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beardies

Mate, shouldn't you sort out your snake husbandry first? From the very little I've read about beardies, they have some very specific needs that you can't really buy one and play it by ear.
 
ive sorted out my snakes she shed on friday im feeding her hoppers now she comes out little now don't worry ive just done some reserch on beardies i know there needs and ive got time to look after him and the snakes.
 
cornmad said:
hi i just wanted to know are they good to look after are they good to handle and anything else i should know :)
Click to expand...
anything else I should know <- Why did you ask this if you've done all your research? I'm not trying to upset you, but while it's your choice what pets you get, how fast and how much or little you research about their needs first, you keep asking very simple husbandry questions that you could get the answers to for yourself. There are many books and caresheets that will answer the questions for you, then you can ask on the relevant forums to clear up anything you don't understand. Doing more research now could save you from making mistakes at the expense of your pets.
Am I any better than you? NO! When we got our first leopard gecko, he was kept on calcisand, that we were told was a good substrate. He became impacted and died. Even the book we have on leos says calcisand is a good substrate. If I'd done more research I'd never have gone through the heartbreak of trying to save him, with my teenage son breaking down because his pet was dying.
 
It happened because we got him from a reptile shop that didn't know or care about correct husbandry, but I'm still responsible too. I should have known better before getting him. After that we did our homework, got our blizzard leo from a better shop and couldn't be happier. Did you get rid of the corncob substrate?
 
Janine is right, they have very specific needs and their set-up often costs about 4 times as much as they do to buy. I'd recommend buying the adult tank straight away, since they grow really quickly, and as babies they're really active, just give him/her plenty to do and hiding spots. Also I'd keep him/her on paper towels, because as babies the vast majority of their diet is insect-based, so if you put him/her on particulate substrate he/she is bound to eat some, which can cause impaction.

Beardies are wonderful creatures, and if I was allowed more reptiles they'd be the first on my list (I can afford to buy one it's just my Mum says no :(). Bearded Dragons need to have UV running along the top of the tank. In the wild they bask in the sun to absorb the vitamins from their food. Obviously in a tank they won't receive much sun so a UV will act as the sun. Bearded Dragons need to tell the difference between night and day, to do this you need to have your UV bulb on for 12 hours and off for 12 hours. The UV must be within 12" of the Bearded Dragon to enable the dragon to get the full benefit of the UV bulb. Your UV bulb will need to be changed once a year as it loses its efficiency. You will need a ceramic heating bulb (which they also need to come within 12 inches of) and a pulse thermostat to control the temperature of the tank. You will also need a thermometer inside the tank so that you can check they are being kept at the right temperature. As adults they need a minimum of a 48" * 24" * 24" tank, IMO.

Bearded Dragons like fruit and vegetables as well as meat. They like a large variety of live insects, which include black and brown crickets, locusts, mealworms and wax worms. A good measure of the size of live insects to feed is that they must not be bigger than the size of the dragon's head. Do not feed mealworms to baby dragons as they contain chitilin which is hard to digest. Do not feed them insects from your garden, as you do not know if they have been sprayed with anything that can be harmful to your dragon. Fresh fruit and vegetables must be offered daily and remember that they like variety. They like to eat Chicory, Watercress, Broccoli, Courgettes, Carrot, Peas, Apple, Banana, Kiwi and grapes. Try to avoid spinach and kale as they are calcium binders and affect the dragon's bones. Another thing to avoid is iceberg lettuce, as this has no nutritional value to the dragon. Make sure to chop the food into small bite size pieces to avoid choking.

They need a basking spot of up to 105 degrees, and a cooler spot of around 85, so yeah they like it hot lol. You can also use mercury vapour bulbs to provide heat and UV at the same time.

I hope that helps and good luck

David
 
thanks for help plus when i was doing research it said not aloud hiding places because they don't grow etc... is that true
 
That sounds like a load of BS to me. As long as they still recieve 12 hours of sunlight (so don't have really enclosed hiding places) there's no problem. Just give him/her a few rocks, a thick branch so they can bask, and you can create hiding places from that.
 
What page said they wont grow if they have hides?.

I'd imagine being stuck in a wide open space, in an unfamiliar enviroment surrounded by unfamiliar people would be more detremental to the animals health and well-being than having a rock to hide under.
 
I recently figured the cost of keeping my dragon, per month, at $40. Not counting replacing the UVB bulb every four months. That's as much as it costs me to feed 11 snakes!
 
well, beardies arent supposed to have hides so... that part isnt bs :) the reason being is that when they are little they hide All the time and dont receive the uvb they need for bone health.
 
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