tips for someone just starting

[totallykelly]

I am looking into getting a Beardie, i've been told they are amazing pets. I have a few questions about getting started.
where should i look to buy my beardie? is Petco a good place?
how old should i start with? because i was thinking of starting small.
what type of substrate is best?
what is the best layout for the vivi?
what brand of UV bulb works best?

and anything else you think i should know before i buy my Beardie.

 

[reddragon1]

I am looking into getting a Beardie, i've been told they are amazing pets. I have a few questions about getting started.
where should i look to buy my beardie? is Petco a good place?
how old should i start with? because i was thinking of starting small.
what type of substrate is best?
what is the best layout for the vivi?
what brand of UV bulb works best?

and anything else you think i should know before i buy my Beardie



When i first got mine he was young & small... just dont pick out the smallest beardie if you go to a pet store and check it out real good. look at its belly, make sure it has all toes & claws and its anal region is clean.. make sure its eyes are wide open and no crust on the eyes, nose or mouth get the most active one. the best type of substrate for a baby is paper towel, newspaper, tile stuff like that... sand & a few others can cause impaction. i had a 30 gallon tank for mine and something to climb on or a rock would be ok. they love to bask. most people say retisun 10.0 is the best uvb bulb. or an mvb if you have a large enclosure. if you have any other questions just ask... we all like helping out =)

 

[ddma]

First of all , you will never regret getting a beardie, i have 3 and will be getting one more shortly. You should get a baby, it's fun to watch them grow and you get to know him/her , personality, behavior, and they get to know you, but getting a baby requires a good amount of your time, and can get a little costly as far as eating goes, as they eat at least twice a day (crickets), dusted with vitamins and calcium that you will have to purchase and they can eat up to 60 crix a day as babies, you need to supply a nutritious salad of greens and veggies (1 x day), http://www.beautifuldragon.com, for a list of veggies for your dragon. when you get a baby, for a little while he/she will be skiddish, jumpy not easy to handle, but handling every day will make your baby trust you.

as far as where to get a beardie, not at petco, in fact in my opinion, i wouldn't purchase a beardie anywhere else but from a breeder. if you go to "bearded dragon discussions" (on this forum) and go to "for sale" you will find many reputable, breeders with beautiul dragons for sale that will be healthy, and who will be more than happy to answer any questions you may have. you can also google "bearded dragon breeders"

as for set up, you will need reptisun 10.0 uvb, and a basking bulb. you will need to set up your viv with a cool side and a hot side, some kind of basking rock or platform. substrate is a big dispute on what to use. i myself have put linoleum tiles on the bottom of all my enclosures, not only do i love the way it looks, but it's so, so easy to clean, some people use tile , slate tiles, repti carpet, newspaper, paper towels, sand. sand is not really the way to go since it is a loose substrate and your beardie can get an impaction and the outcome will be lethal. well, good luck and welcome , this is a great site, better than any book i have ever read. you will get tons of info.

 

[herpfreak]

Hi Kelly! Welcome to BD.org!

Beardies are a very big responsibility and take up a lot of time, money, and space, but they are the best pets ever. Super friendly, funny, and cuddly.

PetCo is not a good place to get a beardie. The vast majority of chain pet stores do not properly care for their reptiles. Beardies from pet stores are more often than not very sick and likely to die in your care.

Rescuing beardies is a great thing to do; I do not recommend taking in a special needs rescue, as this is your first time around, but a healthy beardie in need of a new home is a great place to start. My Budo was a very sick rescue. After six months of daily meds and various other treatments, he is beginning to recover, slowly but surely. It has been such a joy to watch Budo heal and become more active and ready to eat.

You may be able to find some beardies in need of rehoming in the Forsale and For Free sections of this forum.
viewforum.php?f=2
viewforum.php?f=51

Baby beardies are adorable and quite funny, but there are a few things you need to take into consideration. They are extremely fragile and jumpy and can be difficult to handle, whereas adults are calm and cuddly. :love5: Babies also eat a ton. Beardies under 6 months should get as many crickets as they can eat three times a day; this can be 300-600 crickets per day! Adult beardies eat 30-50 crickets per week.

As for substrates, the most important thing is that it is solid. Substrates such as sand, mulch, and other loose items present a high risk of impaction, which can be fatal, especially in young beardies. I've always used slate tiles for Budo, and we both love them! They hold heat well and are super easy to clean! Non-adhesive shelf liner, newspaper, paper towels, and commercially available "reptile carpet" are also great substrates.

You can decorate the viv however you want, as long as there is a temperature gradient and a basking spot. The "cool side" of the viv should be around 80*. The warm side should be around 90*. A basking spot should also be provided within 9" of the UV bulb (12" if you use a mercury vapor bulb) that stays between 100-105* for adults, 105-110* for babies.

With UV bulbs, you have two options; a fluorescent tube bulb, which emits UVA/B radiation, lasts six months, should be within 9" of the basking spot, and does not emit heat; or a mercury vapor bulb (MVB), which emits UVA/B AND heat, and lasts up to a year, and should be no closer than 12" to the basking spot. MVBs should not be used in enclosures smaller than 40 gallon breeders, or they will overheat.
There are many different brands of fluorescent tubes and MVBs to choose from, but be very careful! Many of these brands can seriously damage a beardie's eyes.
As far as fluorescent tube bulbs go, the ReptiSun 10.0 is by far the best.
http://www.petmountain.com/product/reptile-fluorescent-bulbs/504983/zoo-med-reptisun-10.0-uvb-bulb.html
If you are interested in a MVB, MegaRays are the way to go.
http://www.reptileuv.com/megaray-products.php

Beardies need a diet of protein; as I mentioned before, babies should get as many appropriately sized (no bigger than the space between their eyes) feeder insects as they can eat three times a day; adults should get 30-50 appropriately sized feeder insects per week. Great feeders include crickets, roaches, phoenix worms, and silk worms. Horn worms and butter worms are very high in calcium, which is good, but also in fat, so be careful with them! Stay away from meal worms and others with hard shells; they provide a great impaction risk.

Calcium and vitamin supplements should also be used.
Calcium with D3 (not to be used with a MVB): http://www.petmountain.com/product/reptile-supplements/105551/rep-cal-ultrafine-powder-calcium-with-vitamin-d3.html
Calcium w/o D3: http://www.petmountain.com/product/reptile-supplements/105556/rep-cal-ultrafine-calcium-without-vitamin-d3.html
Herptivite multivitamins: http://www.petmountain.com/product/reptile-supplements/105550/herptivite-multivitamin.html

For supplement dosages, see this site:
http://www.beautifuldragons.503xtreme.com/Nutrition.html
The site above also has a great nutrition chart. Beardies of all ages should be provided with salads, replaced every 24 hours.

Good luck with everything! If you have any questions, ask! Beardies are such great pets, I'm sure you'll have lots of fun!


Maya

 

[totallykelly]

i have a bay window with a window seat, could i put the tank there? i live in MN and it gets really cold in the winter is it bad to have it close to the windows?

 

[spurlee01]

You would have to very closely monitor temps there and be ready to move it. Heat from sunlight can be amplified coming through glass so you'd have to make sure he doesn't get fried. It might be safer to put him somewhere else. Also looking out the window terrifies some dragons while others love it. As a first time beardie owner and a full-time student I decided that a slightly older beardie would suit me better than a baby b/c I didn't think I'd be able to do a 2nd feeding every day when classes start again. I got a 6 month old and I am still able to watch her grow, but she isn't quite as needy as a baby would be. Next time around I may get a baby because I feel more confident in my abilities to care for beardies, but I am sooo glad I started with a juvenile. I would also recommend going through a breeder. Petsmart/ petco are infamous for not caring well enough for their babies. I've heard of so many people who did everything right for a baby from these two stores and lost them within a day or two anyway.
Sara

 

[herpfreak]

i have a bay window with a window seat, could i put the tank there? i live in MN and it gets really cold in the winter is it bad to have it close to the windows?

You could give it a try. Keep an eye on the temps and make sure he has a shady section in his enclosure (such as a hide box). And monitor the temps very closely. But keep in mind that glass filters UVB radiation; you will still need a ReptiSun 10.0.

I grew up in MN. Great place. I love the weather! Much better than this hot desert I moved to. :x :lol:

 

[dobby293]

You are getting some good information. I would recommend that you go in with enough money in case something happens. Don't just have enough to buy the bare essentials and not have the money for the vet if they get sick. I read lots of post where the BD is sick and they have no money for the vet. They are not the cheapest animals to have. When you get your BD get a fecal test done and it will save you a lot of problems in the future.

 

[herpfreak]

Dobby is right. These past few months, I've paid well over $500 in vet care + meds and whatnot. I am still in debt to my parents.