2 New BDs trying to improve their care

Hello all, I have recently received 2 BD from someone who no longer wanted them. From coming here I know that there are several things that I need to change about the care that they have been getting. So if you don’t mind I am going to list the care that they have been getting and what I am doing to change it and if I am heading in the wrong direction please feel free to correct me! As well as some questions thrown in here and there.

They have been housed together the entire time. They are somewhere between 18 months and 2 years and were sold as a breeding pair the person who had them was told that it was fine for them to be housed together. They are also on reptile litter.

I plan on separating them. She has laid clutches of 2 or 3 eggs in the past and I am assuming they are such small clutches because of her being stressed I could be totally off base but I am not really interested in a bunch of baby BDs running around right now anyway I would much rather get these guys care in order. The reptile litter is being changed with play sand today!

Diet has been crickets a whole lot of crickets up to 60 a day a piece. And the only greens offered have been Romaine Lettuce and the occasional dandelion from the yard.

I have already given them collard greens with apple, Mustard greens with strawberries; it is a higher green ratio with some of the fruit thrown in. I am basing the salad off of beautiful dragons and the fruit is from the occasional list so I figure if they get a different fruit everyday that should be ok.

I want to order some silkies for them anyone willing to recommend a place to get them from?

The female one has been eating very well the male is not eating as much I am thinking he is a bit more stressed about the move. I have been dusting the crickets with a calcium supplement and today I am doing the multivitamin dust.

I am buying either a reptiglo or reptisun light today since I don’t think that the florescent light they have been getting is doing the job that it is supposed to. The temps are at 106 on the warm side and 87 on the cool side.

From my understanding they had only the rare bath they have already had their first one with a water temp of 92 and they seemed to enjoy it! They get misted a couple times a day outside their cage.

I have only had them for four days and my kids are already in love with them as well as myself. They have very good temperaments and have not tried to bite or run away when I have picked them up.

If you made it this far Thanks! Any suggestions are welcome! I know there are things that I am missing but this was the main things that I am changing right now and am hoping for feedback.

First off...congrats

Next--good idea to separate them, make sure they have good size tanks for lots of space. Switching to play sand is a good idea, so long as they have good aim and don't ingest a lot. I use non-adhesive shelf liner, and it works great for 5 bucks a roll at wal mart.

60 crickets a day with the salad you mention sounds like a pretty good diet for beardie's their age. But some variety with some silkies or supers would be great too, there are lots of websites you can order them. StumpysOwner gave up this website to help you find a place for all kinds of worms in another thread: http://www.exoticpetevolution.com/feederfinder/

They might be stressed about the move, so I would give them some time to settle in before worrying about your guy eating well.

Your temps sound good, so I wouldn't change them, but a reptisun would be good to make sure they're getting Vitamin D (unless your calcium has the Vitamin D in it, I use Rep Cal and it does), but you probably should have a UVB anyways.

cheers

Congrats!

Everything your doing for them now is great. If your afraid that it might get impacted from the play sand, you might want to use Calci Sand just in case he swallows too much. You can use a special florescent bulb for desert animals called I believe Repti Sun Desert 7%. I use that and it works great!

Ziggy 14":0be16 said:

Congrats!

Everything your doing for them now is great. If your afraid that it might get impacted from the play sand, you might want to use Calci Sand just in case he swallows too much. You can use a special florescent bulb for desert animals called I believe Repti Sun Desert 7%. I use that and it works great!

Click to expand...

AAAAAAAAAAHHHHH! you didn't just say that!!!! No no no no no no.

No calci-sand ! Calci-sand is not digestable! Please don't go back into this....

Just stick with playsand and make sure they don't ingest it, and if they do, use something like shelf liner or reptile carpet.

(refer to the locked topic in the "enclosure's section", Ziggy, called "bearded dragon substrate")

aaaaaah
cheers :shock:

Thanks, I actually have some supers and silkies on order so I should have some happy dragons soon. The male has started to eat better and he is not showing his beard nearly as much.

Don't worry there will be nothing but washed play sand in the viv.