# No experience, no knowledge, no car......



## BasementCat (Jun 14, 2011)

I have promised my daughter a beardie. A near neighbour's has had babies and we are having one of them - it's about 4m old. I have to, somehow, get the entire set up. I have ms and can't drive, so need to get everything delivered. I can't even get to a shop to see anything in real life! I am going to this neighbour tomorrow to see her set up, but I know she drove all over the place to get everything, which obviously I can't do.

I need some help with what I actually need (not what a shop wants to sell me, ie heat stones, which I gather are not good). I've looked at starter kits online, but they tend to have smaller vivs than a full grown adult would need. I'm not keen on getting one viv now and another later, as I have no idea what sort of state I'll be in tomorrow, let alone in a couple years!

I am also a little concerned as we have 3 cats. I suspect they'll be more scared of the dragon than it will be of them. We will ensure that they don't get near it while it is little though.

My daughter is 11, by the way, and will look after it well and sensibly. We live in Devon, if that's relevant.

Thank you.


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## Ophexis (Feb 19, 2010)

You need a 4ft x 2 x 2 vivarium, wooden is preferred. 
Digital thermometer - preferably 2 or 3 to measure the basking spot, hot end and cool end
UV tube - I believe 10-12% strength, and the tube needs to span almost the width of the viv
Basking lamp for heat
A basking spot is advised, like a large rock or piece of wood
Thermostat
Supplements like calcium and Nutrobal to dust the dragon's food with
Substrate - for a young bearded dragon I'd suggest either newspaper, kitchen towel or vinyl/lino tiles
Vegetables - for both the beardie and the live food. There is a nutritional value chart on the Internet somewhere that you can take a gander at
Live food - variety is the spice of life! Crickets, locusts, mealworms, silkworms and roaches are good insects for beardies
An enclosure for the insects if you want! I keep my locusts in a small sized faunarium
There could be more, but I'm a bit frazzled from work lol, someone may come along and add to the list

Read up on a few care sheets so both you and your daughter know what you're doing, and congrats : victory:


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## ricknchi (Jun 13, 2011)

Hi There and :welcome:
Beardies are lovely, we have one and her name is Norbie... it was Norbit because we thought she was a boy until this past weekend when we had her sexed properly! lol. We have cats too and they dont seem to bother her at all, but if your cats start jumping up and your beardie gets distressed then i would suggest moving the viv to a different room where the cats cant get to him/her.
I have just embarked on a new journey and am picking up a baby Chameleon on sunday, I mention this because I work shifts and am a housewife and mum and life gets hectic so I didnt have time to go all over the place to find equipment either! but I found this place on ebay so have bought the whole set up for my Chameleon from there. 
Internet Reptile items - Get great deals on Heat Mats, Locusts items on eBay.co.uk Shops! (copy and paste into your browser) they have everything you could possibly need! and even deliver live food  
At minimum you will need a large wood vivarium ours is 4(L)x3(H)x2(D) if my memory serves me correctly... on the site for £87.99, A UV Starter and 36" tube... £25.99 & Approx £20 for the Tube on the site, Night Lamp & Basking Lamp Fitment and Bulbs (Havent looked at price of those as I needed something different for my Cham), A Thermostat to control Temperature... I use the basic habistat one at £29.99 on the site, You need to make sure you get some spare bulbs, a thermometer, some substrate... I personally use Herbifloor from my local reptile shop as calci sand can cause blockage in beardies if they eat it, you will also need a large branch or basking platorm and thats it for a basic set up... you can of course add some reptile friendly greenery.
I hope this helps and if you have any trouble getting hold of the website then just let me know and I will help you.
Chi : victory:


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## GeeUK (May 2, 2011)

Once you have everything listed you need, I'm sure you will be able to get everything delivered from online stores and Ebay etc.


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## imitebmike (Jun 22, 2008)

or look on classifieds/gumtree for some bargains  and often people deliver xD


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## GeeUK (May 2, 2011)

Yeah,

Try Preloved.co.uk too.

I got about £300-400 worth of kit for £115.


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## corny girl (Aug 30, 2009)

This is a good place to shop for everything you need. I have ordered from them & received my goods quickly & they were packaged properly too so stuff arrived in one piece :2thumb:. Reptile Supplies, Reptile Accessories, Reptile Products, Reptile Shops, Reptile Pet Supplies, Reptile livefoods, Exo Terra, Zoo Med,


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## emmilllyyy (Oct 9, 2010)

Blue Lizard Bearded Dragon Starter Kit - Lizards - Starter Kits - Blue Lizard Reptiles - Reptile Shop

and

Triple 8 Reptiles - Triple 8 Reptiles Adult Bearded Dragon Complete Setup VX48 Ellmau Beech

and i suggest you do up some reading on care sheets, heres a few to get you started

http://www.mybeardeddragons.co.uk/care.html

http://www.reptileforums.co.uk/forums/lizard-care-sheets/517418-bearded-dragon-caresheet.html

http://www.reptileforums.co.uk/foru...398016-bearded-dragon-care-info-reptiles.html


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## imitebmike (Jun 22, 2008)

i remember this problem xD most of the vivs in packages/kits are 4x1.5x1.5 or so, a beardie would ideally want a 4x2x2 i think :O which i think may be needed cause they can grow to 2ft


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## Shellsfeathers&fur (Jan 18, 2009)

I would definitely look on eBay - you may well get a bargain one closeby or else the seller will deliver (often they say they won't but if you ask.....). Provided the viv is cleaned properly there shouldn't be any problem.

Brand new and "all inclusive" setups are pricey!


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## BasementCat (Jun 14, 2011)

Thank you all so much. I shall be spending the next few days checking out all those links.

I've been told of a shop in Exeter called Tiny Boas, which I might be able to get to next week. This evening I am going to see the woman whose baby we are having, and then at least I'll have seen a proper set up.

Really great help.


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## snakemum (May 7, 2011)

Beardies are lovely, we have one and we also have a huge dog they just engorge each other 
good luck and hope you have a great time with your new friend.


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## Harry_NW (Feb 15, 2010)

yep we have a dog too, beardie likes to run around on the floor, constantly telling the dog to leave him alone but then the beardie runs to the dog and under his legs lol


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## snakemum (May 7, 2011)

hahah thats what you hear in our flat 
*NO LUNA LEAVE HIM ALONE HE DONT WANT TO PLAY WITH YOU lol *
pore dog only wants to play silly little girl lol :lol2:


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## BasementCat (Jun 14, 2011)

The dogs sound fun!

I got to Tiny Boas yesterday -sooner than expected - and was told that all I really needed to buy was a viv, UV light and a basking light. He told me I should change the UV bulb every 6 to 12 months. He said that unless our house was freezing we wouldn't need a heat mat. Also, that as it is likely that our daughter will have the beardie out a lot, the necessity for a large viv was less than if it was going to be stuck in there all the time.

I'm not sure what to make of that? I do appreciate that he is not trying to sell me tons of expensive stuff like bowls, sand, rocks etc, which he could easily have done. Seemed like a good guy to me. Was surprised to see he had rabbits in the shop too (would they be food for something?).

What do you all think?


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## imitebmike (Jun 22, 2008)

what kind of shop was it? xD if its a rep shop, i would assume he feeds rabbit babies to his larger snakes xD

and yeah, not everyone uses heat mats, just a basking light to creature a basking spot + warm side, and a UV strip light, i would still buy a 4x2x2 minimum, cause it'll give the beardie room to move around more comfortably you'll want some decor or else...it'll good abit...bare xD + beardies tend to bask at the highest point in the viv so you'll need something to elevate it


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## emmilllyyy (Oct 9, 2010)

I don't know much about beardies but aurely they should still have to have a full sized cage and things in their for them to climb on etc, that's like saying I could live in a tiny house with no furniture but it won't matter cause I can go out all the time :lol2: think about it, cause its a baby t would need a baby setup but would need upgrading to an adult one later on in life Id say start off with something like this  
http://www.888reptiles.co.uk/productdetails.php?ProductID=6411&ProductGroupID=1284
but add some branches and climbing spots



BasementCat said:


> The dogs sound fun!
> 
> I got to Tiny Boas yesterday -sooner than expected - and was told that all I really needed to buy was a viv, UV light and a basking light. He told me I should change the UV bulb every 6 to 12 months. He said that unless our house was freezing we wouldn't need a heat mat. Also, that as it is likely that our daughter will have the beardie out a lot, the necessity for a large viv was less than if it was going to be stuck in there all the time.
> 
> ...


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## imitebmike (Jun 22, 2008)

I'd prolly just start with a 4x2x2, but section parts of it off if the beardie seems too intimidated by the size personally


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## Nix (Jan 23, 2008)

Baby beardies do fine in a 4 x 2 x 2. Good size. Have you tried looking at the vivexotic range of vivs. You can buy them flat pack. Some of the viv builders on here will deliver too. Worth an ask. 

You will need housing wise

Viv (if a flat pack one you will need silicone aquarium sealant to seal it up) - maybe someone nearby can help you with this. 

UV 12% arcadia tubes are the best. Plus a reflector and starter unit. Ask arcadia john for the part numbers. 

Basking bulb + thermostat. If it is a visible light bulb you will need a dimming stat. If you want to use a ceramic heater you will need a pulse stat. 

Then decor/substrate to suit.

I find surreypetsupplies (google) very cheap and their service thus far has been excellent.


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## Jeffers3 (May 18, 2010)

BasementCat said:


> The dogs sound fun!
> 
> I got to Tiny Boas yesterday -sooner than expected - and was told that all I really needed to buy was a viv, UV light and a basking light. He told me I should change the UV bulb every 6 to 12 months. He said that unless our house was freezing we wouldn't need a heat mat. Also, that as it is likely that our daughter will have the beardie out a lot, the necessity for a large viv was less than if it was going to be stuck in there all the time.
> 
> ...


Strictly speaking the shop is almost right, but you should use a thermostat to control the temperatures and you'll need a thermometer to check them. A half decent thermometer is not that expensive and you can use it to check any cheaper dial-type ones that you put into the viv. The viv should be the full size of 4x2x2. Beardies get quite large and anything smaller is too cramped.

Specialist food bowls, sand, rocks etc are not necessary. Use newspaper as a substrate if you have nothing else. Ordinary small bowls, saucers etc ar perfectly functional. Get some dead wood from the local woods and wash it for something to climb on / bask on etc. If your daughter has the talent / patience, she could build her own decor using modelling materials.


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## Fionab (Mar 28, 2010)

not going to repeat the good advise you have already been give, but i want to add one little bit ... I have three beardies, and after meeting them a friend of mine decided to get one. all went well with the baby until one day she came home to find her cat had slide the door of the viv open and killed it............ so the moral of the story get yourself a wedge that wedges between the doors or a lock........ and get into the habit of using it. yes beardies and cat and dogs can get along fine ONCE they are used to each other........... but it doesnt always have a happy ending!


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## BasementCat (Jun 14, 2011)

Jeffers3 said:


> Specialist food bowls, sand, rocks etc are not necessary. Use newspaper as a substrate if you have nothing else. Ordinary small bowls, saucers etc ar perfectly functional. Get some dead wood from the local woods and wash it for something to climb on / bask on etc. If your daughter has the talent / patience, she could build her own decor using modelling materials.


She very artistic and will love that project. She's already suggested she make stuff with modelling clay, but I thought that it might be too soft and could crumble and get eaten.

She'll make a backdrop to pretty it up, and will trawl the garden and nearby woods for good climbing limbs.

Haven't actually ordered anything yet. We are in a House of Lurgy, in the process of becoming a House of Recovery.


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## BasementCat (Jun 14, 2011)

Fionab said:


> not going to repeat the good advise you have already been give, but i want to add one little bit ... I have three beardies, and after meeting them a friend of mine decided to get one. all went well with the baby until one day she came home to find her cat had slide the door of the viv open and killed it............ so the moral of the story get yourself a wedge that wedges between the doors or a lock........ and get into the habit of using it. yes beardies and cat and dogs can get along fine ONCE they are used to each other........... but it doesnt always have a happy ending!


Thanks for that, and sorry for your friend's baby. I do think that our cats are just too, well, thick to do that, but it's better safe than sorry.


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## Jeffers3 (May 18, 2010)

BasementCat said:


> She very artistic and will love that project. She's already suggested she make stuff with modelling clay, but I thought that it might be too soft and could crumble and get eaten.
> 
> She'll make a backdrop to pretty it up, and will trawl the garden and nearby woods for good climbing limbs.
> 
> Haven't actually ordered anything yet. We are in a House of Lurgy, in the process of becoming a House of Recovery.


 
I've heard of people making stuff from all sorts of materials. I've never used modelling clay myself, so I don't know what it will be like.

The most popular approach seems to the use of polystyrene cut to size, which is grouted and painted. I've even seen people using magnets embedded in the structure to hold it in place. Have a look at the various habitat and picture threads on here for ideas.

I made a backdrop in my beardie's viv using one of those cheap bamboo rollerblinds open sideways and attached to the back wall. It's easy enough to cut to size, but be careful to re-knot the string thread at the edge, or it will fall apart! Have a look in my photos if you want some ideas. There's lots of other people who have posted pics on here as well.


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## BasementCat (Jun 14, 2011)

Right well, I've got things sorted I think.

I am at the point of clicking and then the order will be paid for. Just need to double check, before it's too late.

Pro Rep viv 48 x24x24 (ready built)
Exo sun glo 10, 42"
Exo tight beam (not sure about this at all, tbh!) 75W 
LR thermostat II
Exo thermometer, digital
Nutrobal
Exo calcium


Can I use any old starter motor for the sun glo? Can't find one on Surrey PS site.

Can I use any old light fitting for the basking lamp? Can't tell from their site whether they even have a fitting which will fit it. Is 75W right?


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## BasementCat (Jun 14, 2011)

Jeffers3, that's really nice. I'll show her when she's finished her homework!


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## Nix (Jan 23, 2008)

For ideas of custom backgrounds and how to make them hop along to the habitat section and have a look at the fake rock builds, you will need polystyrene, tile grout, acrylic paint and matt yacht varnish or polystyrene, rockoflex, epoxy resin and eco earth. Lots of options.


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## BasementCat (Jun 14, 2011)

Thanks everyone. We've only just got a viv, it's quite small but the beardie is still quite small (5 months now). We're waiting for the 4x2x2, but there've been problems with delivery, and Tiny Boas has lent us this one....

So, we got him on Sunday morning, and he seems pretty OK. I've got a couple of questions about quantity of food, and also about poo!

Poo first. He does dark poo and white poo. Is this normal, or is it a sign of something we're doing wrong, illness, etc. How often should he be pooing?

How much veg should we give him? At the moment, we're giving him a combination of butternut squash, asparagus, carrot, cabbage and parsley. I gave him some apple on Monday but my daughter was furious with me because I had "given him diarrhoea"!

In the morning daughter has barely time to get herself off to school, so I feed him veg and mealworms - about how many of them? Daughter thinks 6 or 7 is plenty, but I'm not convinced.

When she gets back from school, she will give him crickets (again more or less how many?) and fresh veg.

He likes squash, carrots and apple particularly. It's nice to see he has preferences. I have raspberries, strawberries, peach and rhubarb stashed in the fridge for dd and bd, at the moment, but not sure whether he can have all of those.

Finally, he's very alert and watches closely as you wander round the room (in daughter's bedroom). Do they get lonely? It's pretty dull up there during the day when she's at school, unless the cats pop in to have a look. (I've put blue-tack on the doors and the cats can't move them, I promise.)

I'm wondering about toys. He has a rock to bask on, a long branch to climb, but is that enough to occupy him? I am anthropomorphising, aren't I?:whistling2:


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## Ophexis (Feb 19, 2010)

Is the poo dark on one end and white on the other? The white bit is the urate, which is essentially solid urine. This is normal.

For insects, he needs to be eating, much more at 5 months old. He should be eating as much as he can stomach in 15-20 minutes, 2-3 times a day. He should be eating more insects than veg at this age - but it's good you've got him onto it early as it means it won't be alien to him when he should be having it as the main part of his diet when adult.

They do not get lonely for a beardie friend, if that's what you are implying 

They don't need 'toys' per se - a basking rock and something to climb on will suffice, they are not creatures that have the mental capacity to self-amuse, they act on instinct... kinda sounds a bit cold but believe me, they don't really get bored!


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## BasementCat (Jun 14, 2011)

Great, we will adjust his diet, and give him much much more protein. Otherwise, everything seems OK.

Thank you.


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## BasementCat (Jun 14, 2011)

Oh, and I wasn't thinking so much of wanting a friend, I just thought he might be bored! Had some silly idea of hanging something in the viv that he could bat around, or swing on or something. He has nothing much to look at really. When he's older and we've got the big viv, we can put in a bigger branch thing, and other rocks and stuff so he has more variety..... I really must remember that he's not human!


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