# Bearded Dragon (south wales)



## hayle (Apr 7, 2013)

hi all im hayley im looking into getting a beardie for my daughter in september (obviuosly itll be mine but shhhh dont tell her lol). im a complete beginner and have only recently held one for first time. Any ways ive spoken to two specialists and one says 4ft viv and other says 3ft viv. what do in need exactly and how do i look after them ie lighting and heating, temp ect. dont wanna sound dull but wanna make sure i know every thing before i get one. i know got a while yet but i wanna make sure i get good stuff and know the correct info. also wheres the best place for a viv or 2nd hand one?
thanks for reading 
Hayle's xxx


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## Rottalma (Dec 20, 2012)

What i would advise, and this is only based on my personal experience of disliking most lizards, is to look around at other peoples lizards/in shops.

The reason i say this is because of the good old pet rock syndrome, most animals common for beginners can sometimes be sweet but on the whole, quite boring.

My milk snake is in a way a regretted purchase. I swear i would see him every few weeks (aside from if i actually went and handled him). I would never sell him now but if i could go back in time i would of saved an extra £100, got all the right equipment to start, spent a few weeks reading and found something more...well...sociable.

Bearded dragons i have seen do little but sit around. The only exception i have seen is feeding time. I'm sure i will get flamed by everyone with beardies and massive personalities but even as a non-beardy owner i get sick of people trying to practically give them away once they need the space for something less...beardy.

This is not to put you off, and there are ways to enrich your beardies life and have fun with it but it is good to think things through and make sure it is the right choice.

Google bearded dragon care sheet for husbandry requirements or search it on the forum, i am sure there will be hundreds.


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## tomcannon (Jan 2, 2008)

hayle said:


> hi all im hayley im looking into getting a beardie for my daughter in september (obviuosly itll be mine but shhhh dont tell her lol). im a complete beginner and have only recently held one for first time. Any ways ive spoken to two specialists and one says 4ft viv and other says 3ft viv. what do in need exactly and how do i look after them ie lighting and heating, temp ect. dont wanna sound dull but wanna make sure i know every thing before i get one. i know got a while yet but i wanna make sure i get good stuff and know the correct info. also wheres the best place for a viv or 2nd hand one?
> thanks for reading
> Hayle's xxx


Hi Hayley. Where in South Wales you from? To answer your viv question you'll want a minimum of a 4x2x2 or equivalent floor space (so 3x3, etc) for an adult, anything less than this is too small for a rep of this size. You will find that with smaller vivs it is often more difficult to get the correct temperature gradient you also need, its not impossible but as a beginner it can be difficult. Many people recommend starting with a smaller viv and then allowing your dragon to grow in to a larger one. This is because they're apparently scared in smaller vivs. I've never seen it personally and as long as you provide plenty of hiding places then a 4x2x2 will in my opinion be fine from the start. 

Take a look here and here for more info on the equipment you may need. You can also take a look at the links in my sig, I can provide a very natural looking viv perfect for a bearded dragon. 

:welcome: to the forum anyway, there's plenty of good helpful people... But, be warned, there's plenty of idiots too! :lol2:


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## hayle (Apr 7, 2013)

Thank you rottalma yeah I know what you mean that's why I'm looking into them now giving me plenty of time to make choice. I'm in Blackwood near caerphilly Tomcannon.thank you for help and advise be warned ill be pestering you for answers xxx


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## Athravan (Dec 28, 2006)

A lot of people buy a 3ft to start with for a baby, but end up having to upgrade to a 4ft when the dragon reaches adulthood. Considering the price difference between a 3ft setup and a 4ft setup is usually around the £20-30 mark, if you can, it's more fiscal to start with a 4ft setup 

There are a lot of different ways of you starting out - there are some crucial things like UVB and a basking spot will always be required, but how you heat the viv is available in a few options - whether you go for a heat mat and a thermostat, a night light, a ceramic bulb, etc. depends on the viv size, your budget and of course, opinion on what's best, which differs everywhere.

I own Reptile Cymru in Cardiff (Reptile Cymru, Cardiff), we always have our own, store bred bearded dragons as well as both 3ft and 4ft complete setups and you're welcome to PM or call for free advice, even if you decide to buy elsewhere (02920 190291) - we sometimes have second hand vivs as well. If you're looking for second hand, there are the classifieds here, or you can try somewhere like AdTrader - Free Local Classified ads with images, Gumtree.com | Free classified ads from UK's Number 1 Classifieds Site, or Preloved | UK free ads - buy and sell with local classifieds - just the most important thing to remember is that UVB bulbs decay over 6-12 months depending on the brand, buying a second hand UVB bulb is risky as you don't know exactly how old it is... so it's best to buy a new bulb even if you get a second hand tank.


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## hayle (Apr 7, 2013)

thank you Athravan so much i just rang you shop i fingers crossed i shall be coming down to see you thurdsay for a viv x x x xthe guy i spoke to was so so helpful and gave me more advice than what i even asked for. thank you again x x x


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## tomcannon (Jan 2, 2008)

I thought you had got that viv you linked to me on eBay? SWARE... SUNDAY... DRAGON! :lol2:


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## hayle (Apr 7, 2013)

i retracted the bid as the person stoped contacting us and i needed to arange for hubby to collect, and atlest i know this one is brand new and any problems i can ring and take back ect where as other one i had no chance. the had tarauntulas there and hubby was fasincated by them even thinking of getting,. but thats a big NOOOOOOOOOOOO lol
the guy in the shop was fab fp couldnt of helped us enough. shall see you thursday xxxxxx


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## hayle (Apr 7, 2013)

Just to let you know we picked magic the dragon up yesterday. He's buddy lovely pics too follow


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