# New owners



## Kumala (Sep 15, 2012)

Hi. We've recently bought a Beardie (born 29/05/12) from a reputable long standing reptile shop. 

We have a 3' viv, with Arcadia 2' UV tube, heat mat, 100w spot lamp and bark substrate. 
He is being fed locusts (small), mealworms, spring greens, apple and dandelion leaves as well as the odd silk/wax worm. We tried crickets but he's not keen on them and then it's a nightmare getting them out the viv. 

His UV is on from 7-7. Heat lamp is turned down to about 75f at night, 86-90 daytime. (ambient temp's - middle of tank)

We noticed today (6th day of being home) he's off his food and his tail has turned grey over the last few days (lost its colour) 
He had been seen rubbing his face on the log a day or so ago. 

Is he shedding? 

He's also much quieter and either sleeps or sits in one place all day. 

Before (Last Sunday when we got him)








Today









Thanks in advance. 



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## micky0 (Jul 25, 2012)

Hi im no expert but I think heat needs to be more 98 + in day with 105 basking spot also maybe try a night bulb, I got one last wk a black light . Now his night temp is 83 which seems better . I also think 10 % Uv may be better :2thumb:


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## Kumala (Sep 15, 2012)

Thanks for the reply
We have the light on a thermostat and whilst the sensor is in the middle of the viv the temperature stays at 28/30 (85/90) which I was told was fine. 
His basking spot (lump of wood) is 4-5" below the bulb which is 40(110) tested with a digi thermometer 
I spoke with the shop and emailed them photos and they've said it's shedding and not to worry. As for the viv set up they also said that's fine.  but keep the bulb on all night?? (turn off UV though obviously)


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## micky0 (Jul 25, 2012)

He is a cute little fella , the only thing that worrys me, is place you got him saying keep basking bulb on all night . He would be better with the whole night dark thing , My night bulb 60w is a black light (so called mooonlight bulb) or an infa red one is also good :2thumb: as long as he has high basking spot all sounds ok in that respect .But I would think a lower (60w) night bulb would be better for him :2thumb:


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## RedBeard (May 14, 2012)

he has great colours good choice :2thumb:


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## Bradleybradleyc (May 7, 2012)

Bulb off at night the average house is fine tempature wise for a beardie, light will keep beardies awake as the "3rd eye" is light sensitive. So no lights at night. If your house does get very cold you can use a heat Mat at night.Turn of uv and basking at night

As for the dull tail shedding mine start with a tail 90% of the time..

He could well be quiet as he's getting used to his new enviorment, beardies are not always the most active lol

I will add while young you should not really keep them on a loose substrate as their aim for food is not great, don't get me wrong I keep adults on loose substrate. Just a heads up.

Also invest in a couple of digital thermometers as the dials are pants, I have dials for quick reference but use a temp gun ad digital thermometers daily


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## Kumala (Sep 15, 2012)

Thanks all for your replies. 

We're a little miffed, frustrated in fact with the amount of varying advice on offer. 
Obviously we want what's best for the animal but the advice seems so conflicting. 

The reptile shop we bought the beardie from have been trading for donkeys years (at least 20 if my memory serves me right) they have excellent reviews and recommendations and their advice was to keep the bulbs on all night. Explaining that in the wild they will burrow under a rock and use the heat from that which the sun has warmed all day. It was also said that they cannot see incandescent light (the heat bulb). Failure to keep the bulbs on and the heat dropping below 60 could make it become ill over time?

However, my logic tells me that a desert can get very cold at night, as well as dark! The heat absorbed from the sun during the day dissipates and by early hours the air and rocks become cold. 
So in theory, replicating the natural environment is surely better?? Is it not?

We are confused to be honest and it is becoming stressful just knowing what is RIGHT for the beardie. 
We do have a heat mat (small) under his substrate which is under his thick wide branch where he basks and then sleeps under at night. 

I am tempted to put the UV and spot on timer from 7-7 and leave the heat mat on 24hrs as it is now. ?? 

Arghhhhh! ;-)


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## Bradleybradleyc (May 7, 2012)

Kumala said:


> Thanks all for your replies.
> 
> We're a little miffed, frustrated in fact with the amount of varying advice on offer.
> Obviously we want what's best for the animal but the advice seems so conflicting.
> ...



I can understand the frustration as everyone on here can we are all giving our best advice from our knowledge and personal experiences. What I said works for me others will have different ways of doing things. Shop can be open for a long time and have good reviews, but still give some bad/wrong advice at time, dont forget they have a large viarety of repa you have to take in the advice given and work out what best for you and your reps most the time, there is so much conflicting advise out there.

Personally no light no heat at night


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## sammyp (Jun 8, 2012)

No light in the desert when the sun goes down. They need a balances day/night routine to rest. 12 hours on and off, for both uvb and heatbulb. Mine is this way and my living room isnt that warm in the morning and the temp is still fine. careful with locusts, beardie can eat loads mine did 43 crix in one sitting a few days back that will cost you a fortune in locusts.


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## bluemoon1502 (Sep 3, 2012)

Hi, i am no expert myself but my friend used to breed beardies but stopped about 2 or 3 years ago. Since then i have been fascinated by them and read pretty much everything on the internet about them! I got my first beardie 3 weeks ago and went through the same kind of thing as you the first week i had him.


First of all, what gorgeous colours.. You dont find colours like that in many pet shops in Manchester, I got mine from a private (licensed) breeder.

To me it sounds like your little juvenile is starting to shed, this is why he is rubbing his face.. Mine did the same thing. If he isnt afraid of being handled you should bathe him for a couple of minutes a day in luke warm water no deeper than his 'knees'. This will help him/her stay hydrated and it will also help the dead skin come away. Whatever you do, dont try and pull it off or rub it because this could damage the new skin underneath. If yours is anything like mine was it will still be a bit skitty and you wont be able to pick him up because you dont want to stress him. If thats the case then try and mist his back, tail and toes with bottled water a couple of times a day to help. Be carefull not to spray too much though because his viv will become too humid and this (over time) could lead to resperatory problems.. About 3 or 4 squirts 4 times a day is what i did.


Regarding the light.. You need a 10% UVb sitting between 10 and 12 inches from your beardie, this should be in the centre of your viv. The reason for this is that bearded dragons' have excellent protection on their eyes to stop too much UV light going into their eyes but because it comes from the sun in their natural habitat, this protection is at the top of their eyes and doesn't realy protect as well from light coming from the sides.. It sounds like you have this already though?

For heat i use a 75w light bulb bought from B&Q.. Apparently these work just as well as any other heat lamp bought from a pet shop! Be sure to get the clear ones because your beardie needs to get UVa from the light and the other colours block out some of this. You should have the heat lamp no closer than 10'' away from the highest point of your basking spot to avoid burning your beardie and it should be on through the day time with your arcadia tube for about 12/14 hours a day, this way your beardie will be able to get as much UVa+b as he needs. During the night, you shouldnt let your temps drop below 16C but during the summer most houses dont get that cold so he should be fine. I have a ceramic heat lamp linked up to a pulse thermostat set to 17C so if the temps do drop that low then it will kick in. I wouldnt have my heat lamp on as their parietal eye will more than likely be able to see it as it is photosensative and may stop him sleeping? Most bearded dragon breeders suggest you stay clear of heatmats/heated basking rocks as they can burn your beardie but at temps of 16-18C i doubt this will be the case. 

I hope this has answerd your question and if anyone reads this and disagrees i'd like to know because at the end of the day, i am also new to owning a bearded dragon.. Can i give a few pointers on your set up though? I dont mean to sound condescending or as if i am picking out points but most experts advise against loose substrates at such a young age. If any of it gets swallowed your little dragon will have trouble digesting it and it may cause impaction leading to death. I use clean lino or you could use paper, kitchen towels etc.. When they get older it will be fine to use childrens play sand or repti sand but not just yet.. Another cause of impaction would be a basking area that isnt hot enough. For babys people reccomend 40 and 46C surface temp on the basking spot but for adults this can be between 36 and 43. The beardie should also have a cool end of the viv because they are cold blooded, they thermoregulate meaning they will switch from the warm end to the cool end to maintain a steady temperature. The cool end of your viv should be between 25-29C. This might be hard to get in a 3ft viv as it wasnt easy in my 4ft one so you may need to make some more air vents in the cool end. All temps should be measured with a digital thermometer or IR thermometer. I bought a digital themometer with a probe for about £15 and keep the probe in the cool end while the main unit is in the basking end. Both temps are checked twice a day and im constantly monitoring the warm end's temp. If you put a probe on your basking spot and the unit on the wall of your viv.. Once you get the temp right on your basking spot, check what the unit says on your wall and work out the difference between the two. This will give you a rough guide of the temp on your basking spot without having to measure it all the time.

Like i said, i am no expert so if someone reads this and disagrees then please say so. This is how i have my set up and my little 'baby' is thriving.. I'm sorry if this sounds like i am picking at holes in your set up but i'm not, I just know that there is a lot of different advice out there and i wanted to share what is working for me. Pet shops, even established ones, are notorious for giving bad advice. I've found that you can get a lot of sound advice on this forum from people who actually know what their talking about so stick with it and everything will be fine!


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## bluemoon1502 (Sep 3, 2012)

Hi, i am no expert myself but my friend used to breed beardies but stopped about 2 or 3 years ago. Since then i have been fascinated by them and read pretty much everything on the internet about them! I got my first beardie 3 weeks ago and went through the same kind of thing as you the first week i had him.


First of all, what gorgeous colours.. You dont find colours like that in many pet shops in Manchester, I got mine from a private (licensed) breeder.

To me it sounds like your little juvenile is starting to shed, this is why he is rubbing his face.. Mine did the same thing. If he isnt afraid of being handled you should bathe him for a couple of minutes a day in luke warm water no deeper than his 'knees'. This will help him/her stay hydrated and it will also help the dead skin come away. Whatever you do, dont try and pull it off or rub it because this could damage the new skin underneath. If yours is anything like mine was it will still be a bit skitty and you wont be able to pick him up because you dont want to stress him. If thats the case then try and mist his back, tail and toes with bottled water a couple of times a day to help. Be carefull not to spray too much though because his viv will become too humid and this (over time) could lead to resperatory problems.. About 3 or 4 squirts 4 times a day is what i did.


Regarding the light.. You need a 10% UVb sitting between 10 and 12 inches from your beardie, this should be in the centre of your viv. The reason for this is that bearded dragons' have excellent protection on their eyes to stop too much UV light going into their eyes but because it comes from the sun in their natural habitat, this protection is at the top of their eyes and doesn't realy protect as well from light coming from the sides.. It sounds like you have this already though?

For heat i use a 75w light bulb bought from B&Q.. Apparently these work just as well as any other heat lamp bought from a pet shop! Be sure to get the clear ones because your beardie needs to get UVa from the light and the other colours block out some of this. You should have the heat lamp no closer than 10'' away from the highest point of your basking spot to avoid burning your beardie and it should be on through the day time with your arcadia tube for about 12/14 hours a day, this way your beardie will be able to get as much UVa+b as he needs. During the night, you shouldnt let your temps drop below 16C but during the summer most houses dont get that cold so he should be fine. I have a ceramic heat lamp linked up to a pulse thermostat set to 17C so if the temps do drop that low then it will kick in. I wouldnt have my heat lamp on as their parietal eye will more than likely be able to see it as it is photosensative and may stop him sleeping? Most bearded dragon breeders suggest you stay clear of heatmats/heated basking rocks as they can burn your beardie but at temps of 16-18C i doubt this will be the case. 

I hope this has answerd your question and if anyone reads this and disagrees i'd like to know because at the end of the day, i am also new to owning a bearded dragon.. Can i give a few pointers on your set up though? I dont mean to sound condescending or as if i am picking out points but most experts advise against loose substrates at such a young age. If any of it gets swallowed your little dragon will have trouble digesting it and it may cause impaction leading to death. I use clean lino or you could use paper, kitchen towels etc.. When they get older it will be fine to use childrens play sand or repti sand but not just yet.. Another cause of impaction would be a basking area that isnt hot enough. For babys people reccomend 40 and 46C surface temp on the basking spot but for adults this can be between 36 and 43. The beardie should also have a cool end of the viv because they are cold blooded, they thermoregulate meaning they will switch from the warm end to the cool end to maintain a steady temperature. The cool end of your viv should be between 25-29C. This might be hard to get in a 3ft viv as it wasnt easy in my 4ft one so you may need to make some more air vents in the cool end. All temps should be measured with a digital thermometer or IR thermometer. I bought a digital themometer with a probe for about £15 and keep the probe in the cool end while the main unit is in the basking end. Both temps are checked twice a day and im constantly monitoring the warm end's temp. If you put a probe on your basking spot and the unit on the wall of your viv.. Once you get the temp right on your basking spot, check what the unit says on your wall and work out the difference between the two. This will give you a rough guide of the temp on your basking spot without having to measure it all the time.

Like i said, i am no expert so if someone reads this and disagrees then please say so. This is how i have my set up and my little 'baby' is thriving.. I'm sorry if this sounds like i am picking at holes in your set up but i'm not, I just know that there is a lot of different advice out there and i wanted to share what is working for me. Pet shops, even established ones, are notorious for giving bad advice. I've found that you can get a lot of sound advice on this forum from people who actually know what their talking about so stick with it and everything will be fine!


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## Bradleybradleyc (May 7, 2012)

bluemoon1502 said:


> Hi, i am no expert myself but my friend used to breed beardies but stopped about 2 or 3 years ago. Since then i have been fascinated by them and read pretty much everything on the internet about them! I got my first beardie 3 weeks ago and went through the same kind of thing as you the first week i had him.
> 
> 
> First of all, what gorgeous colours.. You dont find colours like that in many pet shops in Manchester, I got mine from a private (licensed) breeder.
> ...


Not bad advice ! The one major thing I would is that you are spraying your Beardie in the viv it's a missive no no as you humidity (it's worded as if you spray him in the viv) if I got the wrong end of the stick I apologise. Personally I never bath beardies as they shed just fine without the aid of water. They get all nearly all their hydration from their veg/fruit/salad 

As for the normal bulbs all they have to say on the box is reflective as these emit a "tighter" beam of light creating the best basking spot 

As said on the whole not bad advice : victory:


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## Kumala (Sep 15, 2012)

bluemoon1502 said:


> Hi, i am no expert myself but my friend used to breed beardies but stopped about 2 or 3 years ago. Since then i have been fascinated by them and read pretty much everything on the internet about them! I got my first beardie 3 weeks ago and went through the same kind of thing as you the first week i had him.
> 
> 
> First of all, what gorgeous colours.. You dont find colours like that in many pet shops in Manchester, I got mine from a private (licensed) breeder.
> ...


Thanks for this. 
I checked the temperatures again. This time placing a probe on the log where he lies. I've now set it to 42c. But by reducing the temp for the heat bulb (100w) the ambient temp (sensors in middle of tank about 1" from surface) are now showing 80f, is this okay?

He is eating well and looks well. This morning we gave him basil leaves and spring greens. He ate 10 of the 12 mealworms and about 3/4 mouthfuls of greens. 

He is skittish. Although we can put our hand in the tank if I get too close he darts away. He doesn't display any aggressive or stressed out behaviour, just moves away quickly. 
I guess this takes time and trust/a bond needs to be established. It is only 1 week. I did manage to pick him up yesterday after a little scuttle but held him on my hand vertically inside the viv and gently rubbed his back with my thumb. He seemed comfy and appeared relaxed for about 2 mins then he just walked off back to his log. 

I have to say I didn't realise looking after a juvenile beardie could be so demanding. Lol. Knowing what's right and wrong, are the temps right, will he be tame, has he eaten, has he poo'd, does he look dehydrated, do we beed a night light, etc.. 
He looks comfortable enough so as long as the temps are right, he's pooing, eating the right stuff etc I think he'll be okay. You can only do so much before you get information overload and end up insane. 

Here's his viv set up...








There is a digital temp sensor in the middle (80-85f)
Temp sensor on log also which reads 42c
Heat bulb is 100w wired to a thermostat. (sensors is in middle of tank on floor)
UV tube is 2' and covers the 2/3rds of the tank up the hot end 
He also has 3 bowls. 1 for mealworms, 1 for water, 1 for greens. Every other day we feed crickets or locusts. And the odd silk worm grubs every other day (white pussy ones about 4/5 a week)
We won't bath him a) he's too skittish to pick up b) were told it "can" cause respiratory illness. 
I think tonight I'll set the lights to all go off and check temp before bed and in morning (07.00) to make sure they stay above 60f




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## Kumala (Sep 15, 2012)

Breakfast time. We put 12 mealworms in his bowl, he ate them in one go so we put another 10 in and then he ate all them, he's sat by his bowl as though he wants more but then decided he'd eat the greens. I think he's feeding well 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fe_CPjjhmxA&feature=youtube_gdata_player


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## bluemoon1502 (Sep 3, 2012)

Wow he loves the meal worms doesnt he! Your temps seem to be pretty much bob on, he will go onto his basking spot to warm up and also 80F is a good temp for your cool end of the viv. . Your UV is big enough for the viv although when he reaches 12-18 months i'd consider getting a 4ft viv and min 3ft tube. 

As a juvenile he should be eating about 75% live food and 25% veggies (adults 25% live 75% veggies) so feed him live food daily as he needs this goodness to help him grow. Try to keep meal worm as a treat for him as they have a high fat content and not a great deal of goodness, beardies love them like children do sweets! Crickets and locusts have all the goodness he needs if dusted with nutrobal or some other mutli vitamine/calcium (nutrobal is about £5 for a 50g tub, 1/4 of a tea spoon will last for about 4 feeds so it will last a long time!) Live food should be given 2-3 times a day, as many as he can eat in 10mins with his last feed no less than 2 hrs before lights go off so then he has time to digest it otherwise it will rot in his stomach. Check his viv at night for any uneaten crickets as they can stress him and/or bite him at night. Check out this link for some realy good advice/ideas on food and nutircional content for beardies.. Also, i'd definately remove the substate and put kitchen roll/paper/lino down. If he swallows some of the wood he will have a serious problem with it, kitchen roll/lino/paper is also easier to clean and gives crickets less places to hide. Its ashame because your viv looks really good with the wood chips down but remember, they are desert animals. Can i ask, how far is your heat lamp from the highest point of his log?

He seems to of settled quite well, mine wouldnt eat if i was watching him, this went on for about a week.. A lot dont eat at all for the first week or 2 so you are definately doing things right for him to let you video him eating his meal worms!Give him time to settle in, it was 2 weeks before i picked mine up, most people advise not to chase them as youngsters because it can stress them so if he comes to you then thats great news and it is a sign that you are doing things right, if not just be patient as he will get to know you from you going in his viv to spot clean/water and feed him.. The good news is that all you need now is just a few minor adjustments and then you will be able to relax and enjoy him!


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## Kumala (Sep 15, 2012)

Thanks for great advice 

The heat lamp is about 4" from the log. I've noticed he spends most time just beside the "heat spot" but not sure how I can raise the light, I guess it's a case of lowering the basking spot?
Even now with the temp set right for his basking spot (41c) the temp in the middle (ambient) is 28/29c which I believe is about right. 




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## bluemoon1502 (Sep 3, 2012)

Yes your temps are pretty much spot on, now the challenge is to maintain the temps you have but with the heat lamp further away to avoid burning him. 4 inches is very close and that is more than likely why he is lying next to his branch and not on it. Most experts say 10-12 inches is perfect becasue he will get the heat but will avoid getting burnt. I have a rock with a flat bottom (so crickets cant hide underneath) the rock holds the heat really well and he loves it! I know the innital set up is quiet confusing and there is loads of different advice on offer but be patient and stick with it, you will get good advice on RFUK that can be trusted and then once you have your set up correct it should be fairly low maintenence in comparrison to other reptiles.


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## bluemoon1502 (Sep 3, 2012)

Bradleybradleyc said:


> Not bad advice ! The one major thing I would is that you are spraying your Beardie in the viv it's a missive no no as you humidity (it's worded as if you spray him in the viv) if I got the wrong end of the stick I apologise. Personally I never bath beardies as they shed just fine without the aid of water. They get all nearly all their hydration from their veg/fruit/salad
> 
> As for the normal bulbs all they have to say on the box is reflective as these emit a "tighter" beam of light creating the best basking spot
> 
> As said on the whole not bad advice : victory:


 
Thanks Bradley, yes i have been misting him once a day with about 4 squirts of water whilst still inside his viv.. I dont have a water dish in their though so i figured that doing this (or 3-4 times a day when he's shedding) would create very little humidity (about the same amount as having a water dish perminently in with him would create) Taking him out to mist him would of been stressful for him when i wasnt handling him but now i can hold him i will get him out when I mist him in future. How would you reccomend I hydrate my next beardie (when i get him/her) for the first week or 2 while he/she gets used to their surroundings? It just goes to show that i have been reading up on beardies for years before getting one so then i can provide the best care and I can still get something wrong :bash: lol


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## Kumala (Sep 15, 2012)

bluemoon1502 said:


> Thanks Bradley, yes i have been misting him once a day with about 4 squirts of water whilst still inside his viv.. I dont have a water dish in their though so i figured that doing this (or 3-4 times a day when he's shedding) would create very little humidity (about the same amount as having a water dish perminently in with him would create) Taking him out to mist him would of been stressful for him when i wasnt handling him but now i can hold him i will get him out when I mist him in future. How would you reccomend I hydrate my next beardie (when i get him/her) for the first week or 2 while he/she gets used to their surroundings? It just goes to show that i have been reading up on beardies for years before getting one so then i can provide the best care and I can still get something wrong :bash: lol


How did you start with the handling. Ours is still skittish (1 week at home) and even flinches if you move in front of the tank too quickly. He will let you move around in his tank but if you get too close he will move away. Thanks


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## Bradleybradleyc (May 7, 2012)

bluemoon1502 said:


> Thanks Bradley, yes i have been misting him once a day with about 4 squirts of water whilst still inside his viv.. I dont have a water dish in their though so i figured that doing this (or 3-4 times a day when he's shedding) would create very little humidity (about the same amount as having a water dish perminently in with him would create) Taking him out to mist him would of been stressful for him when i wasnt handling him but now i can hold him i will get him out when I mist him in future. How would you reccomend I hydrate my next beardie (when i get him/her) for the first week or 2 while he/she gets used to their surroundings? It just goes to show that i have been reading up on beardies for years before getting one so then i can provide the best care and I can still get something wrong :bash: lol


Don't be hard on yourself matey everyone learns all the time that's what this forum is about, evolving us as keepers (and showing off our reps lol) there's a lot of conflicting stuff out there 

I dont bathe or mist my beardies, as they don't need water to shed in 99.9% of cases, they will get all the hydration they need out of livefood and there fresh veg/fruit/salad ( I spray this before it goes in the viv for extra water) I just let them sort their own shed out, obv if your Beardie is very de hydrated use blue poweraid yep that's right blue poweraid 10% and 90% water it full of electrolytes which is very hydrating.

As I say this works for me but never must inside a viv humidity can cause RIs and other health problems. This works for me.




Kumala said:


> How did you start with the handling. Ours is still skittish (1 week at home) and even flinches if you move in front of the tank too quickly. He will let you move around in his tank but if you get too close he will move away. Thanks
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone 4 using Tapatalk!



Ok after he settled in usually a week slow movements and buy some wax worms (this is the ONLY time I condone hand feeding) place one on your hand and hell come running beardies LOVE Waxworm like kids with sweets, then move the worm further up your are, you will become associated with food and they love food, remember your a big predictor to him you both need to establish trust,

The problem with hand feeding is a beardie is clever and lazy once the know they don't have to hunt their prey they won't because they know you will hand feed them,


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## Kumala (Sep 15, 2012)

I managed to stroke him today!

Had my hand in the tank beside him today (twice) on both occasions I left it next to him and didn't move for a minute or so. Then I lightly stroked his back for about a minute he didn't flinch. If anything I kept thinking he was going to mistake my fingers as a worm! Lol

He looks fat today but he did have 25 mealworms yesterday :-(


















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## Kumala (Sep 15, 2012)

He has begun to shed. You can see his tail looks like its split. 









Question:
Is it imperative to remove any crickets left in the tank after feeding?
I think they're size 3? 
Just under 1cm long in size. He's left about 3 or 4 and they keep burying under his log. 


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## pk93 (Jan 26, 2010)

Can't top any of the advice, Bradley and bluemoon have given very very in-depth great advice. :2thumb:

The only thing i can add is that as they get older they calm down significantly, a little tip would be, every time you walk by the viv just put your hand in and let him come to you, so he learns you arent anything to fear.

Great little lizards. : victory:


PK


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## pk93 (Jan 26, 2010)

Only just seen the photos guard that bulb!


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## Bradleybradleyc (May 7, 2012)

Kumala said:


> He has begun to shed. You can see his tail looks like its split.
> image
> 
> Question:
> ...



I would not leave any live food in with lizards as the can/will irritate you lizard in his sleep, by biting climbing on, it only takes a few minutes to check a viv, this will give you little fella a peaceful nights sleep, the last thing you want is a stressed lizard.

Well that my opinion on the subject lol


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## Kumala (Sep 15, 2012)

Does he look too fat? 
A little worried that our Beardie has become a bit podgy 
He eats approx 25-40 mealworms per day. Lots of veg and about 5 med locusts every other day. 


















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## Bradleybradleyc (May 7, 2012)

Kumala said:


> Does he look too fat?
> A little worried that our Beardie has become a bit podgy
> He eats approx 25-40 mealworms per day. Lots of veg and about 5 med locusts every other day.
> 
> ...


Are you feeding mealworms as a main diet ?? as he seems to be eating a lot of them, personally I would you mealworms as a staple diet.

he looks a bit plump some beardies just do has he been for a poo lately? how much does he eat in the average day.
When basking beardies will often "flatten themselves out" in order to absorb more heat,


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## Kumala (Sep 15, 2012)

He poos everyday 
He eats spring greens, parsley, basil and kale. We put it in there everyday 
Every other day we feed him 5 med locusts as well and 2 or 3 wax worms per week. 


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## Bradleybradleyc (May 7, 2012)

Kumala said:


> He poos everyday
> He eats spring greens, parsley, basil and kale. We put it in there everyday
> Every other day we feed him 5 med locusts as well and 2 or 3 wax worms per week.
> 
> ...


sounds about right


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## bluemoon1502 (Sep 3, 2012)

Does he eat 20-30 mealworms a day, and then locusts and wax worm a couple of times a week?


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## Bradleybradleyc (May 7, 2012)

Bradleybradleyc said:


> Are you feeding mealworms as a main diet ?? as he seems to be eating a lot of them, personally I would you mealworms as a staple diet.
> what I ment to say is dont use meal worms as a staple diet, roaches,locusts,crickets are the best form of a staple diet
> he looks a bit plump some beardies just do has he been for a poo lately? so will look fat if they haven't had a poo for a few days, do the biggest turd you have ever seen, then "shink back to normal size how much does he eat in the average day.
> When basking beardies will often "flatten themselves out" in order to absorb more heat,


I'm editing this as I was down the pub half cut, ehich is never a good idea giving advise, (edits will be in red sorry)

At 5months old I would offer live food 6days a week, and fruit veg salad every day(a nice viarity). Cut the mealworms down to a couple a few days a week
As they are harder to digest and not as nutritional as other live food 

Note to self don't give advise when :censor:


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## bluemoon1502 (Sep 3, 2012)

Bradleybradleyc said:


> I'm editing this as I was down the pub half cut, ehich is never a good idea giving advise, (edits will be in red sorry)
> 
> At 5months old I would offer live food 6days a week, and fruit veg salad every day(a nice viarity). Cut the mealworms down to a couple a few days a week
> As they are harder to digest and not as nutritional as other live food
> ...


:lol2: Sometimes you cant beat a bit of honesty!

Kumala.. I'm not sure if you've seen this link in the past but its a really good list on what to feed and how often, it also gives advice on nutricional values. Well worth you having a look at and following the guides set out :2thumb:


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## Kumala (Sep 15, 2012)

New home! 
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## Kumala (Sep 15, 2012)

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