Meet Felniir

Hi Guys!

It's Tommy here, a not-so-proud new owner of a beardie. Why not proud? See our story below, I'd love to hear any and all feedback, I've got a lot to learn.

First, the numbers:

age: around 6 months
size: 28 centimetres (with tail)
viv: 250 litres
temps: 22°C (71.6 F) at night, 25°C (77 F) viv ambient temperature, 38°C (99 F) basking spot
substrate: paper towels
diet: Crickets, roaches, occasional superworms, dandelion greens, different fruits/vegs. Food dusted daily, living feed gut-loaded.

Lightning: UVA, UVB, compact bulb and basking lamp. (Zoo-med Reptisun 10.0 UVB + Exoterra 50W Daylight Basking spot)

Weight: 55 grams

I'm not proud of myself because I'm the kind of owner who did not prepare for the pet's arrival, I've bought him on impulse, knowing nothing of beardie care, only getting some information from the seller, which, of course, was nothing compared to the knowledge really needed.

(The guy was the kind who would say anything to sell an animal - like "can beardies be left alone for a few days, e.g. on vacation?" -> "Of course, they're easy to keep, you can leave them even for a week if you give them enough crickets" -> Totally bad advice, as I know now.)

Long story short, we came home in december with no experience, only a small tank, lights and some crickets to start.

Nevertheless, I always wish the best for my pets, so I've spent the past 2 months reading about beardies, finding his likes/dislikes, planning his future viv, etc. I've also contacted one of the caretakers I know who workds in the nearby zoo for help.

By now,I've changed his viv from the small, ~40 L aquarium to a 250 L terrarium which suits him better and lets him grow. The next steps I'm going to take are to change the substrate from paper to slate, plan a 3D background that serves as a basking spot, and change the lights from compact to viv-long UVB.

I'm absolutely in love with the little critter, and he's gotten used to my presence as well, he's now trying to run away from me only at times when he wants to explore the room, and never seems afraid.

I understand that he's undersized, but he was around 4 months old when I got him, and only 14 cms, so he's doubled in size in the 2 months he's been with me, he has a great appetite. My only hope is he'll be healthy, even if he doesn't reach the full size potential of his species.
It's his second shedding in the nearly 2 months we've been together, so I'm hoping he'll catch up a bit in size.

In my village, there's no vet, but to my luck, I've managed to contact a vet nearby who's specialized in reptiles, I've got an appointment for next week, he's going to get a general checup.

Sorry for the many different topics touched, Felniir has given me so many so many happy/memorable moments in such a short time. :lol:

I'm also attaching a few pictures of him (beware, "high" quality pics to follow! ):

Just arrived home:


Getting used to each other:


First taste of dandelions:


First bath:


Bought a new viv:


He loves to just hang around:


We can even watch movies together now:

Welcome to the forum! Don't be too hard on yourself about not being well educated about these guys to begin with. A lot of us started that way, myself included. You learn as you go along and do the best you can. You have access to a wealth of information on this site, and please feel free to ask us any questions you'd like. The new tank is a HUGE improvement over the old one. Do you have a name for him? Based on your photos, it looks like he's in pretty good shape.

Thank you!

Yes, his name is Felniir.
You're right, the forums have already been a great help, as a new owner I've practically panicked over everything I thought out of the ordinary

I do have one question yet unanswered, though:
It seems Felniir likes roaches a lot more than crickets, he loves to chase them down and munch on them, while with crickets, he's not that enthusiastic, he often leaves them to run around even when it's obvious he's hungry.
Should I be concerned? Some posts say crickets should be the staple, others that roaches are also good. Any thoughts?

Thanks in advance!

Roaches are a fine staple. I use them because they're much easier to take care of and build a colony from. They all have different preferences and it sounds like Felniir prefers the roaches which is good.

Is there a comprehensive, trustworthy guide from which I could learn roach breeding? Right now, I'm ordering them online every few weeks, and all the guides I have seen so far are giving often contradictory info about the best approach.

Just snapped a photo this morning, and realized the difference 2 months can make

It's crazy how quickly they grow. The time flies, enjoy time with him while he's a little guy =)

As far as guides go for roaches, I like this one https://www.southtexasdragons.com/dubia-roaches.html If you have any specific questions though feel free to ask us. There are several of us who have roach colonies and can provide advice based on our experiences.

Awesome link, thanks!

:study: :study: :study:
One thing that immediately caught my eye: Dubias don't bite? Does this mean that if I give Felniir more dubias than he eats, I don't have to hunt them down before bedtime to avoid the hunter becoming the prey? :roll:

They aren't likely to bite him the way crickets would, but I'd still offer them in small batches (easier to track) and remove them after feeding time to prevent them from hiding in the tank. If one gets away though, I wouldn't worry about it going after Felniir.

So we went to the specialist last week, it was a real adventure, the first time I travelled with Felniir with him outside a box - he seemed to enjoy watching the people on the bus from under my coat. :lol:
Good news: he's healthy, strong and looks real good under the x-ray.
(another great experience for me! )
He'll need some more calcium as his fingers are lacking in strength. Otherwise, he's good. 8)

I'm glad to hear the good report! I hope he continues to thrive under your care =)

Further good news coming up!

The team from which I'm ordering my feeders just posted a new offer:

1000+ dubias sized 7 mm-5 cm is currently costs less than 23 dollars, which seems a bargain, as this offer seems ideal for starting my own colony. :lol:

I'll spend this month preparing their future habitat. 8)

That is a good price. Without adults it will take a little while longer to get the colony established but with that many, it shouldn't take more than a few months. I started my colony with a mix pack of younger roaches too. It worked well.

Heck, i'd say you did an outstanding job, worth being proud of, good work tommy

Thanks so much!

I'll be posting the progress of the Dubia colony in a new thread this month, have to buy the equipment first for the critters, though.


Some new pictures coming in as well 8)







(shedding in progress :roll: )