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Hello all

Mightaswell

Hatchling Dragon
Messages
64
Hi all!
I'm very new to bearded dragons. I currently have 2 that I purchased about 3 weeks ago. I converted a dresser into an enclosure for them while I am finishing a 4x2x2 enclosure out of 3/4 birch plywood. I used 1x3 and 1x2 pine to frame in a sliding door with a substrate guard. There is enough depth for 6 inches of substrate and an 1 1/2 gap from the lip of the door.
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I'm currently getting ready to put a second coat of water based varathane 3x polyurethane on it after I sand with some 220 sandpaper gently.
So what you guys think? I read a lot of info that said that I could use kiln dried pine safely on the enclosure especially if I use polyurethane. As you can see from my next pic, the whole front door area are all pine 1x3 and 1x2. You'll also notice a shelf above the door I added to hold various thing for the dragons. Under the shelf I'm putting a curtain to block light either going in or out since it's in the bedroom.
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do you guys think I'm on the right track so far?
 

Beardomania

Juvenile Dragon
Messages
190
As soon as you said you would build your own enclosure instead of spending $400 for one, I knew you had everything on track. People who DIY get the most out of every experience.

That said, I dunno about the bearded dragon pellets you got. In my experience, they don't eat them unless starved and in bad situations. Happy fat dragons eat fresh greens and live feeders (although I trick my beardie into eating freeze dried black soldier fly larvae by putting live bugs in a bowl of them). The fatter and happier he is, the less luck I have with that trick...
 

Frank the baby beardry

Bearded Dragon Veteran
Messages
553
Location
To bad
As soon as you said you would build your own enclosure instead of spending $400 for one, I knew you had everything on track. People who DIY get the most out of every experience.

That said, I dunno about the bearded dragon pellets you got. In my experience, they don't eat them unless starved and in bad situations. Happy fat dragons eat fresh greens and live feeders (although I trick my beardie into eating freeze dried black soldier fly larvae by putting live bugs in a bowl of them). The fatter and happier he is, the less luck I have with that trick...
Yes please get live feeders. You can do crickets, witch are cheaper and more common but not as healthy as Dubais. And with the Dubai’s they have lots of protein and don’t Pose any risk to parisites. I would save the pellets for backup food also you do have two enclosures right?
 

Mightaswell

Hatchling Dragon
Messages
64
I dust all food with vitamin. The pellets they seem to like. I drop water or fruit juice onto the pellets to swell them really big so they get extra moisture in the enclosure. I feed crickets outside the enclosure in a bin. After the enclosure is built I planned on breeding dubia roaches.
I have 1 finished enclosure and one I'm going to be finishing this week. I give fresh veggies as well but I dont really see them eating the pellets readily. They tend to eat a bunch of crickets and when I put them back in they usually eat a pellet or drink depending on thier mood. Mainly it's to ensure water intake while I'm training them to drink from a medicine dropper.
 

Beardomania

Juvenile Dragon
Messages
190
I dust all food with vitamin. The pellets they seem to like. I drop water or fruit juice onto the pellets to swell them really big so they get extra moisture in the enclosure. I feed crickets outside the enclosure in a bin. After the enclosure is built I planned on breeding dubia roaches.
I have 1 finished enclosure and one I'm going to be finishing this week. I give fresh veggies as well but I dont really see them eating the pellets readily. They tend to eat a bunch of crickets and when I put them back in they usually eat a pellet or drink depending on thier mood. Mainly it's to ensure water intake while I'm training them to drink from a medicine dropper.
One, I'd be careful with crickets because crickets can carry parasites and I know breeders who deworm their dragons once every 6 months in order to feed crickets. Banded crickets seem to be easier and you really want to ensure that your source of crickets is free from parasites. Rainbow mealworms says theirs is but I have never bought any.

Secondly, if you can find an established Dubia colony on Craigslist, then that's the best way, even if you have to drive hours to get it. It can save you a year's time. If not and you have to start your own colony from a handful of breeders, Discoids are a better choice as they put on weight faster, mature faster, and drop babies twice as fast (or faster) than Dubias. Dubia colonies take a very long time to establish before you can feed off since it generally takes 2 generations (the grandkids of your original breeders) at roughly 6 months per generation to mature.

PS. Dusting with calcium (with D3) is more important that vitamins (Herptivite, I assume). Vitamins are an add on but calcium is a must. I use Flukers as they are cheaper than RepCal and basically the same.
 

Mightaswell

Hatchling Dragon
Messages
64
I alternately use a calcium reptile powder with and without d3. One day I use the d3 the next I use without and none on sundays.
 
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