# Bearded dragon viv



## Chevin (Feb 24, 2007)

hi,

can anyone tell me the best way of keeping the heat mat in viv attached securely to the floor? to stop all the substrate getting underneath it.

thank you.


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## biscuitman (Mar 14, 2007)

I just use masking tape, does the job fine


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## HadesDragons (Jun 30, 2007)

Why would you want a heat mat on the floor of a beardie viv?!


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## biscuitman (Mar 14, 2007)

HadesDragons said:


> Why would you want a heat mat on the floor of a beardie viv?!


Maybe he needs it for overnight temps? I don't actually use a heatmat with my beardies either, but thats how I secure it in other vivs that do have them.

If you are using it for overnight, don't forget beardies can tolerate temps to the low 60s, so one isn't usually required


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## Chevin (Feb 24, 2007)

hi, 
this is the thing. i wasnt 100% sure if i needed one or not, just all the reptile shops in my area had them for baby/adult BD and thats what the shops told me! so many diff opininins, only since i have been on here that ive found out otherwise! 
i was just using it for overnight temps as it does get quite cool in my room. is it best not to have one at all, i did read in some cases it can be quite harmful, is that right?


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## chats (Apr 15, 2008)

I have a heat mat in my beardies viv for the same reason - its a large viv 6ftx2ftx2.5ft and it can get really cold in my house at night. I set mine to a thermostat so it only comes in when it gets really chilly. Possibly more for my piece of mind than for the beardies but without it I used to find that the beardies were stone cold in the morning. I have it at one end of my viv so if they don't want the heat they can go down the other end. Hope that helps.


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## Chevin (Feb 24, 2007)

what temp do you set it to? 1 sense i figured i wouldnt need 1 cos the viv would retain enough of its heat in the sand to last the night. to be fair i think i was just doing it to cover all areas like u and play it safe. being new to it all didnt want them to be too cold at night. thanks.


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## chats (Apr 15, 2008)

I set mine to mid 70s but their viv is right next to some very large french windows so they're probably in a much cooler area than yours. Beardies are very hardy little creatures but if they get cold they do become very slow, dark and generally miserable. And try to remember they're not very intelligent at times - they don't think 'it's cold over here i'll go and find some heat' they just sit and get cold (or at least thats what mine do!!)


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## Chevin (Feb 24, 2007)

sounds pretty similar to mine, when i wake them up they do tend to be alot darker.they are pretty silly as well!!


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## custardkid (Mar 26, 2008)

can my beardie live on millipedes as he dont eat crickets


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## Durhamchance (Mar 21, 2008)

custardkid said:


> can my beardie live on millipedes as he dont eat crickets


If he wont eat crickets, you could try locusts. I've not heard of feeding a beardie on millapeeds.


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## chats (Apr 15, 2008)

Do you mean meal worms? My beardies were bad on crickets up until about a fortnight ago when they became very disinterested so i've switched to meal worms. Although it is important to vary they're diet locusts/crickets/meal worms/wax worms/veg and when you can find them they LOVE a daddy long legs!!!


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## Durhamchance (Mar 21, 2008)

chats said:


> Do you mean meal worms? My beardies were bad on crickets up until about a fortnight ago when they became very disinterested so i've switched to meal worms. Although it is important to vary they're diet locusts/crickets/meal worms/wax worms/veg and when you can find them they *LOVE a daddy long legs!!![/*quote]
> 
> Really?! cool, I cant stand daddy long legs, so next time one comes in the house, Spike can rescue me from it lol!!
> 
> Beardies shouldn't be fed on mealworms alone either. They contain chitin which can cause impaction if too much is consumed.


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## chats (Apr 15, 2008)

It's brilliant. My pair used to clean up all of the horrible daddy long legs I could find at the end of last summer. They chase them like mad and even jump to catch them. Absolutely my beardies don't just eat mealworms, we give them locusts and the OCCASIONAL pinky too (although it still disturbs me watching them eat newborn mice) :lol2:


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## Durhamchance (Mar 21, 2008)

chats said:


> It's brilliant. My pair used to clean up all of the horrible daddy long legs I could find at the end of last summer. They chase them like mad and even jump to catch them. Absolutely my beardies don't just eat mealworms, we give them locusts and the OCCASIONAL pinky too (although it still disturbs me watching them eat newborn mice) :lol2:


mine wont eat pinkies. He turns his nose up! He's mainly on locusts, but has started to enjoy the odd wax worm as a treat.


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## chats (Apr 15, 2008)

Mine would eat locusts all day long but they're just so expensive and you get so few in a pack. Plus when I feed mine locusts they pretty much turn their noses up at EVERYTHING else. Mine were pretty unsure about pinkies the first time one i'd dusted it in calcium (a DISGUSTING job!) and dangled it in front of their lips using tweezers they seemed to get the idea. I only give them those every 3/4 weeks though - its a real treat.


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## bananaman (Apr 16, 2008)

while on the subject of crickets i put a load into my beardies viv yesterday and he ate loads but today he is just hunting them out and killing them lol is that cos ive over fed him and also wen the crickets make noise his beard goes completly black wat does that mean


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## chats (Apr 15, 2008)

Lol! Sounds to me like your beardie is in a bad mood! Maybe he'll clear up his mess later on.


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## bananaman (Apr 16, 2008)

oh rite shall i just let him get on with it then perhaps he has taken a leaf out of my wifes book rofl but if he is in this mood i usually get him out for 10 mins of an evening i take it i should not do that today


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## chats (Apr 15, 2008)

Oh no i wouldn't worry about getting him out, he might just be cheesed off with the crickets. My beardies get annoyed by just about anything. They bob went the viv door is closed, they bob to get back in, they bob at crickets and they bob when fall off the branch and onto the sand :lol2: Get him out and give him a good stroke before you let him loose (if thats what you normally do) i'm no expert but thats what i'd do. And if he bobs at you - show him who's boss and give that puffed out chin a good rub!


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## bananaman (Apr 16, 2008)

thanks mate havent put him on floor yet last time i did took me 20 mins to get him out from under the sofa rofl rofl he keeps rubbing his head against his rocks so im assuming he is getting ready to shed spose that would give me the hump too must be horrible for em


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## Blueladybird (Jan 20, 2008)

Chevin said:


> hi,
> 
> can anyone tell me the best way of keeping the heat mat in viv attached securely to the floor? to stop all the substrate getting underneath it.
> 
> thank you.


Just a point on heatmats, it's probably a good idea to have one set on a matstat for overnight, prob set at about 21C, but i wouldn't put it on the floor incase the beardie lay on it as they can get thermal burns this way, stick it to the back wall at one end of the viv, i use sellotape to stick heatmats on and haven't had any problems.


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## Chevin (Feb 24, 2007)

i've seen that on a couple of care sheets, looks like a safer way of using a heatmat if any. thanks.


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