Hello all!
Well let me start off by saying my experience with animals is with dogs, but Leia here needed a home. Her original owner is having a baby and they need the space. So, being the animal lover I am, my wife and I became beardie parents. Now to say I research everything is an understatement. I have had her a week now, and every time I find an article, video, or ask a local shop owner questions, I immediately turn around, and someone has a completely different opinion. Not only have my assumed mistakes given me hellacious anxiety, but it also costs a ton of money. BTW I cannot find the profile area to list my setup, but I’m going to include what I can here;
She is tip to tail about 10” long.
Tank is 20”X36” we got it from her previous owner along with a ceramic basking bulb holder thing.
Mesh top
Basking light is propped up on a stand and is 125w multi purpose with uvb and reaches around 100 degrees on her basking log.
Also she has a basking log. One one side under the basking light. The other side has no light above it.
I am using this large larger sized moist wood chips for substrate. (Reccomended by the reptile shop).
She has a small salad dish
Small corner salad dish
1 fake cactus cave. Recently realized she can go inside of it, and once in there does not want to leave.
1 hammock thing.
Okay now the part I have anxiety over. Her diet…
THIS LITTLE GIRL WILL NOT EAT GREENS!
I’ve tried premade mixes with sweet potato and carrot to sweeten them, I’ve tried mango juice. Mushed, whole leaf bits, I’ve tried feeding her something live with it or immediately after she starts munching. I make wiggle, jiggle, sweet, savory, in a dish, on the floor, from a pair of tweezers….. the list is long but I’ve tried all the things. She just stares at me like I’m an insane person.
So she’s mostly eating crickets. I hate crickets… half of them die on the way home. I refuse to feed her dead stuff. I coat them in the dust stuff for good measure, but….. “from what I’ve read,” they really are kinda garbage low protein compared to other sources etc.
Did I mention she’s around 10mos old?
She’s 10 months old.
Anyways so I started searching for other sources. Dubia roaches were then purchased along with meal worms, silk worms, and a salad mix (mixed at the store, she thinks it’s beneath her or something..anyways). I then read that silks and dubias can be combined as staples. Problem is there are few stores near me, and they are having trouble keeping them in stock… many online sources seem to be having similar issues in bulk quantity. So I asked the dude at the store if she could have super worms. Shes still adolescent age but decent size. Immediately after I start finding videos about compaction, and if you feed them more than 3 they will explode! Immediately followed by “those people are smoothed brained, that’s a myth!”
So at this point I’m beyond confused. If I can staple silk worms at a reasonable cost I know she’ll eat them. Assuming I can get them.
She will eat 1-3 dubias a day that are like 3/4” (refuses to eat males).
Now she is snubbing crickets too. and the only thing she would eat were those super worms. Now I’m like cool she’s going to get compacted and feel like crap or die, because I can’t figure out how to feed a lizard…
I think she should be eating way more, but then I’m told not to give in and that maybe she needs to be a little hungry to get her more interested in greens…
I was still out there then I stopped at Walmart for a tub to bathe her in. Didn’t know that was a thing… considering they are desert animals, and people keep saying too much humidity or water can seriously hurt them…
She seems calm, when allowed she will adventure whether it’s out of fear or interest I still don’t know. She did well in her bath and I got a bottle to “mist” with. Although I’m not sure how often this should happen…
So I’m conclusion, I’ve over researched to the point I can’t tell my rear from my face, and all I want is to be a good parent to this little girl.
Any thoughts, ideas, suggestions etc. are desperately wanted. Obviously I want to make sure she has everything she needs, but I need help before I spend another $500 on figuring it all out.
Much love,
Dustin
Well let me start off by saying my experience with animals is with dogs, but Leia here needed a home. Her original owner is having a baby and they need the space. So, being the animal lover I am, my wife and I became beardie parents. Now to say I research everything is an understatement. I have had her a week now, and every time I find an article, video, or ask a local shop owner questions, I immediately turn around, and someone has a completely different opinion. Not only have my assumed mistakes given me hellacious anxiety, but it also costs a ton of money. BTW I cannot find the profile area to list my setup, but I’m going to include what I can here;
She is tip to tail about 10” long.
Tank is 20”X36” we got it from her previous owner along with a ceramic basking bulb holder thing.
Mesh top
Basking light is propped up on a stand and is 125w multi purpose with uvb and reaches around 100 degrees on her basking log.
Also she has a basking log. One one side under the basking light. The other side has no light above it.
I am using this large larger sized moist wood chips for substrate. (Reccomended by the reptile shop).
She has a small salad dish
Small corner salad dish
1 fake cactus cave. Recently realized she can go inside of it, and once in there does not want to leave.
1 hammock thing.
Okay now the part I have anxiety over. Her diet…
THIS LITTLE GIRL WILL NOT EAT GREENS!
I’ve tried premade mixes with sweet potato and carrot to sweeten them, I’ve tried mango juice. Mushed, whole leaf bits, I’ve tried feeding her something live with it or immediately after she starts munching. I make wiggle, jiggle, sweet, savory, in a dish, on the floor, from a pair of tweezers….. the list is long but I’ve tried all the things. She just stares at me like I’m an insane person.
So she’s mostly eating crickets. I hate crickets… half of them die on the way home. I refuse to feed her dead stuff. I coat them in the dust stuff for good measure, but….. “from what I’ve read,” they really are kinda garbage low protein compared to other sources etc.
Did I mention she’s around 10mos old?
She’s 10 months old.
Anyways so I started searching for other sources. Dubia roaches were then purchased along with meal worms, silk worms, and a salad mix (mixed at the store, she thinks it’s beneath her or something..anyways). I then read that silks and dubias can be combined as staples. Problem is there are few stores near me, and they are having trouble keeping them in stock… many online sources seem to be having similar issues in bulk quantity. So I asked the dude at the store if she could have super worms. Shes still adolescent age but decent size. Immediately after I start finding videos about compaction, and if you feed them more than 3 they will explode! Immediately followed by “those people are smoothed brained, that’s a myth!”
So at this point I’m beyond confused. If I can staple silk worms at a reasonable cost I know she’ll eat them. Assuming I can get them.
She will eat 1-3 dubias a day that are like 3/4” (refuses to eat males).
Now she is snubbing crickets too. and the only thing she would eat were those super worms. Now I’m like cool she’s going to get compacted and feel like crap or die, because I can’t figure out how to feed a lizard…
I think she should be eating way more, but then I’m told not to give in and that maybe she needs to be a little hungry to get her more interested in greens…
I was still out there then I stopped at Walmart for a tub to bathe her in. Didn’t know that was a thing… considering they are desert animals, and people keep saying too much humidity or water can seriously hurt them…
She seems calm, when allowed she will adventure whether it’s out of fear or interest I still don’t know. She did well in her bath and I got a bottle to “mist” with. Although I’m not sure how often this should happen…
So I’m conclusion, I’ve over researched to the point I can’t tell my rear from my face, and all I want is to be a good parent to this little girl.
Any thoughts, ideas, suggestions etc. are desperately wanted. Obviously I want to make sure she has everything she needs, but I need help before I spend another $500 on figuring it all out.
Much love,
Dustin