Care Guide

Housing - The first thing to consider when getting a new bearded dragon is where to house it. In general a 40 gallon aquarium style tank is sufficient for a bearded dragon of any age. It’s best to go ahead and get the 40 gallon from the start and let your bearded dragon grow into it. This way your bearded dragon will feel safe and comfortable and will not have to go through the stress of changing housing later.

Another option is a 4x2x2 enclosure style housing with sliding glass doors. Made out of wood or pvc board. These can be homemade, custom built or purchased. This option is more thermal efficient and is most ideal for adult bearded dragons. One drawback to this style is that it is easier for a small dragon to escape especially if you accidentally leave a small opening in the door while feeding.

Lighting - Lighting is an extremely important part of bearded dragon care. It provides the necessary heat to keep your bearded dragon healthy and happy. 
Basking - Your goal here will be to reach a basking temperature zone of 100-110° with the Goldilocks number being 105°. We recommend trying clear 40 watt bulbs to start. There is no one size fits all for basking bulbs. It all depends on the size and style of your enclosure, ventilation, room temperature and any number of things. The best thing to do is buy an infrared laser temperature gun so that you will know if temperatures are safe. Temperatures need to be monitored on a regular basis. These can be found on Amazon for relatively cheap. It is a Must Have for proper bearded dragon care.

The ‘cool’ side of your enclosure should be 80°. You can use a digital thermometer to monitor this. 

Basking Rock - It is important to place a basking rock below or near your basking bulb. These rocks hold heat and help your beardie digest food. Please monitor the temperature of the rock to make sure it isn’t too hot. You can find these rocks at Lowe’s or Home Depot for about $1.

UV Lights - Find a size appropriate UV light fixture such as a Zoo Med Reptisun T5 HO (High Output) Hood. They come with the T5 size HO UV bulb. You will need to replace the bulb every 6-12 months as the UV output will slowly degrade over time. You can purchase a solar meter to test the efficiency of the bulb, but these do cost a good bit. Usually $200 or so and these can also be found on Amazon.

We recommend using a timer for lighting. 12-14 hours on and 10-12 hours off.

Feeding - Greens, greens, greens! You should offer your bearded dragon greens every single day whether they eat them or not. Some of them are stubborn about eating greens especially if the breeder did not offer them on a regular basis. It is very important to encourage them to eat greens daily. Eating greens will provide them with hydration, nutrients and fiber to keep their bowels moving regularly. Eating greens also creates a more desirable pH in their guts where as too much protein can cause their gut to become too acidic and will encourage fungal and bacterial overgrowth and may encourage parasite overgrowth as well. 

Suggested greens - Mustard greens, turnip greens, collard greens, kale, dandelion (greens and flowers.), clover, spring mix.

Live Feeders - All live feeders should be size appropriate for your bearded dragon. Bearded dragons can be offered crickets, black soldier fly larvae, superworms, mealworms, and roaches. Variety is key. Please avoid feeding only one type of live feeder. Be sure to remove all live feeders from the enclosure about an hour before lights off. You don’t want the live feeders biting on your bearded dragon while he/she sleeps.

Treats - It is not necessary to feed your bearded dragon anything except greens and live feeders for them to be healthy. However, it is okay to give them occasional treats (2-3 times per week.) and some of them definitely enjoy it. 
Suggested treats - Carrots, bell pepper, squash, berries, tomato, cucumber, hibiscus flowers.

Vitamins/Supplements - We recommend a light dusting of calcium powder with D3 on greens daily. We also recommend a light dusting of vitamin powder on greens a few times per week.  Both of these can be found on Amazon and other reptile supply stores.

Hydration - We recommend soaking your bearded dragon in plain luke warm water 1-2 times per week in a clean sink or tub. You can use a clean soft toothbrush to scrub any debris off the tail and feet. Please do not use any type of soap or bubble bath on your bearded dragon. Not even if it says it’s safe for animals.