Hello. I got my first water dragon! Yay! I was wondering, what type of feeder fish do I need to start him on, and how do I go about feeding him? Also, how do I know how old he is? He's only about 3" right now, so I'd imagine not to old. I've got him on crickets until I figure out what else he needs to eat.

i feed my water dragons female guppies. i have tried feed them rosey red minnows as well as gold fish but they refused! if you are expecting them to strike fish directly from the water I would not get your hopes up as I have to hand feed them the guppies

as well as guppies I feed my water dragons silk worms,goliath worms,meal worms,crickets,dry pellets(they dont eat that very ofter), one of my dragons has taken a liking to the greens so I always have some greens in the tank too

Your dragon is way to small to be eating fish. Water dragons won't eat if they think it's too big for them. I wouldnt even attempt fish for about 6 months to a year.

here is the caresheet, it will help you out lots with lighting, enclosure and food.

http://reptileguides.herpcenter.com/...-t25.html?t=25

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My name is Liz
Do what's best for the animal, not what's best for you.

hmm..ok, well I tried 2 small red minnows (I figured if he didn't eat them I'd just keep them anyways, I like fish)

But he seems to have eaten them! I made sure to get 2 small ones that were about the same size as his crickets. So, I guess that's good. Um, how often does he get fish, is it just a snack, or part of his diet? I was thinking like, once or twice a week?

did you read the caresheet?

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My name is Liz
Do what's best for the animal, not what's best for you.

well my WDS can eat fish whenever they want as I have 75% of the tank water(about 5 inches) but I catch a few with the net once a week and feed it to them in hopes they will start taking them from the water(which I am sure they have, just not when we are watching)

i am sure everything in moderation is good as you do not want them to stop eating the regular stuff such as meal worms and crickets

Hello,

I also suggest reading the caresheet. The caresheet written on Water Dragons for the HC Network was written by the infamous Tricia power. It contains the most accurate and up to date info you will find anywhere on the net.

Here is the actual diet page that explains what you should feed and how oftem:

Feeding - Chinese Water Dragons

There is a ton of information within that caresheet. Give it a once over to ensure you are meeting your wd's needs.

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My females are over 2 years old (Emmie & Zoey) and neither one of them would touch the rosies or goldfish. But, then again I was waiting for them to dive in to catch them - and that was too much work I suppose. The school of fish would just move from side to side. And then, my girls just would lie in the water while the fish danced around them. I have read Tricia's care sheet - I frequent her site because it is so resourceful. I also have a guy at my petsmart that is knowledgable on reptiles - huge help. Emmie was my very first reptile and I have successfully raised her from a hatchling into a beautiful mature female. I just rehomed Zoey - she was a rescue with very bad snout damage. Zoey loves pinky mice - Emmie has never ate them. So, they get a diet rich in crickets and superworms (they love when the superworms turn into beetles). I dust them with the Reptocal and Herptivite supplements as well. They are much like a T-Rex - in that they will not eat unless there food MOVES. So, no such luck on vegetation or pellets. I clean their water basins each day - important to note that they use this as the "potty". They have separate dishes for drinking but I have found Emmie straddling the bowl a few times (when her basin was being changed) and she has left a few surprises in there for me. Crazy girl. Reminded me of the cat on "Meet the Parents". LOL. I'm new to the site - not really because I need help with my WDs but because I am looking to be involved in the community. I think I have found the right place - everyone seems to want to help there fellow man here. Being helpful can save a WD from a potentially unintentional but horrible fate. Knowledge is power and knowledge is all the difference with these guys. Question - I have been looking at a few other species of dragons that I am interested in (from the web) but most are from australia and I'm not sure that you can legally own them here (even though I can find dealers for most). How do you know what you can and cannot purchase? I really like the Boyd's Forest Dragon, the Frilled Dragon, the Mtn Horned Dragon and the Eastern Water Dragon as well. I also would like a couple Uromastyx (I think these are legal). Anyone know where I can find the information I need - so, I make sure I am not doing anything wrong. I am looking for captive born and bred - but should I be doing something more? Please advise. Thanks.

contact your local department of fish and wildlife as well as the local animal welfare division. They should be able to help you.
Also try your local herp society.

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Merlin,
What's Life Without A Little Magic!