Fuzzyviper":1nksietv said:Aw, thank you! And yeah, the sand does look nice. There are some nice sandy colored tiles out there but I went with slate when I couldn't get the size I wanted in the sandy color.I bought mine at Lowe's but any home improvement store should have it. Make sure to measure your tank from the inside since the inside measurement is slightly smaller than the size they're sold as (36x18 = 35.5x17.5 on the inside for me). Any tile that is slightly textured or stone is a good choice so they get a grip on it. I got slate since it has lots of different colors and looks really snazzy.
Some beardies do live on sandy beaches but the outback, where the central bearded dragon (what most pet beardies are) lives, is more of a scrubland than a true desert. The ground is usually a hard-packed red soil because it is so dry. There are little scrubby bushes and trees so it's sort of like...if you've seen the savanna in African but with bare soil instead of grass. Any loose soil is very, very fine.
Some owners use sifted play sand (they sift the larger pieces out) with their adult beardies but it can be a pain since you'll have to replace the sand pretty often. Adult beardies are less likely than the babies to lick the substrate (beardies lick to explore their environment). Adults also like to dig so they're going to get sand in their veggie dish and they need to be fed in a separate container. I've seen some owners do half tile and half sand or tile with a dig box so they get a place to dig.
Fuzzyviper":2q64ezk4 said:It was probably the feeding but some dragons grow slower than others and some just don't get as big. He's only 8 months old so he's got plenty of time to keep growing. He will likely keep growing even after he turns 1 so he's got several months to grow and grow. Feed him as much as he can eat and he's start growing for you. It's hard to notice them growing since we see them day to day so you can take weekly length measurements or weights to see if he is growing. I'm sure he'll grow into a healthy adult.
Fuzzyviper":2le9eimt said:Do you have anyone that can watch him for you? He does need to be fed. I'm leaving for about 4-5 days and I'm going to make up some containers of feeders for each day so my mom can just toss them in and doesn't have to touch the roaches. Will your roommates be home? The only other thing I can think of is leaving him a dish of waxworms but the problem is that they might escape the dish if it isn't high enough. If you know anyone willing to watch him, I'd just make up daily cups of insects and have them give him one each day.
Fuzzyviper":3j0joup1 said:They don't have access to the basement? As long as the regular tank is moved out and free from loud noises or drafts, he should be fine in there. I'd set him up at least a day before leaving just to make sure you can get his temperatures right and if he seems very stressed out, you could cover the back and sides of the glass with paper to minimize stress. He definitely needs to eat daily, especially since he is young and growing. I know it's hard when you find out you were doing something wrong but there's no use beating yourself up over it. He's getting good care now and that is what matters.
Fuzzyviper":2ky35d5m said:His basking area should be 105-110 degrees with the light 6-8 inches away from him. The cool side should be around 80-85. Temps on both can go down to 65 at night so you don't need to heat him at night unless it's winter or you live somewhere that is permanently chilly. Yeah, his basking light will be fine for him since it's summer. If you find it getting too hot under the basking light, since garages can get pretty hot in the summer, switch the bulb out for a lower wattage household bulb and recheck the temps after about 45 minutes.
You can put the paper on the outside of the tank or the inside. Some people will put paper up on the inside if their dragon is seeing its reflection in the glass and stressing out over the "intruder." Outside will be fine since it is just to block out the view outside his tank.
New tanks can be a little frustrating, especially figuring out how to get the temperatures right in a larger area. The best way to raise or lower temperatures is to switch the bulb wattage of whatever you're using for basking. I'm using a white household bulb right now, myself. As long as it is a white bulb, household bulbs work and some will use the spotlight bulbs from home improvement stores, since they are a cheap alternative to the pet store basking lights. If you're using say, a Powersun or something that is a basking and UVB in one, it gets a little more difficult to change the temps without buying a separate UVB light and fixture. You would have to raise the light if it was getting too hot. What size tank did you get? I can show a picture of my current setup if you want to see how I've done mine.
Fuzzyviper":34wnyzof said:Your tank is the same size as mine.And I actually got the smaller pieces of tile cut for mine today too! The bigger ones were in and I had the back covered with paper towel. The roaches will be fine in that container. The bigger container is so they have room to put all the babies they will have. I think he's going to really like his new tank, for sure! And you should, if you really are set on wanting to feed him pinkie mice, only feed them extremely rarely since they can't digest the bones and meat (turkey, beef, chicken, etc) is not the best for them. A good protein treat for them is a little bit of scrambled or hard boiled egg once in a while. Make sure not to use butter or cooking oils when you make the eggs and do not give a lot at once, since it can upset their stomach if they eat too much.
Fuzzyviper":3o0nlix8 said:They probably won't do much while you're gone other than eat and maybe mate. It takes a little while for the eggs to develop so they'll be fine in there for the next week.
Fuzzyviper":3mo1yzuk said:Roaches naturally don't like light so I'd use one of those stick on heat pads and keep them in a semi-dark place. The females keep the egg sack inside of their bodies so they give "live birth" to their babies. Females are the adults that do not have wings and she will plump up if she is pregnant. I'd suggest getting a large plastic container with a lid at Walmart or somewhere similar to put them in. Drill holes in the drop or cut the middle of the lid out and staple a screen to it. I got a 24 quart (6 gallon) container for around $5-$6 at Walmart for mine. Once they start breeding, they will need a much larger space than they are in now.
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