Looking to Get a Beardie

As the title says, I'm looking to get a Beardie.

I will be getting a male from a breeder one of my friends knows, and I'm just looking for a simple set up guide. The beardies he has are only a couple months old right now, so I figure I can set him up in a 10g for a few months until I'm able to build something bigger, but i would like some guidelines from people.

Best substrate, foods, tank set up etc..

Any help is appreciated, I don't wanna be one of those people that get a Beardie and have it die within 6 months. I wanna have this guy a good number of years, my friends just passed after 9 years.

http://www.beardeddragon.org/articles/caresheet/
http://www.beardeddragoncare.net/ (a lot of info here)
http://www.reptilecare.com/Bearded.htm
http://www.bio.miami.edu/ktosney/file/BDcare.html
http://www.blackninjakitty.com/herps/dragons.php
http://www.reptilerooms.com/index.php?categoryid=17
http://www.exclusivedragons.com/Care...o_Library.html

Read them all, take all that info and compile it together into one guide for yourself, making notes where one thing says one thing and another thing says another. Avoid controversial caretaking where possible (if some people say ___ is great for them to eat and others say it will leave them impacted, just look for another food source that is agreed upon by everyone). Then come back here and ask any questions you might want. Anyone who seems extremely knowledgeable, start talking to them via private messages for advice.

This is essentially the same advice I would give anyone, from a 5 year old to a 90 year old.

I also think a couple of those links might have forums attached to them, so check there for advice and knowledgeable people. This site is for BPs and, regrettably, the other animals on here dont get as much attention as they should.

Which brings up another topic: "Does anyone know of a good BD forum?"

Thank you sooooooo much. I already know I want to use Millet as the substrate, a guy I know out on the east coast recommends it as its safe for them to eat and works just as well as the sand for collecting poop and stuff.

You should start out with something like a 20 long, as babies grow super fast!

Also, be prepared to have a massive supply of crickets/roaches as babies can eat 50-100 small insects a day. Mine was in the 80 range.

The internet is horrid for conveying vocal cues necessary to tell if one is being sarcastic or not.

If that was sarcasm: Sorry, it's about all the help I can offer. But understand that said help would likely be extremely helpful to other people. And everyone who gets a pet should go through and read everything they can find prior to getting said pet. The reading and active compiling also increases the likelihood of learning the material, as well as presenting one with a combined guide so they wont have to go back and read through everything to find info.

If it was serious: No problem :gj: These less active boards arent going to get one results very quickly so I just try and hop in whenever I see something and offer my own bit of advice, which is what I gave you.

In any instance, good luck :)

I have a beardie and I use a textured tile as substraint. I love it because it's so easy to clean, and it keeps their nails filed down so you don't have to trim them when they get bigger. Some basics you will want:

Daytime basking bulb, UVA and UVB.
Night time basking bulb
Thermometer and hydrometer
Calcium powder supplements
Multi-vitamin powder supplements
At least 2 different veggies, you will learn what yours likes best. Mine loves clovers and dandylions right out of my yard. Also red leaf lettuce and Kale.
A few different meats. Crickets are good for younger beardies because they have more nutritional value than other insects and are easier to digest. Mine is a few years old. He loves superworms.
You will also need to soak them a few times a week in water so they don't get de-hydrated. Fill the bathtub with warm water up to their shoulders. Some will drink water and some won't. They will just absorb the water when being soaked.

They need to eat 3 times a day, especially when they are young. Let them gorge their food and after 15 minutes take it away.

Unlike ball pythons, if they show signs of aggression, puffed up black throat, hissing, or biting, you should leave them alone.

This is all i can think of at the moment.... Hope it helps a bit. Good luck!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Oxylepy

The internet is horrid for conveying vocal cues necessary to tell if one is being sarcastic or not.

If that was sarcasm: Sorry, it's about all the help I can offer. But understand that said help would likely be extremely helpful to other people. And everyone who gets a pet should go through and read everything they can find prior to getting said pet. The reading and active compiling also increases the likelihood of learning the material, as well as presenting one with a combined guide so they wont have to go back and read through everything to find info.

If it was serious: No problem :gj: These less active boards arent going to get one results very quickly so I just try and hop in whenever I see something and offer my own bit of advice, which is what I gave you.

In any instance, good luck :)

---

I was being serious.

for substrate go with paper towel, newspaper, a non adesive shelf liner, repticarpet, or even tile, like slate tile. For hides you can use about anything, half logs, fake plants for the corners, or even card board boxes with a little hole cut for them to get in to...For an adult, it should be fed 3 x a week as much as it will eat in one sitting. Fresh greens every day for life no matter what the age, like mustard greens, collard greens, dandelion greens, endive, escarol, all squash, etc, and fruit for treats. Staple bugs are roaches, crickets, or silkworms, and others for treats like horn worms, supers, butters, and wax worms, but those are for a rare treat due to the fat content...Phoenix worms are also great, but since they are well.. pretty much tiny, it takes a lot of them to fill up an adult beardie
As a baby, they can go through 25-40 crickets 3 x a day, so do the math, lol, adults may eat the same amount of insects, but you feed them protien less than babies, more like 3 x a week, once a day... but salad every day

You will also need a pure calcium, without D3, and another with D3, and a multivitiman. Doses vary with age also...

You will need a digital thermometer with a probe, or a temp gun for acurate readings.

Get either the ReptiSun 10 linear tube, or a MVB, those are the best, and steer clear of compacts and coiled lighting as they have been causing health issues...

If you want the best UVB and heating, get either the Megaray MVB, or the T-Rex MVB flood, 100 watt. those provide heat and UVB all in one. If you get a MVB, no other heating will be necessary as long as the basking temps are at least 110f (for a baby) The cool end should be 80-85f. If you cannot achieve these temps, you can add a regular house hold bulb, just to help raise the temps. And with a MVB, you do not need to offer any D3 at all, as these lamps help them produce enough D3 due to the high levels of UVB they emitt...To use a MVB though, you must have at least a 40 gallon breeder tank. These lights get hot... If you get the hundred watt one you will have to have it at least 12" away

I'm pretty sure that the linear tube should run the length of the enclosure and the beardie should be able to get about 6-8 inches from it. Someone correct me if i'm wrong there.

For more veggies go to beautifuldragons.com and go to nutrition content

Ten gallon is way too small for even a young hatchling. You need at least a 20 gallon long to start out with to allow for proper temperature gradients.

No loose substrate of any kind. Ever. Only paper towels or tile for hatchlings and young dragons.

Do not cheap out the equipment, go with high end UV lighting. I recommend Mercury Vapor Bulbs because they cover heat/lighting/UV all in one bulb.

Hatchlings eat 75% protein in the form of small crickets. No mealworms or any other hard shelled worm until the dragon is 6 months old or at least 10" Impaction is a major issue with young dragons.

Baby dragons eat first and ask questions later. They WILL ingest substrate as they dive for crickets and they WILL get backed up if you feed them mealies.

Adults eat veggies and salads more so than crickets and roaches. The switch from 75% protein to 75% veggies begins at around 6-8 months of age.

:colbert2:be prepared to be cleaning up some massive poop !! :D