Bf’s family’s beardie - I am planning to COMPLETELY redo his setup. Long post. No idea where to start and I’m in desperate need of help :(
I am requesting the advice you would give to a first time pet owner rescuing an older bearded dragon.
Setup, feeding, everything you’ve got tbh. Links to proper research, links to products I should buy for him for a new tank. Everything I see online is all contradictory and it’s been really stressing me out. I’m just about ready to assume everything I know is wrong and that his setup is 0% right in any way. My bf’s parents agreed that I can start to upgrade everything when I get a job but I want to get a list going. Affordable options would be extra appreciated. I just want what’s best for him but I don’t have much money right now :(
RAY
He’s at least 9 years old. They got him from a coworker 8 years ago who said he was already 2-3 years old but from photos he looked much smaller, more like >1 year, or at least incredibly underweight. They say the cage she had him in when she gave him to them was like half the size of the one he has now, which is fucked. He definitely still needs more space. The best I can do is a 150 gallon tank. I’m looking at this one:
I know Ray’s setup is absolutely fucked. He’s been physically fine like that for 8 years I guess, other than being incredibly depressed. Now he’s struggling to shed (it’s been at least a month and a half with little to no progress) and I’m seeing that it’s even more urgent than I thought.
I tried to convince them to rehome him, which is what my boyfriend wants to do, but his dad really doesn’t want to.
TANK UPDATES SO FAR
I have so far replaced his flooring (carpet -> mat with paper towels bc he kept ripping his nails on it), his nighttime bulb (red light heat emitter -> 40W ceramic heat emitter, planning to get a stronger one), and a few other items (bigger hide with a basking platform; new thermostat and humidity checker(?)).
I think he needs different food- he eats this dry veggie/bug mix but I was told by a petsmart employee (said she has beardies) that at his age they usually eat more veggies. I started mixing in calcium powder a month ago and got Ray live mealworms but he didn’t really seem interested in them and struggles to catch live crickets :(
I think his basking lamp is fine but I need to get him a UVB bar.
DISCLAIMER
Please please please do not hate on me or my boyfriend’s family. That’s not to say you can’t comment on the husbandry obviously, but they are genuinely good people. They’re just uneducated on the care that Ray needs.
I just want help with his setup - I don’t want to have to defend myself or his family. Trust me, I’ve gone through it all in my head already.
EDIT: Minor changes to text if incorrect + text below
I told my bf’s family that he’s sick and needs tank upgrades ASAP, and they agreed to make changes.
Going to petco today!!!! Getting a UBV bar, a heat gun, and a halogen basking light (his is a colored light I guess, I had no idea or I would’ve replaced it with the night light). I need to make a list based on comments still. We’re going to get greens next time we’re at Wegmans but for now I’ll try to figure out if we have any reptile safe veggies on hand.
I’m going to give him a bath for his stuck shed and take him outside for a bit in the meantime (hoping to find his harness but if I can’t I’ll just keep him on my legs or something). We can’t take him to the vet just yet, but if he doesn’t make any progress over the next month with greens, proper lighting, and engagement we’ll definitely take him. Nobody wants him to be in pain :(
Otherwise though, I was serious about not replying to hate comments. I’m 10000000% open to any advice on care, but comments about my bf’s family will be ignored from now on. I know his care is inexcusable. I don’t have the energy to argue about it when I also just want him to get better. They’re going to pay for everything that goes in the tank, I just need to buy the new one. Living with them is currently my only option besides living with my abusive mom or being on the streets. So that being said, I don’t want to think about how awful they are for treating him this way.