Hello everyone! My name is Amanda. My fiance (a beardie old timer) and I (newbie) have just expanded our family to include two baby beardies! We haven't named either yet (besides calling them Skinny and Fatty to distinguish the two lol) because we are waiting till we know their sex. They are only a couple months old both born at the local reptile shop. Healthy and happy little guys as far as I can tell. When we decided to expand out reptile family (we also have a male veiled chameleon named Bizzaro) I decided we needed a better idea for a home for our little guys (and possibly girl(s)). So we got a little creative. I got a old entertainment center from the local thrift store for 25 bucks and after some hacking and sawing came up with a two set cage for the little buggers. We took out the shelves and doors, put out plastic on the inside walls (for Bizzaro) and all along the floor. Added linoleum to make it easy to clean and because the stone looks nice (and the texture makes it so much easier for them to get around!). Screening was added to the backside for air circulation (front side of bearded is sliding Plexiglas) and then hooks to hang lighting etc.
Below are some pictures
and after
The uv light is hanging lower because the breeder said it was too high for the little babies to get the full benefit.
Here is a close up of the babies side (Skinny is on the top branch, Fatty on the bottom)
Hot side is staying between 95-110 (although they like to sit a bit higher to the heat lamp where the temp is closer to 115). The cold side is about 85. Night time temp never goes below 70 (breeder said 65 was ok, but I like to be safe).
Feeding is no problem.
I go through about 100 crickets every 2-3 days, dusted with calcium and kept in a shallow plastic tub (sort of like a shoe box) they jump in and eat then jump back out with no problems. I got this idea from the breeder as well because Skinny needed to be fed separately to make sure he/she got some crickets as well. First day I put Skinny in there he/she ate with absolutely NO problems lol!) the next day I put the tub in the cage (its huge btw) and went to get Skinny off his rock, Fatty jumped right in and got a bunch. I put Skinny down and went to refill the tub (there were only a few left) and Skinny jumped right on and ate what was left (and then some). So, after making sure that Skinny was eating (and he/she is!) I now leave the tub in there during the day with about 50 or so crickets for them to jump in and eat at their leisure. The crickets can't get out and the beardies seem to have no problem getting in and out.
Greens are also no problem. Breeder fed them greens everyday and I am adjusting their diet to something a little more healthy soon. He had them eating carrots and romaine lettuce, which after lots of reading and research I found not to be the greatest diet so I am starting to add some better stuff (mustard greens this week, maybe some cactus pear or leaf). Just wanted them to adjust to their new home before changing too much as far as diet goes. I keep a water dish with fresh water everyday (bottled, spoiled I know, but our tap water is gross) and clean and disinfect daily (they think its a potty dish or something !). I also have been soaking them every three or four days (Skinny was shedding already after only one week with us!) as per advice by the breeder.
Attitude:
Our little guys are both great, Skinny seems to be far more mellow while Fatty is a bit of a handful. Fatty seems to be more skittish and runs from us (even has black bearded me and tried to bite me!) when approached, but I handle him/her everyday until he/she relaxes and then put him/her back. Its sort of funny that he/she does that too because if I put my hand in there with lettuce he/she will eat right out of my hand! :lol: Its only been three weeks so I am still trying to get that one to come around.
I have only one concern right now and that is that Skinny has taken to climbing up the screening on the back of the cage and jumping onto the top of the UV light (it gets warm but not hot at all). I wouldn't really care except that up there he/she isn't getting any of the UV light. Is this a problem? I have thought about adding plastic to the inside screening as a way to keep him/her from climbing it but wasn't sure if I should or if it was a problem at all.
Like I said, I am a newbie at all of this, my fiance is a old timer, but I am the one who spends all day at home with the little guys and have quickly become a HUGE fan! (Bizzaro was my pet, the dragons his, but we switched lol). I have been watching this site and reading the entries for about two months now and feel like it was time to make it official. I am a beardie mommy!
I am so very excited to be apart of this dragon loving form and meeting all of you! Any advice and tips would be VERY welcomed (I am learning that my fiance may have had beardies before but has no idea what he is really doing!)
Amanda Masick
Below are some pictures
and after
The uv light is hanging lower because the breeder said it was too high for the little babies to get the full benefit.
Here is a close up of the babies side (Skinny is on the top branch, Fatty on the bottom)
Hot side is staying between 95-110 (although they like to sit a bit higher to the heat lamp where the temp is closer to 115). The cold side is about 85. Night time temp never goes below 70 (breeder said 65 was ok, but I like to be safe).
Feeding is no problem.
I go through about 100 crickets every 2-3 days, dusted with calcium and kept in a shallow plastic tub (sort of like a shoe box) they jump in and eat then jump back out with no problems. I got this idea from the breeder as well because Skinny needed to be fed separately to make sure he/she got some crickets as well. First day I put Skinny in there he/she ate with absolutely NO problems lol!) the next day I put the tub in the cage (its huge btw) and went to get Skinny off his rock, Fatty jumped right in and got a bunch. I put Skinny down and went to refill the tub (there were only a few left) and Skinny jumped right on and ate what was left (and then some). So, after making sure that Skinny was eating (and he/she is!) I now leave the tub in there during the day with about 50 or so crickets for them to jump in and eat at their leisure. The crickets can't get out and the beardies seem to have no problem getting in and out.
Greens are also no problem. Breeder fed them greens everyday and I am adjusting their diet to something a little more healthy soon. He had them eating carrots and romaine lettuce, which after lots of reading and research I found not to be the greatest diet so I am starting to add some better stuff (mustard greens this week, maybe some cactus pear or leaf). Just wanted them to adjust to their new home before changing too much as far as diet goes. I keep a water dish with fresh water everyday (bottled, spoiled I know, but our tap water is gross) and clean and disinfect daily (they think its a potty dish or something !). I also have been soaking them every three or four days (Skinny was shedding already after only one week with us!) as per advice by the breeder.
Attitude:
Our little guys are both great, Skinny seems to be far more mellow while Fatty is a bit of a handful. Fatty seems to be more skittish and runs from us (even has black bearded me and tried to bite me!) when approached, but I handle him/her everyday until he/she relaxes and then put him/her back. Its sort of funny that he/she does that too because if I put my hand in there with lettuce he/she will eat right out of my hand! :lol: Its only been three weeks so I am still trying to get that one to come around.
I have only one concern right now and that is that Skinny has taken to climbing up the screening on the back of the cage and jumping onto the top of the UV light (it gets warm but not hot at all). I wouldn't really care except that up there he/she isn't getting any of the UV light. Is this a problem? I have thought about adding plastic to the inside screening as a way to keep him/her from climbing it but wasn't sure if I should or if it was a problem at all.
Like I said, I am a newbie at all of this, my fiance is a old timer, but I am the one who spends all day at home with the little guys and have quickly become a HUGE fan! (Bizzaro was my pet, the dragons his, but we switched lol). I have been watching this site and reading the entries for about two months now and feel like it was time to make it official. I am a beardie mommy!
I am so very excited to be apart of this dragon loving form and meeting all of you! Any advice and tips would be VERY welcomed (I am learning that my fiance may have had beardies before but has no idea what he is really doing!)
Amanda Masick
? In other words should I use wood instead of the Plexiglas? 
