Animalcollector
Member
Hello! I really wanted to tell the people at this website how awesome the post "Newbies Guide: What to Buy"- by Brandon- was. I've been looking off and on for a few months to find Bearded dragon info, but I just couldn't tell if any of it was good info. Everything I looked at was different from what the pet store employee told me, and even though I wanted to trust the person, everything was so confusing that I almost didn't even want a beardie anymore, and I wasn't sure if I could take the pet store person's word. All of the online info I was looking at was different as well. And then I found the post Brandon wrote on beardeddragon.org, and everything else on here! I've been reading all day long on the forum and have found so much good information! After reading the post, it all seemed like it was written from someone very experienced. I loved how he wrote so many details, and made it realistic. Half of the resources out there that I was looking at I couldn't even be sure if they were reliable or just someone trying to trip newbies up. I've been wanting another animal friend that was indoor that would really just be my buddy when I'm at home hanging out. After looking at a few things, I realized that I really wanted a bearded dragon. I did a ton of research about them, but when I went to the pet store employee, I was told way different things from her than I had seen online.It was all so confusing, I didn't even know if I wanted a bearded dragon that much. I got distracted by other things in life, but today I got to thinking about it and really wanted one again. If you could reply and clear some things up for me, I would super appreciate it!! The post that Brandon wrote that I read was a LOT of help already! Also I just read Jess's post about Lighting Help for Newbies and it was tons of help too! It's great to find a reliable resource that doesn't just beat down on other peoples wrongs, but helps you to not make those wrong choices. Also, you should know that I have never had a reptile, and am thinking about getting a bearded dragon, but have not by any means purchased one yet.
Before I start in on my rant of questions, I'll tell you that your info about lighting has helped a lot to know what to get and to for sure not get any sand. If I do get a bearded dragon, I will be following what you guys said about getting a reptisun 10.0 tube, some sort of solid substrate, and NO HEAT ROCKS. I'm so glad I came across this website!!
Okay, so #1 is that was told by the person at the pet store that juveniles eat around 50 crickets a week, and adults eat around 100 a week. Is that true? I've seen from other resources that they eat up to 60 a day as juveniles and that would mean WAY more as adults?? How many crickets ON AVERAGE do juveniles eat weekly? I've read on here that they eat as many as they can in 10 minutes and have 2-3 ten minute periods each day... but is there an average on how many crickets?
#2 So the pet store lady said that at the beginning of the week you can give them fifty crickets, and then another feeding in the middle of the week for adults. Or if you'll be gone, you can give them 200 crickets and that will last them two weeks. She said that that was completely fine because since they were desert animals they could go a while without food but when they had a ton at once they could make it last all week. But you acted like you only give them as much as they'll eat right then, and no more. And that you don't want to just leave live ones in there. May I ask why? I'd like to have these things for sure cleared up.
#3 The pet store employee also said that it's cheaper to get a lot of crickets at a time (500-1000) and just keep them in a separate enclosure until feeding time. Is this true that it would be cheaper? Also, my mom (I'm a teenage girl) doesn't really want crickets in the house if possible (until they are in the bearded dragon enclosure of course). I wondered if maybe the crickets would be alright out on our deck outside in a ten gallon aquarium (previously used for Hermit Crabs) with the lid on and everything, until I brought them in to feed to my beardie? I didn't know how that would work in the winter, but over summer I didn't know if that would be harmful? We don't really want to risk crickets getting loose in the house. The other option would be our basement for the crickets. But if it wouldn't be cheaper to get them by the hundreds, then I might as well just get them however many I'll feed at a time and not worry about having a separate enclosure. What do you recommend?
#4 And then she said most UVB lights wouldn't need replaced more than once a year, but you made it sound like they definitely should be replaced at least twice a year... How many times would be good, and how can I tell when it needs changed? I know that if they don't have the proper UVB lighting that they can get bone disease, so I want to make sure I know my stuff before trying to get one.
#5 Also, at the pet store I was told since Bearded dragons are desert animals, they don't need any humidity in their enclosure, and a regular bath is enough. But on another website, I was told that they need lots of humidity or else they will die. And also I've seen that baths are very unnecessary and can just stress them. Which would be correct? How often would the Bearded dragon need a bath?
#6 And as far as flooring goes, for a juvenile is the reptile carpet alright? Most everything else said so, but when I was reading what the post said about it, all I saw was tiles, but I would think that the carpet would be softer to walk on, and I like the look of it... would you recommend the carpet to anyone, or just tiles and other harder surfaces?
#7 I believe I've also read on some other websites (not yours) that the three solid sided walls and one glass wall are the best kind of enclosures for a bearded dragon (excuse me for not knowing what they're called.) And then I've also seen that the best kind are the ones that are higher on one side than the other for the heat. But I would assume that the best would be an aquarium that is longer and shallower so that they can get heat easier and have more walking space, since unlike a fish, they mainly use the length of the aquarium. But I am a newbie, and I don't know. What would you say is best for a bearded dragon?
#8 And I was just now thinking; how often do they shed? I thought I saw something in your discussion about them shedding once every week or two? I didn't even think about them shedding that often.
#9 What else do beardies need to have other than crickets? I've heard they need greens, and an assortment of worms/crickets/roaches, but how many of those are alive and how many could be like frozen or whatever? Like I said, I really don't know a whole lot about this besides the research I've done. Right now I think I might know enough to get a beardie....just from what I've read on here...but my main drawbacks are the crickets and the money.
ALSO, Do I need a white light, UVB and a basking light??? Or is the basking light the same as the white light? that was a little confusing to me.
Also recently I've been doing some research on tortoises, so I might be confusing some of what I've read about beardies with what I've read about tortoises.
And I don't want to seem like I'm saying "the pet store lady said this" and "the pet store lady said that" because it's not that that's all I listen to, I just want to have these things cleared up, because until now, this particular lady has really seemed to know what she was talking about, and she said she used to have a beardie... anyways. I just wanted to get this stuff all cleared up.
I've done so much research and seen so many different recommendations that I'm pretty confused on whether or not I should just drop the whole idea of getting a beardie. I already have quite a few animals, and if I do get a beardie, I'm going to wait until I get rid of a few of my other animals I need to sell anyways. My 2 main problems right now though are money and the crickets. I've heard from almost everywhere that beardies are super expensive to take care of, and if I'm going to get one, I really want to make sure I have enough money that I'm comfortable spending on my bearded dragon's care so I can keep him well and healthy. I've heard that if you get crickets by the 500 or 1000 and just keep them separate until feeding time that they would be cheaper, but then what would I feed the crickets? Could they live 5-10 weeks without being fed? Is this true or is it just another employee telling fibs to get rid of bearded dragons? And then really no one in the household wants crickets in the house...including me. How do you feed them to the beardie? Do you have to pick them up to put them in there? And how could I convince my family (mainly my mom :wink: ) that they aren't too bad? Would they jump out of a tank if they were in the house? Is there much chance of them escaping? Also, would a male or female bearded dragon be better? I think I'm leaning towards a male more if I got one...but that's still a big if.
And bearded dragons really don't need water in their pen? That seems weird to me. I've never owned a reptile before, so I don't know a lot about them. If I got a Bearded Dragon, it would be my first ever lizard. I've had Hermit crabs before, and right now I have fish, and I have pigs, dogs, and a horse. But never any reptiles. I really want to take my time and make sure this is the right animal for me, because I'm not willing to not know much about them and have them die like my hermit crabs did. I want to do as much research as possible on them. I also do better talking to actual people that I can ask specific questions that know what they're talking about than I do just reading a bunch of stuff that I have a hard time remembering. Would you say a bearded dragon is too expensive of a pet to own as a teenager? Any more info you possibly have would be absolutely fantastic. Like I said, right now I really just want to know everything about having and keeping one. Even the downers. I'm all ears. If I bearded dragon isn't the pet for me, I want to know before I make the mistake of getting one. I'm an animal lover, but I want to make sure they're taken care of right, so if I don't have the financial necessities to make that happen, it would be better not to get one. Thanks so much for reading, I realize that this is a lot of questions in one post specifically. This is probably the most research I've done on an animal so far, but if I get a bearded dragon, I'm sure it will pay off. Thanks in advance!
Would you beardie owners say that they are an expensive pet? How much do you think you spend weekly on them as juveniles? I don't mind the initial cost, I know that can get a bit pricey and I don't mind...I'm just worried about expensive food in the future. If you could reply, that would be awesome, and I would really appreciate it! Thank you all so much! I will tell you, that with what I've read about them getting a ton of diseases and illnesses and comas and whatever else, I'm leaning more towards not getting one because I would be scared I might accidentally kill it, and if they need their pens cleaned more than once a day and fed three times a day, I might not be able to do that... :roll: but... we'll see! Whatever the answers to all my questions are, that would really help! Thanks you guys!
Before I start in on my rant of questions, I'll tell you that your info about lighting has helped a lot to know what to get and to for sure not get any sand. If I do get a bearded dragon, I will be following what you guys said about getting a reptisun 10.0 tube, some sort of solid substrate, and NO HEAT ROCKS. I'm so glad I came across this website!!
Okay, so #1 is that was told by the person at the pet store that juveniles eat around 50 crickets a week, and adults eat around 100 a week. Is that true? I've seen from other resources that they eat up to 60 a day as juveniles and that would mean WAY more as adults?? How many crickets ON AVERAGE do juveniles eat weekly? I've read on here that they eat as many as they can in 10 minutes and have 2-3 ten minute periods each day... but is there an average on how many crickets?
#2 So the pet store lady said that at the beginning of the week you can give them fifty crickets, and then another feeding in the middle of the week for adults. Or if you'll be gone, you can give them 200 crickets and that will last them two weeks. She said that that was completely fine because since they were desert animals they could go a while without food but when they had a ton at once they could make it last all week. But you acted like you only give them as much as they'll eat right then, and no more. And that you don't want to just leave live ones in there. May I ask why? I'd like to have these things for sure cleared up.
#3 The pet store employee also said that it's cheaper to get a lot of crickets at a time (500-1000) and just keep them in a separate enclosure until feeding time. Is this true that it would be cheaper? Also, my mom (I'm a teenage girl) doesn't really want crickets in the house if possible (until they are in the bearded dragon enclosure of course). I wondered if maybe the crickets would be alright out on our deck outside in a ten gallon aquarium (previously used for Hermit Crabs) with the lid on and everything, until I brought them in to feed to my beardie? I didn't know how that would work in the winter, but over summer I didn't know if that would be harmful? We don't really want to risk crickets getting loose in the house. The other option would be our basement for the crickets. But if it wouldn't be cheaper to get them by the hundreds, then I might as well just get them however many I'll feed at a time and not worry about having a separate enclosure. What do you recommend?
#4 And then she said most UVB lights wouldn't need replaced more than once a year, but you made it sound like they definitely should be replaced at least twice a year... How many times would be good, and how can I tell when it needs changed? I know that if they don't have the proper UVB lighting that they can get bone disease, so I want to make sure I know my stuff before trying to get one.
#5 Also, at the pet store I was told since Bearded dragons are desert animals, they don't need any humidity in their enclosure, and a regular bath is enough. But on another website, I was told that they need lots of humidity or else they will die. And also I've seen that baths are very unnecessary and can just stress them. Which would be correct? How often would the Bearded dragon need a bath?
#6 And as far as flooring goes, for a juvenile is the reptile carpet alright? Most everything else said so, but when I was reading what the post said about it, all I saw was tiles, but I would think that the carpet would be softer to walk on, and I like the look of it... would you recommend the carpet to anyone, or just tiles and other harder surfaces?
#7 I believe I've also read on some other websites (not yours) that the three solid sided walls and one glass wall are the best kind of enclosures for a bearded dragon (excuse me for not knowing what they're called.) And then I've also seen that the best kind are the ones that are higher on one side than the other for the heat. But I would assume that the best would be an aquarium that is longer and shallower so that they can get heat easier and have more walking space, since unlike a fish, they mainly use the length of the aquarium. But I am a newbie, and I don't know. What would you say is best for a bearded dragon?
#8 And I was just now thinking; how often do they shed? I thought I saw something in your discussion about them shedding once every week or two? I didn't even think about them shedding that often.
#9 What else do beardies need to have other than crickets? I've heard they need greens, and an assortment of worms/crickets/roaches, but how many of those are alive and how many could be like frozen or whatever? Like I said, I really don't know a whole lot about this besides the research I've done. Right now I think I might know enough to get a beardie....just from what I've read on here...but my main drawbacks are the crickets and the money.
ALSO, Do I need a white light, UVB and a basking light??? Or is the basking light the same as the white light? that was a little confusing to me.
Also recently I've been doing some research on tortoises, so I might be confusing some of what I've read about beardies with what I've read about tortoises.
And I don't want to seem like I'm saying "the pet store lady said this" and "the pet store lady said that" because it's not that that's all I listen to, I just want to have these things cleared up, because until now, this particular lady has really seemed to know what she was talking about, and she said she used to have a beardie... anyways. I just wanted to get this stuff all cleared up.
I've done so much research and seen so many different recommendations that I'm pretty confused on whether or not I should just drop the whole idea of getting a beardie. I already have quite a few animals, and if I do get a beardie, I'm going to wait until I get rid of a few of my other animals I need to sell anyways. My 2 main problems right now though are money and the crickets. I've heard from almost everywhere that beardies are super expensive to take care of, and if I'm going to get one, I really want to make sure I have enough money that I'm comfortable spending on my bearded dragon's care so I can keep him well and healthy. I've heard that if you get crickets by the 500 or 1000 and just keep them separate until feeding time that they would be cheaper, but then what would I feed the crickets? Could they live 5-10 weeks without being fed? Is this true or is it just another employee telling fibs to get rid of bearded dragons? And then really no one in the household wants crickets in the house...including me. How do you feed them to the beardie? Do you have to pick them up to put them in there? And how could I convince my family (mainly my mom :wink: ) that they aren't too bad? Would they jump out of a tank if they were in the house? Is there much chance of them escaping? Also, would a male or female bearded dragon be better? I think I'm leaning towards a male more if I got one...but that's still a big if.
And bearded dragons really don't need water in their pen? That seems weird to me. I've never owned a reptile before, so I don't know a lot about them. If I got a Bearded Dragon, it would be my first ever lizard. I've had Hermit crabs before, and right now I have fish, and I have pigs, dogs, and a horse. But never any reptiles. I really want to take my time and make sure this is the right animal for me, because I'm not willing to not know much about them and have them die like my hermit crabs did. I want to do as much research as possible on them. I also do better talking to actual people that I can ask specific questions that know what they're talking about than I do just reading a bunch of stuff that I have a hard time remembering. Would you say a bearded dragon is too expensive of a pet to own as a teenager? Any more info you possibly have would be absolutely fantastic. Like I said, right now I really just want to know everything about having and keeping one. Even the downers. I'm all ears. If I bearded dragon isn't the pet for me, I want to know before I make the mistake of getting one. I'm an animal lover, but I want to make sure they're taken care of right, so if I don't have the financial necessities to make that happen, it would be better not to get one. Thanks so much for reading, I realize that this is a lot of questions in one post specifically. This is probably the most research I've done on an animal so far, but if I get a bearded dragon, I'm sure it will pay off. Thanks in advance!
Would you beardie owners say that they are an expensive pet? How much do you think you spend weekly on them as juveniles? I don't mind the initial cost, I know that can get a bit pricey and I don't mind...I'm just worried about expensive food in the future. If you could reply, that would be awesome, and I would really appreciate it! Thank you all so much! I will tell you, that with what I've read about them getting a ton of diseases and illnesses and comas and whatever else, I'm leaning more towards not getting one because I would be scared I might accidentally kill it, and if they need their pens cleaned more than once a day and fed three times a day, I might not be able to do that... :roll: but... we'll see! Whatever the answers to all my questions are, that would really help! Thanks you guys!
I've raised many beardies straight from the egg and can answer some of your Q's. [ I say some because it's a lot + my attention span is not so good on remembering everything in a very long post like this ] So you can use a large aquarium , preferably 75 but a 50 will do but it's sort of on the small side. You might watch for Petco's dollar a gallon sale or check Craigslist for a used aquarium. 
Right now I'm probably not going to get a beardie until I'm a little more sure about some things in my personal life.... but thanks for the answers!! 
