Newbie

[Rickik93]

Thinking about getting a bearded dragon in the next few weeks.

Just wondering if they are expensive to have. I.e are the running costs high? Are crickets etc expensive?

 

[Rickik93]

Never mind. I'll use my brain and look at a reptile store online lol

 

[Canicke]

Rickik - welcome. You can spend a lot or you can spend a little. And – expensive is a relative term. You can buy a high end Viv you can find one on craigslist or you can make one. The lighting may be the most expensive part. Babies cost more to feed – they may eat up to 60 small crickets a day. I picked up both of mine from Craigslist as adults. Adult eat more greens than babies. They still get worms and dubias every week. Do you have a list of what you're going to need? You can go to a local pet store and check out prices too - be very cautious of any advice they may give you. That's what we are here for! Also – check out beautifuldragons.com for housing and feeding info. Keep us posted and send pics

 

[Rickik93]

I'll need everything and it has to be black (my misses says so lol). I'm wanting a baby so it gets used to me etc. There's a reptile store near me that just sells reptiles so I'm presuming they should be quite knowledgeable

 

[Canicke]

Hopefully your reptile store will be knowledgeable. It costs nothing to go to beautiful dragons.com and check it out.

 

[Rickik93]

Thank you . There's a ton of information on there. I'll have a good read when I've finished work

 

[PatsyB]

Also, just want to add...just because you get a baby doesn't mean that they are going to be nice to you. Each has it's own personality.

I have a girl and a boy, both bought as babies. Both kept in the same kind of tank with similar setups. My girl is as sweet as can be, my boy is a little wild. He likes me enough but he's not the warm and snuggly all the time kinda guy. A year later he still freaks out a little bit when I try to take him out of his tank.

You can also make a list of what you need and look up prices at Amazon or Dr .Foster and Smith to get an idea of what things cost. The bet thing I learned was to order feeders in bulk online. It's way cheaper than going to the pet store every week and less time consuming.

 

[Rickik93]

I don't know what I need though tbh. I'm looking at starter kits that have everything in them but the bulbs etc mean nothing to me, I don't understand the different numbers are for or what they mean.

 

[Andyurgay]

some starter kits are crap honestly. I used to work at a pet store and never recommended the starter kits. They might be a bit cheaper in the long run, but you will end up buying a lot of stuff to replace the bad items included in the kits.

for example, most kits are too small, you will need to upgrade quickly with a baby. Next, most come with calcisand. And sand is bad for beardies of all ages, especially young ones. Lights are also usually bad, they normally come with a coil uvb, which is no good. The thermometers are also crap as they are normally analog and can be off by as much as 10 degrees.

id recommend just finding a big cage on Craigslist and starting from scratch.

 

[Rickik93]

This is the starter kit I was looking at http://www.bluelizardreptiles.co.uk/starterkits/lizards/9632100009143

 

[PatsyB]

Starter kits are a little different overseas I guess! Everything sounds okay Not sure about the glo light though, I think the Arcadia 10% and your basking spot light should be sufficient.

Just make sure the width of the tank is big enough. 4 feet long is good but your dragon is going to need to be able to turn around in it when it grows to 18-20" long.