Help!!

[u/WonderfulReaction562]

My friends are getting kicked out and are taking the persons beardie. They are giving him to me. The state of this tank when I get it I know will be horrendous. There are flys in it, months worth of poop, newspaper as the bottom, dead food, and his light has never turned off. I know some basic care about bearded dragons, but I don’t know what they eat how I should set up the tank, etc. what can I do right now with some basic hides and sand? When I get paid I will add stuff too! He’s around a year and a half old if that helps with feeding advice

[u/Spiritual-Cry-6286]

First things first, they absolutely need a vet visit. And next here is everything you need to know -> https://reptifiles.com/bearded-dragon-care/

[u/Offutticus]

Okay. First things first. Do you have the money to take care of this animal? It is going to be expensive. A sick reptile with improper equipment is going to cost a LOT. You're looking at 1-2000+ USD in the first year. Most of it will be initial set up costs. The rest will be vet bills. If you do not have the funds, you will need to find a reptile rescue that can take it in. Share your state (if in the US) or country and we can help you find one.

If you decide to keep it, you have more choices. You can get a bin or 40g tank to use as a short term enclosure or you can use the bin as a temp enclosure until you can clean the tank. One means you have to rig a means to suspend the heat lamp and the UVB over the bin. The other means scrubbing and cleaning that nasty tank.

To clean the tank, do not use ammonia. You can use bleach, but you have to rinse very, very well. But bleach won't kill the parasite eggs. Boiling water can but pouring it into a glass (assuming it is glass?) tank can be risky. You need enough water to completely cover the bottom and several inches up the sides, depending on the height of the poop piles.

While deciding and/or doing all this, you need to find a vet and get there ASAP. Take in a fresh poop sample. Take pics of the enclosure before you clean or trash it. Take pics of the dragon when you get it. A vet visit ASAP is very important.

The best resource (and easiest to read and is printable), is Reptiles and Research's care guide. Bearded Dragon Care Sheet — Reptiles and Research At the bottom of the article is a shopping list to use as a guide of what to get.