
to clean a whole tank. Just make sure you keep the water clean, if they mess in it clean it, if you wouldn't’t drink out of it don’t make
them. You can use spray bottles, beardies are desert reptiles and there bodies are built to hold water, just spray lightly on their heads
and they will lick it off as it touches there lips.

Our ideal set-up:  A water bowl with a air stone placed at the cool end of the tank, and a piece of driftwood propped up like a ramp
going under the basking light, a food dish, lights and a background for the tank thermometer and a beardie is all you need. Sounds
boring but it works great for both you and the dragon.


VITAMINS

Not enough is just as bad as too much. Dragons require the intake of calcium and vitamin D3. We recommend you do more research
into vitamins and minerals. We use a phosphorous free calcium with D3 to dust cricket and worms when feeding. Use a good multi-
vitamin supplement 3-4 times a week also. Vitamin and calcium deficiencies will lead to serious health problems. One of the biggest
concerns is Metabolic Bone Disease. If caught early it can be reversed and restore the health of your dragon. Best bet contact a vet


.FOOD

Never feed them to large of a item. They can and will eat you out of house and home. Crickets, super worms, wax worms, pinkies,
mixtures of dark greens, vegetables and a small amount of fruit.  And now a little on each: Crickets-no larger than ¾ the distance
between their eyes, they can consume up to 50 to 60 crickets a day at any age. Super worms and wax worms- wait till they are at least 7
months old, don’t overfeed. Pinkies-by your choice, I don’t use them unless gravid or right after laying. Greens, veggies and fruit-
Collard greens, dandelion greens, kale, turnip greens, mustard greens, carrots, yellow squash, raspberries, mango, grapes, strawberries,
and on and on and on….KEEP IN MIND some greens, fruits, and veggies are high in phosphorous, some have no nutritional value,
will keep your dragon from absorbing calcium and can cause serious problems. Some they will eat and some they won’t. Not all foods
are safe for your dragons, some have to much of one and not enough of the other, here is a link to a vegetable guide suitable for reptiles
stating what can be given daily, weekly, occasionally and never..
http://gladstone.uoregon.edu/~hhumphre/BTSfoodrankings.doc...…most importantly…


DO THE RESEARCH on lights, temperatures, housing, set ups, vitamins and foods, follow the other breeders,
buy some books, ask questions and most of all enjoy your beardie……..  


Please keep in mind that these are only guidelines for the care of your bearded dragons. You may or may not find something
that works better for you.  As there are many different care sheets out there, please feel free to use the one that best fits your
needs.
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Bearded Dragon Care Sheet