be prepared new beardie owners.

[igotit]

in October I picked up 2 baby beardies under 4.5 in long,i hadent researched care and maintence at all befor getting them.i took the breeders word.he stated low maintence,cheap to feed and minimal effort needed to care for them.

so I took his word and jumped right in.
he provided a 20 gal tank with heat rock and a faulty light fixture for heat lamp...no uv light.

so went out and picked up a 18 gal tank with heat lamp and uvb light.
things were doing sorta well...until I found out they had to be separated.one dragon showed dominance ...so the other dragon barely ate and refused to be touched or held.

time to separate the 2,i picked up 2 40 gal tanks added new heat lamps and new uvbs to both.
I have spent estimated $600 to house these 2 dragons.thats not including the $60 a mth on crickets,treat worms and veggies.

food
crickets at local pet stores are about $0.15 each,average 40 crickets a day when the dragons are around 7-8 inches.
the veggies have to be refrigerated and chopped and cut and washed before feeding time.
the worms....they are easy...lol.
also take into account that crickets need care too...proper feeding,heat....and hiding places too.
tank has to be cleaned daily,dispose of the dead....ect

now my dragons are healthy,day...my small one is 13 3/4 long ,night my big fatty is 16 3/4 long.
they are 21 weeks old,when I got them they were 4-4.5 inches long.
when I posted up about my young small beardies....people here told me they were way too young and they were probally not going to make it,due to the high care needs required for new born beardies.

my local pet smart has 3 beardies about 3 in long.....those are way to small to be selling in my opinion.
I recommend buying a beardie atleast 6 inches long.

we love them a lot,but they need lots of care and attention,a set feeding schedule.
and no one can prepare you for the smell and size of the fecies.really....that came out that animal....noway!

after all is said....they are worth it.

this is night



and hers day

 

[Eriatarka]

This is a fantastic post for anyone looking into getting a beardie. I had mine, 4 year old I call Doll, given to me. Pretty much out of the blue, but before I brought her home I did a ton of research on their care. Even with all of the research I had done, I hadn't realized just how much care they need and how high maintenance they actually are. Every site that I had looked at for info on them said "Great for new and experienced reptile owners alike" "Very low maintenance, cheap and easy to take of" and so on.

I spent an estimated $300 getting everything I needed for her housing, and this was even with the 55gal. tank being only $60. The cheapest place I've found to buy her crickets sells them a dozen for $1 and I buy a weeks worth at a time. That's $35 a month for food, not including veggies, treats, vitamin or calcium dust. Because I buy so many crickets at a time, I needed a proper cricket cage. For one with the tubes for them to hide in (also making it easier to get them into her tank) the size I bought was nearly $40. I mostly gut load the crickets with mustard green stems, so I don't factor in the cost of their food.

On top of all of this, as you said, they do need pretty specific lighting, heating, temps, humidity and a schedule. Every morning when my boyfriend gets up, he turns Dolls lights on.. if she doesn't receive greens shortly after, she gets very stressed out. Later in the day, she gets her crickets (again, if we're late, she's stressed). Every other day (minimum) is bath day. You also need to factor in general outside the tank time - time she spends with you or just getting some exercise.

Even more, so if you happen to have a female, you have to be prepared for eggs, whether they've bred or not.

The poo is definitely something no one could have prepared me for, either. It's astounding that so much could come out of such a small creature.

But, y'know? If you have the funds, time and patience, they really do make fantastic companions. Doll is definitely more work than I had anticipated, but I absolutely adore her. She's worth it.

 

[igotit]

you are right...its a good post for beginners.
and I didn't mention everything,the stress and hassel....just the basics.
they are beautiful,delicate creatures that require more than whats advertised.
but the payoff is well worth it.

pet stores list them as begineer pets....I disagree.

I turn on the lights in the morning,wait 30-45 mins then feed both of them 25-40 crickets.when my beardies go on their basking rock....I know they are full.then I remove the remaing crickets.
around 2-3 pm I give them chopped squash,broccli,mustard greens and kale lettece with 5 meal worms in the salad.....they love it.then supper at around 7-8 pm,which consist of 30-60 crickets.
that's their diet.

the cost is higher than I expected.
I bath them every 2 days,when my bigger dragon has to poo....hes now in the habbit of coming to the glass and scratching.i run some warm water in the lavatory and put him in....within 30 seconds...his tail starts twitching,and he releases the beast....lol.

they are spoiled animals that are easy to get attached to.i recently lost my job,times are tough....my wife suggested getting ride of them....but I cannot do.
they need me.
im not trying to discourage a potiential owner from making the step to buying a new dragon....im just saying ....know what your getting into,be prepared.its worth it.

 

[wilddragons16]

I try not to think how much I spend. Lol. Mine at crickets for a weeks, then decided he didn't want them, so then I had to scramble to find good food :lol: He gave me a hard time, but now he is great, fat and my little baby!

 

[Jmoo]

i know what u mean!

so i took like 15 mins to write out my list and how much i spent.. lets just say i deleted it lol ...

ITS EXPENSIVE!!!!!!

you can save TONS of money if you research this place!!! something i didnt do..

im still new to this and learning everyday here.. im sure i could have saved half of what i spent if i researched .. take my advise ... RESEARCH!!!!!!

 

[SkeptiBee]

Sadly I think most exotics are bought as the "spur of the moment" things. Those boxed kits they sell at pet stores just make it look like caring for reptiles is easy. Just install these lights here, put that dish of food there, sprinkle some sand all over and viola! Instant pretty tank with cool reptile. Very few sellers will instruct these new pet owners about what the long term commitment is. Some of those sellers don't even know what good long term care even IS. It doesn't make it any easier when there is a lot of conflicting information out there.

To be frank, I'm almost in favor of licenses for exotic animals. You have to show you educated yourself before you can purchase one. Perhaps if would be owners see some numbers crunched on equipment prices and the long term cost of care, they would be dissuaded from buying them.

 

[wilddragons16]

I agree. That is a good idea. No age limit, just a test.

 

[Reptiles4Life]

I try not to think how much I spend. Lol. Mine at crickets for a weeks, then decided he didn't want them, so then I had to scramble to find good food :lol: He gave me a hard time, but now he is great, fat and my little baby!

lol i don't ether if i see how much it makes me want to cry lol everyone in my family including me have spent about a thousand dollars on the 13 animals that we have including supplies and i saw that number and it made me want to cry.

 

[wilddragons16]

I'm like, I'm not looking! :lol: too much trouble to add it all up, anyway.

 

[Reptiles4Life]

lol.

 

[thatLizardGuy]

0.15 a Cricket?

You are getting ripped off.

I pay 0.018 each.

Every Months I buy 1,000 Crickets and I pay 18.00

You are paying 150.00 for the same amount of Crickets as me.

 

[thatLizardGuy]

600.00 for set up is crazy too.

I got a 90 Gallon with Light for 30.00 (Craigslist).

If you buy everything new and from the Pet Store it is a Rip off.

Look Around for Deals

I spend 3.00 a Week on Mustard Greens.

You need to go to a Reptile Show and not Pet Smart.

500 Super Worms = 15.00
500 Crickets = 9.00

 

[Reptiles4Life]

cool but i don't to crickets i do dubias .

 

[thatLizardGuy]

cool but i don't to crickets i do dubias .

Those are Free if you Breed Them.

Very easy to do as well.

 

[Reptiles4Life]

Yes they are a week ago I woke up and had 20 to30 then I wake up today and have 40 to 60 :shock: