Enclosure Set-Up

Enclosures.

Hatchlings can initially be housed together and I would recommend a 2ft/ 60cm long enclosure as a minimum for 1-3 hatchlings. A smaller enclosure allows the hatchlings to locate their food easily. This enclosure can be a glass reptile tank, converted fishtank or melamine/wooden enclosure.

Bearded Dragons grow quickly so a larger enclosure may be required in 2-3 months. A 4ft / 120cm long enclosure would be suitable for 2-3 adult Dragons.

Substrate and Furniture.

I use washed beach sand as a substrate for hatchlings and adults and have done for many years successfully. Other options include bark chips, fake grass, marine carpet and newspaper or butchers paper. All substrates have their pros and cons so consider your own situation and needs when choosing. Remembering the goal is to provide a clean hygienic environment for your Bearded Dragons.
A rock or stack of pavers under the basking spot will give them a place to soak up the rays. Logs, rocks and hides will provide security and decoration.

Bearded dragons may be housed together as hatchlings as long as they are all around the same size. As they mature you will notice that 1 or 2 might grow quicker and act more dominant than the rest. This is not indicative of gender; some just grow at a faster rate.

I would recommend separating the smaller hatchlings at this stage for safety reasons and you’ll find they will eventually catch up to the others. Female Bearded Dragons can continue to be housed together at similar sizes or once they have reached their full growth.

Mature males on the other hand will fight during breeding season and will need to be separated once they reach maturity around 1-2 years of age. They can be kept together during the off season.

Bearded Dragons are reptiles that love the full sun so plenty of lighting is essential if your Beardies are to remain healthy. If kept in a fish tank use a normal fluro as lighting and have the heat globe at one end. The same set-up can be used in enclosed cabinets though I would recommend using a thermostat with your heating in this instance.

I use Mercury Vapour globes (MV globes) to provide ultraviolet light. MV globes and standard ultraviolet globes are available from pet stores and these put out high levels of uva/uvb rays just like natural sunlight. Normal globes such as the spot tone types don't emit any uva so your dragon will not be as active and will have a smaller appetite. With good UV, efficient lighting and heat your Bearded Dragon will be happy, healthy and active.

I use only 40-60W UV heat globes on hatchlings and 100W MV globes on the adults. Again, if kept in enclosed cabinets I would recommend using a thermostat with your heating. During the night I turn off all heating and lighting.

Hatchling temps should range from 20-26DegC at the cool end to 26-30DegC at the hot end with a 30-35DegC basking spot.. Adult temps should range from 20-28DegC at the cool end to 28-35DegC at the hot end with a 35-40DegC basking spot..

I can’t get through to people just how necessary natural sunlight is for healthy Bearded Dragons and I recommend a few hours of sun a day or every chance you get. They will grow twice as quick and eat a lot more if given plenty of sun. This also avoids the chance of your beardie developing any illnesses such as MBD (Metabolic Bone Disease). This is a common problem in bearded dragons if not given enough UV and calcium. The first signs of MBD are twitching legs along with loss of appetite and body weakening. Any signs of this and you should take your beardie to your vet.

One way of achieving some sunlight time is to build or buy a suitable portable enclosure or an outdoor enclosure. Any enclosure will need to have water and some shade to escape the heat if needed. One cheap option is a large plastic tub with wire mesh inserted in the the lid. Cut away the centre of the lid, leaving the edges and locking mechanism intact. Cut wire mesh to suit the hole and hot glue it into place.

Be cautious on hot days – direct sun can quickly overheat your Beardies and result in tragedy.

Bearded dragons live naturally on insects and plants. You can buy live insects (crickets, woodies and mealworms) from your pet store or online.

Feed your dragon twice a day offering them fresh greens before the insects, this often helps them to get started on greens and vegetables. For hatchlings, cut the vegetables and fruit into small pieces. Only feed them enough insects that they will consume in 5-10 mins.

Insects should be dusted with calcium powder every 2nd day and dusted with a vitamin powder once or twice a week. Do this before feeding to your Beardies. I only use Rep-Cal brand as I’ve found this to be the best product. There are many pellet forms of food available but I don’t use them myself.

As Beardies grow they will eat more fruit and vegetables. Some suitable food items are fancy lettuces (NOT iceberg as it can cause diarrhea), cabbage, bok choy, beans, corn, peas, hibiscus and dandelion flowers, apple, orange, grapes etc.

A good rule of thumb is to not feed anything bigger than the width of their eyes/head. This will avoid any choking or compaction problems.

Make sure they always have fresh water in a solid bowl to avoid them knocking it over. Hatchlings will sometimes not drink from a bowl so misting them everyday will keep them hydrated and will also help their shedding process. Good luck with your beardies hope this helps