New to beardies and i need some advice :)

[illicit636]

Hello im new here and im sure i have tons to learn but i very excited to get a beardie, so i should start by saying that i have done some research and i do understand alot of what i have read. although like some people its easier for me to hear it again from my questions than read a reply to someone elses. so i have just built my enclosure its identicle to http://www.freewebs.com/crossfireenclosures/ but i have some questions about lights. on the left side i have the light fixture with a Reptisun 10.0 TUBE. on the right side i have my ceramic house hold light. my first question is what watt bulb do i want in the house hold light and also is this tank to big for a baby beardie(wich i havnt bought yet). the other question about the lighting is i have read the you want the heat light 10-12 inches from the beardie will i need to make a basking platform closer to the light for a baby beardie and lower it as it grows. also im understand the temps for the hot side and the cooler side but at night do i completly shut the lights out for my beardie or is there something else i need to do? ok enough about lighting now im using the approved carpet/turff for the beardie untill he is big enough and then i want to use tile. does this sound like the best way? also i have seen alot of ver. that have been built so i have good ideas on making it a fun place for my beardie but im just worried about the ver. being to big for a baby. my last question atm is, that i heard that you only wanted to get beardies that are at least 6inches long and make sure there alert and active before you buy them. although all i have locally is petsmart and i feel like there beardies just arnt happy/active and im worried that may be a mistake to buy one from petsmart. anyways sorry for rambling im just excited and i wanna be well knowledgable before i get my new friend. thanks in advance for any help

 

[gwookkim]

the uvb 10.0 light should be kept in the middle so that the rays can reach as much of the tank as possible. the uvb light wont give off heat so it wont affect your temp gradient. and then your ceramic heat lamp, im assuming, should be kept on one side of the tank. the hot side of your tank should be upper 90's. some people have the temp at almost 110. but i wouldnt get it that high, especially for a baby beardie. depending on wat your room temperature is, you may or may not need another heating lamp. my room temp is 83 degrees, so i dont need a heat lamp. otherwise you can use like a 75 watt heat bulb to get the cooler side up to 80-86 degrees.
a platform for basking is a must. you want it slanting upwards towards the lamp so that there are different levels of temperatures that your beardie can access on the hot side alone.
at night the temperature drops to about 74-78 degrees in my apartment. during the winter it gets cold so i use a 100 watt night heat lamp to keep the temperature up in the upper 70's at night. for a baby beardie, dont let the temperature get close to 60 degrees. so when it gets to 65, i would start worrying. ive heard older beardies can survive colder, but not babies.

actually i would use tile straight off the bat. its the most convenient. all you have to do is take it out and scrub the tile with a sponge in luke warm water, dry and then put back in. no paper towels to crumple up and create trash.
ur enclosure is also too big for a baby beardie. that is for an adult. if the tank is too big, the baby will get stressed, and its growth will be stunted. also it makes it harder for your beardie to "hunt" for its food in its gigantic cage.
and please dont buy a beardie from a petsmart or petco or petland (i work at petland). go to a reptile show and meet up with a breeder, or find a reptile breeder in your area. those are the most reliable sources for beardies. the big corporate pet stores have a lot of workers that dont know how to take care of the animal, have no idea where the animal came from or what breeder, or anything.

anyways. good luck and i hope this info helped! and you know wat, ask around some more. maybe im even wrong you know? everyone's experience is valid and valuable information for all beginners.

gene

 

[TheWolfmanTom]

Welcome aboard,
Dont forget the #1 rule of the forum!! "pics or it didnt happen...lol"
Now as far as wattage I would start with 100 watts and let the tank come up to temp before you start taking readings with a digital thermometer. At that point you will eithr have to do nothing or adjust your wattage up or down. I run my reptisun tube across the length of the tank for max coverage. You have the opprotunity to play with your temps before you get a pooper, therefore your ahead of the average person, and I commend you on making the effort to be ready 1st. At night as long as your household doesnt fall below 65 degrees you wont have to do anything. If it does drop that low you can use a ceramic heat emiter which gives off heat but no light or you can use a low watt black light like I do. Hope this is a start to answering your questions.

 

[illicit636]

ok cool, now for the light i want a 100w heat light correct? is there any certain one to get. and since my tank is to big should i just make a section littler for him and then make the tank bigger as he gets bigger, or do i just get a 20gal long to start and as he gets bigger i move him to the tank i built. and how do i find a breeder where i live? or is it better to buy maybe from one of the vendors on this site?

 

[gwookkim]

a 100 watt is bulb is a high wattage enough for a 20 long. if you get a baby beardie, def get a 20 long and then move him into the bigger enclosure once he's like a foot long or so. if you want to deal with adjusting your custom built enclosure go for it! the more hands on the more fun i suppose.
you can look up dates for a reptile show on repticon. google it. and they should have a few locations that you may be willing to drive to get to. its worth going to with a couple of friends with. reptile shows are a blast.
and yea, purchasing a beardie from this site is not a bad idea either. just make sure you get a beardie from someone reputable, and make sure its a breeder that a bunch of people on this website seems to know.
good luck!

 

[Angiecountrygirl]

Welcome to the world of owning a bd! I just got my baby 2 weeks ago tomorrow and I'm already in love. He's the cutest little guy- and everyone here has been soooooooo helpful (We are so lucky to have such knowledgable friends to ask our questions too). Unfortunately I'm not the best to ask, so I will just say one thing. As far as Petsmart goes... I understand everyone's feelings on the chain stores (unfortunatley I'm inpatient and when I get my mind set on something- I have to go with it, lol). I have 12 hermit crabs who I treat like royalty and on an every other day absis was stopping in Petsmart to buy stuff for them... this is where I saw my beardie. He was alert, and active. For about a month I would stumble down the isle to pick something up and he would walk over to the glass, tilt his head (as if to say "Hi there"), and he gave me what I refer to as "Lizard-Puppy-Dog Eyes"... He won my heart. I know that he may not be from the ideal place- but he has a home now.
I'm just happy that he's not squeezed into that little tank anymore- and for me it was like rescuing a puppy from the pound. All I can say is good luck- and where ever you get your little friend, I'm sure you will make him happy and BLESSED! Good Luck!

 

[illicit636]

great so i will go with a 20 gal long to start him out with and run the 100w bulb for heat and also the rep 10 across the entire cage. i looked up repticon web site and all there shows are in flordia area. i live in champaign il so i dont know if theres ever reptile shows around here. alot of cattle shows but havnt ever heard of a reptile show. anyone suggest a vendor on the forums?

 

[TheWolfmanTom]

Check your temps. Dont just go by wattage. Your in florida. depending on where you keep your viv you may only need a 60 watt to achieve the right temp. By starting with 100 watts and checking you will know exactly how hot your tank will get, and if you need to tone it down or up. As far as breeders go there are MANY on this site I would deal with. Check out the forsale section.

 

[illicit636]

sorry i live in champaign IL i may have worded that wrong. i noticed that the for sale section has numerous breeders and your one of them. i would love to get one but i wanna make sure i have everything i need set first. is there any already started forums or good write ups on starting with a beardie for new owners going over everything?

 

[Twobeardieguy]

I agree keep checking temps!!

 

[TheWolfmanTom]

Take your time,
All the info you need is in this forum or on the breeders care sheets. The other breeders and I are not going anywhere anytime soon. When your ready we are here. In the meantime ask your questions, play with your set up till you feel its perfect. My caresheet was written based on the information in here as well as info I have used from other breeders over the years. I wrote it from the prespective of what has worked for me. The search feature on this website is top notch. I use it myself almost daily, These wonderful creatures will keep you on your toes and no matter how much you learn about them there will always be more to learn

 

[illicit636]

thanks i didnt notice you had a website! i believe i will find out more there to feel more comfortable

 

[illicit636]

i just wanted to let anyone know who is looking for beardies stick to the advice you can learn on here or from a reputable vendore(SP). i went to petsmart today and first i found a little beardie that was soo alert and cute. he ran up to the window and def. wanted me to take him home. although the other two that were in there didnt move and there colors seemed alittle dark and there eyes were sorta half open and half shut. anyways the temps were way off imo. hot side was like 80F and cool was like 65F and they seemed to just not be happy. on top of that they guy who was talking to me was like " well the little guy who is very alert just got here, but the other two have been here a while and there not doing to hot" second he tried to explain to me that i could just buy the 20 gallon package buy my beadie set everything up tonight and my bd wouldnt go through any trouble( wich if thats true i wouldnt want to do that to him).. all im getting at is if i would have never asked any questions here i would have felt that this sales person was telling me the right things to do and honestly it may or may not have killed my bd. anyways sorry to vent but i was alittle upset after learning alot on here and then seeing and listening to this "specialist" tell me things. YOU GUYS ARE GREAT ON HERE and anyone who needs info start here dont waste your time and petsmart.

 

[Angiecountrygirl]

Sorry you had to vent.
I feel your concerns and you're right to feel that way for sure. I guess I'm lucky- because everything I've learned on here has been what the people at my Petsmart have told me. I live in Connecticut- and I go to the North Haven Petsmart where I'm fortunate enough to have specialists that not only know their job, but Sarah that works there even has a BD- and she gave me alot of pointers. There is a guy Mark there who has helped me with everything from lighting to the eco-carpetting, and Mike (The manager) who walked me through the vitamin and calcium powder and a few other things. They even told me about properly sanitizing the driftwood I purchased (which I still have yet to do- that's why it's not in the Viv yet, lol). Well, good Luck w/ everything!!! :mrgreen:

 

[lovinmybd]

I just wanted to comment about the viv being too big for a baby I too was worried about bringing a baby home to a crossfire enclosure as everyone was telling me the same thing when I put my question to the board here I got one of the best answers ever and it turned out to be true...my 5 inch baby came home to a 4x2x2 enclosure, i feed in a separate tub and he loves it in there....hates being in the small tub now here is the answer that said it all for me....

by peera on Tue Sep 01, 2009 11:17 am
In my opinion, the idea that a big cage will stress a little beardie out is beyond ludicrous. After all, these animals were living in the wild no so long ago. No walls or ceiling out there! As VegasLizard says, they might have an issue catching feeders, but if you feed outside the enclosure, that's no longer an issue!

I am glad I took that advice as he is happy and IMO he loves all the space he has!!

Carolynne