bearded dragons

salt life

Active Member
went to a reptile show today and picked me up two 6 month old females. anyone have any advice/experience on how you took care of them? they are the first reptile that I have kept in a while but was told they were easy so I decided to try it out. they are great so far. question:
i was told to just mist there heads to give them water, is this true or should I put a water dish in their tank? and if I should spray them how much should I do this a day..
feel free to add anything, I was talking to the guy for about 2 hours before I went ahead and got them so I have a basic understanding of their care, seems simple...
 

joe____17

Member
I suggest researching any animal thoroughly before buying one. Not trying to sound like an ass but it would save you time and money. They need a water dish and a place that's most for them to hang out in. A hollowed out half piece of log with wet moss is good. Also lots of places to bask since they are desert animals. You can spray them but of course don't let them get too hot.
They are omnivores so keep crickets and some romaine lettuce on hand. In addition to calcium powder as a supplement id you don't want to gut load crickets.
 

salt life

Active Member
Originally Posted by joe____17
http:///forum/post/3139661
I suggest researching any animal thoroughly before buying one. Not trying to sound like an ass but it would save you time and money. They need a water dish and a place that's most for them to hang out in. A hollowed out half peice of log with wet moss is good. Also lots of places to bask.
I agree, that's why I talked to the guy for 2 hours (and added it into the post) and then decided to get them, the reptile show wasn't gonna wait around for me so I made the choice... And I bought everything I would need to set up the cage and didn't skimp on anything. I was told differently about a water dish because they can't sense stagnent water so that is why I asked. I have a big cave in there I made out of slate so they can climb uptop to bask and then go under to hang out. never heard of putting wet moss or logs with bearded dragons? don't they come from australia which is dry desert land?
 

salt life

Active Member
Originally Posted by joe____17
http:///forum/post/3139661
I suggest researching any animal thoroughly before buying one. Not trying to sound like an ass but it would save you time and money. They need a water dish and a place that's most for them to hang out in. A hollowed out half piece of log with wet moss is good. Also lots of places to bask since they are desert animals. You can spray them but of course don't let them get too hot.
They are omnivores so keep crickets and some romaine lettuce on hand. In addition to calcium powder as a supplement id you don't want to gut load crickets.
I fed them crickets today and they ate them all, romaine lettuce is crap because it only holds water. I was told to feed other greens like kale and stuff and then veggies like squash and peas. and I did get the calcium powder to sprinkle on the food.
 

joe____17

Member
Originally Posted by Salt Life
http:///forum/post/3139667
I fed them crickets today and they ate them all, romaine lettuce is crap because it only holds water. I was told to feed other greens like kale and stuff and then veggies like squash and peas. and I did get the calcium powder to sprinkle on the food.
Yes but even desert animals need shelter from heat. Romaine has more nutrients. Iceburg lettuce is crap. Collard greens are good too.
A water dish is Necessary IMO. They will find it but i has to be a shallow bowl especially for juveniles. You might want to move your finger in the water too since they need movement in the water to recognize it.
 

salt life

Active Member
Originally Posted by joe____17
http:///forum/post/3139670
Yes but even desert animals need shelter from heat. Romaine has more nutrients. Iceburg lettuce is crap. Collard greens are good too.
ya my bad the iceburg is crap, always get them mixed up. ok so is the slate cave I made ok? for their shelter? or do they need like a small place to hide so they feel snug?
 

salt life

Active Member
Originally Posted by joe____17
http:///forum/post/3139670
Yes but even desert animals need shelter from heat. Romaine has more nutrients. Iceburg lettuce is crap. Collard greens are good too.
A water dish is Necessary IMO. They will find it.
K i am gonnna pick one up then, thanks for clearing it up.
 

joe____17

Member
Originally Posted by Salt Life
http:///forum/post/3139671
ya my bad the iceburg is crap, always get them mixed up. ok so is the slate cave I made ok? for their shelter? or do they need like a small place to hide so they feel snug?
As long as they both fit inside it should be fine. Just add alot of wet moss inside and where it wont dry out fast.
 

flower

Well-Known Member
Originally Posted by joe____17
http:///forum/post/3139661
I suggest researching any animal thoroughly before buying one. Not trying to sound like an ass but it would save you time and money. They need a water dish and a place that's most for them to hang out in. A hollowed out half piece of log with wet moss is good. Also lots of places to bask since they are desert animals. You can spray them but of course don't let them get too hot.
They are omnivores so keep crickets and some romaine lettuce on hand. In addition to calcium powder as a supplement id you don't want to gut load crickets.

I have to +1 on the red highlighted area above. I don't know anything about the creature, so I don't know if the advice is good or bad, and niether do you.
You should never purchase a pet before you know its needs...ever.
 

salt life

Active Member
Originally Posted by Flower
http:///forum/post/3139762

I have to +1 on the red highlighted area above. I don't know anything about the creature, so I don't know if the advice is good or bad, and niether do you.
You should never purchase a pet before you know its needs...ever.
thank you SO MUCH for posting that.
BEFORE I got them I talked to the owner of the store for a while and asked many questions and he told me alot of stuff so I got the basics. Instead of telling me don't get it before knowing why not give me advice if you have the experience. I'm not a slow learner so If I get the advice then I can understand it.
 

flower

Well-Known Member
Originally Posted by Salt Life
http:///forum/post/3139764
thank you SO MUCH for posting that.
BEFORE I got them I talked to the owner of the store for a while and asked many questions and he told me alot of stuff so I got the basics. Instead of telling me don't get it before knowing why not give me advice if you have the experience. I'm not a slow learner so If I get the advice then I can understand it.


Sorry if I came off harsh..I really don't mean to. I am sure you have learned from being on this site how useful local stores are for advice. What goes for fish and reef tanks goes fo every living creature the pet stores sell.
They don't give good advice you can just up and trust. Right in that same store there was most likely a book on the exact critter you bought. You should have purchased it along with the creature at the very least. I have lost pets over the years (much younger days) because I didn't do the proper prep before bringing home my new pets. Your new pet should have had a cage all set when you brought it home.
You sound like a critter lover...the more unusual the better ...much like I was as a young girl. So while it may be too late to undo this purchase I wanted to maybe push the idea for your future pets...Cause I know this critter is not your last, nor the only strange new thing you will find to make a pet of.
 

joe____17

Member
Originally Posted by Flower
http:///forum/post/3139778

Sorry if I came off harsh..I really don't mean to. I am sure you have learned from being on this site how useful local stores are for advice. What goes for fish and reef tanks goes fo every living creature the pet stores sell.
They don't give good advice you can just up and trust. Right in that same store there was most likely a book on the exact critter you bought. You should have purchased it along with the creature at the very least. I have lost pets over the years (much younger days) because I didn't do the proper prep before bringing home my new pets. Your new pet should have had a cage all set when you brought it home.
You sound like a critter lover...the more unusual the better ...much like I was as a young girl. So while it may be too late to undo this purchase I wanted to maybe push the idea for your future pets...Cause I know this critter is not your last, nor the only strange new thing you will find to make a pet of.

You didn't seem harsh to me at all
. Nice to see a fellow member from Illinois here too.
 

crypt keeper

Active Member
They are easy. dont feed them a crap load of crickets or any other meaty food. They will eat till they die. keep fresh daily veggies. Thro win the occasional baby mouse. Change out the substrate every few months completely. Give them a basking stick they lay on directly under a heat lamp. Put in a water bowl. Change it out every day. They will get most water from the veggies. They are easy and play with them everyday. Otherwise they will become people shy and hate you and bite the hell out of your ass.
Boom done and learn as you go. They are desert lizards. Everybody else lets make it a point and cry about not doing the 100% research on an animal. God forbid people dont fully understand an animal before they buy them you hypocrites.
 

salt life

Active Member
Originally Posted by crypt keeper
http:///forum/post/3139835
They are easy. dont feed them a crap load of crickets or any other meaty food. They will eat till they die. keep fresh daily veggies. Thro win the occasional baby mouse. Change out the substrate every few months completely. Give them a basking stick they lay on directly under a heat lamp. Put in a water bowl. Change it out every day. They will get most water from the veggies. They are easy and play with them everyday. Otherwise they will become people shy and hate you and bite the hell out of your ass.
Boom done and learn as you go. They are desert lizards. Everybody else lets make it a point and cry about not doing the 100% research on an animal. God forbid people dont fully understand an animal before they buy them you hypocrites.
thank you CK, that's why I love ya man. I bought the tank and all the neccesities at the reptile show when I got them so I set up the tank before I put them in, which is basically the same thing as having it set up before I get them. the dude told me to alternate feedings between crickets one day, then veggies the next then worms then back to crickets, and then when they get bigger move on to some roaches and stuff. when can I feed them pinkies?
 
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