# Bearded Dragon



## ColeosMummy (Aug 27, 2008)

I have taken an interest in these, i don't usually like animals like them but i do these, how do you have to keep them what type of tank etc? x


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## sullivan (Aug 29, 2008)

You will need a very large vivarium Plenty of branches for climbing, water dishes, and they have a highish heat, They usually like the insects, crickets hoppers etc. They are a nice reptile to keep but need a fair bit of care including basking lamps and lighting ect. I havent kept thees my self but have had leapard geckos. You should get a fair bit of info on the net. Our a near by repile shop can advise. I found for a first reptile the leopard gecko was quite easy to keep once set up. Im sure theres a few reptile keepers on here that can give you more info.


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## ColeosMummy (Aug 27, 2008)

thanks i think this is something i will get oneday in the future, but my GSD comes first


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## sullivan (Aug 29, 2008)

ColeosMummy said:


> thanks i think this is something i will get oneday in the future, but my GSD comes first


Gsd are lovely but by gum they can moult as my mum in law found with hers even with loads of brushes. He was a gentle giant and use to play dead. He use to wait for the ice cream van on sunday and the bloke use to give him a baby ice cream. He was a rescue and she had him 14 years. His name was BIMBO not the most manly of dog names i know but it gave us a few laughes seeing our father in law of who was a very big man calling his name down the street he would get a few stares. But he sure loved hid dog.


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## ColeosMummy (Aug 27, 2008)

aww bless x


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## cassie01 (Jul 11, 2008)

i have 2 beardies, both rescues. reptiles can be more difficult to keep then other animals and my two take up a lot of my time, id suggest doing a lot of reading up on their care etc before considering one. i dont want to sound rude but many reptiles arent properly cared for due to bad research into their natural behaviour and daily requirements. vets bills cost a lot for reptiles and this needs to be adressed before buying one. there are short courses you can do and reptile charities will provide you with loads of advice first.


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## MissG (Apr 18, 2008)

I have a 2 year old Beardie, which I take to schools, birthday parties etc with my business - along with all the other exotic animals I have.

I would highly recommend Beardies if you are thinking of buying a Lizard. They are full of character, generally very calm and docile, easily handled and relatively easy to look after.

An adult will need a minimum of 4ft x 2ft x 2ft vivarium, which will need to be split in half for when it's a baby, as they will feel lost and insecure in a large viv, plus they will find it more difficult to catch their food.

You will need a high output UVA/UVB tube - preferably Exo Terra 8.0 and also a reflector light bulb - which will need to be on a dimming thermostat.
Basking temp should be around 105 - 115f, hot end around 90f and cool end around 70f. Night time drop - not below 60f

The mistake that lots of people make is putting these lizards on a substrate of sand. In the wild these animals live on compacted clay and stone. The bottom of my viv is lined with floor tiles.
Some people do use play sand with adults but any particle substrate should not be used at all with babies. The reason is because of impaction, which is where sand or the like can build up in their stomachs/intestine and it can be fatal.

I feed my beardie on locusts - I favour these as they have a higher gut loading that crickets. He also enjoys spring greens (high in calcium) cucumber, grated carrot and very occasionally banana.

It is incredibly important to dust locusts with calcium powder and also vitamins (Nutribal)
Soooo many beardies suffer from calcium deficiencys (mbd) which basically makes their bones crumble inside them. A lack of UV can also contribute to this.

I don't provide my beardie with water bowls. It's not necessary as these lizard have adapted to not need much water as they live in that kind of habitat. I offer him a shallow dish of water about once a week, usually he refuses it. I don't leave it in as it will always get spillt!

That's about the basics. If you are really serious then there is tons of stuff on the internet and in books, or I can give you any advice you need.

I can probably put you in touch with a breeder too - please don't buy from a pet shop.


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## Claire08 (Sep 21, 2008)

MissG said:


> I have a 2 year old Beardie, which I take to schools, birthday parties etc with my business - along with all the other exotic animals I have.
> 
> I would highly recommend Beardies if you are thinking of buying a Lizard. They are full of character, generally very calm and docile, easily handled and relatively easy to look after.
> 
> ...


Thanks, for that, and thanks for starting this thread, like most my family my son is animal mad and has his heart set on a bearded dragon ever since he seen them in a pet shop so reading this has been a great help. My son is only 5 so obviously most of the care will be dwn to me and OH, although he will be helping alot.
do they tend to bite or whatever it is they do lol?
We arnt planning on getting him one until after christmas so i have plenty of time to research and look up things i need to know. 
where is best to get them from? or is it ok to get a pet shop one? dont want to get him one from the wrong place and it dying within a few months. also what is their life span do you know?

many thanks again
C x


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## cassie01 (Jul 11, 2008)

They live about ten years, it doesnt really matter to much where you get one from as long as it seems healthy, the older it is the better really as they are more likely to die in the first few months and they can be quick, particually for young children. Bearded dragons are one of the tamest lizards you can get and i have never known one to bite. i know my two and others i have worked with accept a lot of crap. 

I too have used mine at youth groups and they deal with children on a regular basis so they get passed about and handled sometimes a bit roughly, having children crying or screaming, sticky hands etc, and they take it all in their stride.


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## MissG (Apr 18, 2008)

It's incredibly rare that a beardie will bite. They are generally calm and docile animals - in fact darn right lazy sometimes!

As Cassie said, life span is around 10-12 years.

Well...it's a toughie. There are some really good pet shops out there - but then we also have the ones who are only in it for the money. The kind who keep babies on either sand or even worse, beech chippings.
I pulled up a pet shop about this once, and he simply said it because the viv looks nicer. I sure as hell would rather have a healthy lizard - then one running a high risk of impaction.
Expect to pay around £100 in a pet shop. I can put you in touch with breeders - some sell for just £30.

Where abouts are you?

I got mine at 7 weeks old, and as already mentioned juvenile mortality is high, but with the proper care, you will be fine.

Another mistake people make is feeding too large of feeder. The general rule is to judge by the gap in between their eyes, feeder insects should always be smaller than this. Feeding live food that's too big can cause all sorts of problems - mainly in babies.

Once you get one, you won't look back, they are so adorable and surprisingly affectionate.


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## bikesfred54 (Sep 10, 2008)

MissG said:


> I have a 2 year old Beardie, which I take to schools, birthday parties etc with my business - along with all the other exotic animals I have.
> 
> I would highly recommend Beardies if you are thinking of buying a Lizard. They are full of character, generally very calm and docile, easily handled and relatively easy to look after.
> 
> ...


 i have two beardies in all the care sheets i have read cool end 80-85f uv 10 and night temps not to drop under 65f.


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## Claire08 (Sep 21, 2008)

thanks for the help, we live in merseyside.
funnily enough all the pet shops we have been in around here have chippings or sand on the base of their tanks, glad i came on here now or i would of done the same as the pet shop 
i'm really looking forward to getting it now ive started getting some info on them 
x


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## MissG (Apr 18, 2008)

bikesfred54 said:


> i have two beardies in all the care sheets i have read cool end 80-85f uv 10 and night temps not to drop under 65f.


I rarely refer to care sheets. I find their information very varied. What works best for me is talking to and asking lots of questions to bearded dragon owners - on forums such as Livefoods and RFUK.

I did mention a _minimum_ of 8.0 UV - this is perfectly adaquate. I have used 10.0 in the past though.

Night temps can drop to 60f no problem.


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## MissG (Apr 18, 2008)

Claire08 said:


> thanks for the help, we live in merseyside.
> funnily enough all the pet shops we have been in around here have chippings or sand on the base of their tanks, glad i came on here now or i would of done the same as the pet shop
> i'm really looking forward to getting it now ive started getting some info on them
> x


Not a million miles away from me then, I'm in Manchester. I sometimes travel over to Liverpool, Wirral etc with my animals to schools, birthday parties etc.

Yeah, lots of pet shops keep them on the wrong substrate. And like I said it's mainly to make the viv's look nice - to appeal to people to buy.
And then when they do, they can sell them lots of expensive calci sand or beech chippings.

Newspaper or kitchen towel is all that's needed for babies, until the age of around 6 months.

Calci sand is a huge no no. It doesn't pass through if ingested, like they claim. I have heard of handfuls of Leo's and Beardies who have died from impaction, and were kept on calci sand.
Some people use Play sand (the particles are smaller).....but I even recommend against this.

I use regular floor tiles which I bought from topps tiles for 69p each. I stuck them down with adhesive and grouted in between. They are rough so grip isn't a problem.
When he does a poo, it's a quick wipe with toilet tissue, and flushed straight away.
A quick sweep, squirt with disinfectant and wipe twice a week keeps it clean.
And it looks great.

Sand can smell after a while, will need replacing every so often where as tiles don't.
Some people use lino - that works just as well.


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## ColeosMummy (Aug 27, 2008)

there is a local breeder he sells for around £15-25 is this a decent price for a baby x


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## Claire08 (Sep 21, 2008)

Thanks for the responses guys 
I bit the bullet today and went and got one was a bit  at the price, it was £255.00 for the full set up includng the Viv, so dont know if thats good or bad really 
I brought the viv and stuff home today so i could put the sealent(sp?) round the inside of the viv to stop it from warping with heat, used a fish tank one as this was recommended so if the beardy licked it etc it is none harmful. Thats on now, so going to pick the beardie up tomorrow morning, they are tiny lol.....havent told my son yet going to wait until he comes home from school..
No doubt i will be posting here alot over the next few weeks as there will be lots to gather info for, and where better to get it from that you lot  
thanks guys, will post tomorrow when i get lil beardy home
c x


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## chaospony (Sep 19, 2008)

Claire08 said:


> Thanks for the responses guys
> I bit the bullet today and went and got one was a bit  at the price, it was £255.00 for the full set up includng the Viv, so dont know if thats good or bad really
> I brought the viv and stuff home today so i could put the sealent(sp?) round the inside of the viv to stop it from warping with heat, used a fish tank one as this was recommended so if the beardy licked it etc it is none harmful. Thats on now, so going to pick the beardie up tomorrow morning, they are tiny lol.....havent told my son yet going to wait until he comes home from school..
> No doubt i will be posting here alot over the next few weeks as there will be lots to gather info for, and where better to get it from that you lot
> ...


And that post should include pictures of your new itty bitty bready!!!!


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## MissG (Apr 18, 2008)

Claire08 said:


> Thanks for the responses guys
> I bit the bullet today and went and got one was a bit  at the price, it was £255.00 for the full set up includng the Viv, so dont know if thats good or bad really
> I brought the viv and stuff home today so i could put the sealent(sp?) round the inside of the viv to stop it from warping with heat, used a fish tank one as this was recommended so if the beardy licked it etc it is none harmful. Thats on now, so going to pick the beardie up tomorrow morning, they are tiny lol.....havent told my son yet going to wait until he comes home from school..
> No doubt i will be posting here alot over the next few weeks as there will be lots to gather info for, and where better to get it from that you lot
> ...


That seems average - although if I knew you were going to get one so soon I would have put you in touch with the man who built my viv for me, for £60! He is only in St Helens too.

So what did you get for your £255?

If it's a 4ft viv, it's best you put some sort of a divide up in the middle, so baby doesn't feel so insecure - plus it will help him catch his food better.


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## MissG (Apr 18, 2008)

P.S - Did the pet shop tell you to use the sealant?

It's only really necessary when there will be high humidity levels - which you won't have....
If it's made out of a decent thickness of melamine, it won't need it. But it won't have done any harm though - it just wasn't needed.


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## Claire08 (Sep 21, 2008)

hiya
Piccys will come shortly  i will open a new thread for that though since ive kind of hijacked someone elses (sorry) 

Heres a list of what i got - 
Of course our lil beardie (has no name until my son comes home from school)
3ft viv (will get a bigger one eventually)
sealent (yes, pet shop advised itto stop the wood warping from heat)
thermometer
repti sand 
2x water bowl kind of things (that it seems to like running through  )
food bowl
basking log x2
100g tub of nutrobal
2x tubs of live food.
the long light tube and the bright bulb thing (sorry dont know the names haha)

Does that sound about right then?


aww MissG, we wern't planning on getting one soo soon, but we went to the shop for the dog food and left with alot more  i kind of fell in love, although i dont like it when they move about on my hand at the mo haha 

so will open new thread in a bit with piccys. Thanks again guys, no doubt i will be posting lots about ----------- hmm kind of annoying not having a name yet, although i think Aaron will name the beardie from a dino out of the land before time


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## MissG (Apr 18, 2008)

Yeah that seems about right.

But whats missing is a dimming thermostat for your basking lamp - these are around £40. Habistat are the best ones, but Micro-climate do a decent, slightly cheaper one.
Habistat - Livefood UK Ltd.

And you need calcium powder - and lots of it! This is cheap though, it's basically just limestone powder, I have bought it from ebay before now.

Have you got all the stuff yet?

The viv will probably last him until he is about 6-8 months old and then he will need to be in a minimum of 4ftx2ft. Which will probably cost you another £150 maybe £200.
You should have just bought the 4ft one and put a divide up, but nevermind.

IMO, you don't need the food bowls and water bowls. You should ideally hand feed some of the time to bond with him and gain his trust - but also let crickets loose to do what he is best at! Feeding from a bowl makes for lazy beardies.
And as for water, you will probably find it will just get split everywhere - meaning more cleaning up for you. The come from a dry habitat - it's really not necessary, but some beardies do like it, so it's up to you really.

I offer mine a water is one of those small plant pot saucers, usually once a week or so. Usually he refuses, but sometime he will drink. They get most of the water they need for veggies.

LOL at long tube thing - this will be the UV. Did you get a starter for that? ie, the thing to plug the tube into? If not you need one of those - roughly around £15-20 Livefood UK Ltd.

Which one did you get? I assume it will be repti glo, but what number?

What watt bulb have you got? Is it a reflector?


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## Claire08 (Sep 21, 2008)

well, for some reason he was seeming a bit grumpy puffing up his neck, but we collected him this morning on feeding time so hes just had 2 crickets and is loads happier, how many should he have a day??
we have got crickets, locus and bloodworm! 

haha yea the bulbs all plugged in and working, if thats what you mean? (god didnt realise just how useless i am haha)
its only 5 watt bulb, the temp in there is 80 -90oC

gosh i thought the nutrobal was the calicum it needed sprinkling on his food 

Will have a look at the site for the thnigs you have said, thanks heaps
just startin to take aload of piccys while hes happy 
c x


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## MissG (Apr 18, 2008)

That's normal, he just doesn't know whee he is yet, or who you are. Give him time.

Bloodworms? You mean the kind that are in water?? Never heard of those being fed to beardies before. Unless you mean mealwoms?

Mealworms have high chitin in the exo-skeleton so should only be fedd occasionally, more of a treat really. Make sure they are the small ones too.

Hhhhmmm I'm not too sure which bulb you are refering too by 5 watts. In a 3 ft viv, I would recommend a 60 watt, in a 4ft viv, a 100 watt.
Basking temp needs to be around 105of

So do you have the dimming thermostat on the bulb yet? If not, buy one today as these are incredibly important. Basically what dimmers do is adjust the power going to the bulb, depending on the temperature. If it get's too warm, the bulb will dim slightly, when it gets chilly the bulb will increase. But generally they work by keeping it a set temperature.

Yeah I am looking forward to seeing some pics! I bet he is dead cute! It will make me want another one!


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## MissG (Apr 18, 2008)

Well Nutrobal is a calcium balancer, but it's a multi-vitamin supplement. Be very carefil with this as you can over dose.

It says to give a pinch per kilo. I imagine your little guy will weight less than 100g - so we are talking miniscule amounts.

Best way to put some calcium powder (there is no set dose for this) and a tiny amount of Nutrobal into sandwich bag, and then put in a few crickets. Shake the bag so all the crickets get covered in it, and then shake the crickets into the viv.

I have read to feed as many crickets baby can eat in 10 minutes. What size are they by the way?


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## Claire08 (Sep 21, 2008)

well son is home and hes decided to call him Spike from the land before time  
erm, ill have to wait til OH gets in to tell you bowt the bulbs i am useless haha.all i know is its the long tube bulb that 5watts 
Oops  i ment mealworms  haha see at least you know what i ment to write.
i dont have a dimming thermo yet, but im just going to order one now off that site you gave me.
hmmm im not to sure on size of crickets, they are a decent size but they aint huge, the locuts(sp) are massive though, or so they seem cos i dont like them lol.
still taking pics so will upload them soon, pics arnt the best though cos of the bulbs brightness in there.
c x


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## MissG (Apr 18, 2008)

Lol, Spike is the most common name for Beardies, suits them though! Mine is Ozzy, as in Aussie.

5 watts is no where near enough! You need a minimum of 8.0, I would even sugesst a 10.0 for babies as uv is very important. 
In a 3ft viv, you will need atleast a 24" tube which is 20 watt if it's 10.0
You need this is size 24" it's £15.86 Exo Terra Repti Glo 10.0 10% UVB Fluorsecent Light Tube - Reptile UVB Light £13.56 - Pet Zoo Online Reptile Shop & Exotic Pet Store

Seriously where have you bought all this from? They haven't got a clue! And please don't take offense Claire - but you really should have done some proper research before hand - and not taken a pet shops flawed advice. You have paid WAY over the odds for a setup that isn't really suitable.

The crickets need to be size micro - as in very small. The general rule, as explained earlier in the thread, is they have to be smaller than the gap in between their eyes. Any bigger and you risk impaction.
Do not give him the locusts, they are far far too big for him.


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## Claire08 (Sep 21, 2008)

its ok.
Its a 25watt, 5.0 UVB and 75cm(30inch)....i should of gone and looked at the box properly...that still wrong 
I know what you mean about looking into the reptile first but every site you see says different all the time, then you come on a site like here and they say totally different again, although i would prefer first class hand from people here than all the different websites.
The crickets are small, im saying they are huge because i dont like them lol, so anything bigger than an ant is huge to me!
c x


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## MissG (Apr 18, 2008)

Claire08 said:


> its ok.
> Its a 25watt, 5.0 UVB and 75cm(30inch)....i should of gone and looked at the box properly...that still wrong
> I know what you mean about looking into the reptile first but every site you see says different all the time, then you come on a site like here and they say totally different again, although i would prefer first class hand from people here than all the different websites.
> The crickets are small, im saying they are huge because i dont like them lol, so anything bigger than an ant is huge to me!
> c x


5.0 is only tropical, it needs to have desert output. I can be 8.0 for adults, but for babies definatly 10.0
UV helps with the metabolism of calcium, helps protect against MBD (Metabolic Bone Disorder)

Baby also needs to get within around 20-30 cm's of this for it to be effective and in 6 months time, you will need to buy a new one as they don't last very long.


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## Claire08 (Sep 21, 2008)

well his basking log is tilted up against the back of the viv, which is not far from the light at the top which he likes sitting under will get a different one tomorrow though.
The temp on the thermo is reading 90 in the viv to!
c x


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## MissG (Apr 18, 2008)

Claire08 said:


> well his basking log is tilted up against the back of the viv, which is not far from the light at the top which he likes sitting under will get a different one tomorrow though.
> The temp on the thermo is reading 90 in the viv to!
> c x


Can you post some pics up so I can have a look? Basking lamp should really be pointing straigh downwards, or if not, he needs to be able to get straight under it. Or else, he wouldn't be basking.
Of course this will get really hot and baby should not be able to touch it.

Where is the thermometer?


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## Claire08 (Sep 21, 2008)

The thermo is on the back of the viv in the middle.
If its the rounded (kindof) bulb thats the basking one then yes, its facing down. he can get right under it. Will post some pics shortly of it along with spike,
c x


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## sadiajahan (Mar 4, 2012)

ColeosMummy said:


> I have taken an interest in these, i don't usually like animals like them but i do these, how do you have to keep them what type of tank etc? x


Size is an extremely important factor for any bearded dragon cage. Never put your adult dragon in a tank that is smaller than a 40 gallon breeder. If you cannot get your hands on a breeder tank, settle for no less than 75 gallons. Ground area is more important than height, but make sure that your beardie still has plenty of room overhead. You will later be installing some rather cumbersome objects, so make sure to keep all installed objects into consideration. I've found a free bearded dragon book. It's great, you can download it from here: Best Bearded Dragon BOOK is FREE. Download Bearded Dragon Quick Start
It's free with over 100 pages, and lots of info about how to care and raise bearded dragons.


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