When Do I Clean My Bearded Dragon’s Tank? (2024)

FAQs

How often should you clean a bearded dragon's enclosure? ›

The basic routine for cleaning out a bearded dragon is daily, with a little care which will remove the need to completely clean the vivarium out regularly. With this daily care, your bearded dragon's vivarium will need a full clean once every month or so.

Substrate should be deep-cleaned or fully replaced every two weeks. For paper towels or newspaper this is as easy as throwing away the old layer and replacing it with new substrate. Reptile carpet should be removed and hand washed with hot water and dish soap.

First, transfer your reptile to their back-up home. Next, remove all bowls and accessories in the cage and clean them with hot soapy water. Remove all the old substrate, then clean the inside of the enclosure with hot soapy water, scrubbing to remove any build-up, and rinsing well.

Let your beardie soak for about 15 – 20 minutes. Once bath time is over, gently pat your pet dry with a soft sowel. This is very important! If he's still damp when you put him back in his tank, the substrate may stick to him.

Baby bearded dragons that are 3 months old or younger usually poop one to three times a day because their diet is rich in proteins. A young bearded dragon (4 to 18 months old) will have a bowel movement every day or so, while you can expect those older than 18 months to poop 1-7 times a week.

You only need to give your dragon insects two or three times a week, with vegetation everyday. Remember, adult Beardies don't need too many insects and animal matter otherwise they'll become obese.

Try holding your reptile 15 minutes a day. As it gets used to being handled, you can extend these periods for as long as your pet looks comfortable. Some dragons don't enjoy being held for a long time while others love it and will allow you to hold them several times a day.

Make sure you don't use vinyl or linoleum, which are too slippery for your bearded dragon's claws to gain any traction. The other issue with those materials is they retain a lot of heat and there is nowhere for it to escape in your dragon's tank, so it can burn your dragon.

Expert Tip: Typically, a bearded dragon is considered to be fully grown once they've reached 11 to 12 months in age. However, some are not considered an adult until up to 18 months.

A bearded dragon does not need misting. If the humidity is too low or is it is having difficulty in shedding, then it can be useful. However, whether bearded dragons need misting is not really an issue, its more about providing them water that they can learn to drink and it can be fun.

How often do you feed a bearded dragon? ›

How often should I feed my bearded dragon? Most young bearded dragons eat once or twice daily, while older lizards can be fed once daily, depending upon each pet's individual appetite.

Bearded dragons can drink tap water; however, it is a good idea to use one of the commercially available dechlorinating products to treat the water. There are chloramines and chlorine in the water that you want to remove as well as unwanted minerals present in the water.

Can Bearded Dragons Swim in a Pool? Although a small pool with tap or filtered water is fine, don't let your dragon swim in a chlorinated pool. The chemicals can harm your dragon, causing eye infection or respiratory problems.

Warm water (at a temperature of 90 to 100 degrees Fahrenheit)

Adult. Two or three superworms once or twice a week should be sufficient for your adult bearded dragon. Juvenile. A juvenile dragon who can handle the aggressiveness of the worms might be able to eat more superworms in one feeding than an adult.

Bearded Dragons should be fed three times per day and given as many insects as they will consume in 10 to 15 mins. After the feeding time is done it is best to remove as many remaining insects as possible.

This typically happens around 18 months of age. It is at this point that their diet should consist of only around 20% protein, with the rest being that of a fresh salad. What is this? Healthy adult bearded dragons should eat around 10 crickets per day OR 20 crickets every other day.

You may be surprised to hear that dragons actually enjoy eating the banana peel as well as the fruit, and it adds a little extra nutrition to the treat. So you can slice the banana up with the peel and place the pieces in your dragon's food bowl alone or with some other fruits and veggies in a colorful, healthy salad.

As soon as you get your bearded dragon, no matter their age, their first feeding of the day must always be 2 hours after their lights first are turned on. Similarly, their last feeding needs to come at least two hours before the lights are turned off for the day.

What is a bearded dragons favorite food? ›

Favorite Insects

As far as tasty insects go, you can't go wrong with black soldier fly larvae, butterworms, co*ckroaches, crickets, Dubia roaches, earthworms, locusts, redworms and superworms. These insects are safe for bearded dragons and are relatively easy to get.

Glass surfing is thought to be a result of stress and a bearded dragon may be stressed for several reasons: An enclosure or tank that's too small for it can stress a bearded dragon out. Another bearded dragon, even if they're not housed together, may be interpreted as competition for a bearded dragon and cause stress.

Unlike lizards who are active at night, bearded dragons are awake during the day. They often like to climb branches and sit on logs to bask in the sun. As a result, they make great pets for people who want to interact with their pets during waking hours.

Low humidity.

Beardies like and require a bright light above their tank, which will keep them warm and alert. Also, they require an additional UV light source – UVA and especially UVB light is necessary for proper metabolism and bone development of your pet.

You can hold a bearded dragon for as long as it will tolerate being held. Start with 15 minutes once a day and as it gets used to being handled, you can hold it longer. Some dragons enjoy being held several times a day for several hours.

Don't kiss or snuggle your bearded dragon, or eat or drink around it. These actions can spread Salmonella germs to your mouth and make you sick. Keep your bearded dragon out of your kitchen and other areas where you eat, store, or prepare food.

What's the real truth? A: While beardies can withstand a wide variety of temperatures, here is what I always tell owners. The focal basking hot spot should be between 100 to 110 degrees Fahrenheit. If your beardie is not sitting in the hot spot, gaping with its mouth open, then it probably isn't hot enough.

Bearded dragons in captivity have a life expectancy of around 10 years, although the oldest bearded dragon on record lived to 18 years. The single most important factor to keep your bearded dragon healthy and living a long life is husbandry.

In addition to heat and white light, bearded dragons must have access to natural sunlight for good health. This is because they need a certain spectrum of ultraviolet (UV) light called UVB. UVB is necessary for the bearded dragon to make Vitamin D.

There are no “official” record for the largest bearded gecko, but some reportedly reach 26 inches or more!

How much veggies should a bearded dragon eat? ›

Vegetables - Veggies should make up 25% of a young bearded dragon's food and half of an adult's. Favorites include kale, collard greens, mustard greens, zucchini and shredded carrots. Make sure to remove any vegetables that have not been eaten so they do not go bad inside their habitat.

Commonly, bearded dragons like being petted in a few places. One such spot is directly between the eyes and on top of the head. Another is scratching their beards, or rubbing the spikes behind their eyes.

75-80% of an adult dragon's diet should be vegetables. If you're feeding a juvenile, a daily salad will suffice. Since bearded dragons are omnivores like humans, they need a variety.

Don't feed your bearded dragon mangos; they have too much Phosphorus for your pet to get any nutritional value from the Calcium. They also have a moderate amount of oxalates, which can lead to kidney trouble, so it's better to avoid feeding them any mangos at all!

To keep waste from building up, it's important to break down and sanitize the enclosure every two to three months. The best way to clean the enclosure is with clean hot water, and if you want to use a cleaning product stick to dish soap and elbow grease.

We recommend cleaning the carpet at least once per week. Or, maybe once every three days if possible. The best thing to do for the upkeep of a reptile carpet is always to remove any urine or feces droppings as soon as you see them.

Offer bearded dragons between 6 months and 1 year crickets dusted with calcium every other day and with vitamins three times a week. For a bearded dragon over 1 year old, offer calcium every two to three days and a vitamin supplement twice a week.

Similar to above, remove the poop as soon as you spot it on the reptile carpet. Then, spot treat the area with F10SC. Ideally, you'll want to have a couple of carpets on hand so you can switch them out every week while you deep clean one in the washer with hot water and mild, fragrance-free detergent.

You'll need to clean or replace your reptile's substrate anytime it becomes soiled, but the frequency of this will vary depending on the species you keep. Snakes for example, may only go to the bathroom once every week or two, while most lizards and turtles will go on a daily basis.

Bearded dragon owners should offer full-grown adult bearded dragons roughly 10 crickets per day, or 20 crickets every other day. The crickets should be offered in one feeding session per day that lasts between 10 and 15 minutes.

Do you have to wash your hands every time you touch your bearded dragon? ›

You can get sick from touching your bearded dragon or anything in its environment and then touching your mouth or face and swallowing Salmonella germs. Always wash hands thoroughly with soap and water right after touching or feeding your bearded dragon and after touching or cleaning the area where it lives and roams.

Crickets are a very popular feeder insect for Bearded Dragons, nutritionally they offer a good amount of protein and calcium, and they are widely available at pet stores and online retailers.

Most young bearded dragons eat once or twice daily, while older lizards can be fed once daily, depending upon each pet's individual appetite.

Signs of Calcium Deficiency in Bearded Dragons

These include: Lack of appetite. Lethargy and weakness.

You may be surprised to hear that dragons actually enjoy eating the banana peel as well as the fruit, and it adds a little extra nutrition to the treat. So you can slice the banana up with the peel and place the pieces in your dragon's food bowl alone or with some other fruits and veggies in a colorful, healthy salad.

The most common bowel movement type in bearded dragons will be brown and white. the brown part will be log-shaped with the white part on the end. The white color is the urate or their pee – waste product from your beardie's kidneys. Bearded dragons don't pee, so urates come out with their BM.