!*getting a beardie soon and i need some help*!

[smoura123]

hi ;D

im getting a beardie in 34 days for my birthday and hes gonna be between 2-3 months old. i dont really know what im doing and im pretty nervous cuz i dont want to make him sick by not looking after him properly..

*is this a good cage to use?? me and my dad are gonna build it over the next few weekends..
http://www.freewebs.com/crossfireenclosures/

*i also found a really good website for foods to feed my beardie..does this look about right??!..
http://www.beautifuldragons.503xtreme.c ... ition.html

*what substrate should i use? ive been told to use newspaper but it doesnt look nice :-\ are tiles or aquarium gravel a good idea??

*what sort of stuff should i put in his cage? i want him to have alot of places to go inside and stuff that he can climb..?

*how often should i bath him??

*can you take them outside with you??

sorry about all the questions but i need the answers!! ;D

 

[zebraflavencs]

Yup, that is the design most of us have used, though I altered mine a bit to make them taller.

Again, this is what we offer new owners to help choose a healthy diet for their dragons.

Substrate is a hot issue on any forum.. Small particles can become lodged in the intestinal tract causing impactions or blockages. I use paper towels myself.

Furniture should consist of a basking platform, which the underneath can serve as an open hide.
Some kind of climbing features ( dragons do love to climb, all ages).

Mostly an open floor plan is what you are seeking.

Bathing for young dragons as much as 3-4 times a week, for 10 minutes in baby warm (around 100*F) water, no higher than covering the vent (where the waste matter comes out), and always totally supervise the baths.
Older dragons can go with 1 time a week bathes, same depth and temp.

Yes you can take dragons outside, they would benefit greatly from the natural sunshine, might I suggest a harness and long leash.. this is incase your dragon decides to run or jump away from you. Keep in mind that Air born predators will cause the run and hide action.

Hope this helps.

 

[staylor]

Welcome and good for you for doing your homework first.

Substrate- I use a textured ceramic tile in both my vivs. It is easy to clean and it cost about $16. You can find cheaper tiles too.

Lighting- I did not notice any questions on lighting so will just let you know in case you need this info as well. You should have a basking site on one side of the viv. For this light you can just use a regular house hold bulb, just make sure it is not the curly one. I use a 75 watt on my tanks but would suggest having a 100 watt on hand in case your temps are too low. You will also need a UV light that runs about the length of the viv. The ReptiSun 10.0 is the best one out there right now.

Food- Babies eat a lot of live feeders. When Piggy was little she ate 120+ size appropriate crickets PER DAY. General rule for live feeders, they should be no larger then the space between the eyes. If you need some help with finding cheaper liver feeders let us know. We will also help you set up and care for your live feeders as well.

Taking them outside- As Janie said going outside is a great thing for them. I would recommend letting the beardie get used to the leash in the house before you take them outside. Another Thing you can do is a wire cage to take them outside. Oscar does great on a leash outside, but Piggy does not do well on a leash outside so she goes outside in a wire cage, kind of like a mini hamster cage.

Everything else seems to have been answered. Ask as many questions as you can think of, you have to learn somehow and we are all here to help you.

 

[renich]

Welcome. Glad to see you do your leg work before bringing the little one home. Sounds like everyone answered your questions. I'll provide the link to this site's bearded dragon caresheet. Give it a read and let us know if you have more questions.

Bearded Dragon Care

 

[Beardie_Mommy3991]

Congratulations!!! Welcome to beardie-life. For substrate, I use tile myself. It was super cheap, easy to replace, super easy to clean, and comes in many different patterns and colors. Just make sure to get a rough textured tile, such as slate, so your beardie can get traction.

 

[smoura123]

thank you sooo much everyone!

you lot saved my life
^and my beardies

thats for the care sheet - ill take a look at that

lots more questions to come..!

 

[renich]

Keep the questions coming. The more you ask, the more we all learn together!