Bearded dragon breeding

Hey guys! I'm new here. So anyways, I have had my bearded dragon Lemon for 2 years, since she was a baby. A few months ago, I decided I wanted to breed her, so I did my research, and I got a male. They are both citrus, however Lemon has a really red beard. They are also about the same size. Anyways, I was wondering about a couple of things that most posts either didn't have or were unclear and I would appreciate it if you could answer them!
1. You are supposed to separate them after they "do it".
Wait, what? They are doing courtship behaviors, the time of them actually breeding is like .005%. Am I supposed to sit there and watch them for 1-5 weeks before They do it?
2. This is my own experience. Bearded dragon beards turn black when they are ready to mate. (Only male). same with mine, but in day 3 he lost that beard and he only gets it once in awhile. Is this normal? Does it mean he mated? Also, the head bobbing only starts when he has a black beard.
3. Does the lay box work with Eco earth?
4. My Female hasn't really minded the male lately, he hasn't been too hard on her. But yesterday, She was biting the male for no reason. Even chasing! What should I do for that?
Thanks!

Hi there, have they been together all along ? Did you see him breed her ? What usually works is for them to have separate tanks. Once a day put the female in HIS tank. That may elicit the breeding response quickly or may take about 15-30 minutes. If he hasn't done it by then, take her out....she will be agitated and angry at her bride groom, esp. if he's just jumping around her. You can also try putting them both on the floor in a warm room with a bright light overhead. A breeder male usually does not waste time. Some males do not get around to an actual mating , much to the disappointment of the owner. Then there's always next year. BTW, you will have some things to think about if you read this :
viewtopic.php?f=4&t=126455

Raising babies is VERY expensive and a lot of work. I've done it and you can't get out too often or too long with a bunch of babies/juvies in the house.

I don't like eco earth, it really gets the dragon very dirty + stains the eggs. You can use a combo of sand + eco earth [ use a higher ratio sand ] or plain top soil + sand.

Thanks for the info! No I didn't see them breed. I have school. I still think I will go through with breeding them, despite the cost. So, do I keep them together for x weeks and then separate, or separate now and then put them together for x minutes every day even though there is a chance that they already bred?