Hi Guys, Newbie here

[WillUK]

Hi guys,

Im relitvaly new to bearded dragons ( i have done LOADS of research, asked stores, google, wiki answers and have browsed on here) and I have a few questions id like answered by experienced owners and breeders like many of you .

A few days ago i bought my first beardie, The set up and initial costs i paid are close to £260. The viv, start up kit (bulbs, heating etc) dragon and two accesories cost £215. I then went on to spend another £40 on a hide, some more crickets, better plant leafs and a fake plant.
My beardie is about 8 months old, his bodie is id say about 6/7 in' long and his tail another 9, Is he a healthy size? he doesnt feel atall skinny and has healthy eyes. He is missing one toe and i THINK a small part of his tail however i read that this is quite common and isnt to worry about... is it?.

1) what specifically some of you feed your beardies, In what way i.e hand feed, bowl. Is it best to feed in or out of the vivarium?, how many crickets, What other bugs could i feed him?.

2) What heat is best for in the UK, my room is fairly hot and the viv is currently 100 with UV and Heat lamp. Is this too hot?. At night time i have both lights off and my room light off and the temperature was about 75 is this ok?. I read somewhere that if you have no heat on at night then you need a heat mat, but then it says aslong as its around 70 its ok... is it?

3) Im slightly scared of getting bitten... how likely is this?, i know thats an openish question but im fairly experienced with other animals and have been bitten by many including a ferret and a rat how does it compare to these?.

4) Will a beardie generally freak out if i put him in a bathing containing. the water should be luke walm right?.

5) At what age should i feed him pinkies?

I will later post a pic of my set up so you can give me some advice as to wether its good or bad and ill upload some of my beardie himself .

I have seen answers to some of these on the internet such as on google but i thought its better to ask reliable people on here than some website - anyone can make one... even me .

Thanks for your time in reading this and thanks for any help given.

 

[ajkry2]

1) what specifically some of you feed your beardies, In what way i.e hand feed, bowl. Is it best to feed in or out of the vivarium? I feed mine outside of the viv, just to make sure bugs don't roam around in there and eat up her salad or worse -- nibble on her how many crickets, What other bugs could i feed him? feed your beardie as many bugs as he can eat in 10-15 minutes. sometimes its 20 crix, sometimes its upwards of 100 :roll: other bugs that are good staples include dubia roaches, superworms, phoenix worms, horn worms and for a more extensive list check out http://www.beautifuldragons.503xtreme.com/Nutrition.html.

2) What heat is best for in the UK, my room is fairly hot and the viv is currently 100 with UV and Heat lamp. Is this too hot?nope... not too hot at all. check out my General Lighting Info. At night time i have both lights off and my room light off and the temperature was about 75 is this ok?. I read somewhere that if you have no heat on at night then you need a heat mat, but then it says aslong as its around 70 its ok... is it? 70 is fine. you don't want it to drop below about 65 at night. heat mats are a no-no because beardies cant feel heat from underneath -- so a heat mat might burn ur beardies belly

3) Im slightly scared of getting bitten... how likely is this?highly unlikely, i know thats an openish question but im fairly experienced with other animals and have been bitten by many including a ferret and a rat how does it compare to these?.

4) Will a beardie generally freak out if i put him in a bathing containing. the water should be luke walm right?yes and yes. your little pooper will learn to love it.

5) At what age should i feed him pinkies?pinkies are too high in fat, too many bones, and there are so many other good feeders out there, why risk it? check the beautifuldragons list above for good feeders BESIDES PINKIES. i suggest you stay away from em

I will later post a pic of my set up so you can give me some advice as to wether its good or bad and ill upload some of my beardie himself .

I have seen answers to some of these on the internet such as on google but i thought its better to ask reliable people on here than some website - anyone can make one... even me .

Thanks for your time in reading this and thanks for any help given.

cant wait to see pics of your new addition

 

[WillUK]

Thank you very much, perfect .

I know from my post it may look like i dont know about these amazing little fellers but i have read up and asked but got two different answers from two different pet stores, on google constant contradiction - some off people who dont even keep reptiles! so i thought it would be best to ask the people 'in the know'.

He wasnt eating his veg but i just spray some veg with a small amount of water and now he seems to be eating it out of his bowl .

Tomorrow night ill see about bathing him if hes in a nice mood

Thanks again.

 

[Twobeardieguy]

Hello and welcome.