BiomesInaBox

Tag: advice

  • Wonders of Bearded Dragons

    Wonders of Bearded Dragons

    Bearded dragons are one of the most iconic reptiles that are kept as pets. For the most part they are pretty easy to take care of, have incredibly docile personalities, and are very fun to handle. These wonderful creatures come from Australia and can live up to about 14 years and this guide has been created to inform potential beardie keepers on how to properly keep a bearded dragon at home.

    Enclosure Requirements

    A 40 breeder (36″ x 18″ x 18″) is a great size for a beardie until it grows over 12″ long. Once it exceeds a foot in length it is recommended to upgrade its habitat to a 120 gallon enclosure (48″ x 24″ x 24″). This will provide plenty of room for your companion. Bearded dragons should have an area to bask and an area to cool down. The basking location should average between 90 to 95 degrees Fahrenheit throughout the day. On the other hand the cool down location should be around 80 to 90 degrees Fahrenheit. Reptiles are cold blooded animals so they cannot regulate their body temperature. This requires for them to have warm and cool areas in the enclosure. The lights can be shut off during the night and the temperature can safely decrease to around 70 to 75 degrees Fahrenheit. Temperature and humidity gauges should be present in both warm and cool parts of the enclosure. The humidity should roughly be between 30 and 40 percent. Supplemental heat emitters should be provided if temperatures in the enclosure fall below 70 degrees Fahrenheit. Bearded dragons should receive enough UVA from the basking light but they will require another light fixture that gives off UVB lighting. UVB is needed in order for a bearded dragon to be able to produce Vitamin D. A wire mesh covering for the enclosure is required because UVB does not penetrate through glass. This dual fixture is great for this type of enclosure and it comes included with both a UVB bulb and basking light.

    There are different substrate types that can be used for a bearded dragon enclosure. There is sand matting that can be placed at the bottom of the enclosure. It is like a carpet that can be removed and easily cleaned so it is recommended to have two on hand to swap out and clean. It is also the safest type of bottom for the enclosure because it cannot be ingested. There is sand that can be used as substrate as well. Some people are against sand due to possible impaction and accidental ingestion. This substrate helps imitate a bearded dragon’s natural habitat and may help motivate it to burrow. If sand is purchased, it is a great idea to also purchase a scooper to pick up some fresh poop. The sand substrate is recommended to be replaced every at least every three months. Each substrate has its own perks and downfalls. Some are more ascetically pleasing while others have better reliability.

    Decorations can include an assortment of rocks, driftwood and anything for them to lounge on. A nice piece of driftwood is great to put under the basking lamp because it does a great job to hold heat which will help keep your beardie warm!

    Feeding Time

    Bearded dragons do not really require a water dish to be present in their enclosure. They acquire all of their fluids from food. Their diet will primarily consist of live food such as: crickets and meal worms, vegetables, and very sparsely fed fruit. Some people shy away from keeping bearded dragons because they do not want to drive to acquire crickets or they just do not like insects in general.

    Crickets should be fed everyday and be appropriately sized to fit into the mouth of a bearded dragon. The size of the cricket should not be bigger than the area in between the eyes of your bearded dragon. They should also be dusted with a calcium supplement at least twice a week to ensure your new reptile companion acquires the necessary supplements to help build a strong bone system. An improper enclosure and not enough supplements could lead your animal to become diseased. A common disease that reptiles can acquire the metabolic bone disease. Also, pay attention to how many crickets stay in the enclosure because they can irritate and stress your animal companion if not eaten. Mealworms should only be given to your bearded dragon as a treat.

    Bearded dragons should be fed veggies such as kale and broccoli to help give them important nutrients and a more varied diet. Veggies should be fed daily. It is recommended to give youngsters veggies first and then once they eat their veggies to feed them their crickets. Just like little kids, baby bearded dragons prefer not to eat veggies. An assortment of collard greens and mustard greens should be given to your bearded dragon. Do not feed your new pet avocado, rhubarb because it is toxic to the animal and avoid lettuce because it does not provide any nutritional value and can lead to diarrhea.

    Fruits can be fed to your bearded dragon very sparsely. More or less once or twice a month as a treat for being a great pet! The main fruits to feed beardies are mango and papaya. Strawberries, peaches, raspberries and watermelon are great to feed occasionally, but stay away from feeding them fruit with a lot of citrus.

    Bearded dragon handling

    Bearded dragons in general are quite easy to tame. Their very docile nature makes them quite a good pet for younger children or anyone who is new to keeping a reptile. They’re a wonderful introductory pet. The little ones can be squirmy, especially to a new keeper but with training and patience they will become like a dog with scales. I have heard many stories of bearded dragon keepers keeping their pets on their chest while sitting on the couch watching TV, or letting the bearded dragon cling onto their shirt while walking around the house. I have seen them nip but it doesn’t hurt and it usually happens when they think they’re getting fed and they mistaken your finger for lunch. Otherwise, they’re a very mellow animal.

    Final Thoughts

    With proper care and husbandry, bearded dragons can be a great pet for kids and adults alike. They’re very docile and usually just hang around. With proper training and a great diet they can be wonderful companions to anyone. Acquiring and feeding them live crickets is a turn off but other than that they’re a sweet reptilian pet!

  • Setting Up a Simple Freshwater Aquarium

    Setting Up a Simple Freshwater Aquarium

    This guide will help brand-new aquarists set up their first freshwater aquarium. This article is relevant for aquariums that are 10 – 30 gallons in size. Aquariums come in all shapes and sizes, with different decorations, plants, filtration systems, and more. This will be a very basic setup guide to help new fish keepers get started. We will cover the steps needed for the actual setup and equipment that can be used for the aquarium.

    Equipment Needed

    To begin, the main equipment needed to keep an aquatic system running are the glass enclosure, heater, filter, and light. These are must-haves, especially if you are just starting. An air pump adds more oxygen but it should not be necessary for this type of setup because the filter will provide enough oxygen for fish to thrive.

    • A submersible heater, like the Aqueon Pro Series Heater, is an excellent option for heating your aquarium because it is made by a very popular brand and is built incredibly well. If you’re not interested in the Aqueon Pro Series Heater, check out some of the Best Submersible Heaters for Freshwater and saltwater Aquariums.
    • A hang-on-the-back filter, such as the Aquaclear Series (power filter) is also a great choice for a filtration system because it allows for chemical, mechanical, and biological filtration. You can check out other Hang-on-back Filters by following the link.
    • LED lights, such as the NICREW ClassLED Aquarium Lights are a good budget light that will open the door for aquatic plants in the future. They provide great lighting, usually last years, and don’t use too much electricity. Make sure the size of the LED light matches the length of your fish tank.

    Decorating & Jump Starting Your Aquarium

    Having a nice gravel bed is a great way to make your fish tank pop! I prefer dark gravel, like this one on Amazon, because that will make the colors of the fish tank stand out more. For first-time aquarists, I usually recommend black aquarium gravel. Just remember to rinse the gravel before putting it into your fish tank. Do not use soap, just water. Adding 1 lb. of gravel for every gallon of water will create a nice deep gravel bed, adding a nice look to an aquarium. However, it’s not necessary to add that much.

    Purchasing decorations is a great idea! There are many different types of decorations such as plastic plants, driftwood, pirate ships, and so on. If you enjoy Halloween, take a look at some Halloween-inspired aquarium decorations. The types of decorations are limitless. I recommend Easy to Care for Live Plants and driftwood to give a natural look, but to each their own.

    A few other things needed for a new aquarium are an API Freshwater Master Test Kit, water conditioner, gravel vacuum, net, and fish food (flake food and pellets), and glass cleaner (sponge or magnetic).

    Setup Process

    The setup process is the fun part of it all. Once you have all your tools and equipment, it’s time to finally put together your new aquarium. I will continue by discussing aquarium placement and decoration recommendations below.

    Aquarium Placement

    Once everything is purchased and ready to go it is time to start setting up the aquarium. Find a location in the house away from windows and air/heating vents. Windows provide more sunlight than needed which will cause algal blooms to occur and air/heating vents may cause temperature fluctuations in the aquarium which is not desirable.

    Adding Gravel & Water

    Gravel and decorations should be rinsed before placing into the enclosure. Once that is done begin by gently putting the gravel at the bottom of the aquarium. Place the water into a bucket and add water conditioner to remove chlorine from it. Usually, 1 drop of water conditioner is added per gallon of water but it may vary so double-check the instructions on the bottle you are using. The water temperature does not matter so much right now but try to eyeball the temperature to be around 74° – 78° Fahrenheit. Fish will not be added yet so an exact temperature isn’t necessary. Repeat these steps until the aquarium is roughly 50 – 75% full and begin adding the decorations.

    Placing Decorations, Equipment & Final Touches

    Push the base of the decorations to the bottom of the gravel bed. This will give it a solid foundation and will help prevent it from moving when cleaning the enclosure. Place the heater and set the temperature to around 76 -78 degrees Fahrenheit. Place the filter in its proper location. Continue to fill up the aquarium to about 90% and test to see if the filter runs. I usually recommend letting the aquarium run for about 12 – 24 hours just to make sure all the equipment runs properly and to ensure there are no leaks. Before adding fish, read up on the Nitrogen Cycle, and the highly recommended fishless cycle.

    Purpose of API Freshwater Master Test Kit

    I will explain the reasoning behind purchasing the other items for your aquarium. The API Freshwater Test Kit is important. The aquarium will go through the nitrogen cycle. The cycle will help create a safe environment for fish and invertebrates. The cycle begins with a spike of ammonia (from waste). The ammonia will convert to nitrites after a week or two. You will use the test kit to follow along. Visible signs of nitrites will appear. After 5-6 weeks, the nitrites should convert to nitrates. When using the test kit, the ideal spot to be in is to test for 0 ammonia and nitrites and have just a hint of nitrates. The nitrogen cycle normally lasts 6 weeks but the process can be sped up to about two weeks by using a bacteria starter.

    Use of Water Conditioner

    A water conditioner is useful to remove the chlorine from the water before adding it to the aquarium. Large amounts of chlorine are not good for fish or invertebrates so removing them is a bonus. Some people allow their water to sit in a bucket for 24 hours before adding it to their fish tank but to be safe the water conditioner is the way to go!

    Supplies For Aquarium Maintenance

    The gravel vacuum will be a must-have when doing maintenance on your aquarium. After creating a siphon, the gravel vacuum will allow water to flow down the tube and into an external bucket. The flow is slow enough to help collect food particles and fish waste but it should not suck up the gravel that was recommended earlier in the article. Using a gravel vacuum makes water changes a breeze.

    The net and food are pretty self-explanatory. The net is to make adding the fish into the aquarium easier and the food of course is to feed the fish.

    Lastly, the glass cleaner will be very useful for cleaning the glass! Algae will form on the glass over time so having an aquarium-safe sponge is beneficial.

    Final Notes

    Aquarium building can be fun while still keeping it simple. Once experience levels increase the hobby can branch out to far reaches. Starting with an easy-to-care-for 10-gallon aquarium creates a good foundation for what could be a lifelong hobby in the future.