Awwww sorry you didn't get him. Next time you go there, will he be full price again?
Dragon Questions!
- Thread starter Chreees
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Oh, I love beardies. Great pets, and they can have the funniest personalities! I only have one little adult male right now. Lazy little bugger most of the time (he's a rehabilitated rescue), but he has his moments. today, for example, I accidentally tricked him into eating a fingerful of greens (he HATES his veggies!), and he was sooo mad! For a half hour after, he would jump up on all fours, flare his beard, and pancake out to try scaring me away whenever I reached in! He finally stopped being a drama queen after a bribe of a couple fat, juicy Dubia roaches, but he's still not happy with me... LOL.
Anyway, their care is pretty straight forward. The first thing I'm going to say, since my anecdote did touch on the subject, is start offering greens as soon as you get your beardie! It's best to start young and get them used to eating veggies from the get-go, because trying to wean a stubborn adult onto greens is very difficult. My boy has just about driven me INSANE! He won't willingly touch anything green unless he's about to starve to death (in other words, he hasn't willingly chowed down a salad since the month I got him--going on 3 years ago next month!). So... yeah, get your baby going on the healthy stuff from the very start, and you should be able to avoid the war Man Ray and I are fighting, lol!
Oh, that ended up being longer than I expected. As for actual care advice...
Don't use a particle substrate. The impaction risk isn't worth it, especially with tiny babies! That very much includes sand, especially the "calcium sand" crap you'll see at the pet store. It's not actually digestible, and locks together in the gut just as easily, if not more easily, than any other sand substrate. You can use paper towel (easy to clean and cheap, slate tile (mostly easy cleanup, looks nice), non-stick shelf liner (my new favorite, easy clean up and comes in a few different colors/patterns), or repticarpet (not a big fan, but it works-harder to clean, have to have a piece to switch out at cleaning time), to name the main options.
Enclosure size for a baby, I would say 20 gallon long minimum. They are pretty active, and they do grow fast! The 3' you said you're getting (?) should be perfect for the first couple of years, though I'd recommend bigger as he reaches adulthood. I have my boy in a 75 gallon (4 ft) and have contemplated putting him in a 6' eventually... If, that is, he can get over himself and not throw a month long tantrum like the last couple times I tried changing his enclosure size. (I did mention we're at war, right? It's not just the food thing... He's completely OCD! Even hates it if his crickets are too small, lol)
Let's see... Tom already covered UVB and heat: to reiterate, a good Mercury Vapor Bulb like Powersun for UV/bask spot, and you want to aim for about 100, up to 105ish, at the bask spot. I've heard anywhere from room temp to low 80s for cool side/night temps; I just do room temp for my boy's ambient, but I'd probably do warmer for a baby. I can't really say on that one, considering I've never raised a beardie from hatchling age.
As for decor, you can do all kinds of things as long none of it is going to fall and smash your baby. Also keep in mind that the more you put in, the more you have to take out and clean regularly. A nice log to climb and bask on, a couple good hides, water dish (another thing to make sure you start early and keep up on--water dish and soaking.. Part 3 of the war with my boy, he refuses to learn to drink water and hates baths!), basking rock, and maybe a good fake plant to hide in/climb on, would be a great start.
Anyway, that's mainly what comes to mind for me right now. That and typing on this darn phone is killing me. Haha. If you haven't come across it already in your researching, http://BeautifulDragons.com is a great resource. They have a very useful page, the Nutrition facts page, that lists different foods, how often to (or if you even should) use them, and why. I love that list!
Oh, and I have to ditto Tom's recommendation to start a dubia colony. Great feeders, and easy to breed--much cheaper than crickets! You might also look into Silkworms and pheonix worms. Fairly expensive as far as feeder bugs are concerned, but sooo good for your beardie, even if you just get them every once in awhile.
Okay, now I really will shut up! I think my poor little phone is about to have a meltdown... Heh. Sorry, kind of left you a novel. Don't forget to post pics if/when you get your beardie!
Oh, I love beardies. Great pets, and they can have the funniest personalities! I only have one little adult male right now. Lazy little bugger most of the time (he's a rehabilitated rescue), but he has his moments. today, for example, I accidentally tricked him into eating a fingerful of greens (he HATES his veggies!), and he was sooo mad! For a half hour after, he would jump up on all fours, flare his beard, and pancake out to try scaring me away whenever I reached in! He finally stopped being a drama queen after a bribe of a couple fat, juicy Dubia roaches, but he's still not happy with me... LOL.
Anyway, their care is pretty straight forward. The first thing I'm going to say, since my anecdote did touch on the subject, is start offering greens as soon as you get your beardie! It's best to start young and get them used to eating veggies from the get-go, because trying to wean a stubborn adult onto greens is very difficult. My boy has just about driven me INSANE! He won't willingly touch anything green unless he's about to starve to death (in other words, he hasn't willingly chowed down a salad since the month I got him--going on 3 years ago next month!). So... yeah, get your baby going on the healthy stuff from the very start, and you should be able to avoid the war Man Ray and I are fighting, lol!
Oh, that ended up being longer than I expected. As for actual care advice...
Don't use a particle substrate. The impaction risk isn't worth it, especially with tiny babies! That very much includes sand, especially the "calcium sand" crap you'll see at the pet store. It's not actually digestible, and locks together in the gut just as easily, if not more easily, than any other sand substrate. You can use paper towel (easy to clean and cheap, slate tile (mostly easy cleanup, looks nice), non-stick shelf liner (my new favorite, easy clean up and comes in a few different colors/patterns), or repticarpet (not a big fan, but it works-harder to clean, have to have a piece to switch out at cleaning time), to name the main options.
Enclosure size for a baby, I would say 20 gallon long minimum. They are pretty active, and they do grow fast! The 3' you said you're getting (?) should be perfect for the first couple of years, though I'd recommend bigger as he reaches adulthood. I have my boy in a 75 gallon (4 ft) and have contemplated putting him in a 6' eventually... If, that is, he can get over himself and not throw a month long tantrum like the last couple times I tried changing his enclosure size. (I did mention we're at war, right? It's not just the food thing... He's completely OCD! Even hates it if his crickets are too small, lol)
Let's see... Tom already covered UVB and heat: to reiterate, a good Mercury Vapor Bulb like Powersun for UV/bask spot, and you want to aim for about 100, up to 105ish, at the bask spot. I've heard anywhere from room temp to low 80s for cool side/night temps; I just do room temp for my boy's ambient, but I'd probably do warmer for a baby. I can't really say on that one, considering I've never raised a beardie from hatchling age.
As for decor, you can do all kinds of things as long none of it is going to fall and smash your baby. Also keep in mind that the more you put in, the more you have to take out and clean regularly. A nice log to climb and bask on, a couple good hides, water dish (another thing to make sure you start early and keep up on--water dish and soaking.. Part 3 of the war with my boy, he refuses to learn to drink water and hates baths!), basking rock, and maybe a good fake plant to hide in/climb on, would be a great start.
Anyway, that's mainly what comes to mind for me right now. That and typing on this darn phone is killing me. Haha. If you haven't come across it already in your researching, http://BeautifulDragons.com is a great resource. They have a very useful page, the Nutrition facts page, that lists different foods, how often to (or if you even should) use them, and why. I love that list!
Oh, and I have to ditto Tom's recommendation to start a dubia colony. Great feeders, and easy to breed--much cheaper than crickets! You might also look into Silkworms and pheonix worms. Fairly expensive as far as feeder bugs are concerned, but sooo good for your beardie, even if you just get them every once in awhile.
Okay, now I really will shut up! I think my poor little phone is about to have a meltdown... Heh. Sorry, kind of left you a novel. Don't forget to post pics if/when you get your beardie!
Oh, oops--so it did post the first time! Sorry about that.. Any mods reading, could you delete my duplicate? I'm afraid my phone is simply too slow to try... Gah. How embarassing!
Anyway, their care is pretty straight forward. The first thing I'm going to say, since my anecdote did touch on the subject, is start offering greens as soon as you get your beardie! It's best to start young and get them used to eating veggies from the get-go, because trying to wean a stubborn adult onto greens is very difficult. My boy has just about driven me INSANE! He won't willingly touch anything green unless he's about to starve to death (in other words, he hasn't willingly chowed down a salad since the month I got him--going on 3 years ago next month!). So... yeah, get your baby going on the healthy stuff from the very start, and you should be able to avoid the war Man Ray and I are fighting, lol!
Oh, that ended up being longer than I expected. As for actual care advice...
Don't use a particle substrate. The impaction risk isn't worth it, especially with tiny babies! That very much includes sand, especially the "calcium sand" crap you'll see at the pet store. It's not actually digestible, and locks together in the gut just as easily, if not more easily, than any other sand substrate. You can use paper towel (easy to clean and cheap, slate tile (mostly easy cleanup, looks nice), non-stick shelf liner (my new favorite, easy clean up and comes in a few different colors/patterns), or repticarpet (not a big fan, but it works-harder to clean, have to have a piece to switch out at cleaning time), to name the main options.
Enclosure size for a baby, I would say 20 gallon long minimum. They are pretty active, and they do grow fast! The 3' you said you're getting (?) should be perfect for the first couple of years, though I'd recommend bigger as he reaches adulthood. I have my boy in a 75 gallon (4 ft) and have contemplated putting him in a 6' eventually... If, that is, he can get over himself and not throw a month long tantrum like the last couple times I tried changing his enclosure size. (I did mention we're at war, right? It's not just the food thing... He's completely OCD! Even hates it if his crickets are too small, lol)
Let's see... Tom already covered UVB and heat: to reiterate, a good Mercury Vapor Bulb like Powersun for UV/bask spot, and you want to aim for about 100, up to 105ish, at the bask spot. I've heard anywhere from room temp to low 80s for cool side/night temps; I just do room temp for my boy's ambient, but I'd probably do warmer for a baby. I can't really say on that one, considering I've never raised a beardie from hatchling age.
As for decor, you can do all kinds of things as long none of it is going to fall and smash your baby. Also keep in mind that the more you put in, the more you have to take out and clean regularly. A nice log to climb and bask on, a couple good hides, water dish (another thing to make sure you start early and keep up on--water dish and soaking.. Part 3 of the war with my boy, he refuses to learn to drink water and hates baths!), basking rock, and maybe a good fake plant to hide in/climb on, would be a great start.
Anyway, that's mainly what comes to mind for me right now. That and typing on this darn phone is killing me.
Haha. If you haven't come across it already in your researching, http://BeautifulDragons.com is a great resource. They have a very useful page, the Nutrition facts page, that lists different foods, how often to (or if you even should) use them, and why. I love that list!Oh, and I have to ditto Tom's recommendation to start a dubia colony. Great feeders, and easy to breed--much cheaper than crickets! You might also look into Silkworms and pheonix worms. Fairly expensive as far as feeder bugs are concerned, but sooo good for your beardie, even if you just get them every once in awhile.
Okay, now I really will shut up! I think my poor little phone is about to have a meltdown... Heh. Sorry, kind of left you a novel.
Don't forget to post pics if/when you get your beardie!Oh, I love beardies. Great pets, and they can have the funniest personalities! I only have one little adult male right now. Lazy little bugger most of the time (he's a rehabilitated rescue), but he has his moments. today, for example, I accidentally tricked him into eating a fingerful of greens (he HATES his veggies!), and he was sooo mad! For a half hour after, he would jump up on all fours, flare his beard, and pancake out to try scaring me away whenever I reached in! He finally stopped being a drama queen after a bribe of a couple fat, juicy Dubia roaches, but he's still not happy with me... LOL.
Anyway, their care is pretty straight forward. The first thing I'm going to say, since my anecdote did touch on the subject, is start offering greens as soon as you get your beardie! It's best to start young and get them used to eating veggies from the get-go, because trying to wean a stubborn adult onto greens is very difficult. My boy has just about driven me INSANE! He won't willingly touch anything green unless he's about to starve to death (in other words, he hasn't willingly chowed down a salad since the month I got him--going on 3 years ago next month!). So... yeah, get your baby going on the healthy stuff from the very start, and you should be able to avoid the war Man Ray and I are fighting, lol!
Oh, that ended up being longer than I expected. As for actual care advice...
Don't use a particle substrate. The impaction risk isn't worth it, especially with tiny babies! That very much includes sand, especially the "calcium sand" crap you'll see at the pet store. It's not actually digestible, and locks together in the gut just as easily, if not more easily, than any other sand substrate. You can use paper towel (easy to clean and cheap, slate tile (mostly easy cleanup, looks nice), non-stick shelf liner (my new favorite, easy clean up and comes in a few different colors/patterns), or repticarpet (not a big fan, but it works-harder to clean, have to have a piece to switch out at cleaning time), to name the main options.
Enclosure size for a baby, I would say 20 gallon long minimum. They are pretty active, and they do grow fast! The 3' you said you're getting (?) should be perfect for the first couple of years, though I'd recommend bigger as he reaches adulthood. I have my boy in a 75 gallon (4 ft) and have contemplated putting him in a 6' eventually... If, that is, he can get over himself and not throw a month long tantrum like the last couple times I tried changing his enclosure size. (I did mention we're at war, right? It's not just the food thing... He's completely OCD! Even hates it if his crickets are too small, lol)
Let's see... Tom already covered UVB and heat: to reiterate, a good Mercury Vapor Bulb like Powersun for UV/bask spot, and you want to aim for about 100, up to 105ish, at the bask spot. I've heard anywhere from room temp to low 80s for cool side/night temps; I just do room temp for my boy's ambient, but I'd probably do warmer for a baby. I can't really say on that one, considering I've never raised a beardie from hatchling age.
As for decor, you can do all kinds of things as long none of it is going to fall and smash your baby. Also keep in mind that the more you put in, the more you have to take out and clean regularly. A nice log to climb and bask on, a couple good hides, water dish (another thing to make sure you start early and keep up on--water dish and soaking.. Part 3 of the war with my boy, he refuses to learn to drink water and hates baths!), basking rock, and maybe a good fake plant to hide in/climb on, would be a great start.
Anyway, that's mainly what comes to mind for me right now. That and typing on this darn phone is killing me.
Haha. If you haven't come across it already in your researching, http://BeautifulDragons.com is a great resource. They have a very useful page, the Nutrition facts page, that lists different foods, how often to (or if you even should) use them, and why. I love that list!Oh, and I have to ditto Tom's recommendation to start a dubia colony. Great feeders, and easy to breed--much cheaper than crickets! You might also look into Silkworms and pheonix worms. Fairly expensive as far as feeder bugs are concerned, but sooo good for your beardie, even if you just get them every once in awhile.
Okay, now I really will shut up! I think my poor little phone is about to have a meltdown... Heh. Sorry, kind of left you a novel.
Don't forget to post pics if/when you get your beardie!Oh, oops--so it did post the first time! Sorry about that.. Any mods reading, could you delete my duplicate? I'm afraid my phone is simply too slow to try... Gah. How embarassing!
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