My very First Bearded Dragon " Help" ^_^

[Dahltan40]

Hello

I have always been fascinated with BD ever since a good friend of mine introduced me with hers. Last night out of the blue another friend of mine decided he didn't want his male anymore and gave him to me Feeling lucky * .. I have been observing him since last night, He ate his Veggies from what I have been reading on what to and what not to on them.. Now I am curious cause the sand that's inside the tank is the reptile sand. And he's been digging and digging for the past 2 hours straight and I am curious is this Normal?
I still do not have the proper lighting for him till I get them later on this afternoon. Could that be the reason why? I would greatly appreciate all the comments and incite for this

This is Fred

 

[snazzyglasses]

Congratulations!! Fred is quite handsome, I looove those colors :love5:
I'm not an expert (yet! ) but I would wait and see what happens after you get proper lighting installed and make sure the temperatures are okay. Maybe he's just weirded out from moving to a new home.
If lighting and temperatures are all good and he still won't stop, double-check that Fred is a he! Because the other thing that came to mind is maybe Fred is actually a female looking to lay some eggs (they can lay infertile eggs even when there's no male around). There are some good threads/articles on this site about sexing beardies, and also about making them a suitable place to dig/lay eggs.
Good luck, and congrats again!

 

[Dahltan40]

Thank you for you're answer,, I will look on the thread of sexing him/her .. I'm praying it's a him lol .. i dont think Im just ready for eggs right now lol .. Hopefully all will be well tonight when we get the proper lighting and temp in the tank ..

 

[battlenation]

The temps could be to warm. That or you have a female that's getting ready to lay infertiled eggs but doubt this. You named your dragon Fred so you may know the sex already. Don't use the sand ever if it's the reptile brand kind. If they eat it usually do stick to food and the sand is like concrete in them and causes impaction. Just a heads up and when you get correct lighting you will see a huge improvement there as well.

 

[Dahltan40]

good news I have his proper lighting now and it was just the temp that made him/ her digg lol .. that's a good sign thank you for all your reply ..

 

[diamc]

I totally agree with battlenation, good info.

Make sure you are using either an infrared temperature gun or digital probe thermometer as those are the only 2 ways to get accurate readings. What type of thermometer do you have? What are the tank temps? Could you also fill us in on the brand & type of UVB since there are some that are useless and others that are dangerous to use?

 

[battlenation]

I totally agree with battlenation, good info.

Make sure you are using either an infrared temperature gun or digital probe thermometer as those are the only 2 ways to get accurate readings. What type of thermometer do you have? What are the tank temps? Could you also fill us in on the brand & type of UVB since there are some that are useless and others that are dangerous to use?

Thank you and glad I could help. What am here for lol

 

[Dahltan40]

Thank You for answering all my questions ..

Sorry for the delay in reply.. been super busy lately
but Fred is doing very well now. and I have the proper lighting and heat for him .. even added a female for company .. and he's happy

 

[snazzyglasses]

Oh good! I'm glad he's doing well!
Hmm. Is the female in the same tank as Fred? Bearded dragons don't share their vivs very well, unfortunately. Here's a link to a reallyreally good article on the topic. Please read! viewtopic.php?f=6&t=154908

 

[Dahltan40]

Oh good! I'm glad he's doing well!
Hmm. Is the female in the same tank as Fred? Bearded dragons don't share their vivs very well, unfortunately. Here's a link to a reallyreally good article on the topic. Please read! viewtopic.php?f=6&t=154908

Yes Lucee is in the same take as him and they get along just fine .. he's too attached to her I think ..
here's a pic of them together. I will read up on the article thank you ..

 

[diamc]

He is quite a bit bigger than her which is a concern. Are you hoping they will breed?

 

[snazzyglasses]

That's actually a dominance position when one is sitting or laying on top of the other. They're not snuggling or being buddies, and are incapable of emotionally "getting attached" to each other. Sorry to be the bearer of unpleasant-yet-scientifically-proven news

 

[diamc]

That's actually a dominance position when one is sitting or laying on top of the other. They're not snuggling or being buddies, and are incapable of emotionally "getting attached" to each other. Sorry to be the bearer of unpleasant-yet-scientifically-proven news

I have to totally agree. They are actually both trying to be in that particular basking spot and unfortunately, the dominance is going to get worse.

 

[Dahltan40]

That's actually a dominance position when one is sitting or laying on top of the other. They're not snuggling or being buddies, and are incapable of emotionally "getting attached" to each other. Sorry to be the bearer of unpleasant-yet-scientifically-proven news

I have to totally agree. They are actually both trying to be in that particular basking spot and unfortunately, the dominance is going to get worse.

There are actually 2 basking light and 2 UVB light on each end of the tank , Size of the tank is a 55 gallon .. even if they incapable of getting emotionally attached . Fred just climes on top of her and hangs there for a few mins all the time. im just glad by observing them that they do get along .. I take them where ever I go .. grocery store, driving to my friends house , or even a walk in the park just so that they can get a full sunlight. they both just hang on my shoulder all satisfied . And i enjoy having them ..

 

[snazzyglasses]

Unless you have a very very very large viv (much larger than 55 gallons), they will bake in a tank with two basking lights.
The point of my and diamc's concern (not to put words in your mouth diamc, sorry if I am!) is that bearded dragons are solitary animals and shouldn't be living together. A second basking light will not solve anything. In 99.999% of cohabitation cases, both of the dragons do NOT survive intact. Not to mention the stress of living with another dragon can and will shorten their lifespan. They're pretty good at hiding problems, unfortunately! So it may seem like they're okay, but one or both of them could actually be in serious trouble.

Something bad may not happen in a week, or even in a year, but anyone who has done their research will be able to pretty much guarantee you that dragons living together will not live the full, happy lives they deserve.

If you want to risk your dragons' lives and limbs and pray that you will be one of the lucky 0.001%, then I should warn you that other people may not be very nice about it because cohabitation is proven to be harmful. Everyone on this site has a bearded dragon's best interests in mind, and luckily they are very kind, but not all reptile forums/owners are like that.

Please keep an open mind about doing what is ethical for your dragons, and also read the article I posted previously. Having any pet is a large responsibility, and part of that responsibility is doing what is right for them.
I wish you and your two dragons all the best! They're super cute by the way