Thanks! Okay, here is my list of questions. I know I will have more later, but this is all for now.
-Buy from a breeder or petstore?
BREEDER! with the caveat that it be a good breeder... there are plenty of "bad breeders" out there who are in it just for the money and you can get shy, unhealthy babies from them. Most petstores get their babies from big production facilitys that are often sold when they are smaller than what is typically recommended (ie smaller than 8 inches) and they often aren't kept in great enviorments either. So I would ask around on here for people in your area and see if there is a breeder that has a good reputation, or barring that you can have one shipped overnight
-Baby or Adult? Certain species?
This part is up to you... babies tend to be a bit more spastic and rambunctious during handling, eat a lot more insects, and need more fine tuning in regards to husbandry. The adults are more laid back, and should eat more salad, and are easier to get comfy with handling. But the babies are a TON of fun to watch grow up and are soooo silly
-How can you tell if parasites are present? (This is what caused my Uro's death, I want to avoid it happening again.)
Parasites in beardies (adult or baby) are very common, even if you do get them from a good breeder. A fecal screening from a vet is the only real way to test for this - and you really do need a vet experienced with reptiles as the common parasites in beardies are different from dog/cats. Most parasites are fairly easy to deal with, but some can be harder to manage than others
-Is a 55 gallon tank big enough? Would it be best for only 1 dragon to live in it?
A 55 gallon is big enough for 1 adult. Most people recommend the 40 gallon breeder - more floor space than a 55- because they seem to enjoy being able to run around more and dragons don't tend to care so much about the increased height. But if you don't want to buy a new tank right now, a55 gal isn't a problem. It's also recommended to only have 1 dragon per enclosure. Bearded dragons are solitary in the wild and don't tend to get along well with others in captivity. You can get bite wounds (tail, feet, etc) or just one being dominate for basking position or food. Plus if you end up with a girl and boy then you'll have to deal with all the breeding stuff down the road...It's probably better to start out with just one anyways imo
-Best substrate? Paper towels and newspaper seems so boring, but I know those are probably safest!
Paper Towels and newspaper are safe and easy to change/clean. For babies sometimes they are the best choice depending on how messy they are!! But other safe options are Reptile Carpet (similar to astroturf) or using slate tiles. Avoid all the Loose substrates (walnut, corncob, sand, etc) Most of those that are labeled for reptiles are bad news and should be avoided.
-How many crickets a day will a Beardie eat? How often?
This also depends. They shouldn't eat anything bigger than the space between the eyes as babies. So for the young ones you will be feeding tiny crickets (other other insects) and they will go through 25-50 per day on average of the appropriately sized cricket. As they get older that amount will decrease, and they will eat more salad
-Are other crickets the main staple or should other insects be added in as treats?
Crickets aren't a bad feeder. Other options are phoenix worms (aka reptiworms) - these are high in calcium and are small), dubia roachs (if you have an establised breeding colony you can feed the small ones to a baby - these are high in calcium and very nutritious as well), small silkworms or hornworms - soft slow moving worms that are also very nutritious. Mealworms should be avoided as they are harder to digest, higher in fat, and not that nutritious. Superworms are not good for babies, but can be fed to older juvies or adults. Waxworms make a great treat.
-What kind of container will the crickets live in?
If you order a bunch online a rubbermaid type container works best, otherwise for smaller amount a critter catcher type plastic container is fine
-What do the crickets eat?
Most will give them a dry food - commercially prepared gut load, or corn scratch/meal, bran meal, etc- + something for water - usually leftover veggies from your fridge work great and provide more nutrition to them (lettuce/greens, potato's, oranges, other veggies, etc etc). You can buy "gel cubes" for water, but I don't like them. They get messy, you have to ensure your dragon doesn't eat any of the cube, and I didn't think my crickets did as well when I did that. Other people love the stuff...
-How do you "gut load"?
Gut load just means feeding your insects good nutrition, so that they are as nutritious as you can get them to feed to your lizard
-What kind of "dusting" do the crickets need?
Crickets are high in phosphorus and so need to be dusted with Calcium regularly to help balance the Calcium: phosphorus ratio out. They would also be dusted 1-2 times weekly with a multi-vitamin supplement.
-How do you gut load and dust them?
You can buy a fancy cup that is made for dusting them that keeps the powder in a bottom resevoir and then you shake it with the crickets and they get covered in the calcium dust... I just use an old plastic cup and swirl them around with some of the calcium powder and then just shake them into the tank.
-Do the crickets need any special lighting or heating?
Crickets do not. some of the other feeders, esp the dubia roaches do though. Check out the feeder sections for recc'ds on the different type of insects
-Is it really safe to order large amounts of crickets through mail?
yes, I regularly order 1000 crickets online and they do pretty well. You'll have some that die off over time, but it's usually not a big deal and will save you a lot of money compared to buying with petstores. A lot of the other feeders are hard to find in petstores and you have to buy online.
-Are the insects in a can safe and acceptable?
I"m not a fan. some dragons won't eat them period because they won't move. But I don't think the nutrition is as good and they aren't as natural.
-Are Beardies really as sociable as I have been told?
Yes
Most beardies are docile and love to be out and handled. Many will snuggle in and sleep with you or spend hours on your shoulder just hanging out. They tend to love to explore around your house and seem to be happier when their tank is somewhere close by to where the family spends their time so they can watch.
-Do they like to be held a lot? (The Uro is more of an admire-only lizard. I want a lizard who will be able to tolerate being held.)
Most do really enjoy being out of their tank and hanging out with you or on you. The babies are more inclined to want to run around and be crazy babies, and aren't interested in "snuggling in" unless they've tuckered themselves out frolicking around or it's almost bedtime. The adults are more laid back (lazy?
) and are more accepting of handling and snuggling whenever.
-With it being winter, would it be wiser to wait till spring time to get a Beardie? I'd hate to disturb it's brumation (is that how it's spelled?) period.
Usually during the first year of life beardies don't go through brumation. So if you got a younger one now that wouldnt' be a concern. Unless it's a rescue, I wouldn't get a currently brumating beardie. They will be really sleepy and it will be hard for you to tell if they are doing ok, etc. But you can find babies or younger juvies right now.
That's all for now. I appreciate any and all advice! Thank you so much!
