HELLO!

[Newbee]

I guess I did this out of order.
I asked a couple of questions before introducing myself. Where are my manners!?
We've had our Beardie for about a month and a half. We are in Napa CA and we are first time BD owners.
I did quite a bit of browsing here before deciding on a BD and I'm happy with our decision.
Unfortunately, I purchased him from Petco and they sold me a bunch of crap (I've since learned) for our set up.
The next day we took the meal worms & the stick-on thermometers back and exchanged the calcium supplement.
Thanks to you folks, we now have the right UV light and a temp gun too!
When we got our BD, Petco said he was about 3 months old but I was looking at the growth charts @ the Beautiful Dragons website and it looks like he was probably more like 3-4 weeks! He was only approx 3" total.
I think we've got his set up nailed down now, I just wish he was a better eater. He gets phoenix worms and greens daily and crickets a couple times a week. He has never touched his greens (I know quite normal) and he only eats 4-5 worms or crickets at a time. We've only had the Reptisun for a couple of days, so I'm hoping that will help improve his appetite.
Anyway... Thanks being here, I'm sure I'll be asking more questions in the near future!

KC

 

[krichwitch]

Welcome to the best BD site! I have learned somuch valuable stuff just surfing this site. Congrats on ur new baby!

 

[skymgirl]

Welcome ~ what is your beardie's name? It's great that you remedied any set-up problems, it sounds like you're well on your way to a happy, healthy beardie!

When they're very small, sometimes it can be really tough to get them started on greens. Just keep putting them out, and maybe try putting very small raspberry or strawberry pieces in to get your dragon's attention. How many crickets and worms are you offering? You'll never want to leave crickets in the tank with your beardie for a prolonged period of time, but you can drop in a few and leave the room for about 10 minutes ~ sometimes they don't like an audience while they eat. Also, make sure the crickets are no larger then the space between your beardie's eyes.

Good luck ~ post pictures when you can!

 

[Newbee]

Thank you, thank you.

His?/It's name is Spike. (Our 7 year old daughter came up with that one.) I like it, could have been so much worse.

With the crickets, I drop one in @ a time for as long as he'll eat them. The worms I've tried dropping in one @ a time but he will rarely go after them. So I've switched to offering 10 or so in a shallow dish then put him in his dish. I back across the room, to see if he eats any. He'll usually eat a couple and then retreat to his limb. So I leave him alone for about an hour, then before I head off to work, I put him back in his dish. When I get home there is always 3 or four left in his dish. :| In the evening I start all over but he eats even less well in the p.m. He'll eat a few and then run all over the tank like somethings gonna eat him! Then falls asleep.
As far as size goes, I think we're good. The worms are "small" (I tried "med" but he wanted nothing to do with them) The crickets are no bigger than the space between his eyes, usually smaller.
I just got some "Nature Zone Bearded Dragon Bites" to try. I put just a few in with his greens (can't see that he ate any) and a few in w/ his worms. He may have eaten some by going for the worms but doesn't seem very interested. (the worms seem to like it though)

As far as bathing goes, I've followed the instructions posted here but how long do you soak them? It just seems to stress him out, so I've only been leaving him in for a couple of minutes.

Thanks for being so supportive.

KC

 

[skymgirl]

You sound like you have everything perfect for Spike (like the name! ) as far as feeding goes ~ I'm sure he'll come around once he gets settled in and gets bigger. Has he had a shed yet? Sometimes their appetite can dwindle and they can get kind of crabby when they're getting ready to shed.

I bathe Sherbert in a small cat litter pan (bought only for her, of course!), I put a towel in the bottom to help her feel like she has a grip and steady footing. (Sometimes they feel more comfortable if they have some traction in the water.) But she kind of leans with her top two feet on top of the pan, so I drip water over her head and back, and brush her with a really soft toothbrush. They get hydrated when their vent (near the base of their tail) is in the water, so if Spike soaks like that he'll be just fine. I usually have Sherbert in the bath for 10-15 minutes for 2-3x a week. When she's finished, I pat her dry with a towel, and she hops back onto her basking branch.

Post some photos when you can ~ I would love to see him, and I know everyone else here would, too!

 

[Newbee]

Thanks. I'll try putting a towel in the tub. I've tried just letting him sit on my hand, which seems to make him calmer. He'll sit there for a minute, then he'll climb up my arm to get out. So the towel might work.

He shed a couple of weeks after we got him. In the month and a half we've had him, he has doubled in size. So I hope that means he's eating enough. I just get worried when I read how much they SHOULD be eating. I'll just have to be patient and cross my fingers!

I'll try and get some good photos. Sherbert is so BEAUTIFUL!

Thanks for the info!

KC

 

[Newbee]

Hi,

Wanted to let you know that the wash cloth in the bath worked great. He's much more relaxed. Thanks!
Also, I posted a couple of pics in "Photo Expressions"

KC

 

[fresnowitte]

:wave: Welcome KC and beardie!

It's nice to see another Californian here!

Barbara

 

[Newbee]

Hey Thanks!