Soon to be new owners

[Agavegirl]

I have told my son that we will be getting our BD after Labor Day. When I went to the reptile store the guy told us: "no matter what you read online, beardies need other beardies". And that we should get a pair. I have read in a number of places to only have one or keep them seperately. Can you experts please weigh in?

 

[destiny1998]

Hi. No beardies do not need other beardies. I just rescued one that had a cage mate and she's probably 6 months but was the size of a 2 month old. One will usually dominate the other.

 

[Beardie321]

Hello, I wouldn't buy yours from that guy, he is dumb. Anyway beardies need to be kept apart. You CANNOT keep them together. You should check some online sights and you can pick out the exact on you would like. Just an idea

 

[Sheena]

Hi, and no. Beardies are territorial and only come together to mate.

As you can see that guy just wants more money from you, and doesn't care about what hes selling just that it sells alot of them.

Please go elsewhere to get your beardies, or go online to find a great breeder. I'm not sure where you are located but I'm guessing its america somewhere, so you have alot of options.

What else did the man say for you to do? Because it was probably wrong aswell

Please feel free to ask us on anything you are unsure about, there's a wealth of information here from lighting, and what to avoid with lights, all the way to if the poos are healthy!

So please do not hesitate, it is for the wellbeing of your beardie, it relies on your knowledge and care to thrive, so make sure you have the right info!

 

[Agavegirl]

We bought a 40 gallon terrarium with a mercury vapor light, water dish and basking branch. I am very disappointed cause he really acted like he knew what he was talkin about. Anyway I am in Michigan, north of Detroit.

 

[shawnmatthew]

No reason to get two, it will only make your life possibly more difficult, (and twice as expensive). Beardies do perfectly fine alone (usually better alone).

 

[disturb3d0n3]

Definitely trying to get you out of your money.. Most reptiles are solitary unless you're breeding them but even then after the deed is done they usually have to be separated. Once you get your beardie you'll undoubtedly get attached and want another one. But it's good to get your new little guy or girl and get them off to a great start before adding more. Every beardie is different and it's hit and miss, some people get beardies with huge appetites that eat everything in sight (including salad) others' get beardies who barely eat which can be relocation stress or a parasite..

Which also brings another point.. If you have two in a cage you can't monitor who's eating and pooping. They're more susceptible to parasites from being housed together. I'd definitely recommend getting from a breeder. You're usually guaranteed a beardie with a healthy size/weight and off to a good start. You can also consider getting a subadult they won't eat near as many bugs which won't be as costly.. But you also have the risk of not knowing their history and how well they were treated so they might not be as friendly (granted babies can be flighty but usually calm down after about a month or two)

 

[Sheena]

Yeah actually I agree with those guys. Get 1 to start off with, that way you can learn from your beardie, you can see what it likes and what it doesn't. You'll bond with him more and you won't have as many problems. If you want a hatchling beardie I really wouldn't reccomend getting 2 of them. They need to be housed seperately which means, 2 tanks, 2 of every light and 2 times the food.

Just stick with one and let him or her teach you the basics on keeping reptiles

 

[wente013]

I would also recommend getting a Reptisun 10.0 T8 light (the tube kind) and using that instead of the mercury light. What are you doing for heating? Also, a hide is nice for the beardie to have-- a ~$7 buck hammock can be bought at most petstores, which is also super nice (my two beardies just love their hammocks-- you might also be able to make one, depending upon how crafty you are feeling). What about flooring?
I'll chime in again with housing beardies together. I just adopted my Achilles a few days ago-- he was free from Petsmart due to being picked on by his tankmates. He is really under weight and length :/ He gets along well with my older 1 3/4 year old beardie female, Sappho--- but I would never house them together. They need their own space
Keep us updated-- we are more than willing to help!

 

[Agavegirl]

Currently using paper towels but I keep reading about tiles so I may switch. The Mercury Vapor provides the UV and heat combined. Where do you buy tiles? Just your average Lowes?

 

[dragonscales]

Where do you buy tiles? Just your average Lowes?

Yeah I got my tiles from Home depot and Lowes they are cheap and come in different sizes. I tried to find the tile with the most texture so my Ember can walk better on it than she would on a glazed tile. I also use paper towel where the tiles don’t cover the floor because I really don’t want to cut the tiles to fit perfectly in the enclosure.