New owner!

Status
Not open for further replies.

avectaso

Member
Hello everyone! I recently am saving much more money for a bearded dragon im just need some feedback if theres anything wrong or missing. :D

I currently bought a baby bearded dragon as an impulse buy and sadly didnt knew that they eat soo much! The pet shop near me did accept refunds so im glad i put him back.

What i currently have is a 20 GAL long which is REALLY small for a bearded dragon im thinking to get a 40 or a 75 since price of these tanks are big and possibly with a 75 have no room in my bedroom. Im thinking to get an adult beardie around May when next repticon is going to be shown near me.

Okay, so what i have for my future beardie is:

SolarGLO 160W with Deep dome both by Exo Terra aswell with a stand.
Im not sure if i should get a long UVB light or will the SolarGLO can help with most of it?

Wood hideIts pretty medium size probably for a gecko so i might buy a larger one for him
Small driftwoodas well need for a larger one
Basking Spotis mostly a rock cave that was used for small lizards to hide in but on the top is sort of flat

The substrate was eco earth. Im not sure if eco earth is safe for beardies as much compared to sand which is dangerous my local pet store or they also keep large reptiles use eco earth as their substrate for their adult beardies. So if its not safe then ill try to use tiles or newspapes.

When i had my baby for a day his basking spot was mostly 110F and his cool side was in the 70s

But im glad i sent him back because of how much price was being used for feeding a small. Its crazy

Since ill be saving much more i also have some questions

For an adult beardie if they eat much more fruit than insects.. How much fruits should you get? Like a feeding plate every day? Or is it 2 full feedings of leafy veggies not sure.. And insects what size should they be fed? What i can feed him anything doesnt bug me so i can feed him Dubias and crickets. How much they can be fed? I know theres alot of people saying how much they can eat in a 15 minutes period but just want to clarify.

Last question. I heard that beardies require alot of attention but if you get it at day one is it okay to handle him at the first day or wait few days?

Hope this isnt this too much to ask i just want to be really sure.

Thank you!
 

KarrieRee

BD.org Sicko
Beardie name(s)
Hiccup he is 6 and Blaze is 4
You dont want to put an adult bearded dragon into anything smaller than a 40 gallon and even that is too small - they should be in atleast a 75 or 120 gallon tank -- tanks can be expensive- some people have built one themselves out of old dressers or Entertainment Centers-- if your handy or creative on that end you can check out the DIY board --- if not then I would suggest check you local area petshops for tanks or even craigslist --- sometimes people are giving away or selling stuff like that-- its actually expensive to get into this type of pet care since so much in involved w/ the proper care to keep them healthy and alive-- so I commend you for doing your research and asking questions before you embarked on this --- I recently just this passed Xmas helped and donated my old 50 gallon tank to a girl that had gotten a baby beardie from her BF and we tried to save it as she did not have anything for it except a 10 gall tank and sadly it died -- we were too late! So she ended up w/another one that her mom went and bought so we made 1 1/2 hr trip to her 2 times to get that one set up so it wouldnt die- anyway -- as far as the lighting the Solarglo160 I dont really know anything about someone else will haft to weigh in on that one--same w/ the Eco Earth substrate dont know anything about that either-- as far as the Wood hide you would want the Xtra large as he is going to need it for size wise--basking rock is what ever you want to use - I have one rock that has a cave and then I have a regular platform/ cave that Hiccup sleeps in w/ a blanket inside--- he uses both -- most of my stuff came from Petsmart -- as far as food --- adult beardies usually eat bugs (crickets or dubia roaches) once a week -- you would want to dust them w/ calcium d3 powder and then also vitamins as well - adult beardies eat mainly vegies also known as salad-- mustard greens collard greens squash any kind green beans fruit apples mango strawberries blueberries NO citrus- there is a nutrition website on the Feeding board w/ a link -- it gives ages and what to feed etc... a bowl of fresh salad should offered every day and follow their lead -- some are big eaters so are not-they are talking about babies that eat as many as they can in 10-15 minutes or so -- they would need calcium d3 5 x per week and vitamins 2 x per week - babies mainly eat protein (bugs) till a year old then they start mainly eating vegies -- most crucial thing to remember is the lighting -- the UVB is crucial for proper digestion and calcium for their bones and to prevent MBD-- as far as tile that is what I use for my substrate -- newspapers can also be used -- hopefully some one else can chime in here and give you more ideas -- you have asked alot of good questions and its good you came to this forum as you will get some good pointers here from everyone

Karrie
 

Aaradimian

Juvie Member
Hi! I don't want to discourage you from getting a beardie, but please make sure you factor in the cost of ongoing care when you talk about saving up for one. They can be pretty expensive to care for properly between the viv, proper lighting, feeder insects, and vet care, which you have to factor in, even if it's just checkups. As KarrieRee mentioned, you can go the DIY route on the viv if you're handy, and Craigslist is often a good place to look for gear (as well as poor, unfortunate beardies that are now suffering because their owners did not plan properly or found them 'too expensive' :( ).

Before taking the leap, be sure to read up on this site about dos & don'ts so you don't end up wasting money on improper setups & lights, which can break the bank if you only have a small fund set aside for your new pet. Also, make sure you find a reptile vet nearby who knows something about beardies and figure out how much they charge for visits & procedures. A lot of times people will not look for one until their beardie is having a problem & have to scramble or drive several hours. Beardies are totally worth the effort and expense, but please be prepared to put out both to make sure your new friend gets the best life possible!

And just one more item, more of a suggestion. There are tons of unwanted & neglected beardies out there, some in perfect health who just need a caring owner. You might consider going to a reptile rescue or 'saving' one off of Craigslist like I did with little Helmut here. I got him for $20 and he's been a joy to get to know :blob8:

100140-6762941493.jpg
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Members online

Latest resources

Latest profile posts

I miss you so much, Amaris 💔
What is a quick way to warm up a cold beardie? His heating element went out overnight and now he's very cold.
Pearl Girl wrote on moorelori1966's profile.
i feel so sad reading your about me 😢
Clapton is acclimating okay I think. He's quick as lightning so I'm not sure how much I should bring him out of his house yet. He's not at all interested in his salad though. I wonder if I should change what I'm giving him. Least he's eating his crickets.

Things to do:
Buy calcium powder
Material to raise surface for basking spot
Scenery decals for back of tank

Forum statistics

Threads
155,899
Messages
1,255,680
Members
75,965
Latest member
williamyoung
Top Bottom