Bearded Dragons

[iain dyer 1982]

I am looking at getting either a Bearded Dragon or 2 Bearded Dragons, I am just looking for some advice really on what I will need. I have a 3 foot tank, a heat mat, a branch/log, drink/food bowls and a UV light. I will obviously need to get a heat/basking bulb but is there anything else I need except substrate and food. What substrate am I best using?

A lot of questions I know but can anyone help me out please, I have looked on-line but find it all boring, would rather hear from someone with a passion for Beardies rather than just a encyclopaedia page!!!
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[.Justin,]

Okay I'm fairly new to BD keeping but for an adult BD you need a minimum viv of 4x2x2. I'm keeping Jabba on lino tiles from B&Q, easy to clean and keeps her claws down.

I know what you mean about the boring bit there is so much information and alot of conflicting information at that! But I normaly use Andys care sheets http://www.hadesdragons.co.uk/caresheet.html

Good look! BDs are great and keep me amused for hours!

[jools]

Hi Iain - welcome. As Justin has said for one adult you will need a 4x2x2ft viv minimum. For 2 adults (and if buying as babies they will quickly become adult sized) you would need 2 vivs this size. Beardies don't often tolerate another sharing their teritory. You MIGHT be lucky and get 2 females that will share but you might easily get 2 males - they will fight or a male and female and they will want to breed too young. My suggestion is that you just get the one for now.
Whatever you decide you WILL need a thermostat and a calcium supplement and vitamin/mineral supplements (such as Nutrobal). A 3 ft viv will be fine for a baby, you should not need the heatmat.
Hope this helps.

[iain dyer 1982]

Ye, the tank I have right now is just to start me off, get used to it and then I will be buying a bigger tank, much bigger in fact.

I will check out those care sheets, there just seems to be so much junk on some sites so its better for me to come on here, make new friends and contacts and have instant advice like I have just got!!

Cheers!!

[iain dyer 1982]

Yes, that has really helped, I will just go with the one then and then maybe see about getting a different breed in a year or so once I have had some experience with Reptiles.

It is for my daughter, who is 6 as well as for me, I have been told Beardies are most suitable, would you agree with that?

[.Justin,]

Originally Posted by iain dyer 1982

Yes, that has really helped, I will just go with the one then and then maybe see about getting a different breed in a year or so once I have had some experience with Reptiles.

It is for my daughter, who is 6 as well as for me, I have been told Beardies are most suitable, would you agree with that?

Yes, I would agree with that, their claws are a tad sharp but are fine either a BD or a leopard gecko

[ju5t1n]

i like you was thinkin of getting two but i was warned off by the teritory,
the claws on the beardie are sharp but dnt penatrate the skin my diughter loves holding mine

[gmorris194]

Trust me BD's are addictive, i started with 1 and now have 4!

Just make you have the setup right and you are sorted, ideally you want the setup running perfectly so make sure all the temps are fine before getting one.

Good luck

[reptiles_galore]

Hi,, we have a great care sheet on our website under the care and info section.

Reptiles Galore - For You To Explore!

[iain dyer 1982]

I have 2 now, they are in a 3ft tank with a UV light and a heat mat for now, the guy I bought it off, who is very highly recommended has said it is warm enough for them to live like this for tonight until I get the heat bulb/basking bulb set up tomorrow morning as the uv bulb will give enough off as well as the general room temp. The question i forgot to ask him was do you keep the uv on all the time and also the basking light too? can anyone help?