How to Take Care of Bearded Dragons

By Kendra Dahlstrom

Instructions

Things You’ll Need:

15 gallon tank
55 gallon tank
Sand
Screen
River rocks
Large branch
Reflector dome with a low watt light bulb
Light timer
Spray bottle

Step 1:
Supply your Bearded Dragon with a tank big enough for him to run. Young 12-inch hatchlings need only a 15-gallon tank. Adults, however, need a 55 gallon tank for 2. Usually male and female Bearded Dragons live together in one tank.
Step 2:
Fill the bottom of your tank with sand. Sand is cheap and low maintenance. While you pour it into the bottom, run it through a sifter or a screen to weed out any pebbles. Young Bearded Dragons could try to eat the pebbles and die.
Step 3:
Provide a basking and climbing area for the Bearded Dragon. Place a couple of large river rocks in one corner for basking. They heat nicely under basking lights. Then, place a large branch in the center of the tank for climbing.
Step 4:
Place a reflector dome with a low watt light bulb in one corner of the tank. It should be above the basking rocks. At their peak temperature, the basking rocks should reach into the low 100's. The other side of the tank should remain around 85 degrees during the day.
Step 5:
Place a light timer on the reflector dome. You can purchase these at any discount or hardware store. Set the light to be on for 14 hours during the day. At night, when the light is off, the cage temperature can safely drop into the low 60's.
Step 6:
Feed your Bearded Dragon bugs such as crickets, mealworms and pinkies. Baby Dragons eat 80 percent bugs and 20 percent greens. Feed a 2- to 4-month old dragon some 3-week old crickets twice per day. Give a 4-month and older dragon a couple of 4 \-week old crickets twice a day.
Step 7:
Provide the dragon with greens at all times. Constantly have things such as shredded carrots, parsley, collard greens and squash available. Variety is the key.
Step 8:
Spray a Bearded Dragon with a water mister twice a day for babies and 3 or 4 times a week for adults. If they continue lapping up the water, keep spraying their heads until they stop. This mimics the way they drink in the wild, from morning dew on plants.

Tips & Warnings

If you have more than 2 adult dragons, add 4 square feet per dragon to the 55-gallon tank requirement.
Make sure you rid all rocks, and branches of parasites. You will need to soak them in a solution of 90 percent water and 10 percent bleach.

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