New to this and need help!!!

[m00n1e]

Ohh Tracie Look! (everyone else too of course!!) Rigs is finally wanting to climb where I believe Zoey likes to go! He is starting to feel so much more comfortable(he even sleeps on me!) and likes to run around! He is sooo curious about everything! My only issue is the green shag carpet he wants to eat he is sure is it something tasty! haha

Just a cute one of him thinking he is hiding

And finally here are some pictures of his new viv he has been in there for awhile now and I'm not sure the size its an odd one like 38 gal? Weird I know but bigger than 20! woohoo lucky boy! I just got him the new dragon head and rearranged! I am a little nervous about it, the lights are on the inside! But it is just to tall to have them outside, and he needs a few more rocks in there I had to lay some paper towels in between the rock gaps but it is such a step up for the lil fella! Hopefully you can see good in the pics let me know if you can't!

Close up

and me trying to get the whole viv in the frame alot haha

 

[traceyb73]

Ohh Tracie Look! (everyone else too of course!!) Rigs is finally wanting to climb where I believe Zoey likes to go! He is starting to feel so much more comfortable(he even sleeps on me!) and likes to run around! He is sooo curious about everything! My only issue is the green shag carpet he wants to eat he is sure is it something tasty! haha

The pic of him sleeping is just the cutest thing!! Not sure why he is trying to eat the carpet though. LOL

That is EXACTLY where Zoey goes on me!! Isn't that cool to feel those little nails? It doesn't hurt unless the get scared...then I have learned it leaves marks. lol I am so happy for you!!! ) Zoey falls asleep on me every night and in the morning i will pick her up (she sleeps in a blankie and her head is always covered) she will wake up with me holding her. Funny though, don't know about Rigs, but she is NOT a morning lizard. lol Even whens he does wake up in her cage. Takes her a while to get up and moving. She is so trusting though.Llast night I bent down (while holding her in her blankie) and Zoey, who was upside down at that point, didn't move or even tense up a little. lol If there is such a thing as too trusting, it's Miss Zoey Pants!

Rigs new house looks great! You know, I was in that same store yesterday and looking at everything you have in there! EVERYTHING!! That flower that looks like a cactus...the one with 3 things come out, I had it in my hand but Zoey's favorite is that little flower that looks like an aloe plant, that (here) costs $4.99 (probably alot more there). She will sprawl herself over the thing. lol So I got her another one. Now she thinks she is having deja vu. I just got off the phone with a guy who has a 40 gal and he is dropping it off tomorrow or Saturday. Woohoo!!! I am so happy my little one is going to have room to move around. I may go and get some of the stuff you have too. I was thinking about the rocks too, but I got one of those pieces of wood that was right next to it. I took a long, twisted branch from outside so she will have something to climb on. And yes, I washed it and baked it. I have a nice big rock that I washed and baked too, just not enough room for her at the moment. She can't wait to get out of there now. When I put her back in there she gets stress marks, when I take her out they are instantly gone. Poor baby.

The only thing you might want to do is make sure the greens are small. It was suggest to me to do the same with the greens as the crickets/roaches...make sure they aren't any bigger than the space between their eyes, and I believe smaller is better. And the water dish you don't need. Just brings up the humidity. I put a drop of water on my finger (not hot, not cold) and I touch it to her mouth. Alot of times she will open up and drink it. I keep doing it until she doesn't want anymore. But you will probably need to dry him underneath as water will find it's way down his belly. I do it a few times a day, and it's a good idea to spray the greens with water throughout the day too so they don't dry out. So he will be getting extra fluids when he eats too. Plus the soaks and you don't need the dish...

I just can't get over how cute those pics are. I know how upset you were about that. I always make sure I walk around with her too. I found it builds up the trust. If you see or feel him getting stressed, cup your hand over his head so he thinks he is hiding. As long as he feels safe, which he obviously does now, he will learn to trust you easily from what I learned with Zoey. You know I'm a newbie too, just what I learned with my little one.

So tell me...what did he do when you put him in the big cage? I can't wait to see that reaction. lol

 

[m00n1e]

Oh Rigs does NOT want to live without a water dish I was even contemplating when I upgrade for the last time getting him a fountain if there is room. He loves sitting in the water! I keep the dish on a heating pad that is under the tank so the water is a little warm and he absolutely loves it I would feel rude if I took it out lol from the beginning he has liked it and drank out of it. I still give him water from my finger and of course bath time and wet greens!

I really want to get him some stuff to climb on and a hammock but I am worried about him getting over the light or burning himself on it!

and honestly it was bad at first, he was terrorfied at first running around dark stress marks, he even puffed up at me for the first time ever! But after he realized he was fine and had his Tiki head and water dish were there was no problems and do you mean the short spikey plant? Cuz Rigs loves that one too sleeps on it usually lol

 

[traceyb73]

Ohh Tracie Look! (everyone else too of course!!) Rigs is finally wanting to climb where I believe Zoey likes to go! He is starting to feel so much more comfortable(he even sleeps on me!) and likes to run around! He is sooo curious about everything! My only issue is the green shag carpet he wants to eat he is sure is it something tasty! haha

Hey! I haven't heard from you in a while. How's Rigs doing?

 

[m00n1e]

Hey! I haven't heard from you in a while. How's Rigs doing?

I was just thinking this last night and thought about posting on here! Hahaha I love it, no real reason just was thinking about you and lil Zoe too!

He is doing great after giving me a little scare 2 days ago he was just extremely grumpy and dark! I got really worried (because i'm paranoid you know lol) that he hasn't grown much like he did when I first got him, I felt like in that first month he was just a daisy! But he hadn't shed more than once and i couldn't see him physically getting bigger like I could before. So that day I gave Mr. Grumpy a bath and gave him some extra fruit with his veggies for a treat and the next day he was shedding! It was such a relief to know why he was acting like that is was so weird. His first shed was so soon after we got him he was already on edge before it started and long after it was over so it wasn't so noticeable. He finished his tail yesterday and I see his head pealing so I'm thinking another bath today for good measure! :wink:

He has also been coming out a lot during the day, and while he is still always trying to run I can tell (i think) that he is having a good time, and he has been falling asleep with us first then going to bed in his tank almost every night! It has been so cute! He loves going to my neck now when it is dark! I love it! Oh these little ones aren't they too much! No one could have told me I would be cuddling with a 'lizard' in a million years! But he is my favorite! He won't play ant smasher tho! I have been trying everyday but he is more interested in running around.

On a sad note I learned that I wasn't doing the calcium/vitamin thing right this whole time! And I'm still not sure if I am no one has gotten back to me yet! I thought you were just supposed to feed the crickets calcium so I bought the Fluker's calcium cricket feed (and finally got those orange blocks btw) and that was all! I felt so dumb! I was shaking and baking but the wrong stuff! Ugghh I know we are still learning but even when I thought I had it! So I went and bought a calcium dust for them where the directions even say "shake and bake" method so I know I am on the right track but still not sure about the vitamins! I feel so bad for Rigs thinking I could have been seriously harming him over time!

Haha sorry to ramble but you know how it is :roll:. How are you and Zoey? She has to be getting big!

 

[BeardieMommy3991]

You just dust the crickets by putting them in a cup or a bag with the dust and then shaking em around. Most go calcium once a day 5 days, and vitamins once a day 2 days.

 

[traceyb73]

Aw, that is so cool! I'm glad he was just cranky from the shed. Zoey has been going through this (although she has yet to actually shed) and I feel terrible for her. I know how awful it feels when we get a sunburn and it peels...not being able to pick at it or scratch it has to be beardie hell. Poor little things. ((

If it makes you feel any better, I was doing the opposite with the vitamins. I was dusting the crickets EVERY DAY PLUS her food. (( I over did it. AND I forgot the vitamins. So she was getting too much of one and none of the other. Poor little thing. her belly has been really upset for a few days now, and of course I am practically in hysterics.

As far as those orange cubes, I use like 1 per 40-50 crickets. You don't need too much. The jar is pretty big so they will last a while. Guy at the store said they don't need to be refrigerated either. I was also told that humidity will kill the crickets and to get regular plain old oatmeal. Grocery stores have generic and you can get a big tub for practically nothing. Those crickets are evil little things though. There is a good chance that my little girl, who was parasite free when i got her, now has parasites because of those evil things. I am trying to figure out how to feed her bugs but keep the smaller bugs (parasites) away. This is soooo complicated!!!!

Have you figured out how to use the vitamins/calcium? I can help you if you need it. Listen, I was feeling bad about the vitamins too and beating myself up, but the thing is that we figured it out!!

Let me tell you what you should try instead of the ant game. Mariah (my daughter) had Zoey on her chest, laptop on her lap, laying down in bed with her head propped up. Mariah loves to watch those cute beardie videos on YouTube...you know, the ones with the beardies chasing or cuddling with cats, dogs, birds, etc....so she was watching them, i was kneeling next to the bed talking to her. next thing I know, Miss Zoey is walking across her keyboard (she never did that before!), pooped on "B", "V", and "G", then decided to get right up to the screen. LOL She was standing like where the power button is, but in the middle. The look of interest on her face was just priceless!! Mariah took a pic but didn't realize she actually took the pic of Zoey pooping on her puter. LOL LOL LOL You should try that sometime. (and I don't mean taking a pic of Rigs pooping. lol) They like the keyboard cause it's warm I think. Wait, they can't feel heat on the bottom...never mind, forget that. LOL

By the way,, you can get the liquid vitamins (comes in a bottle like hair spray, the pump kind) and spray it on the veggies 2 or 3 times a week. As long as he eats some of his greens he will be fine.

I started a thread for Zoey in Beardie Tales. It's got lots of pics...drop by anytime and feel free to comment. By the way, I took a pic of my dog and posted it in Zoey thread too.

 

[m00n1e]

Thanks I am still trying to figure it all out. Thank you Beardie Mommy too your so helpful! I love that about this site!

Haha as far as practically in hysterics I feel you there I get so worked up over every little thing! Although I don't think this will be a full shed like before, only some parts are shedding, it was still a HUGE relief.

Oatmeal! Of course I forgot you recommended that I will have to buy some because I am finally keeping my crickets alive except the humidity some days is worse and I noticed they wont make it. So sensitive, I really want to try a nutritious worm as another feeder and switch it up sometimes. I just can never find the right kind. I think they are called calciworms reptiworms or phoenix worms as far as the nutritious ones go.

Thanks I think I'm getting the Vitamin thing I will just need to go pic one out.. The hard part is decisions lol

Sweet! A Zoey thread of course I will be there! I love pics and dogs too! lol

 

[traceyb73]

You just dust the crickets by putting them in a cup or a bag with the dust and then shaking em around. Most go calcium once a day 5 days, and vitamins once a day 2 days.

As long as you mentioned that, tell me if what I am doing is too much....

We are still (for some reason) getting them from our local pet store. When we get them home and they are still in the plastic bags they use to put fish in, I do the shake and bake before I put them in the cricket keeper, put them in the keeper then as the week goes on, I will dust them every other day (I WAS doing it EVERY DAY, PLUS HER SALAD) right in the keeper. Is that too much? I mean doing the same crickets over and over? After they are dusted, are they supposed to be all white or is that too much?

 

[traceyb73]

Oh Rigs does NOT want to live without a water dish I was even contemplating when I upgrade for the last time getting him a fountain if there is room. He loves sitting in the water! I keep the dish on a heating pad that is under the tank so the water is a little warm and he absolutely loves it I would feel rude if I took it out lol from the beginning he has liked it and drank out of it. I still give him water from my finger and of course bath time and wet greens!

I really want to get him some stuff to climb on and a hammock but I am worried about him getting over the light or burning himself on it!

and honestly it was bad at first, he was terrorfied at first running around dark stress marks, he even puffed up at me for the first time ever! But after he realized he was fine and had his Tiki head and water dish were there was no problems and do you mean the short spikey plant? Cuz Rigs loves that one too sleeps on it usually lol

You are so lucky that Rigs drinks his water!! I wish Zoey would stop being difficult and drink on her own. lol She won't even drink in the bat! I was thinking about how nice a fountain would be since they love things that move so much. Then it was suggested not a good idea because of the humidity level. Kind of stinks too, cause it would be really cute!!

 

[BeardieMommy3991]

I think it might be a little too much. Not for your dragon, but wasting your calcium. It will just fall off all the crix.

I just dust the ones he is going to eat right then.

Like this XD (sorry. This is the only program I have to draw with right now)

 

[ClydesGirl]

OMG, I love that drawing SO MUCH! You need to do more artwork for like a "beardie care guide" or something! LOVE IT. Can you do one of how your UVB and heat lights should be arranged looking down at the top of your viv? I have such a hard time trying to explain to people how they need to overlap so your beardie can soak up UVB while basking.

 

[BeardieMommy3991]

I can do a whole lot better, I swear! XD But yeah. maybe I will make one sometime

 

[m00n1e]

I love it! Haha I want to take a picture so you see what I have and then I will know what else to get! Should I put some calcium in his greens too? I was just dusting the crickets as he eats them.

Don't worry Tracey I still buy them from the pet store too =/ for some reason I can't commit to 1000 plus I don't even want to hear shipping+ handling up here!... I was looking up to get Rigs a hammock and the shipping was double the price of the Hammock!!! Not even worth it until I get a big order.

And I have really been thinking about a fountain too! What if the humidity could be controlled? I was going to give it a shot anyways when he up grades to his final sized tank (I fantasize about someday building him a large one with wood on the sides and only one glass side, and nice custom top that holds the lights easily, and the tank wouldn't be super tall just wide..Oh some day :roll: ) I want a nice fountain he can lay in because he loves when I pour the water into his dish, and he will out grow this one before too long for laying in.
What is the perfect humidity?

 

[TheWerewolf]

What is the perfect humidity?

30 to 35% humidity is perfect. Our house is pretty humid so Nim's cage humidity is 40 to 45% and he is doing fine. I heard somewhere that the danger zone is above 60%. (Correct me if I'm wrong.)
Hope this helps!