new beardie mommy....i lots of questions

[agordon89]

i just got two little beardies...i have them in a 40 breeder with crushed walnut shell substrate, the guy at the pet store said that one is definatly a male and the other one might be.
my first question is if this is a good set up? i keep reading on here that sand is bad for babies is the walnut shells ok? its the dessert blend made by zilla. and will the tank be ok for them, is it big enough. also is it normal for them to be very scidish at first. im making sure to move slow and be quiet and they still freak out anytime i try to touch them.also how often should i bathe them? i didn't read any of this stuff in the book that i bought to learn about them. im very nervous about doing something incorrectly and i don't want them to suffer because im dont know something so any tips or advice is greatly appreciated.

so thanks in advance for the help.

 

[everhood13]

First, walnut shell substrate is extremely bad for beardies. It is almost a guarenteed impaction waiting to happen. Better substrate choices include newspaper, paper towel, slate tile, and non adhesive shelf liner. One thing you may want to consider about your little ones is that bearded dragons are not social creatures. Eventually, your dragons will begin to show dominance. The dominant dragon will harass the other dragon by taking food, injuring, and stealing the most light from your other dragon. It is best if dragons are separated. If the second dragon is female, there are a whole new batch of risks. Male and female pairs housed together tend to result in over breeding of the female which can cause shortened life span. Producing eggs causes a huge strain on the female's body, and recovery is not always complete. Breeding can result in large numbers of dragons and tends to be a huge financial drain. Incubators, food and lighting for 30+ beardies is not very cost effective. I bathe my dragons roughly twice a week. Just keep trying with your dragons. They will eventually calm down enough for you to hold them and love them. Keep in mind you look like a giant alien to them. They will get used to you. If they try to bite, be ready to shove food in their mouths. Like men, their hearts are in their stomachs! :wink: Welcome to the wonderful world of bearded dragons. I suggest you take a really good look around this site. We are all here to help however we can. Oh, and we all love pictures!

 

[agordon89]

some one told me that the substrate is ok because im not feeding them in that tank they have a feeding tank with zilla carpet in it. i was told that because they are not eating in the substrate it shouldnt be a problem.... i know i forgot to mention that bit of info in the post and im sorry... but i would like to know if you guys know whether that is true or not? thanks and any name ideas would also be great i have no idea what to name them

 

[everhood13]

Dragons like to taste and eat things that they shouldn't sometimes. It's just a risk. If your baby eats any, it is a big issue. It's like a dog or a child who likes to swallow things they shouldnt, but with a much smaller digestive system. As far as names, I couldn't really help you. Have you tried an internet search for names? That sometimes helps me find names for my little ones.

 

[BeardieGrandma]

People at pet stores are constantly doling out bad information...

I would totally agree on posts about getting rid of the walnut substrate. Babies do lick and taste everything, and while it may not be guaranteed that it will make them sick, it is a risk. Especially with babies, there are so many other things to worry about, why complicate it further with a risky substrate. Many folks use reptile carpet and/or slate tile (which is good because it's easy to clean and can wear their nails down).

Also, the points made about keeping dragons together are also something to seriously consider. Again, there's a possibility that they could get along for now, immediate term, maybe forever. But you stand a huge risk of them turning on each other (or one moreso on the other) one day for no apparent reason. Also, over time, they might appear to get along (awww - look they are 'huggin') but one may be more dominant than the other, with subtle results being a smaller second dragon, who is unable to compete effectively for his/her share of light, heat, food, etc. And as I mentioned in previous paragraph, there are several other things that need attention (like ensuring you have the right UV, heating, protein and nutrient intake, good poos, etc.) why complicate it further by worrying if they are going to bite each other? It seems like some folks like to sell them in pairs - I know the breeder I bought our beardie from offered a 2-fer sale that was very enticing, but I only signed up for one since I was only set up for one.

Keep asking your questions - welcome to the board....and yes, we love pictures!!!!