For starters that want to take care of reptiles, the bearded dragons would be one of the easiest reptiles to start with. Beardies are one of the most fascinating reptiles that make a perfect, fur-free pet. Also, beardies are lively, but relaxed, small but not that small, and are really easy to take care of in a confined place.
And after you have made some initial costs for your beardie’s set-up, like its terrarium, necessary equipment, and the decorations and accessories, it would be easy and affordable to take care of a beardie.
Beginner or not, you should read on to see what basic supplies that you’ll need to start a great home for your unique friend.
Contents
- 1. Exo Terra Large-Wide Terrarium
- 2. BYB 110V Ceramic Infrared Heat Emitter
- 3. Adjustable Reptile Leash
- 4. Niteangel Mesh Reptile Hammock
- 5. Zoo Med Repti Fresh Substrate
- 6. Zoo Med Digital Infrared Thermometer
- 7. Josh’s Frogs Hornworms Habitat
- 8. Fluker’s Freeze-Dried Crickets
- 9. Tasty Bug Treats Premium Dried Mealworms
- 10. Fluker’s Lab Medley Treat Food
- 11. Roackie Dubia Roaches Entree
- 12. Exo Terra Water Dish
- 13. Exo Terra Pebble Water falls
- 14. Carolina Giant Half Log
- 15. Reptile Feeding Tongs
- Conclusion
1. Exo Terra Large-Wide Terrarium
First of all, we’ll start with choosing the best bearded dragon enclosure. Since beardies aren’t good at climbing like chameleons and geckos, they’ll need an enclosure that has wide flooring.
Also, instead of buying a small terrarium that is only suitable for baby beardies, you should rather buy a terrarium that can accommodate an adult beardie. Bearded dragons grow fast, so getting a large terrarium that can hold an adult bearded dragon would save you a few dollars, or maybe even a hundred, and is really convenient.
2. BYB 110V Ceramic Infrared Heat Emitter
If you live in a cold place, you’ll definitely need to use a heat lamp for your beardie. Bearded dragons are known to bask under the heat of the sun, and when in captivity, their owners provide them with heating lamps so that they can still bask inside their enclosures.
Do note that the heating bulbs and dome lamps are sold separately, so to help you out with choosing the best heat emitting bulb for your pet. We recommend you this BYB ceramic heat emitter for your reptile. It can last up to 10,000 hours or more and is perfect for high humidity terrariums.
Also, this only product only emits heat, which makes it perfect to use at night as it won’t disturb your pet’s sleeping pattern.
3. Adjustable Reptile Leash
If you live in a country that has a warmer climate and would prefer to let your beardie bask under the heat of the sun rather than heat emitters, then you’ll need to use a leash & harness for bearded dragon to not worry about your pet getting away.
This leash harness is adjustable, therefore, no matter how big or small your reptile is you can still use it for your convenience. This product is very easy to use, lightweight, and comfortable for your pet.
4. Niteangel Mesh Reptile Hammock
If you want to add more accessories to your beardie’s enclosure, then you can consider getting your pet a Reptile hammock. This product is included with suction cups so that you can use it in glass terrariums.
Place this hammock on your pet’s basking area, or on your pet’s favorite spot in the terrarium so that your pet can enjoy a nice nap. Consider the height of the hammock so that your beardie can easily climb onto it. Do not place it too high to prevent your pet from getting injured in case they fall from it.
5. Zoo Med Repti Fresh Substrate
Using a substrate for bearded dragon is also important, as it will make your reptile feel like they’re at their own habitat. If you are a beginner, it is important for you to know what kind of substrate is good for your beardie’s health. Bearded dragons mostly dwell on sandy environments; therefore, the best substrate for them should be associated with sand.
The Zoo Med ReptiFresh is one of the best substrates that you can get for your reptile friend. Aside from providing your pet with a naturalistic habitat, the sand type bedding also has the ability to eliminate existing odor. With this kind of substrate, your pet’s terrarium would always be smelling clean and fresh.
If you want to prevent your pet from unnecessary consumption, you can mix the ReptiFresh with a Repti Calcium, which is a substrate that can be ingested by reptiles.
6. Zoo Med Digital Infrared Thermometer
As we have mentioned earlier, one of the requirements of taking care of a beardie is that it’ll need a couple of heating materials in its terrarium. However, you don’t just use a heating lamp and leave it on for the whole day in your pet’s terrarium. It’s very important to check the level of heat to ensure that your pet is getting the appropriate temperature.
Therefore, you’ll need to use a thermometer that can easily monitor the temperature of your pet’s terrarium. The Zoo Med Reti Temp is one of the great thermometers that you can get in most stores.
It effectively and accurately monitors the temperature of the enclosure’s basking area, incubation, thermal gradients, and hibernation. The device can also be changed from Celsius to Fahrenheit and vice versa for your convenience.
7. Josh’s Frogs Hornworms Habitat
One of the bearded dragon’s favorite meals is the hornworms. And with that said, you’ll most likely buy some hornworms from time to time for your beardie. As a great suggestion, you can order online to get the best worms for bearded dragon.
Hornworms are great feeders for reptiles, especially for those that like eating big bugs. Each hornworm habitat cup contains 25 hornworms and would be shipped in a 32oz container.
The only downside of getting this product is that, if your pet is a big feeder and loves hornworms, you’ll find this product to not have enough worms for your beloved reptile.
8. Fluker’s Freeze-Dried Crickets
Before we get on to some tasty meals for your beardie, we should first provide you with some of the best, tasty treats that you can spoil your beardies with. Crickets are the main staple food that you can feed with your pet and this Fluker’s dried crickets would definitely be loved by your little guy.
These freeze-dried crickets contain a high amount of calcium for better bone growth, protein, fat and fiber to keep your reptile’s digestive system run smoothly and to keep your pet’s overall growth on track.
For proper feeding schedule, you can use these dried crickets as treats, or add them to your pet’s regular meal of veggies to have a high-protein supplement. This product is available in 1.2-ounces per pack.
9. Tasty Bug Treats Premium Dried Mealworms
Aside from crickets, mealworms are also great food alternatives for bearded dragons. As a head’s up, some bearded dragons are pretty finicky when it comes to feeding time, so it’s important that you feed them with different kinds of food in a rotation. There’s nothing you can do about them being finicky, so all you can do is to provide them with that they would surely like.
These natural whole dried mealworms can be a good source of energy and nutrition for your beardie. It is naturally high in oils and proteins which are good for your beardies growth. Keep your little reptile happy and happy with this product.
10. Fluker’s Lab Medley Treat Food
If you don’t want to get different packs of a treat for your pet and your beardie is a bit choosy when it comes to food, then you and your pet would surely love Fluker’s medley treat food. This product is packed with a perfect blend of freeze-dried crickets, mealworms, and grasshoppers that is perfectly healthy for your pet. And since each jar contains different kinds of tasty insect treats, you no longer have to worry about looking for the high source of proteins for your reptile.
And since each jar is packed with high protein treats, it will ensure that your pet would get all the needed nutrition and energy that it needs for the day. Also, each pack would last for several days, therefore, you don’t have to worry about looking for your beardies next meal. Each jar of medley treats comes in 1.8 ounces. You can refer to some other products in here.
11. Roackie Dubia Roaches Entree
Dubia Roaches are one of the best insects to feed to a bearded dragon. However, what if you are scared of roaches, or too busy to feed your pet with a live insect? Don’t worry because you can still provide your pet with a high-protein meal, even if you are too busy to feed your pet manually, or too scared to handle some of the critters.
This Roackie product contains yummy pellets for your reptile, which is made from the equal weight of that of a Dubia roach. This is very convenient because you no longer need to handle live cockroaches in your home. It is very easy to store and use which is why it is recommended for certain kinds of people.
Each pellet contains a balanced nutrition and a variety of vitamins, which is necessary for your pet’s overall growth. Also, this product is perfectly safe and can help promote a healthy diet for bearded dragons.
12. Exo Terra Water Dish
Aside from providing delicious meals for your reptile, it is also important to provide with clean and fresh water every day. This water dish is perfect for your beardie and for its terrarium as it has a naturalistic rock design.
With its natural design, it would fit perfectly to all kinds of terrarium environment. One of the products good features is that it is equipped with steps to prevent your pet from drowning.
And for your convenience, the dish comes in 4 different sizes including small, medium, large, and an extra large water dish. Choose the size that can perfectly fit in your pet’s terrarium.
13. Exo Terra Pebble Water falls
Some bearded dragons don’t drink from their water dishes, instead, they drink from the leaves water droplets. But if you think about providing them with a unique water dispenser, such as the Exo Terra’s waterfalls, it would effectively stimulate your beardie’s natural drinking behavior.
Not only does it automatically provide water, but it can also help increase the terrarium’s humidity level. The product is already included with a pump, so there’s no need for you to purchase a pump separately.
With the product’s naturalistic design, it would definitely look great for your beardie’s habitat.
14. Carolina Giant Half Log
Most beardies love to hide in some spots in their terrariums, therefore, you should provide it with a couple of hiding places so that it won’t stress out your pet, it would make them feel safe in their own habitat.
This half log is a bit large, so if you have a 20-gallon tank, keep in mind that it would take up a lot of space in the terrarium. Aside from a hiding space, you can also use this product as a habitat “perch” for your pet to climb onto, consider placing it under your pet’s basking area.
15. Reptile Feeding Tongs
Feeding tongs is a necessary tool to feed your pet, especially if you are a beginner and not fond of holding insects. Most reptile owners feed their pets with insects by only using their hands, but occasionally, they do use a tong if they don’t want to dirty their hands because of the insects.
Unlike other feeding tongs out there, this product has a good grip with slimy insects, such as worms for better tong feeding experience. It is very durable and sturdy, as it is made with high-quality stainless steel material. This product could last for a very long time.
Also, the product comes in two types of tongs. One is a straight tong and the other is a curved one for better anti-slip grip.
Conclusion
All the things that are featured here in this article would be a great starting point for beginners. When it comes to setting up your beardies terrarium, it would be best if you first start with the easiest basics, and once you get more familiar with your pet’s needs then you can add more items in its terrarium.
As for their food, you should probably use different kinds of foods to see what type of meal that your pet likes. However, make sure to change their meal slowly to not ruin your pet’s appetite. Aside from dried foods, you can also feed your beardie with live insects, but make sure that the insects you feed it with came from a pet store to avoid health complications.