Housing and Lighting
Bearded dragons need more ground space then they need height. A 40 gallon tank will house one dragon its entire life. If you plan on keeping more dragons, I suggest a 75 gallon tank or bigger. (Hatchlings should start out in a 58 quart or 15 gallon tank and be moved as they grow).

I say K.I.S.S. your lizard: Keep It Super Simple.

Bearded dragons come from the desert area in Australia; therefore I keep them on play sand that has been sifted to remove all pebbles as young dragons cannot digest them. I provide a basking area with a temperature of 105 to 110 degrees. A branch should be provided under the basking area. Make sure the other side of the tank stays cooler, around 85 degrees.

Night-time temperatures can go down to the lower 60's. Use a regular house light bulb to provide the basking (wattage depends on the size of the tank). Do not guess the temperature, dragons need high heat to digest their food. I recommend an indoor/outdoor thermometer, set the switch on outdoor and place the probe where the dragon will bask. Do not use heat rocks or pads (bearded dragons do not recognize heat on their bellies).

They also need a light that provides sunshine (UV-A and UV-B) to manufacture their vitamin D3 for bone health. For this you will need a full spectrum of light (Reptisun 10.0). This light should be placed on the top of the cage 6 to 10 inches above the basking area and no higher than 16 inches from the ground. For the optimal growth, place the light on a timer giving the dragon about 14 hours of daylight.

Food and Water
From the time the dragons are born until the time they are about 8 months old bearded dragons should be fed crickets dusted with "Rep-Cal" and "Herptivite". I dust my crickets daily, using a mixture of three parts "Rep-Cal" to one part "Herptivite". Salads should be offered several times a week. The salads should consist of collard greens, mustard greens, turnip greens, or romaine lettuce topped off with frozen (thawed) mixed veggies. I do not give my dragons meal worms. A good rule of thumb is never offer bigger than between the dragon's eyes. Food items too big can cause serious damage to your lizard, even death.

When feeding fruit, remember to remove the seeds. Fruits high in acid should be offered every now and then. Bearded dragons see in color. Remember that their favorite colors are red, yellow, and orange.

When the dragon becomes 8 months old, I feed them salads everyday. I offer pinky or fuzzy mice once a week or roaches and pellet food. When they are young feed them equal amounts of protein and salad. When they are 8 months and older feed them 60% salad and 40% protein.

As far as water goes, remember bearded dragons are from the desert area and do not require a lot of water. Mist your dragon under the basking area in the morning. Make sure the sand is dried out by night, we do not want the dragon to sleep on wet sand. Remove all crickets from the cage by night. In the desert, dragons get their water from food and the small amount of dew that forms on them while they are sleeping. Remember that dragons need to be fed daily, just like us.

It is very important to your dragons well-being to keep their cage clean. Remove all waste from the cage. I do this several times a day using a fish net for fish tanks. The sand goes through and the rest can be tossed out. Keeping the cage clean will keep your dragon healthy and happy. The general rule of thumb is when the cage starts to smell, it is time to change the play sand and wash the tank out. I use a solution of 10% bleach and 90% water (you can also use vinegar). After cleaning please use plenty of water to flush out the tank.

My Opinion
I think a bearded dragon makes the best pet for a beginner or the experienced herper. They range in size from 14 to 24 inches from nose to tail depending on the family they come from. If you take good care of your dragon they can live anywhere from 8 to 10 years. They love attention and do very well in captivity. Remember they are just like "Lays" potato chips, no one can do just one!