Cinnasticks
Member
Hullo everybody, Cinna here with her two new baby dragonses.
A little about myself... I am an animal scientist currently working at the local zoo in the education department. My job is to teach our guests about our animals and conservation efforts the zoo makes to protect and conserve wildlife areas and the animals that live there. My background, however, is in HOOFSTOCK! :lol: I'm a hooved animals kind of gal, and that was what my world revolved around until all my herpetologist friends got me addicted to the herpetarium. After working in education programs with our zoo's beardies, leopard geckos, and other contact animals I decided that I reeeeeeally wanted to give taking care of one a shot. Hours of research later, and after waiting in barely suppressed excitement for the local herpetological society to have their spring meet-up and sale, I am now the proud owner of TWO young beardies: Vritra and Niddhog!
I've had them for 2 weeks now, and have been using this forum as my go-to source for any help, tips, advice, or general beardie chatter (LOVED the thread on sleeping beardie poses). Obviously the biggest topic searched being on co-habitation. Honestly, I wish the breeder I had bought them from had been more up front and honest with me and told me flat out that she didn't recommend housing two together. :? Be that as it may, they're both from the same clutch (supposedly) and had been housed and reared together up until I purchased them. So, I decided to keep them together in a viv until they started showing aggression with each other or signs of stress. I have three other tanks from my days as an aquarist (I bred cichlids in college for regional shops) in the basement, and started putting together one for a secondary habitat.
But until the funds provide, Vritra and Niddhogg are kept in a 20gal LONG 12"x12"x30" with a ReptiSun UVB and heat light. I don't have a probe or temp gun, but the cheap meter right at their basking height reads between 105-110 depending on the ambient temperature in my room (we've had fluctuating weather this month). I keep the basking light slightly diagonal to the main heat source, because they kept gaping while basking when the bulbs were directly next to each other). I do not use a night time heat, as the temp does not fall bellow 75 F in their tank at night. I don't mist or own a hygrometer, my room is a wee humid and I sided with the non-misters after researching. My beardies get a bath every other day, and have access to a water dish 1/2" deep that they occasionally poop in. Substrate is a reptile mat, and I currently have no background (NO shops in the area sell non-aquarium backgrounds!!!! waiting on Amazon to deliver their new one). I've been feeding them shredded arugula, which they loved up until two days ago when one got watery poop and I discovered Arugula is almost as nutritionally void as water. So now they get spinach and dandelion greens from the farmers market. The spoiled brats. They are voracious green eaters, and I now understand part of it was because of the cruddy arugula.
Right side basking spot.
The coolside, which they only use for hunting crickets and pooping in their water. The hamoc hasn't been slept in ever since I put hides and caves in the viv.
I feed live crickets and dried hoppers/mealworms with daily coats of RetaCalcium with D3. This is where I ran into issues; after a few hours on the forums today prompted me to finally make an account and introduce myself. I WAS feeding them in their viv, by just dropping crickets in and enjoying the feeding mayhem. However, now Vritra does not seem to be thriving as much as her noticeably larger tank mate. There is no aggressive behavior between them as far as displays, nipping, or fighting. But I'm starting to wonder if maybe Vritra is not competing for food as energetically as Niddhog. Niddhog will leap to the fray, devouring his fill within a couple minutes before retreating back to his basking rock. Vritra is simply not as successful as a hunter, and often took a few tries to catch even cornered crickets. He's not as quick or assertive, and prefers the wait-for-it-to-come-hither method. He DOES eat from my hand, although not reliably and only maybe 2-3 crickets, TOPS. I babied him the first week, and he seemed to thrive and put on some weight. However, he started to shed immediately within the first week home. He is doing a full body shed, but in partial patches which I understand is normal for beardies? So his energy level has dropped this past week, his low food consumption dropped even lower, and now I'm starting to see a MUCH more noticeable difference in their behavior.
Vritra has been very lethargic for a couple days now, basking for most of the day and usually on top of Niddhog. At night, he immediately goes into his cave, squishes under a ledge of it, and passes out until morning. He's slower to wake in the morning, and takes maybe 15 minutes to warm up before going cricket catching. He eats 4-6 crickets, then basks for a few hours. Eats 4 crickets, basks a few more hours. Repeat. His eyes aren't open as wide as often, although they are bright and clear. He poops daily, down from two poops a day. His poop is only half the size of Niddhog's, although I'm sure by now Niddhog is a fatty. :lol: Vritra IS much more cuddly and mellow, and was from the start. But I want to make sure my buddy is doing okay. Based on some other newbie's posts, I'm thinking he's not doing as well as he should be. As I type this though, he seems MUCH more active today and is climbing all over his tank, after finishing a shed on his head. He shed his tail after a few days home, then started prepping for a whole body shed. It took him two days to shed his head, and he hasn't finished shedding his belly, legs, or body (we're on Day 4 of Shed, he's starting to rub more on the rocks). He's had baths every other day (and hates them, but loves the poop). He's a massive cuddler, and sits on top of Niddhog while basking most of the time. Vritra seems to love when I hold him, and climbs into my hand to be picked up and goes to sleep the moment he lays on my chest pillows. Niddhog doesn't seem to mind the constant company as of right now, although I know it can and will most likely change in the future. I have a tank ready just in case they need to be separated permanently.
SO, WHAT I PLAN TO CHANGE:
I have a spare Rubbermaid tub I am now christening The Feeding Grounds, and plan to feed the dragons separately in the tub with live crickets; aim is to reduce any competition for food, and reduce the stress of strays in the tank at night (I leave salad in the tank, so the crickets usually stay on the opposite side from the beardies, but still...). I have a background on order to help reduce glare on a few sides, as Niddhog spends his day often displaying at his own reflection. There's a multi-vitamin in the same order as the background, and I'm going to add that to Tuesday/Thursday feedings. I switched to spinach and dandelions, from cruddy arugula. I added a temp probe to the shopping list as well.
Here's a pic of them side-by-side, so you can see the difference between their size and body condition. Vritra has obvious wrinkles, and I think he's skinny. But as these are my first dragons, I'm not utterly positive. I don't know why the pic keeps going horizontal. F it.
A little about myself... I am an animal scientist currently working at the local zoo in the education department. My job is to teach our guests about our animals and conservation efforts the zoo makes to protect and conserve wildlife areas and the animals that live there. My background, however, is in HOOFSTOCK! :lol: I'm a hooved animals kind of gal, and that was what my world revolved around until all my herpetologist friends got me addicted to the herpetarium. After working in education programs with our zoo's beardies, leopard geckos, and other contact animals I decided that I reeeeeeally wanted to give taking care of one a shot. Hours of research later, and after waiting in barely suppressed excitement for the local herpetological society to have their spring meet-up and sale, I am now the proud owner of TWO young beardies: Vritra and Niddhog!
I've had them for 2 weeks now, and have been using this forum as my go-to source for any help, tips, advice, or general beardie chatter (LOVED the thread on sleeping beardie poses). Obviously the biggest topic searched being on co-habitation. Honestly, I wish the breeder I had bought them from had been more up front and honest with me and told me flat out that she didn't recommend housing two together. :? Be that as it may, they're both from the same clutch (supposedly) and had been housed and reared together up until I purchased them. So, I decided to keep them together in a viv until they started showing aggression with each other or signs of stress. I have three other tanks from my days as an aquarist (I bred cichlids in college for regional shops) in the basement, and started putting together one for a secondary habitat.
But until the funds provide, Vritra and Niddhogg are kept in a 20gal LONG 12"x12"x30" with a ReptiSun UVB and heat light. I don't have a probe or temp gun, but the cheap meter right at their basking height reads between 105-110 depending on the ambient temperature in my room (we've had fluctuating weather this month). I keep the basking light slightly diagonal to the main heat source, because they kept gaping while basking when the bulbs were directly next to each other). I do not use a night time heat, as the temp does not fall bellow 75 F in their tank at night. I don't mist or own a hygrometer, my room is a wee humid and I sided with the non-misters after researching. My beardies get a bath every other day, and have access to a water dish 1/2" deep that they occasionally poop in. Substrate is a reptile mat, and I currently have no background (NO shops in the area sell non-aquarium backgrounds!!!! waiting on Amazon to deliver their new one). I've been feeding them shredded arugula, which they loved up until two days ago when one got watery poop and I discovered Arugula is almost as nutritionally void as water. So now they get spinach and dandelion greens from the farmers market. The spoiled brats. They are voracious green eaters, and I now understand part of it was because of the cruddy arugula.
Right side basking spot.
The coolside, which they only use for hunting crickets and pooping in their water. The hamoc hasn't been slept in ever since I put hides and caves in the viv.
I feed live crickets and dried hoppers/mealworms with daily coats of RetaCalcium with D3. This is where I ran into issues; after a few hours on the forums today prompted me to finally make an account and introduce myself. I WAS feeding them in their viv, by just dropping crickets in and enjoying the feeding mayhem. However, now Vritra does not seem to be thriving as much as her noticeably larger tank mate. There is no aggressive behavior between them as far as displays, nipping, or fighting. But I'm starting to wonder if maybe Vritra is not competing for food as energetically as Niddhog. Niddhog will leap to the fray, devouring his fill within a couple minutes before retreating back to his basking rock. Vritra is simply not as successful as a hunter, and often took a few tries to catch even cornered crickets. He's not as quick or assertive, and prefers the wait-for-it-to-come-hither method. He DOES eat from my hand, although not reliably and only maybe 2-3 crickets, TOPS. I babied him the first week, and he seemed to thrive and put on some weight. However, he started to shed immediately within the first week home. He is doing a full body shed, but in partial patches which I understand is normal for beardies? So his energy level has dropped this past week, his low food consumption dropped even lower, and now I'm starting to see a MUCH more noticeable difference in their behavior.
Vritra has been very lethargic for a couple days now, basking for most of the day and usually on top of Niddhog. At night, he immediately goes into his cave, squishes under a ledge of it, and passes out until morning. He's slower to wake in the morning, and takes maybe 15 minutes to warm up before going cricket catching. He eats 4-6 crickets, then basks for a few hours. Eats 4 crickets, basks a few more hours. Repeat. His eyes aren't open as wide as often, although they are bright and clear. He poops daily, down from two poops a day. His poop is only half the size of Niddhog's, although I'm sure by now Niddhog is a fatty. :lol: Vritra IS much more cuddly and mellow, and was from the start. But I want to make sure my buddy is doing okay. Based on some other newbie's posts, I'm thinking he's not doing as well as he should be. As I type this though, he seems MUCH more active today and is climbing all over his tank, after finishing a shed on his head. He shed his tail after a few days home, then started prepping for a whole body shed. It took him two days to shed his head, and he hasn't finished shedding his belly, legs, or body (we're on Day 4 of Shed, he's starting to rub more on the rocks). He's had baths every other day (and hates them, but loves the poop). He's a massive cuddler, and sits on top of Niddhog while basking most of the time. Vritra seems to love when I hold him, and climbs into my hand to be picked up and goes to sleep the moment he lays on my chest pillows. Niddhog doesn't seem to mind the constant company as of right now, although I know it can and will most likely change in the future. I have a tank ready just in case they need to be separated permanently.
SO, WHAT I PLAN TO CHANGE:
I have a spare Rubbermaid tub I am now christening The Feeding Grounds, and plan to feed the dragons separately in the tub with live crickets; aim is to reduce any competition for food, and reduce the stress of strays in the tank at night (I leave salad in the tank, so the crickets usually stay on the opposite side from the beardies, but still...). I have a background on order to help reduce glare on a few sides, as Niddhog spends his day often displaying at his own reflection. There's a multi-vitamin in the same order as the background, and I'm going to add that to Tuesday/Thursday feedings. I switched to spinach and dandelions, from cruddy arugula. I added a temp probe to the shopping list as well.
Here's a pic of them side-by-side, so you can see the difference between their size and body condition. Vritra has obvious wrinkles, and I think he's skinny. But as these are my first dragons, I'm not utterly positive.
I don't know why the pic keeps going horizontal. F it.
