2 beardies...switching vivs?

[Mustashio]

Here's my dilemma. We got a new beardie (baby) about a month ago. We had already had a very nice 2x4x2 gorgeous homemade viv that my hubby made for our previous dragon who passed away in May 2014 (Mustashio). We have all the proper lighting, thermometers, and set up. Naturally, the new baby (Myztic) went right into that viv. It is quite big for him/her but seems to be okay with it now.

Well, about 2 weeks after bringing baby Myztic home, we took in a rescue. Not enough time to make a new 2x4x2 viv yet, but it is in the works. This adult rescue, her name is Aztec, is an amputee, and I'm guessing about 1-1.5 years old. Was housed in a 1x2x1.5 viv with reptile carpet and who knows what lighting and was only fed kale and freeze dried crickets. With the food dish, water dish, very small hide and a couple branches from their backyard, all piled into this little cage.

In order to decrease her stress, I decided to leave her in the cage she was used to until my hubby can make a new bigger viv. That and Myztic (the baby) was already established in the big viv! So now I have a baby in a HUGE viv, and the big girl in the tiny viv! My hubby is working on the new viv, but it will be a couple weeks yet.

I'm wondering if it would harm either of the dragons if I were to switch cages on them until the new one can be built. It is so hard to watch Azzy try to get around in that small viv. I only put a climb and a drawbridge like thing in there with her so that she kinda has a hide and a basking spot, (plus the probe thermometer tucked in there too) so that she has as much floor room as possible, but I can tell she is miserable! And when she poops it gets all over because she has no where to go to get away from it! Would it stress them out terribly if I temporarily moved the baby to the small cage and moved Azzy the sub-adult into the big one? Then would they be stressed again when the new cage is finally built? I put Azzy in the big cage just to try it for an hour or so while I was spending time with the baby and giving a bath. Azzy LOVED it and was glass dancing and running all over in the big space. No stress marks either!

What do you think? Any ideas?

Viv's side by side


Mystic's viv--Little baby in a big cage!


Aztec's current viv...very small even though I took out most decor.


Aztec



Myztic

 

[Drache613]

Moved by Moderator from General to Enclosures

 

[Drache613]

Hello,

I think that would be fine, to switch a little bit right now while the tanks are being worked on.
They should be happy once they are in their permanent homes.
It is a good sign that they neither one have any stress marks, too.

Keep us posted on the progress of the tanks.

Tracie

 

[Cuda]

The only thing that would worry me is if you haven't had the rescue in the smaller enclosure long enough to know if there are any health problems. It's usually a good idea not to share anything from a new beardie with an established one for at least a few weeks.

 

[Mustashio]

Yeah. We only had the baby for like 2wk prior to taking in the rescue. So they were both getting used to their enclosures. Well...at least the baby was. The rescue was already in the enclosure, but I did take out all the wack they had in the cage and then added the necessary lighting. They were both in those cages for about a month. I just made the switch (big girl rescue into the big cage and the baby to the little cage that the rescue was in) about 5 days ago. They seem to be doing okay. The resuce does a lot of glass dancing and scratching at the cage. I think she is just excited to have so much room! She has black bearded a couple times, but usually just for a few moments. She loves the baths and I swear has "bath narcolepsy" so that usually soothes her. She loves the baths and immediately closes her eyes and just enjoys the warmth. The baby however, hates baths. Lol!