What do I do? Cohabitation issue..

Okay so hello everyone, I never wanted to be writing this but here I am.

I have two female 5 year old beardies cohabiting in a four foot vivarium at the moment. I had them as rescues suddenly about a month or so ago.
One has been in brumation up until now but now they're both out I am worried.

They are fine together except when it comes to basking and one sits on top of the other or knocks them off incessantly. The more dominant one that sits ontop also waves her arms? She runs over to the submissive one whenever she moves and licks her and then runs back?

The submissive one is eating, weighs a good amount and is acting normally but isn't able to bask and is more timid.

Normally I would just separate them but something has happened in my life meaning that I cannot afford to cash out 300+ on a new everything. (This doesn't mean to say I wouldn't find some money from somewhere if they needed veterinary treatment.)

I need someone to tell me if things have a chance of going okay. If there's anything I can do. Please I love them both. And I'm not stupid, I know they'd be better off alone but I can't do that right now and there's been no outright aggression. What can I do.

If I were you I would put them in separate tanks , the outcome might be fatal if they are both together. The most horrified thread I ever read about cohabitation can be found here viewtopic.php?f=45&t=228673&hilit=amputation


. Can you try divide the tank in two separate sections? Even getting a 20 gallon for now might be better then leaving them together in my opinion I am new to owning a dragon someone with more experience will answer you as well

You need to get them separated as soon as possible. I know it's gonna be hard for you to accomplish but it is in there best interest. A divider might be in order at this point.
I feel bad for you AND them.

Hi. You can also look on Craigslist or Facebook on line yard sales and see if you can find any tanks for cheap. Also Petco has dollar gallon sale every now and then.

Or if you are handy with wood work tools and powertools, make your own from 1/2in plywood , perhaps as a stacked tanks arrangement - two identical tanks on top of each other with front access via sliding glass doors.

If nothing else, you could use a big storage tub for one of them. IF you do this, you're best moving the more dominant beardie as the timid one is more likely to be stressed out by a move.

Skipper7":1ps5yqsd said:

If nothing else, you could use a big storage tub for one of them. IF you do this, you're best moving the more dominant beardie as the timid one is more likely to be stressed out by a move.

Click to expand...

HUGE stackable tubs with clip on lids and wheels are an excellent short or even medium term solution, they are dead easy to convert to a lizard tank that you can keep the lid on simply by drilling or using an electrical soldering iron ( my approach ) to make a couple hundred air ventilation holes in the tub (one side near the top on one end , the other set near the bottom at the opposite end.

Installing lights - for my 100L rearing tubs for beardies I use a 26W UVB200 compact in a NANOHOOD , fitted under the lid near the centre of the lid (gives about 8" from the UV globe to the basking spot (top of the HUBBAHUT (JUMBO for Rex , LARGE for Peppa and for Toothless).
I use 60W incandescent spots (par38) in a ceramic E27 fitting attached to a piece of 1/2" thick plywood that simply lifts out when I need access to the end of the tub it's over , sits on to bits of quad that are attached to the inside of the tub close as possible to the lid but down enough to allow the lid to slide away to allow access inside.
I use cloth tape to hold power cables in place.

All my beardies have 7W heatpad sandwiched between two layers of ceramic 150x200 wall tiles, and my heatpads are controlled each by a simple digital thermostat (set to 37degC for the beardies) and their hides/basking platforms sit over top the heat pad/slab.

This works a treat for me. My rearing tubs were originally set up for my two bluetongue skinks when I bought them a babies (about 6 weeks old), and were recommissioned for Puff and Rex , and again for Peppa and Toothless. Seen about 7 years service and only starting to develop cracks now.

In the short term, like others have mentioned , can your divide the tank in two with a board and use a second basking light on the second side. That would work until you found a cheap tank or built a tanks