Hi New Member 1st Beardie.

[Guysmomma]

I wanted to say hello and introduce myself and Guy. We are very happy to be here. Guy will be getting his tank redone this week. Just waiting for everything to come in. I am setting up a bio-active tank for him. With plenty of fresh greens for him to eat. I have been looking at the boards here whenever I have had a question. Seems to be a really good place for info.

 

[VenusAndSaturn]

Welcome!

If your setting up a bioactive enclosure make sure at the VERY minimium it is in a 6x2x2 enclosure with a large non particle rocky area to provide an actual realistic substrate as particle substrates do not even come close to what these guys have.

They commonly live in areas that are usually a clay and dirt mixture. Barely any sand and have lots and lots of vegetation.

Beardies outside of Austrailia have very weak genetics and immune systems making them get impacted easier and are prone to fungal and other bactiera infection more than other beardies that have stronger immune systems and genetics.

And even if the habitat is 100% perfect you still run the risk of impaction, prolapses (This can cost up to 1,000 to fix), eye infections, fungal infections, bacterial infections because particle substrates provide a large bacteria breeding ground, and sometimes stained scales (most commonly seen in sand and other colored substrates).

The beardie population in the US currently has the worse genetics and immune systems.

 

[Guysmomma]

Hi and thank you for the information. I am hoping to have those problems under control. I have 3 plants coming in and I just picked up an organic grown mint plant to also go in the tank. I have also purchased an aero Garden to start plants in for him. So I can replace and add as needed. I will be watching him very closely when I get it set up. I do not have that large of an enclosure but have been told that it will work for him as a bio tank. What is the reasoning for the length. Just wondering. I am planning on making a bigger enclosure this summer when I can get outside to make it and not have to do it inside as I live in an apartment.

 

[Guysmomma]

Here is a pic of Guy on my shoulder.