Must have:
-Large glass tank- the bigger, the better. A full grown beardie should be in at least 40 gallons. I buy mine in the US when PetCo has their "Dollar A Gallon" sale because you can get a 40 gallon for $40 plus tax. Best buy. Or check your local Craig's List or Want Ads or Facebook Reptile groups.
-A heat lamp focused on a basking spot with a temp of 90 to 100 degrees during the day
-A UVB light on for at least 12 hours a day (not filtered by a mesh or wire top) Click HERE to see how I set up my UVB lights. After buying 35+ UVB lights, this is the cheapest & best way to go.
-A solid substrate: tile, Astro Turf, slate, shelf liner, paper towels, newspaper, vinyl, fleece. NEVER, EVER, EVER, EVER, EVER use walnut shell or sand. Why? Click HERE.
-A basking rock/branch/hide
-A dish for daily fresh greens (Click HERE for suggested diet), a dish for fresh water, & a dish for pellets (if you choose to add pellets. I do. This is what I use.)
-Gut-loaded, calcium-coated insects. I use dubia roaches. I have a colony in my garage. Once they started producing, I had more than enough to feed all my critters. Every few months I give some away because I have too many.
Try Silk Worms, Phoenix worms, Calci worms, wax worms, super worms, & crickets. Avoid meal worms -- ESPECIALLY IN BABIES-- because their exoskeletons don't digest well and often become impacted in the beardie's intestines. Just search "Bearded Dragon Feeders" to find insect suppliers near you.
Also:
-Clean poop from the cage as soon as possible. Wipe it up with a tissue and flush it.-Take your beardie outside during warm weather for direct sunlight time as often as possible. At the first signs of being sluggish or sad, take your beardie outside.
-Make sure you know of a good Herp Vet near you; regular vets do not always know how to care for reptiles!
-You can never know enough about beardies! Keep learning!
