soon to be parent - just getting set up

hi everyone,
i will hopefully be getting my little boy / girl in the next few weeks.
i have wanted to get a Beardie for a while now, and have been doing as much reading and research as i can to prepare - i have been lurking around this forum for a while, and it has been such a huge help in trying to understand how to do the best by my future little one, so thank you!
i will be getting everything together over the next couple of weeks to get it all ready.
but - unfortunately i have hit a bit of a delay due to the ambient conditions at home.
we live in a 1960's flat, which i'm pretty sure was built before the invention of insulation - we have storage heaters which are next to useless and i was worried that it would simply be too cold.
so i bought a home thermometer, but the included hyrdometer actually gave us a whole new problem with the humidity in the room topping out at around 70%.
this is obviously not good, for anyone, so i have just ordered a dehumidifier which i am hoping will work a small miracle and get this under control, including bumping up the ambient temp a little.
once that's sorted then hopefully it will be a suitable environment for our new arrival.
sorry for the long post - i am just very excited about this and wanted to say hello.
blessings & love
RastaDragon.

Welcome to the forum! Please let us know if you have any specific questions as you get your setup going and we'll be glad to help. I'm looking forward to seeing pictures and hearing stories about your new buddy.

hi, thank you!
i do actually have a couple of questions, something i've been thinking about whilst waiting for my dehumidifier..
i intend to use slate tiles as substrate, just the normal ones you can buy in B&Q etc.. - but how do i make these safe for use in my viv? is it good enough to give them a good scrubbing with a reptile safe cleaner?
and the same question for rocks and sandstone purchased from the hardware store - how do i make these safe for use?
and with wood enrichment that you buy from a pet store like branches, cork logs and hides etc.. - presumably sitting on a pet store shelf is a potential breeding ground for parasites, how do i make these safe to use?
and one last thing (for now ) Beardie's like to dig (well thats what i have been reading) so in a viv that is made up of slate substrate and rocks and logs to climb on - how do i give him / her somewhere to dig? is it possible to use something like shredded paper for them to throw around or would they just try eating it?
(sorry, i imagine that this has all been discussed a thousand times over but i was searching around for hours last night and in the end my brain was on the verge of exploding...)
thank you so much!
RD.

RastaDragon":nuavd5pi said:

i intend to use slate tiles as substrate, just the normal ones you can buy in B&Q etc.. - but how do i make these safe for use in my viv? is it good enough to give them a good scrubbing with a reptile safe cleaner?
and with wood enrichment that you buy from a pet store like branches, cork logs and hides etc.. - presumably sitting on a pet store shelf is a potential breeding ground for parasites, how do i make these safe to use?

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Hi! Welcome to the beardie-loving family! When it comes to rocks, stones, or wood (NOT pine, cedar or fir as they're toxic), I tend to bake them at 300*F for about an hour. However, you have to keep a close eye on the wood or it can catch fire when you're not looking.
Edit: I completely skimped on the hides and what-not. You can usually use a vinegar-water mix to clean them up/soak them. (50:50 is the ratio I use with spraying them; soaking is more like 30:70 with really hot water.)
Edit-it: Oops! Goodness I tend to miss such silly details- that matter! If they're natural rocks, such as the typical round or what-not, it's better to just do the bleach-solution that he mentioned below! (It's kinda a risk to just do it with all rocks. :silent: )

RastaDragon":nuavd5pi said:

and one last thing (for now ) Beardie's like to dig (well thats what i have been reading) so in a viv that is made up of slate substrate and rocks and logs to climb on - how do i give him / her somewhere to dig? is it possible to use something like shredded paper for them to throw around or would they just try eating it?

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I've personally used things like shredded paper or dried grass, such as the stuff you can buy at Michael's and disinfected in hot water, and never had an issue with it. They like to wiggle around under it as a way to blend in! I also recommend changing it out when you're touching-up, this is typically where the paper is a better option since it's cheaper.

Welcome to the site!
How exciting. Cant wait to see your new buddy.

In regards to your homes humidity, I wouldn't worry about it firstly, those analog hygrometers aren't super accurate. Secondly the microclimate created in the dragons tank will have a much lower humidity most likely. This is due to the heat lamps and bulbs.

You can always bake logs and twigs in the oven to kill any nasties in them. I wouldnt do this with rocks though. A seal in a bleach solution should be enough for rocks.
I like to find my stuff out in nature as opposed to buying It from petstores. Simply because I'm a cheapskate lol.

I dont provide areas to dig. Most dont here but some do. The ones that do typically like to use cut up fleece strips or some other material such as sand or soil in a box. I do think it adds some enrichment to their lives but it's not necessary if you cant make it work.

-Brandon

hi everyone!
well, its taken a little longer than i'd hoped, but things are coming together.
we did not go in with the intention of buying a Dragon, but we went into our local reptile store just to have a chat and ended up falling in love with a beautiful little baby whom we shall be collecting just as soon as i have got his home set up.

spent yesterday ordering all the basics so hopefully should be up and running later in the week.

i have ordered:
repti life 48x18x18 (which will be upped to 24x24 when he is older)
habistat dimming and pulse thermostats
exo terra basking bulb
arcadia CHE
arcadia 12% t5 uvb
digital thermometers (i already have a IR temp gun thingy)

is that everything, am i missing anything?

the only other things to get are housing / enrichment but i can spend the day at work looking for those!

blessings and love
RD.

actually, can i ask another thing - i was just having a little search for "care for baby beardie" and i happened upon another BD site which stated "you should NOT bathe your bearded dragon, the ONLY time you should give them a bath is if they are having trouble shedding".

this has thrown me a little because in all my reading this is the only time i have ever seen someone say this?

from what i have read Dragon's seem to like having a bath and it is good for them, for several reasons?

have i just found something else to worry about?

MAke sure you get the right fixture for your t5 bulb too! Otherwise everything sounds good. And make sure your temps are proper before you bring him home. Although you have a thermostat, it should make that easier.

I don't bathe them when they are brand new to me. It's too stressful of a situation IMO for them. And once they are more acclimated, they only get baths if they ran through their poo, or if they by chance like baths or drink in the baths. Baths really aren't necessary except for those reasons.

It's just part of the learning experience. All dragons are different, and you need to learn yours

-Brandon

thank you.

yes, i have also ordered an Arcadia t5 starter unit thing and also a reflector which i forgot to list above.

i'm going to order a bunch of enrichment today - cave / hide, hammock some other interesting looking bits n bobs, and also some non adhesive drawer liner to use for now.

i do actually have another question - i have a couple of large(ish) logs that used to belong to my mice.

i'm not sure what type of wood they are but they were pet-store bought.

my question is - how can i make these safe to give to my Beardie?
or should i just not take any such risk and just get some new logs?

thank you!

i just ordered a bunch of goodies - in the end i bought a new piece of java wood (my wife wouldn't let me put the mice wood in the oven).

so that's everything ordered - most things have been delivered, so i can spend the weekend getting it all set up!

so - i'm having something of a nightmare at the moment.

i have all my basic fittings - lights, heat, thermostats etc.

BUT - i am still without a viv, because i currently have THREE parcels that Parcelforce have either lost, broken or stolen.

i was supposed to be collecting my little one this weekend but it will have to wait at least another week now.

anyone else in UK having ridiculous trouble with postal services at the moment?

Dang that is a bummer.

For the mean time, you can always buy one of those large plastic storage containers for a temporary enclosure if you want. I'm not sure the price where you live but over here they are quite cheap.

-Brandon

so - happily my viv has now arrived!

i shall be spending the next couple of days putting it all together, then i'll post in the "enclosures" board to ask you guys' thoughts before i bring my little one home

in the meantime - thank you all so much for your help and input!

RastaDragon":1qlu8boj said:

so - happily my viv has now arrived!

i shall be spending the next couple of days putting it all together, then i'll post in the "enclosures" board to ask you guys' thoughts before i bring my little one home

in the meantime - thank you all so much for your help and input!

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Can't wait to see the new addition. Congrats!
Get lots of pics! ?
-Dee