# advice needed on bearded dragon...



## rebekah-jessicaftw (Apr 11, 2009)

I have been looking into buying a bearded dragon...i'm looking on advice and basic information before i do go out and buy one.


----------



## kevin cross (Mar 25, 2008)

thereare some very useful caresheets on this forum in the caresheet section, anything inpaticular you want to know

kevin


----------



## Dexter612 (Apr 2, 2009)

Not my thread but I'll ask a few.
Are crickets noisy? I know they're very noticable in pet stores but then you have to take into account the amount of stock they have in. Is it noticable keeping just enough to feed a beardie in your house?

Are they easy to get into your beardies' terr/vivarium? I just can't imagine crickets keeping still so you can grab them.

Does the insect dusting/feeding every day sound like more of a task than it actually is? I'm used to just leaving a mouse out to defrost for a few hours then putting it in a tub for my snake to eat once a week, so I'm not sure how it is to get a routine going with beardies every day.
I wish my local reptile shop would employ me so I could get some experience caring for the different kinds of herps, probably no chance of that with the recession and the fact that he already has a friend who comes in a few days a week.


----------



## kenmillix (Mar 28, 2009)

i bought 1 from the living rainforest website she is a blood red fire and ice. i would recomend them anyday as i was well impressed with all aspects of there service.


----------



## Jasmine the Jester (Apr 10, 2009)

Cricket wise I have 1 tub a week and the are quiet if you feed them I just put some cricket feed in liek 2-3 pieces. also for dusting just sprinkle a fewcrickets into a freezer bag and place it in the fridge for 5 mins this will slow them down then sprinkle a pinch of the dust in and shake. if your gentle with the crickets they wont jump around. 

as for the beardy itself make sure to feed veg aswell as live food. I feed mine on little gem lettuice and kale mainly, and now dandilions. 

for your tank have a water bowl, they dont really drink that much but incase they want to have it there. and logs, rocks etc for a basking spot. 
for your basking light different people have different watt bulbs. I have a 4ft tank with a 60w bulb and my temps are 90 cool end and 100 hot end. If you would like to know anything else just send me a message and I will be happy to help as best as I can.

Jasmine the Jester


----------



## Pendragon (Dec 8, 2008)

Dexter612 said:


> Not my thread but I'll ask a few.
> Are crickets noisy? I know they're very noticable in pet stores but then you have to take into account the amount of stock they have in. Is it noticable keeping just enough to feed a beardie in your house?
> 
> Are they easy to get into your beardies' terr/vivarium? I just can't imagine crickets keeping still so you can grab them.
> ...


Yup, They are noisey, you need to feed them good foods, they will escape, you need to dust them one day calcium, one day nutabol.

And for the beardie you have to feed greens as well. it can be a bit of a bore, but it has to be done. snakes are far less hassle. : victory:


Jay


----------



## reptile_care (Mar 28, 2009)

Bearded dragons are good pets. Once you get into a routine they are pretty easy to look after. You can get noisey crickets (black) or you can get silent crickets (brown), but i tend to feed mine on locusts (dont escape).

If you have any questions, I would be happy to try and answer them.


----------



## sazzle (Jun 3, 2008)

BD's are great  picked up my 4th today (he's a special BD) 

all my BD's are fed on veg daily (cabbage, kale, brocoli etc) mealies and locust... my BD's wouldn't touch crix, tried them on locust and never looked back... tis more expensive but i buy heinz beans rather than cheap crap so why treat my BD any different :2thumb:


----------



## clidbury (Mar 7, 2009)

I've never tried feeding locusts to my Beardie. I have contemplated it looking at them in reptile shops, but whenever I see them they are always pouncing about the box. I couldn't imagine opening the box to get one out, with the entire box content jumping out into my bedroom.

That being said.....I did lose a cricket in my room the other day.....No signs of his reappearance yet.

But my Beardie eats his crickets so fast I'm surprised he has time to chew them.


----------



## sazzle (Jun 3, 2008)

haha i hate crix... i buy the locust in bulk so just grab some, tub them up, dust them, take the lid off (in the viv) and let them jump out, however the BD's are usally munching them out the tub before they get chance to jump out lol x


----------



## Dexter612 (Apr 2, 2009)

I wish there was somewhere I could go to get a bit of experience with beardies. I want to buy one I'm used to my snake, even with cats all you do is scoop out some food/biscuits into their bowl and you're done. So the food prep for beardies sounds quite daunting to me having never done it before. 

I would hate to buy it only to find out that it was too much responsibility to me. Their lives are too significant for me to just buy them and give them away/sell them willy nilly.


----------



## clidbury (Mar 7, 2009)

Dexter612 said:


> I wish there was somewhere I could go to get a bit of experience with beardies. I want to buy one I'm used to my snake, even with cats all you do is scoop out some food/biscuits into their bowl and you're done. So the food prep for beardies sounds quite daunting to me having never done it before.
> 
> I would hate to buy it only to find out that it was too much responsibility to me. Their lives are too significant for me to just buy them and give them away/sell them willy nilly.


Once you get into the routine of things it's fine. What I find also is that when I'm cutting up his veg, it also encourages me to get part of my 5-a-day considering I already have the sweet potatoes out. So it's a win-win for everyone .



sazzle said:


> haha i hate crix... i buy the locust in bulk so just grab some, tub them up, dust them, take the lid off (in the viv) and let them jump out, however the BD's are usally munching them out the tub before they get chance to jump out lol x


I might give that a try. Do you keep your locusts in a tank or something? I just buy my crix in a tub with an egg carton in it, so they're a bugger to get out once they cotton on to what you're doing.


----------



## rebekah-jessicaftw (Apr 11, 2009)

*thanks*

I've decided to buy one at the end of this month...I fell in love with this little guy in a pet shop at the weekend...i think he's the one. They seem pretty easy to care for. I used to have a californian corn snake when i was younger...I feel a beardie would be a good little pet


----------



## reptile_care (Mar 28, 2009)

> I might give that a try. Do you keep your locusts in a tank or something? I just buy my crix in a tub with an egg carton in it, so they're a bugger to get out once they cotton on to what you're doing.


 
Clidbury, You can either buy locusts in bulk or in a tub with egg carton in it. However I tend to buy in bulk as it works out cheaper in the long run.

You can get 100 locusts for around £15. Once I have bought in bulk I have a large faurnarium which you can get for around £12 with egg carton at one end and a dish at the other end for fresh vegatables. If kept at the right temperature/humidty locusts can last in their for a while.

Or there is some one on ebay who I believe is quite reliable. I would have to remember the name. They sell 100 large locust in tubs for around £12 plus £2 p&p (small and medium locust are cheaper, extra large and adult are more expensive). ( I find locust can be kept healthy and alive in their tubs for around 1 week with food)

So there are plenty of ways to purchase, just depends on how you want to do it. With some practice it is not hard to handle/collect the locust to feed to your beardie or any other lizard.

Regards


----------



## sazzle (Jun 3, 2008)

clidbury said:


> Once you get into the routine of things it's fine. What I find also is that when I'm cutting up his veg, it also encourages me to get part of my 5-a-day considering I already have the sweet potatoes out. So it's a win-win for everyone .
> 
> 
> 
> I might give that a try. Do you keep your locusts in a tank or something? I just buy my crix in a tub with an egg carton in it, so they're a bugger to get out once they cotton on to what you're doing.


they come in a bag which i keep them in and put the food in the bag with them to eat... that or i tub them all up with the food in the tubs for them


----------



## Dexter612 (Apr 2, 2009)

Do you think beardies are financially taxing? One of the reasons I enjoy owning a snake is that they only eat once a week, so if I buy 10 mice then I don't have to buy any more for quite some time. I'm kinda concerned that maybe after some time I won't be able to afford to keep buying food, I have no problem buying the beardie and setup as its a one off payment, but feeding every day is a bit of a worry.


----------



## sazzle (Jun 3, 2008)

it costs me about £30 a week to feed 4 BD's, 8 Leos, a royal and a CWD however i only pay £11 for a bag of 100 locust x


----------



## Pendragon (Dec 8, 2008)

sazzle said:


> BD's are great  picked up my 4th today (he's a special BD)
> 
> all my BD's are fed on veg daily (cabbage, kale, brocoli etc) mealies and locust... my BD's wouldn't touch crix, tried them on locust and never looked back... tis more expensive but i buy heinz beans rather than cheap crap so why treat my BD any different :2thumb:


Everything that's bad, nice work :whistling2:


Jay


----------



## sazzle (Jun 3, 2008)

eh?

i quote from a care sheet i just found

"Fresh greens, such as collards, *kale*, and mustard greens should be finely chopped and offered every other day along with vegetables such as yellow squash, zucchini and shredded carrots. Be sure to thoroughly wash all greens and vegetables before offering them to your dragon."
what is wrong with locust and mealies? or are you bored so fancied a dig...


----------



## Pendragon (Dec 8, 2008)

Dexter612 said:


> Do you think beardies are financially taxing? One of the reasons I enjoy owning a snake is that they only eat once a week, so if I buy 10 mice then I don't have to buy any more for quite some time. I'm kinda concerned that maybe after some time I won't be able to afford to keep buying food, I have no problem buying the beardie and setup as its a one off payment, but feeding every day is a bit of a worry.


Hi mate, as they get older they tend to eat less live food, so a small tub of crix or locusts, once a week will do, if you move on to roaches, then its even cheaper as they breed like rabbits, and once you get your numbers up, you can sell them on. : victory:

As for veg, pop down to the local super market and get the mixed salad bags, or if you are in the country, you can pick dandilion, plantian, clover... which of course is free :2thumb:


Jay


----------



## Pendragon (Dec 8, 2008)

sazzle said:


> eh?
> 
> i quote from a care sheet i just found
> 
> ...


Three of the greens on here are good, collards, Butternut and musted greens, :2thumb:

Locust and mealies are full of fat, and chitin.

Not bored, just concerned. : victory:


Jay


----------



## sazzle (Jun 3, 2008)

maybe you ought to make a sticky then cause i'd say atleast 50% of BD owners feed their BD's locust


----------



## Pendragon (Dec 8, 2008)

sazzle said:


> maybe you ought to make a sticky then cause i'd say atleast 50% of BD owners feed their BD's locust


Lol, go back to my pm to you for my view on members.

I've said this befor, and know doubt will again, "there is more iggnorance in the world than wisdom". 

I would say that the ratio of people that know what they are talking about on here, to the ones that don't, is about 1 in 10, so numbers on here don't impress me.

Any road, as I keep trying to say, there is nothing wrong with locusts in moderation, but imo, they shouldn't be feed more than once out of every three live feeds, I have no scientific backup for this, just a bit of common sense.

To put it in human terms, it would be like eating chips every night with every meal. Not good.


Jay


----------



## clidbury (Mar 7, 2009)

Thanks for the info on the locusts sazza and reptile_care.

I think I'll stick to the crickets as my parents find it quite worrying there are crickets in the house anyway (I told them if they look under the floorboards, they'd probably be more worried what's living down there).

Anywhoo. If I do buy locusts, I'll stick to the small tubs.

And an update on the missing cricket. My mum bumped into him in the hallway just now. So that would be another reason not to allow a locust colony in my room . 

Back on topic, I heard Kale binds calcium? Or can you just feed it in moderation?


----------



## necromonger (Mar 25, 2009)

sazzle said:


> it costs me about £30 a week to feed 4 BD's, 8 Leos, a royal and a CWD however i only pay £11 for a bag of 100 locust x


hi sazzle,
where do you get your locust from? £11 for 100 is cheap.:2thumb:


----------



## sazzle (Jun 3, 2008)

either L'n'D exotics, Old Mill Animal Feeds or Distinctive Waterlife (all based in Mansfield Woodhouse, Nottinghamshire)


----------



## Pendragon (Dec 8, 2008)

clidbury said:


> Thanks for the info on the locusts sazza and reptile_care.
> 
> I think I'll stick to the crickets as my parents find it quite worrying there are crickets in the house anyway (I told them if they look under the floorboards, they'd probably be more worried what's living down there).
> 
> ...


 
Nice to see you're doing your research, to be honest, it is a bit crap, I would only use it, if it was all I could find.

Their are far better foods out there. :2thumb:


Jay


----------



## Tehanu (Nov 12, 2006)

sazzle said:


> eh?
> 
> i quote from a care sheet i just found
> 
> ...


 
Very good job at finding a caresheet which fitted exactly what you needed it to say, if you are honestly using caresheets with content like that, no wonder you offer such poor advice (all too often sadly...).

For the record, the three items you initially list (I hope to god they aren't the only three greens you ever use, or we can all say a little prayer for "humpy") are all nutrient negative.

*Cabbage* - Ca of 2:1, sounds great, but the goitrogen content suggests it shouldn't be used as a part of staple diet, i.e: shouldn't be used more than weekly.

*Curly Kale* - Ca of 2.4:1, again sounds great, but high vitamin A in a food used as a staple is certainly a hypervitaminosis problem in the making, moderate goitrogens added onto the goitrogens in the cabbage adds up to thyroid problems and moderate oxalates cancel out the moderately good Ca ratio...

*Broccoli* - Ca of 1:1.4, has a negative Ca ratio, combined with moderate oxalates will actually sap calcium from your beardies diet... oh and don't forget more goitrogens too!!!


So next time you're considering sending such a childlike abusive PM to someone who is LEGITIMATELY pointing out that your dietry advice leaves a lot to be desired. Take a look at your previous failings and all too obvious lack of real knowledge, think about obtaining all the facts first and perhaps you won't embarrass yourself quite so badly next time.

You might want to bother reading this website;

Nutrition Content

You might learn something


----------



## cooljules (May 20, 2008)

jabba1967 said:


> Lol, go back to my pm to you for my view on members.
> 
> I've said this befor, and know doubt will again, "there is more iggnorance in the world than wisdom".
> 
> ...


its the same with anything, you have to give a balanced diet, but people just use crix with vits and calcium...

its the same with locust, but there is more nutrient in a locust, but i still wouldnt say enough without vits.

people keep and breed lep gex only super mario's. i wouldnt personally but its done often....with no problems.

also BD's when adults should be 90% or so veggies.

and yes, spinnich, brocc, and those type can cause serious problems if fed too much. 

I have 2 very fussy iguanas, and for over 10 years been a nightmare to find something they both like..


----------

