While there is so much information available regarding the proper housing, feeding, and care of a baby bearded dragon, we tend toward the simplest formula to allow the owner to be comfortable with, and unintimidated by, the needs of his new pet. We will not sell our baby dragons to the public until they are at least 7 inches long. By that time, the dragons will be well started: they will be feeding regularly, will have gone through their first shed (showing color potential), and will be ready for the most amazing stages of their rapid growth.
Minimum Set up Requirements
-20 gallon tank with screen top (to be upgraded when the dragon reaches 12" long)
-UVB light source (preferably a fluorescent strip) Reptisun 10.0 is recommended
-Basking light (a dome fixture with a standard 100 watt bulb) adjust wattage to achieve proper temperatures
-Playsand (clean and sifted) from Home Depot or Lowes 1.5" deep
-RepCal Calcium Supplement and a Multi Vitamin for dusting food
-Basking rock, tile, or log (keep decorations simple in the beginning; the crickets love to hide)
-Small food dish for greens
-Thermometer placed at the cool end of the cage
-24 hour appliance timer, and 6 plug power strip
*No under tank heaters or heat rocks*
*No hiding places for babies*
The basic set up should have the basking light at one end, with the UVB source in the middle of the cage. Your dragon needs a warm side and a cool side of his enclosure; this will allow him to choose how close he is to the heat source and he will regulate his own internal temperature by moving away from the basking area. The basking area should be around 105-110 degrees, with an ambient temperature on the cool side of 75-85 degrees. By placing the thermometer on the cool end of the tank, you can adjust the temperature by increasing or decreasing the wattage of the basking bulb. There is a 1 fixture solution available: a UVB heat bulb that provides heat and UVB. In that case, I recommend a MegaRay UVB ; just be careful to read the usage requirements. A 24 hour timer should be set to turn the lights on for 14 hours a day, with no light at night. Bearded dragons need a cooler temperature at night to rest their metabolism. Baby bearded dragons should not be left in temperatures lower than 65 degrees. Take proper precautions if this is a possibility for your situation.
While there are many substrate options, I prefer playsand. Stay away from the calcium-based sands sold at the local pet store; it can cause impaction when eaten with food, plus it's expensive. We suggest limiting your decorations in the beginning. No shade or hiding spots for baby dragons. They need UVB for proper health and growth. As for hydration, I suggest misting your baby 3 times a day, or as much as he'll drink. After they get to be 10 inches I recommend supervised bathing the dragons in .5" of water regularly to ensure they don't become dehydrated. While a water dish is okay, the dragons tend to poop in the water. In that case, the dish will need to be disinfected ASAP to keep bacteria from growing.
Feed your baby dragon up to 3 times a day with as many RepCal dusted crickets as he can eat in a 15 minute period. Be careful not to put more than 10 crickets in the cage at a time; the dragon will be overwhelmed and may refuse to eat. Uneaten crickets should be removed before bedtime; the crickets will harass, bite and annoy your baby dragon. While there are many food options, crickets allow the dragon to hunt for food; this stimulates their appetite. As long as the temperatures are correct, the dragon will eat when he's hungry. A small dish with greens should be left in the cage at all times; replace the greens when they dry out. We prefer collard greens because their thicker leaves last longer in the hot, dry cage.
A baby dragon will poop almost daily, sometimes several times a day. Remove the poop daily to prevent bacteria growth, and change the substrate once a month. If bathed regularly, you'll find they like to poop in the lukewarm bath water; just replace the water immediately and resume bathing.
Remember that it might take up to 3 weeks for a new baby to become adjusted to his new environment. Loud, high traffic areas might cause stress, as well as the attentions of a house cat. Once the baby is acclimated, handling should be slowly introduced. A baby dragon should be handled with care. Beware of sudden jumps from your hand to the floor below. While the baby can be handled a little, it is important to slowly build up the dragon's confidence in you. This will ensure a confident and calm juvenile dragon. As they become older, they are easier to handle in most cases.
This care sheet only scratches the surface when it comes to all the possible variations of dragon husbandry. This is intended to be a basic list of necessities. The best optional item I would recommend is a small tempgun from Pro Exotics; the tempgun will give you the proof you need to be confident in the temperature of your enclosure.
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