WATER DRAGONS!!!

**Killer** · 03-19-2007, 10:12 AM

so i bought a water dragon this weekend? anyone have any tips to keeping these things alive...

water dragon is the lizard that tucks it's front legs and will run on only the hind legs... and can run across water as well....

i've got him in my 30 gal. tank heat rock.. water bowl.. i need a food bowl still.... i'm using coconut fibers for "bedding" ground cover.. whatever u wanna call it... and i've got a big vine/stick thing for it to climb on..

i'm gonna google stuff but figured i'd check here too...

i don't know how often to feed it.. how much to feed it.. really... i don't want to keep crickets.. cause that will sound horrible eventually.. and to be honest meal worms gross me out a bit.. they look too much like maggots... i was told they would eat gold fish.. which would be incredible to see... but again.. how often do they need a gold fish??? any actual help will receive rep. thanks!

**ShooterMcGavin** · 03-19-2007, 10:22 AM

i got a small lizard/reptile water bowl u can use as a food bowl, give it to u for $5

also got some 150W heat bulbs as well as some 75W night time infrared heat bulbs if ur interested

**Ran** · 03-19-2007, 10:33 AM

WTF? Pics?

**Killer** · 03-19-2007, 10:44 AM

Originally Posted by shagwAg3n

i got a small lizard/reptile water bowl u can use as a food bowl, give it to u for $5

also got some 150W heat bulbs as well as some 75W night time infrared heat bulbs if ur interested

food bowl is supposed to be very tiny... but i need a good water bowl.. so yeah...

and maybe the bulbs... my tank has a florescent bulbs in it(not for warming.. just for light.) do the bulbs need the metal reflector thing?

ran, i'll get some pics up when i have the tank in better condition.. i just started setting it up last night...

**ShooterMcGavin** · 03-19-2007, 10:49 AM

yeah the dish is a nice one made by exo terra. only reason i'm not using it is cuz my python needed a bigger dish for water.

the bulbs are special heat bulbs with neodymium. they do not require reflectors, regular lampshades will do. i have both a regular sunglow 150W or a sunbeam 150W.

**santacruz77** · 03-19-2007, 10:49 AM

i almost got two along time ago there pretty cool my gf just got a hamster lets put it in your cage and watch the lizard rip it apart haha gl with your lizard

**Killer** · 03-19-2007, 11:11 AM

Originally Posted by shagwAg3n

yeah the dish is a nice one made by exo terra. only reason i'm not using it is cuz my python needed a bigger dish for water.

the bulbs are special heat bulbs with neodymium. they do not require reflectors, regular lampshades will do. i have both a regular sunglow 150W or a sunbeam 150W.

yeah man, just get me a price for all of it and i'll let u know! thanks

**ShooterMcGavin** · 03-19-2007, 11:38 AM

how about $15 for the dish, 1 150W bulb and 1 75W night time bulb? i'm not making a dime off you cuz that's what i paid for them :P

**Killer** · 03-19-2007, 11:40 AM

that's cool... i'll get it from u tuesday???? or which ever day we all meet up again.. that cool?

**ShooterMcGavin** · 03-19-2007, 11:44 AM

**Killer** · 03-20-2007, 12:03 PM

http://www.eoni.com/~neener/buddy.html

here's a link to some picture of what a water dragon looks like...

**LiL PaKi** · 03-20-2007, 12:13 PM

cool... but sry can't help ya

**Killer** · 03-20-2007, 12:21 PM

hmmmm... the other thing is.. ur supposed to keep the tank a certain temp... 80-84 during the day.. and like 75 ish at night.. how can u do that??? i don't want a light in my room all night long... i can't sleep with light.. and doesn't he need some dark time too,

**JennB** · 03-20-2007, 12:25 PM

There are heat lights that look sort of like black lights, they glow purple-ish for night. Also, you can get a ceramic heat light thing that isn't really a light, just a heat emitter thing. A heating pad that goes under the tank would keep his water warm but probably not warm enough in the whole tank.

You have to make sure he gets the right nutrition such as putting vitamins on his food, making sure he gets UVB light rays and not just UV. It's not easy and it's not really cheap but it's the only way he will live.

I worked in a pet store right after high school and saw mistreated animals all the time, it was really sad. People bought iguanas, put them under florescent light and few them lettuce and the died... hmm... wonder why? It's a live animal and needs good food and the nutrients that come from the sun.

**Verik** · 03-20-2007, 12:25 PM

i scrolled all the way to the bottom and still no pics O.o

**Killer** · 03-20-2007, 12:27 PM

Originally Posted by Verik

i scrolled all the way to the bottom and still no pics O.o

i posted a link of what one looks like... i don't have pics of mine yet..

**Killer** · 03-20-2007, 12:31 PM

Originally Posted by JennB

There are heat lights that look sort of like black lights, they glow purple-ish for night. Also, you can get a ceramic heat light thing that isn't really a light, just a heat emitter thing. A heating pad that goes under the tank would keep his water warm but probably not warm enough in the whole tank.

You have to make sure he gets the right nutrition such as putting vitamins on his food, making sure he gets UVB light rays and not just UV. It's not easy and it's not really cheap but it's the only way he will live.

I worked in a pet store right after high school and saw mistreated animals all the time, it was really sad. People bought iguanas, put them under florescent light and few them lettuce and the died... hmm... wonder why? It's a live animal and needs good food and the nutrients that come from the sun.

mine is in a fish tank... and i'm guessing the light in that is florescent... that's bad??? and i feed him crickets and meal worms.. do i need to do something else?? also i've got a heat rock in the cage.. but i don't think that keeps the whole cage warm enough... just a bathing area...

i'll be buying some bulbs from shagwagen.. but i don't know how to put them in my tank... (again it's a fish tank with a hood, so i can't just clamp lights on, and it won't take normal bulbs...) is there a good uv bulb that is like a florescent....

i want this thing to live.. i'm not trying to half ass it, i just don't know too much about them yet.

**JennB** · 03-20-2007, 12:44 PM

Crickets and meal worms are fine if he likes them, but a good idea would be to dust them with vitamins. They sell pill bottle looking containers of them at pet stores and you pour a little in a plastic bag along with the insects, shake it up so it coats them and then feed the vitamin powdered insects to the dragon. Make sure he gets calcium.

Be careful with live mealworms, they can actually hurt the lizard. Some people kill them before they feed them. They are alive when they are swallowed and can give internal injuries.

http://www.triciaswaterdragon.com/diet.htm There is a link at the top of that page to more water dragon info.

Yes, you can get UVB bulbs that fit into a fish tank light fixture. They look the same but emit a much, much better light. The normal light in a fish tank does nothing for him and does not simulate the sun he needs.

There is a difference between a heat bulb and a UVB bulb. The UVB will be long like your current bulb and the heat light will be cone shaped and fit into one of those industrial looking fixtures. They usually have a clamp and can be attached to something within a couple of feet of the tank and pointed towards the opening. Be sure to put a tank thermometer on the inside to make sure it doesn't get too hot. If it does, you can just move the light back a little. The best fixtures for heat lights are ceramic bottomed... much less worry of fire hazard. You can also you ceramic heat emmitters that are shaped the same, go in the same fixture but just put out heat, not light.

If the fish tank has the plastic hood, take it apart, get a screen top for the tank and just sit the actual light fixture from the hood on top of the screen. The plastic lid parts aren't needed.

Screens are pretty cheap.

See how this is.... screen, light fixtures...

This company makes tons of reptile stuff if you want to see what some of the stuff I'm talking about looks like. Pet stores sell it.

http://www.esuweb.com/category.asp?E...=ESU%20Reptile

Also, remember... UVB bulbs have a lifespan of only a few months. The UVB wears out, change them on a 3-4 month schedule, not only when they burm out.

**Spectic Tank** · 03-20-2007, 12:56 PM

Dude...watch out for mites!!! I had a "Spiny Tailed" Iguana (he was a BASTARD) and he ended up getting mites. Cleaning the cage and him off was a huge pain. If ur dragon does ever get them I have some pretty good tricks for getting rid of them. G/L

**OneSlow5pt0** · 03-20-2007, 01:06 PM

how much did he cost?i used have a Iguana that fucker got big as hell,then a cat bit him,dam cat

**Killer** · 03-20-2007, 02:00 PM

Originally Posted by HypnoToad

how much did he cost?i used have a Iguana that fucker got big as hell,then a cat bit him,dam cat

got it for twenty... ever where else i saw them they were 25...

**Killer** · 03-20-2007, 02:02 PM

and thanks jennb! that helps a lot.. i repped u!

you too Specvee!

anyone know how often u should clean the tank??? change the bedding?

**ShooterMcGavin** · 03-20-2007, 02:15 PM

yeah definitely be careful of mites and ticks, i'm constantly checking my python for them.

also, one of the bulbs you're getting from me is a night time infrared bulb, which means it glows damn bright (red) to us but it's not supposed to bother the creatures.

don't know anything about the uva/uvb stuff though since my snake doesn't require it.

**Killer** · 03-20-2007, 02:49 PM

cool.. maybe i'll move my set up to the living room... so the light doesn't piss me off..

**ShooterMcGavin** · 03-20-2007, 02:54 PM

^^^that's the gist!

**Spectic Tank** · 03-21-2007, 09:21 AM

Originally Posted by Killer

and thanks jennb! that helps a lot.. i repped u!

you too Specvee!

anyone know how often u should clean the tank??? change the bedding?

No problem dude

**Chuckster** · 03-25-2007, 05:42 PM

tips: They dont die unless you freeze them. They eat alot of crickets. They are hard to tame.

BTW Your habitat is set up wrong. You will also need a 55+ gal. tank in about a year.

**Chuckster** · 03-25-2007, 05:56 PM

eh im bored so here is some more info.

Fresh water every day. Clean pop and dead crickets out whenever you can to keep it from stinking. Change bedding out every other month.

Oh yea they are a tropical reptile so ya need med-high humidity. Temp need to be between 75-85 during the day and at night around 60. Me personally dont like heat rocks or heat pads. I would get another basking for night and put in a light thaat amits a low heat. I forget the kind of bulb but they come in either red or blue.

**Chuckster** · 03-25-2007, 06:01 PM

Originally Posted by JennB

There are heat lights that look sort of like black lights, they glow purple-ish for night. Also, you can get a ceramic heat light thing that isn't really a light, just a heat emitter thing. A heating pad that goes under the tank would keep his water warm but probably not warm enough in the whole tank.

You have to make sure he gets the right nutrition such as putting vitamins on his food, making sure he gets UVB light rays and not just UV. It's not easy and it's not really cheap but it's the only way he will live.

I worked in a pet store right after high school and saw mistreated animals all the time, it was really sad. People bought iguanas, put them under florescent light and few them lettuce and the died... hmm... wonder why? It's a live animal and needs good food and the nutrients that come from the sun.

nice.

For nutrition my fav is the powder you put on the crickets. Easy and everything you need.

**Chuckster** · 03-25-2007, 06:12 PM

im just whoring it up in here aint I?

The lightings is good but as far as how the inside is set up, NO! lol

You want bark and a lil bit of soil, it helps with the humidity. A larger water dish(Water Dragon, Hellooooo.) You want alot of branches, they love to climb. No need for a heat rock. Go get soem live plants also.

30 gal. tank will only last for about a year. When you upgrade i would recommend a 75 or 100 gal tank. Do it half land and half water.

**JennB** · 03-25-2007, 06:34 PM

Thats not his tank. I posted it to show the screen top. He has a fish tank top on there now and I was showing him how to get a screen top and still use the fish hood lights and give an idea on heat light fixtures and placement.

**Chuckster** · 03-25-2007, 06:48 PM

Originally Posted by JennB

Thats not his tank. I posted it to show the screen top. He has a fish tank top on there now and I was showing him how to get a screen top and still use the fish hood lights and give an idea on heat light fixtures and placement.

yea I notice that on my last post. At first i just read his post and scrolled down to the bottom. Saw the pic as i was scrolling and assumed it was his.

**Killer** · 03-27-2007, 11:13 AM

yeah, he's doing fine so far... i'm about to get rid of the heat rock and get lamps... the rock has this one small spot that gets entirely way too hot..

also i use cocoa nut fiber for his bedding... comes in a big brick.. u add water.. it turns soft.. then u squeeze access water out and there u have it... works really well...

i've got a pretty big dish... but i'll be getting a bigger one.. and if i can i'm gonna buy a divider and actually make a section of the tank water... i've got a big branch thing he sits on all day long...

he doesn't eat out of my hand yet, but i've got a clear food thing that i put the meal worms in and i hold it for him, and he eats it! it's pretty cool...

oh one question.... on the left side of his head/neck there is like one red "barb" or something... doesn't have one on the other side.. and i don't see any on the pictures of them i find on the internet.. it's not just a piece of something stuck to it either.. i gave it a tiny tug to see if it was attatched.. and it is.. for sure... i get paid this weekend and i'll be getting the screen and lights needed... and some better dishes and what not.. when i get it fully set up, i'll grab some pictures...

and chuck.. i had a 55, i wish i hadn't sold it!!!

**ChnkyLao** · 03-27-2007, 11:37 AM

i have a 3 foot iguana that stays in a cage outside, he loves it out there, i just give him plenty of water,

just give your dragon plenty of water and crickets, and give it plenty of heat

**Killer** · 03-27-2007, 11:40 AM

yeah, once it's warmer out i may put im out on the deck sometime... let him get some real sun

**ShooterMcGavin** · 03-27-2007, 11:56 AM

when u coming by for yo shit?

**Killer** · 03-27-2007, 12:07 PM

Originally Posted by shagwAg3n

when u coming by for yo shit?

when i get back from fl...

sorry i meant to pm you about it! this is the weekend that i'm taking lyric to fl.. and i need to not spend the money... i don't get paid til the last day of the month so.. either friday or monday in this case.. so i've got to save cause i'm heading down thursday...

**ShooterMcGavin** · 03-27-2007, 12:32 PM

oh ok, np man

**Glides** · 03-27-2007, 01:01 PM

Originally Posted by Killer

http://www.eoni.com/~neener/buddy.html

here's a link to some picture of what a water dragon looks like...

I would say to email this guy about how to feed em but his updates stopped in 2002, probably about the time he discovered girls.

**Chuckster** · 03-27-2007, 11:39 PM

To save you some money i have a awsome light fixture for a 20gal. long/30 gal tank. It holds 2 bulbs and 2 flurescent lights(those long tube lights, dont know what they are called, lol.) Sale it to you for $30. Forget how much its worth but i know it aint cheap. I will post a picture of it later. If you can find it cheaper then i can drop the price lower. I have never used it and its just been collecting dust.

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