# Help! New Bearded Dragon owner in a panic!!



## noodlesjen (Dec 5, 2008)

Hi, I just got my first beardie 2 days ago. He is 2 years old and came complete in a 4ft vivarium with uv and ceramic lamps etc.
I had been to see him a couple of times with my 9 year old son ( its his lizard really ) he was really active and happy etc. The previous owner also supplied the timers and thermostat etc for his lamps. He is in the viv that they kept him in too, he always lived alone as they had two males.
Despite reading every page on the net i can find i still feel really anxious about caring for him properly!
I have given him veg for the last 2 days as i cant get any crickets til today, he hasnt eaten any of the veg! He seems to be ok, basking on his log/rock thingy but he just wont eat.
Sometimes he scratches at the glass, is this normal?
Also the seller said they always use sand, play sand, which is what he has at the moment however ive read that he shouldnt!
I would appreciate any help guys!
How many crickets a day should he eat also?


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## PsyKoViggy (Mar 4, 2008)

not eating could be down to two things, firstly, even with all the same set up, moving can be stressful and it could be getting used to the new sights, smells and sounds.. it could also be that it doesn't like its veggies (like a naughty child, heheh), you might want to get in contact with the seller just to find out if he usually avoids his greens, because this means you might have to find inventive ways of getting them down him.
you shouldn't worry about not eating untill you've tried him with some crix though.
As for how many to feed, as many as it will eat really.. but you don't want them hiding and then causing trouble at night, so again, i'd get in contact with the seller and ask how many he is normally fed.

play sand should be fine, so long as the beardie isn't eating it (which is unlikely)

what you should do is feed in a seperate container, this means they can't get a mouthfull of sand when going for a cricket, you know how many it has eaten, and you'll be 100% sure there are no crix hiding around your beardies viv.

the scratching at the glass is very normal, my bluey does it too.. from what i can tell, it either means they are hungry or they want to come out and play.

congrats on your new baby! :thumbup1:


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## sullivan (Aug 29, 2008)

If its any use to you Brown crickets arent as noisey as the blacks. I think they also like small hoppers.


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## PsyKoViggy (Mar 4, 2008)

Locusts are a pleasure to keep as live prey, compared to crix.. much less noisey and smelly... but they are bigger than crix so you do have to make sure they're not too big for him.. (no bigger than the space between the beardie's eyes)


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## sullivan (Aug 29, 2008)

Our pet shop had the hoppers down but they look like locusts to me. Had never heard the saying no bigger than the space between the eyes. You learn some thing new every day.


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## MissG (Apr 18, 2008)

Yes, feeding live food bigger than the space inbetween the eyes can cause impaction, especially in younger lizards.

Hoppers are just another name for locusts aren't they? I buy my locusts online as it's cheaper - I have an adult beardie to feed, plus a chile Rose Tarantula, Whites tree frog and also a hedgehog who eats mealies. It all adds up.

Noodlesjen - What veg are you offering to him? Spring greens should be the staple veg for beardies as they are high in calcium. My Ozzy will galdly take these out of my hands, he loves them.

Sand is a gray area. I myself will never use it. Not only can it cause impaction, which can be fatal, It's not natural for them as they live on compacted clay and stone.
I use regular floor tiles from topps tiles. I stuck them down to the bottom of his viv and grouted all in between.
Cleaning is a doddle. Sweep round, spray disinfectant and wipe. They never need replacing, which is were sand can work out to be expensive, plus sand can smell after a while.


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## cake1981 (Jul 5, 2008)

just persevere with the veg, it took our beardie 12 months to eat any at all. Butternut squash is his favourite.

we give him locusts and dust them and gut load them before he eats them. good luck


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## noodlesjen (Dec 5, 2008)

I got crickets, locusts and mealworms for him and tried him with them all. he really loved the locusts and crickets, didnt seem to bothered with the worms though. 
Gut loading? Help! What does that mean exactly? what do you guys keep your crix etc in?
Ive given him spring greens and a bit of apple too ( last owner said he liked it ) Any other reccommendations?
He seems to try and climb up the back of his viv alot, should he have something to climb on?
Thanks for all your help guys....I really love the little fella and wanna make sure I look after him right


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## MissG (Apr 18, 2008)

Gut loading is the expression for feeding your feeder insects with lots of nutrients, so that the Beardie benefits from those, when he eats the insect.

I personally prefer Locusts, as they eat a lot more than Crickets and are bigger, so hold more too. You need to keep them well fed, it will take about 24 hours before they are properly gut loaded. 
You really don't need to be feeding crickets and locusts, choose which one you like best.

For them to survive any longer than a few days, you will need to put them into a bigger tub.
I use a plastic tommy tank, with egg carton inside for my locusts. Some use Kricket Keepers for crickets.

Yes, beardies love to climb, so he should have some apparatus in the form of a branch, rock maybe, and something to act as a basking platform too.


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