Bearded Dragon Diet: The Full Breakdown
| Hatchling/juvenile ratio | ~80% insects / 20% veg |
| Adult ratio | ~80–90% veg / 10–20% insects |
| Best staple greens | Collard, mustard, turnip, dandelion |
Staple greens are the backbone, especially as adults
Collard, mustard, and turnip greens along with dandelion greens should form the daily base of a salad, chosen for their strong calcium-to-phosphorus ratios. Butternut squash and similar vegetables round out bulk and beta-carotene.
Protein feeders
Dubia roaches and black soldier fly larvae (Phoenix Worms) are the best staple protein sources, offering strong nutrition and, in BSFL's case, an unusually good natural Ca:P ratio. Crickets work well too but need dusting every single feeding given their poor Ca:P ratio.
Treats, sparingly
Fruit, waxworms, and mealworms belong firmly in the occasional-treat category — high in sugar or fat, and in waxworms' case genuinely addictive if overfed, to the point some dragons will refuse healthier staples afterward.
The ratio flip is the single most important diet fact
Continuing to feed an adult like a fast-growing juvenile — insect-heavy — is one of the most common, entirely preventable causes of obesity and organ strain in captive bearded dragons. See the full feeding schedule for the breakdown by age.
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A single adult bearded dragon needs a minimum 4ft x 2ft x 2ft enclosure, with 6ft x 2ft x 2ft increasingly recommended as best practice — plus a linear T5 HO UVB tube, an overhead basking bulb on a thermostat, a real thermal gradient, a sturdy basking platform, and a shallow water dish.
A complete bearded dragon setup needs a 4ft+ enclosure, a linear T5 HO UVB tube, an overhead basking bulb on a thermostat, two thermometers, a basking platform, a hide, a shallow water dish, and age-appropriate substrate — all running and stable for at least 48 hours before the dragon arrives.
Hatchlings can start in a 20-gallon long tub, juveniles need to move to roughly a 40-gallon breeder footprint by a few months old, and adults need a minimum 4ft x 2ft x 2ft enclosure, with 6ft x 2ft x 2ft recommended.
Basking surface temperature should run 95–110°F depending on age (hotter for hatchlings, cooler for adults), with a cool side around 75–85°F, all provided by an overhead basking bulb on a thermostat — not a heat mat or heat rock.
Bearded dragons need a linear T5 HO UVB tube at 10.0 or 12% output, running the length of the basking third of the enclosure with nothing between bulb and dragon, replaced every 6–12 months regardless of whether it still produces visible light.
Bearded dragons should be kept at roughly 30–40% ambient humidity. Sustained humidity above 50% significantly raises the risk of respiratory infection in this dry-climate species — brief daily misting or a shallow soak handles hydration and shedding needs without pushing ambient humidity up long-term.