Buying a bearded dragon.......

[knightofroses]

hey i'm thinking about buying a bearded dragon, i have read loads of things on many web pages on bearded dragons. is there any, pros - cons, do's - don't and tips? would be much apretiated.
thank you

 

[fez09]

Well, seeing as how this is a Bearded Dragon forum, we like em'! I have 7! They are great pets IF you do your homework and realize that they take time and money for the proper diet and care! Any questions, just ask!

 

[YBS0502]

they are wonderful animals which at young ages have very large appetites but that slows down as they reach adulthood they have a certain light (UVB)needed tube not compact UVB calcium dusting multivitamins that has to be done cage sizes are for 1 adult to sub adult Dragon needs to be a minimum 40 gallon breeder for a baby to juvenile a 20 gallon breeder will work they will need a lot of live feeders when they are young so be prepared to buy alot of feeders or you can breed your own feeders Roaches crickets superworms reptiworms and save money and then there is poopy clean up which is not fun but has to be done substrate should not be sand in my opinion it can health problems they also need certain heating 75 to 85 on cool side 90 to 100 baskin area they also need to be able to get within 6 to 8 inches from their UVB light you can find about anything you need to know on this site

 

[BeardieGrandma]

I would spend a good amount of time researching the care and feeding of these guys. They are so fun, but as previous poster indicated, they take a lot of work, and the devil is in the details. They eat like horses when they are young, and require a little bit of focus to get their setups correct with temp, heating, lighting, etc.

I would also consider rescuing a dragon that's older - there seem to be plenty that people are looking to rehome and many of them are just from loving families that took good care of them but can't care for them any longer. Check craigslist and this board under the for free section, you'd be surprised as to what you might find. I've seen ads where folks are giving away the dragon and the setup for free, simply asking that you take good care of their animal going forward.

 

[knightofroses]

thank you all. i have already got heat lamp and uv lights which admit uvb and uva. i also have heat mat and almost everything for the set-up. i have done my research and do know they eat LOADS! so its ok.
thank you, your replys have been very helpful.

 

[Slave2Scarlett]

I would definitely recommend getting a little one.. they are awesome little creatures! I would however recommend not using the heat mats b/c their heat sensors are on their heads and they can't sense the amount of heat on their bellies and will burn themselves.. As far as the UVB bulb the absolute best is the Repti Sun 10.0 and you will get that same answer anywhere in this forum..lol I'm sure you have tons of questions and we have tons of answers!

 

[RolandKyramere]

I would also recommend getting a beardie, they are fantastic creatures who each have a very unique and individual personality. If you are looking for a good food/nutrition chart (I didn't see this posted above, sorry if I'm reposting!) go to this site http://www.beautifuldragons.503xtreme.com/Nutrition.html. Best food chart you can find anywhere!

 

[knightofroses]

well the heat mat is to go under the tank an there will be wood bettween the two surfaces. i have heard that they cannot sence heat though there stomachs. an the mat is just for night time use to keep the tank warm during the night. the heat mat is 4watts so it don't get too hot. or is that still a bad idea?? thank you

 

[Livey]

Yes , they cannot sense heat from the bellies, and there's a risk of them burning them selfs
Your in the UK right? The best UVB you can get is the Arcadia 12 % Tube, I've used them for over a year and there the best
Keep away from loose substrates ,
http://www.rickslivefood.co.uk/ is a BRILLIANT place to order live food from , also selling roaches if you ever want to start up a colony
As every one has said RESEARCH IS KEY to happy and healthy beardie

Olivia x

 

[Atrax]

well the heat mat is to go under the tank an there will be wood bettween the two surfaces. i have heard that they cannot sence heat though there stomachs. an the mat is just for night time use to keep the tank warm during the night. the heat mat is 4watts so it don't get too hot. or is that still a bad idea?? thank you

If you really must use heat mat, put it on the side panel of your enclosure. But I would rather buy CHE (ceramic heat emitter) if your night time temps go below 65°F.
I do this for my tarantulas (I'm using heat cable instead of heat mat, cable gives off soft heat, while heat mat has quite harsh heat), as they burrow down to escape the heat.
Put it on one side panel of the tank until you buy CHE. But heating at night is not needed if your temps don't drop below 65°F, as I said.
Actually beardies need day/night temp difference, b/c that "activates" their sleeping.

Good luck finding your new beardie master.

 

[knightofroses]

ok thank you all an if there is anyone who wants to put me on there friend list it would be apreciated. im new here an will defo be a new BD owner, an it would be a big help to have the knowledge that you guys as BD owners have thank you

 

[Livey]

ok thank you all an if there is anyone who wants to put me on there friend list it would be apreciated. im new here an will defo be a new BD owner, an it would be a big help to have the knowledge that you guys as BD owners have thank you

Will do Where all here to help, If you have any more questions just ask

Olivia x