I have (2) Beardies..?

[dlquick]

After doing some research, I went out and bought a used 25-30gal tank, and bought all the necessities to house a bearded dragon. Little did I know, I’d come home with two!
The shop claimed they had no idea what gender they were, and they guessed on the age. They were the only two in the tank.
I felt wrong leaving one or the other, so they both came home and are currently still together. Since then, I have determined thru research, one is a male and the other, female. They are roughly 7-8” (3-4mths?). Is it okay to raise them together? They haven’t displayed any aggression towards each other at all over the last three days. May attempt breeding in the future.

Here is my setup:
30”Wx12”Dx18”H (30gL) Tank
Fluker Lamp w/100W Zoo Med Basking Bulb
ExoTerra ReptiGlo 10.0 UVB 15W 18”
Basking area is 95-100* depending on where the dragons are resting.

One on the left is the male (slightly smaller) and the other is the female.

 

[Martadragon017]

Welcome! What do you use to measure your temps? A stick on thermometer can be pretty off at times so it's best to have a temp gun. Also, the basking surface temp should be 105 to 115 degrees Fahrenheit. To answer your question, no, you can't raise them together. No matter how friendly your beardies may seem to be be towards each other, they must be separated. One will dominate the other, taking the best basking spots, UVB spots, and food, along with causing stress to the other. If you are unable to get another terrarium, you can separate the one you have. I'm not an expert on lighting so can't confirm whether or not your UVB is a good one, but if there is any plastic or glass covering it, you need to remove it, it blocks all of the UVB. Also, what do you feed them? Mealworms and superworms aren't good staple feeder as they have hard exoskeletons and may cause impaction. Waxworms should also be given as treats, as they are a very fatty food for your dragons. From what I've heard, the best staple feeder insects are (live) BSFL, (Black soldier fly larva), as they have no restrictions on size, unlike roaches or crickets, who, if are to large, may cause impaction. Hope this helps. Btw, your dragons are so cute! :love10:

 

[CooperDragon]

I agree that you're going to need to separate them. Even if they aren't outwardly aggressive they will start competing for resources such as food and basking spots. It's really not good for either of them to be housed together. I would also upgrade your UVB light or mount it inside. A T8 has an effective range of about 6-8'' without being intercepted by a mesh top. A T5 is a better fit even for a tank that size. I would set them both up in 40g breeder size tanks (or larger) along with a T5 UVB light and basking light. The basking light you have should be fine as long as it's producing adequate temps. Instead of having the probe on the side of the glass I would zip tie or tape it right to the branch so you can get an accurate reading of the basking surface and adjust your basking light according to that.

 

[dlquick]

Welcome! What do you use to measure your temps? A stick on thermometer can be pretty off at times so it's best to have a temp gun. Also, the basking surface temp should be 105 to 115 degrees Fahrenheit. To answer your question, no, you can't raise them together. No matter how friendly your beardies may seem to be be towards each other, they must be separated. One will dominate the other, taking the best basking spots, UVB spots, and food, along with causing stress to the other. If you are unable to get another terrarium, you can separate the one you have. I'm not an expert on lighting so can't confirm whether or not your UVB is a good one, but if there is any plastic or glass covering it, you need to remove it, it blocks all of the UVB. Also, what do you feed them? Mealworms and superworms aren't good staple feeder as they have hard exoskeletons and may cause impaction. Waxworms should also be given as treats, as they are a very fatty food for your dragons. From what I've heard, the best staple feeder insects are (live) BSFL, (Black soldier fly larva), as they have no restrictions on size, unlike roaches or crickets, who, if are to large, may cause impaction. Hope this helps. Btw, your dragons are so cute! :love10:

Thanks!! I’m using a ZooMed Digital Thermometer that has a wired probe. I did have it stuck to the wall beside the highest basking area on the branch, which showed temps around 98-99*. Then I relocated the probe and temporarily placed it on the highest basking area, and found temps reaching 128*!! I was wondering why the dragons would only bask at the lowest flat point, where temps seem to be around 95*. So, I’m thinking about getting a lower wattage basking bulb, maybe around 75W to bring the temp down at the top.
Also, I guess I’m going to part with one of them. I don’t want one or the other getting better things. I hate it, because I’m in love with them both, but can’t afford to buy another terrarium, lights, furniture etc..
Another note, their current diet consists of about 10 med crickets each a day, 6-8 med super worms each a day, and Cabbage or Kale w/ RepCal Juvenile pellets, & Nature Zone baby bites “Salad” in the tank all day when their feeling hungry. No water in the tank. I give them a short soak in warm water once a day, and mist their salad.
That’s about it in a nutshell.. Hope I’m doing okay...

 

[QuinnF]

Yes you will need to separate them. Even if they aren’t directly aggressive they will compete for uvb heat etc. Also as adults they will EACH need a 40 gallon tank and the MINUMUM. Hope you have fun with them beardies are awesome.