New Beardie Owner Finds Things So Confusing!

[jings55]

Ewww! A roach by any other name is still a roach! We have plenty of them in South Carolina and they get inside sometime and these suckers can fly! The real big ones that get as big as a Silver Dollar they nicely call "Palmetto Bugs" after our State (palm)tree. I'm scared of them! they'll fly on you! I've had them in my hair one time and almost went nuts! :bleick:

My hubby is NOT in favor of raising crickets-so I guess, we'll just have to keep buying them every other day. I am going to look into ordering some Phoenix worms to feed on alternate days. Do y'all think will work?

I was worried earlier, cause he ignored his salad for thee days after the big increase in mealies. But he pooped. I gave him a warm bath and he got crickets and kale tonight! (I know, it's those night time feedings...but his lights will still be on for a while. He ate most of the crickets (we gave him 25) and my granddaughter saw him chomping at his kale-and it does look like some of it is gone. So let's keep our fingers crossed!

I measured Stryker tonight and he grew a little in the last 8 days. He's 53 grams-up from 48 and 10 1/2 inches-up a half inch. So he is slowly growing. Just got to feed him more and get him on a schedule!

Thank you all for your help and support. I may still need your help... :wink:

 

[BeardieMommy3991]

Don't worry about the greens. Beardies are like toddlers- some HATE veggies and refuse to eat them. Just keep offering and eventually they will come around :wink:

And we will always be here!

 

[ynevar]

Ewww! A roach by any other name is still a roach! We have plenty of them in South Carolina and they get inside sometime and these suckers can fly! The real big ones that get as big as a Silver Dollar they nicely call "Palmetto Bugs" after our State (palm)tree. I'm scared of them! they'll fly on you! I've had them in my hair one time and almost went nuts! :bleick: A June bug flew in my hair once when I was a kid, traumatized me LOL

My hubby is NOT in favor of raising crickets-so I guess, we'll just have to keep buying them every other day. I am going to look into ordering some Phoenix worms to feed on alternate days. Do y'all think will work?I am sure that will work buying them every other day, I just know that it is a lot more expensive at the pet store. Phoenix worms are an awesome feeder. They will arrive in cups with a sawdust looking like material. You don't need to do anything with them except air them out now and then. If the sawdust stuff gets too dry just add a few drops of water to it. You can serve them a few ways. You can either put them in a container and let them dry out and the sawdust stuff will fall off them, you and pick them out and put them in a feeder bowl for Stryker. Or you can spoon the powder and worms into a glass of water, the bedding will fall to the bottom and the worms will float. Mind you, WET Phoenix worms will be able to climb up things, dry worms cannot climb. When I do this, I spoon them onto a paper towel, gently blot them dry and put them into a feeder dishes for my beardies.

I was worried earlier, cause he ignored his salad for thee days after the big increase in mealies. But he pooped. I am glad he pooped!!!!! YAY!!!! I gave him a warm bath and he got crickets and kale tonight! (I know, it's those night time feedings...but his lights will still be on for a while. As long as he has at least 2-3 hours of basking time after eating to digest he will be alright. He ate most of the crickets (we gave him 25) and my granddaughter saw him chomping at his kale-and it does look like some of it is gone. So let's keep our fingers crossed! I am guessing being in South Carolina you'd be able to get Collard Greens pretty easy and for not too expensive, those and mustard greens too. Those are great staple greens for your beardie. Also grated acorn or butternut squash. I know you are a busy grandma and have two busy grandkids to keep after as well. What I'd suggest is something I do to make my life easier, it's something I read here on the forum and I took this advice to heart. I make a small tupperware container with salad chopped small, the principle is the same, no bigger than the space between the eyes. I do mine even smaller, just because. So having the salad ready, each day after I get up and turn the lights on after about an hour (which gives them time to warm up) I put a dish of salad in the cool side of their tanks. It's so easy because I have it prepared in the fridge. So for example right now my guys salad is collard greens chopped fine, hubbard squash grated, carrot tops chopped fine, and a bit of cilantro. I had some cilantro left from a meal. It's an occasional feeder for them. I try to mix it up. Next batch will be mustard greens, acorn squash and endive. I use the Beautiful Dragon Nutrition page as a guide for staples. Is helpful really. But having it ready helps me keep them on a schedule, makes my life easier and gives them a good diet. THANK YOU whoever posted that post who gave me the advice, I can't find it again! But I LOVE IT! I also try to buy in small quantities at the store to save money.

I measured Stryker tonight and he grew a little in the last 8 days. He's 53 grams-up from 48 and 10 1/2 inches-up a half inch. So he is slowly growing. Just got to feed him more and get him on a schedule! YAY He is growing!!!! Keep up the feeding protein (crickets, phoenix worms etc) 2-3 times a day (well before bed). BeardieMommy3991 is right about the greens, make sure they are offered, but I wouldn't stress now if he doesn't eat them. The protein is the critical part of a juveniles diet at this point. They can be super finicky about greens until they get a bit older. I think that knowing his temps would be another important step. I know you wanted to get the digital. He will not be able to grow well if he cannot digest well. He needs the right temps to grow well, regardless of what he eats.

Thank you all for your help and support. I may still need your help... :wink:Happy to help I am glad that so many have chimed in with great advice for you! Glad we can be here to help, it is confusing and overwhelming at times. Especially when trying to juggle and prioritize what to buy next etc. I can totally relate!!!! Hope all is well.

 

[Toasty]

Ewww! A roach by any other name is still a roach! We have plenty of them in South Carolina and they get inside sometime and these suckers can fly! The real big ones that get as big as a Silver Dollar they nicely call "Palmetto Bugs" after our State (palm)tree. I'm scared of them! they'll fly on you! I've had them in my hair one time and almost went nuts! :bleick:

A roach is a roach, yes, but the roaches people are referring to are very different from the ones that are getting inside your house--those are a specific species that is classified as a pest roach. Very few of the roaches used as feeders can fly--the only one I can really think of are the P. nivea (Green Banana Roaches) and not many people use those. I have colonies of dubias, lobsters, and lateralis. They are ridiculously easy to raise and the convenience of having multiple feeders on hand at all times outweighs any "ickiness" factor in my opinion. I do buy crickets occasionally to add some variety, and use superworms, waxworms, and calciworms sparingly, again for more variety and as a sort of "treat". Even the "good" worms are not really good as staple feeders for various reasons. I'm a strong advocate of providing as much variety in the diet as possible, and raising some of my own feeders makes it much easier to do that.

I think lobster roaches can climb both glass and plastic, but if you put vaseline around the top of their enclosure they can't make it through that. Heheheh I could just see my lobster roach tank, an inch thick layer of vaseline around the top! hehehe!

Lobster roaches are very good climbers which is the main reason they aren't as popular as dubias, even though they breed much faster and have a softer exo. A barrier along the top of the enclosure is necessary to prevent escape, but its not difficult at all to do. If you use vaseline, it actually needs to be a very thin 3" layer--if the vaseline is applied too thickly then they are actually able to get across it. I've discovered that Johnson's Lavender Baby Oil Gel is perfect to use for the barrier. Because of the consistency, it applies in a very thin layer, and I suspect the lavender scent is also aversive to them. When I first dumped my lobsters into the tank they all immediately started climbing the glass but every single one came to a dead stop once it reached the barrier. Since then I've not seen one even try to climb up near the barrier. I do the same thing for my lats, although they aren't nearly as good of climbers as the lobsters.

 

[ynevar]

A roach is a roach, yes, but the roaches people are referring to are very different from the ones that are getting inside your house--those are a specific species that is classified as a pest roach. Very few of the roaches used as feeders can fly--the only one I can really think of are the P. nivea (Green Banana Roaches) and not many people use those. I have colonies of dubias, lobsters, and lateralis. They are ridiculously easy to raise and the convenience of having multiple feeders on hand at all times outweighs any "ickiness" factor in my opinion. I do buy crickets occasionally to add some variety, and use superworms, waxworms, and calciworms sparingly, again for more variety and as a sort of "treat". Even the "good" worms are not really good as staple feeders for various reasons. I'm a strong advocate of providing as much variety in the diet as possible, and raising some of my own feeders makes it much easier to do that.

I agree I have been watching videos, reading more about raising dubias. I was able to get over my icky factor for crickets, I am pretty darn sure I can get over it for dubias too. I got to thinking though, this could get really out of hand, what would I do with these guys if I can't feed them all to my dragons? heeheh...

Lobster roaches are very good climbers which is the main reason they aren't as popular as dubias, even though they breed much faster and have a softer exo. A barrier along the top of the enclosure is necessary to prevent escape, but its not difficult at all to do. If you use vaseline, it actually needs to be a very thin 3" layer--if the vaseline is applied too thickly then they are actually able to get across it. I've discovered that Johnson's Lavender Baby Oil Gel is perfect to use for the barrier. Because of the consistency, it applies in a very thin layer, and I suspect the lavender scent is also aversive to them. When I first dumped my lobsters into the tank they all immediately started climbing the glass but every single one came to a dead stop once it reached the barrier. Since then I've not seen one even try to climb up near the barrier. I do the same thing for my lats, although they aren't nearly as good of climbers as the lobsters.

That is good to know. I would have had an inch thick barrier hahaha...