Buddy; New MVB!

[luvthydragon]

Hey Jason,

Your photo kind of has a mystic look to it with that night light on

No problem on not posting for a while....I understand. We are battling coccidia now and it takes forever to break down the viv and bleach and everything in it, let it air out and ....well....it takes forever each night. I don't know how you manage with 3.

About the black light....how much higher did it raise your temps to have it in there at night. It's better than them not getting too cool at night I would guess. I bet in that pet store you rescued them from, they probably had no heat at all at night so I'm sure they are a lot better off no matter what.

Take care of yourself and best wishes to "The Clan"

 

[Laurmann2000]

Very cool picture. Your dragons are so cute. I don't have any heat light on at night. I think they are okay unless it goes below 60 or 65 in the house, right? I'm not sure. I know it's been cooler than that lately here but I put a blanket on my guy so he should be okay. And I think it doesn't get below 60 in the house. I'm also curious about good brands of ceramic heat bulbs.

 

[protiemama]

They are ok down to 60-65, sometimes my viv gets cooler inside than my house. Not sure how that happens, except warm air rises out and more can't get in through the glass, maybe. Last spring I hung a heating pad on the inside wall to warm it a bit at night. It worked fine and with it on the wall he couldnt get burned. I plan on getting a heat emmiter later on. They look so much better. :lol:

Sandy H

 

[beardie osk]

I know it's been cooler than that lately here but I put a think they are okay unless it goes below 60 or 65 in the house, right? I'm not sure. I know it's been cooler than that lately here but I put a blanket on my guy so he should be okay.



If I could add my thought............your right about the temps being able to get down around 60 to 65, in fact they say that is does good for the temps to go down at night, for body restoration. (that's why its important to make sure they have 2 full hours of lights after eating to add in digestion, because digestion stops when the temps lower)

As far as heat emitters, I use them in the dead of winter, when I know its 50 or below where my beardies live. I happened to use the eko-terro emitter because I bought it at the reptile store and that was the brand they had. The wattage is based on the size of area you want warm or how high the viv is from where you lay the emitter holder. Always use a ceramic shade as a holder (it's ceramic at the top where the emitter is screwed in), it's a good practice/safety thing to do.

I thought the heat pad was a good idea, (hanging on the side) unless of course your beardie sleeps on the wall like J's boy does. Another idea is using a tank heat pad, but if you use them, please make sure you have alot of padding on the floor or tile, and do a dry run without your beardie in there, so you can put your hand on the area after it's been on for at least 4 hrs.

Hopefully all this helps...............but isn't it great to have someone rescue beardies and be so sensitive to their needs and always wanting to do right by them??????????????????????????????????

 

[beardie parents]

i took a couple more pics today but it takes alot longer to upload them from my verizon phone. each picture i take must be uploaded one at a time to "pixplace"(about 15sec a pic). the pix place website doesnt share pics like photobucket so i cant link the pic from there. i have to enlarge it, copy and save it to paint THEN upload it to photoshop before finally posting it here... rest assured, i will probably be posting more pics tommorow :wink: .

Jason, for your information and to see if it helps you make posting pics easier, I have a verizon cell pic phone. I have my phone set up so I can send the pics to my email address. Then I can save them to my hard drive, then transfer to photobucket when it works. What one verizon salesman told me to do is to put my email in the contacts, then when you send the pic, you send it as if you are sending it to another phone, go into the contacts, find you email address, and use that for who to send it to. This works really great.

 

[protiemama]

Jason- Last year my DH went to Wal-Mart.com and found a couple of fairly nice digital cameras in the close-out section for around $30ish. They take much better picts than a cell phone and download to the computer easily. Well at least they do for him. He says they always have good deals like that on line. Oh, the cameras were for the kids, 3 and 7 then, and they are still working great! If you have it shipped to your local store the shipping is free. Can't beat it. Then we can get our fix more often. (See I have ultirer(sp) motives)

Sandy H

 

[jscott]

luvthydragon, i think it looks nice but i know thats not what matters. it doesnt seem to be bothering them so thats good, but i still plan on getting a ceramic heat emmiter as soon as possible.

im sorry to hear about the infection. how are things right now, getting any better?

the night time temps with the 40watt are roughly 90 on top of the cave, 70 under the cave and 67 on the cool side. without the 40watt the temps get towards 60 degrees. the male seems to prefer a warmer temp, sleeping near the light while the female chooses the cooler(darker ) spot under the cave.

thanks for all the support, i hope you like the new pics :wink: .

Laurmann2000, yea its been pretty cold lately. LG stays in the living room where it remains fairly warm for the dog. in my room however, i leave the windows open at night and it gets pretty chilly. ill be picking up a CHE soon so i wont have to wrry about the light issue.

i was wondering about the blanket thing; doesnt that only work for warm-blooded creatures? if an animal doesnt make its own body heat, then what is the blanket trapping? i always thought a blanket would simply block the heat energy from whatever heat source the lizard is near :study: .

i still havent decided which brand of CHE im going to purchase, ill probably talk to employees from several places and see what kind of feedback theyve gotten from customers.

thanks again for taking intrest in my dragons. i hope you like the new pics of the female.

protiemama, it is starting to get pretty chilly. pretty soon im going to have to close my window at night, but eventually it wont matter. ill need that CHE. let me know if you get some insight into different brands.

beardie osk, im pretty sure both my clamp lamps are ceramic. ive seen the plastic ones and im sure its not plastic. i have also heard of people mounting their heat pads on the side of the enclosure, but your right: my male would probably lay against it and get too hot. i probably wont try a heat pad, ill stick with the CHE. i love these guys. even though the male doesnt like to be touched i still care for him. it is nice to know they are thriving because of the care i am providing :wink: .

beardie parents, ooh i read your post too late . ill have to try that next time i upload with this camera. hopefully that will cut down on the time it takes me to get these pics up .

protiemama, i will definitely be looking into a new camera. probably after the holidays when the prices for down. your right though, if its only 30 bucks i can afford that. i just need to make sure in interfaces with my ancient computer :roll: .


PICTURES:

my female dragon gave me one serious beard today! im not sure what set her off but see for yourself:

isnt she a pretty girl? i cant belive i only paid $35 for her. by the way, the red stuff on her chin is cactus fruit :mrgreen: .

 

[KairaandTaz08]

They are doing so good and look great. Nice and healthy! You're such an amazing person!
Ok, I have to ask because I'm trying to figure out how to make a platform type thing for Kaira...what exactly is the slate and tile you've used in their cage? Is it really heavy?
Oh, if you get a response about a good ceramic heater, please post the brand...I can't decide which one either due to the problems I've heard about them.
Sorry I didn't mean to hijack your thread . I just love their set up and Kaira's moving to a larger cage (which will require more "things").
Again, they look wonderful and so happy. They are so funny about the way they act together. I love the fruit on her beard!
Abi

 

[beardie osk]

Good morning Jason,

Wow..............35.00 for your girl............Little did the owner or your girl know how much happier and healthy she would be in your care. I think she's just showing her "stuff", with her bearding........."tough girl" :wink: When my boy does that, I just pick him up, and he puffs down and the beard is gone........just wants some cuddle time. (very spoiled)

I hope you get your camera......I'm at a loss with posting pics.............I have a cell camera, digital camera, and the computer, and I still do know what to do...........however, I havn't given it much time to learn due to my schedule............but I'll have more time when I move out west............for now.........I'll enjoy everyone else's pics..........thanks for your pics, and all your great updates on the family.

 

[sunkist]

I have to say I just spent my friday evening reading your story! I'm soo happy you opened your heart and home for these little guys... they seem soo much happier with you.

Those stress marks - my guy/girl gets them at night when it's body temperature goes down. Once I turn the light on they go away. Sooo makes me go hmmmm.

 

[luvthydragon]

Hey Jason-

Love the pics.....I think your girl is now feeling very comfortable in her surroundings with your care and is feeling a little more confident and that's why your getting "beard action". I think they get over relocation stress relatively quickly but don't actually get comfortable enough to show their true personality until much later - especially if they weren't properly bein gtaken care of to start with. That's just my opinion. This was the case with an injured dog I rescued from the woods, two broken legs and infested with all kinds of parasites, heart worm .... we didn't start to see his true personality until after some surgery and recovery months later. She's probably gonna show a lot more spunk now that she's getting healthy -Thanks to you. What a great job you've done with them.

Take care and best wishes to "The Clan"

 

[jscott]

Abi, thanks . im glad its starting to show.

the tiles i used are relatively heavy. i suppose im going to leave them ungrouted, that way i can take them out for easy cleaning. the cave is wedged into the tank. i would have to slide a few tiles out one by one before it could fall down.

still havent decided on the CHE, but ill let you know when i do :wink: .

beardie osk, i dont think $35 was the regular price... its just that shes missing a fingernail and part of her tail. she had been on the shelf for a year and he was tired of feeding her.

ill try to keep the pics coming, though lately i havent been home during the day... definitely sunday :wink: .

sunkist, thank you very much . ive heard people say that about temps and "stress marks". my guy used to wear them 24/7 untill just a few days ago. now their fading away more and more.

if your interested in checking him out, i have another bearded dragon named LG(Little Guy). he is a special case, he was seriously wounded while only a baby. here is his thread.
http://www.beardeddragon.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=82921&hilit=&start=0
the first page has his story and the others are filled with updates, photos and videos.

thanks again for taking an interest :wink: .

luvthydragon, im starting to understand their personalities. the male is a little fire cracker :twisted: ! something must have traumatized him to make him so paranoid and aggressive. the female is very submissive and gentle. once i get that 100 gallon i plan on trying a "trial seperation". i will install a devider in the middle so the each have their own basking place and shelter. im sure the male will be irritated he cant bother the female anymore but hopefully he can cope. im sure the female would have no problem being housed alone. she doesnt seem to be drawn to the male like he is to her.

about my "clan"... i think i pretty much have it figured out. i had to decide on their names if i wanted to enter them into the calender competition. it was tough, i was sitting there with the e-mail all typed out and ready to send in. it took me like 20 minutes to finally choose but i think you'll like their new names:

the male is a little monster. he messes up his veggies and poops where he shouldnt :roll: . im pretty sure hes secretly training for tatsu's army and for this, i name him TROUBLE!

the female is a sweetheart. i dont think she'd hurt a fly, well maybe a fly but not another dragon or myself :roll: . i looked around for australian girl names and came up with MAYZE. im pretty sure it pronounced may-zee, at least thats how im saying it :mrgreen: .

so there ya go! all three beardies named, voila!

 

[lizardgrrl]

Hi Jason ,

Great names, :laughing6: Mayze also has the soft yellow on her face like maize, and Trouble, well...that would have been a great name for Diver, and is one of the many nicknames that I've used for him. :roll: I think Trouble is appropriate! I'm glad you're going to try a separation for them. I think it is best in the long run and Mayze probably will be happier with a little less Trouble in her life. :wink: I like Mayze's bearding photos, too. Was she annoyed at you, or simply doing bearded stretches? Most of mine will do that when settling into a spot in real sunshine, and often as part of the morning stretch routine. Sometimes this crew makes me think they are really scaly cats!

 

[BrownEyes87]

Heartbraking...God bless you.

 

[jscott]

lizardgrrl, thank you. im really bad at naming things , it takes me a while. i should have spelled it mazie or mayzee(thats how i pronounce it) but i liked the looks of Mayze. Trouble is TROUBLE! he poops in their fresh veggies and on top of the cave. he is a dragon almost half the size of Mayze flaunting twice the bravado. Mayze would probably not tolerate Trouble if he had his fingernails. he sometimes stands partially on her, bobbing his head. i agree, the seperation will probably be best for them both.

im pretty sure Mayze was stretching in that photo. Trouble wasnt head bobbing or even looking at her.

thanks again, i dont have any new pics but i have a really long beardie story if your willing to read it.

BrownEyes87

Heartbraking...God bless you.

nah, their ok now. soon theyll have a 100 gallon to run around in :wink: .


BEARDIE STORY:

ok so i know everyone hates petsmart, and for some pretty valid reasons. well yesterday was my day off and the place where i normally get crickets was closed. this trip was primarily for Mayze(may-zee) and Trouble. i still had some medium crickets for LG so all i needed was a few dozen large crickets for the pair. i ended up going to a petsmart(1314 N Azusa Ave, Covina) because it was the nearst and the only place open on sunday.

i hadnt been to a big chain pet store since i was a little kid, and that was for guinea pigs. when i walked in, i was surprised to see some good prices. i was looking for help but couldnt find any employees except at the registers. it was right before closing so i guess most of the employees had gone home already.

i saw a couple of customers looking at the reptile supplies in a confused sort of way. it turns out they had just bought an iguana for their son and needed a heat source. they were just going to get a heat rock and leave, the lights were too expensive appearently.

i told them alittle about UV-A, UV-B and how you cant get either of those from a heat rock. i tried to go easy on them and recomended they buy a basic hood lamp and a basking bulb that provides some UV-A. a little later they could invest in a fluorescent fixture and proper UV-B tube, which is what he really needs. i also mentioned the importance of crickets in their diet(not just lettuce) and to dust them with rep-cal calcium.

i also mentioned if they didnt hand-feed him often and interact with him, he will become wild and whippy :twisted: . they seemed irritated that they were talked into buying the iguana in the first place and really didnt want to deal with all this.

in the end, they DID just buy the heat rock... they said it was short term untill they find a new home. they said they dont think they wanted a pet that will grow big and possible bite/whip their young daughters. oh well, i tried right? maybe they really will give it to somebody responsible... probably not though :| .

after that i browsed the isles looking at the different decorations and hides, even though i was just there for crickets. they had alot of really nice stuff, some of which was reasonably priced. i really wanted to get some rock decorations but only had $10 to spare. when i got to the "cricket counter" i was amazed to see the relative cleanliness of the bin; they had water crystals instead of a dirty water bowl and cricket chow instead of some qeustionable veggie like potato or carrot. i decided to get 4 dozen crickets and two cans of bearded dragon wet-food :lol: . i was surpised i was buying the stuff(for $3 a can :shock: ) but an employee sealed the deal by assuring me that if my dragons didnt like it i could return it for a full cash refund. its made by zoo-med and i got two kinds; one for juvie dragons and one for adults. the store was about to close so i hurried to the register and went home.

i fed Mayze and Trouble seperately as usual giving each of them 24 large crickets. Mayze took her time while Trouble was done in a flash. after they had each had their turn in the tub i fed them a salad i had prepared while they were chasing crickets. the salad was comprised of more veggies than ever before; baby romaine, red leaf lettuce, radichio, tango, celery leaves, mustard greens, collard greens and yellow squash. if you can believe it i arranged the veggies so they were all seperate and visible, that way i could see what they liked... they answer? EVERYTHING!!! they ate everything... there was a pile of food there about 3" tall and maybe 6-7" across, it was gone within the hour. next i put out the bearded dragon chow... didnt touch it. i guess i wont be trying the other can, i havent seen LG eat anything sweet so i doubt he'll like it. i supose i can try giving him a bit before returning it.

lately Mayze has gotten into this backward sort of routine; after she eats, she feels restless and the need to get out of the tank and roam around. paradoxically, Trouble would rather sit quietly under the basking spot... i let Mayze out because she was beating herself up. she kept glass dancing back and forth across the length of the tank, climbing up onto the cave then jumping down off of it. she is pretty heavy and i didnt want her to hurt herself so i brought her out of the cage and into the living room.

i placed Mayze in the center of my living room. i sat down beside her and gentely rubbed her sholders talking to her. she sat there for about 3 minutes before getting up to explore. she lumbered like an aligator, her body bending side to side as she walked. it seemed that when she set off in a direction it was because something caught her eye. she was unafraid of the experience, showing no darkening or beard. i let her run all the way to one side of my house unopposed, following about 6 feet behind. she seemed interested not by specks or spots(LGs addiction) but by chords and wires. every power chord she saw had to be licked! i turned her in another direction each time she found a new wire. after searching that side of the house she made a slow, explorative trek clear to the other side of the house. in the end, she found her way back to my room at which point i decided to put her back. all together, id say she was out for 25-35 minutes(i know because i missed my whole show). she had a great time and got all the ants out of her pants.

as i placed her back in the tank Trouble raced over to give her a hard time with the head bobbing and domination thing. he stood on her and looked as though he was going to bite her so i picked him up and held him for about 20 seconds at the other end of the cage. i didnt press on him, i simply let him flail and scratch at the ground gaving him a taste of what being layed on feels like. he was MAD. he jumped back up next to Mayze and gave ME the evil eye. oh well, at least he was mad at me and not her.

well thats about it for that story. sorry i didnt post this yesterday like i said i would... i just wanted to rest and typing means thinking. im going to try to get to LG's thread tonight, no guarantees.