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Bored Beardie!!!!

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  • 27-05-2008 2:57pm
    #1
    miss no stars
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,957 ✭✭✭


    My 16 year old brother got a bearded dragon as a present for his birthday. Problem is, he's stuck in a tank in my brother's room most of the day. We can't leave the door open as we have a cat and dog in the house and the cat was once found on top of the tank....


    I'm worried the little fella is a bit bored. He has a nice log to climb around but not much else to do. Other than taking him out (which we do a bit) and the occassional tepid bath, is there anything else we could be doing to keep him (or her!!!) occupied?


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    #2
    miss no stars
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,957 ✭✭✭miss no stars


    bump


    anyone?


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    #3
    Our man in Havana
    Closed Accounts Posts: 29,476 ✭✭✭✭Our man in Havana


    How big is the viv??

    I have 3 in an 8x1x1 - I do ideally advice folks to get a 4x2x2 viv that would be lots of space for 2-3 beardies.

    Any cage furniture?? Logs/rocks/hides etc?


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    #4
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    well he's only just under 5 months so he's still in his baby viv

    it's one of these:

    355818857_6e427535ac.jpg?v=0

    it looks about 45cm^3

    he only has a log in it and his feeding and water dish. Not much else looks like it fits. His log is more like driftwood so he can climb on top to bask and go under it to hide.


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    #5
    Our man in Havana
    Closed Accounts Posts: 29,476 ✭✭✭✭Our man in Havana


    The set up is wrong for a beardie - looks like it would be fab for a small arboral lizard or even a snake.

    The beardie will have trouble with the vines & could hurt himself if he falls!

    The light what UV output is it - Beardies need a 10.0 output for dessert animals.

    Is the beardie active?? if he is sluggish & sleeps too much check the temps & the uv light.

    Is he eating well? Is your brother using a lot of calcium & vitamin powder?? Is he gutloading (feeding high calcium foods) to the crickets before he feeds the beardie?? This makes all the difference in having healthy happy lizards. I feed my live foods cricket powder & calci bug gel (water) Makes them last longer & builds up the nutritinal content of the lizard. Baby lizard need a lot of calcium for strong healthy bone growth.


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    #6
    yawn
    Closed Accounts Posts: 323 ✭✭yawn


    Don't think that pic is the one he has. I think he's just linked the type of viv that it is.

    I myself have a 3 x 1 x 1 for 2 beardies. 1 big water dish and a big log so he can bask under the sun.

    I'm looking for a 6 x 2 x 2 ideally but anything with a 6 length would be great before I deck it out with cage furniture. When I get a big tank I can fit a hide and rocks etc in. Until then I do the best with what space I have.

    OP check the temps as it could be affecting him. I feed mine locust, fresh water and they seem active enough.

    Could be he needs a companion! :D


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    #7
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    Thanks for the responses

    I'm gonna check the temps and lights tomorrow and see if anything can be done better there.

    The crickets have been left to starve tbh. Up until now I've been trying to hope my brother will assume responsibility and care for them but it doesn't seem to be happening, unfortunately, so I've decided to take matters into my own hands!

    Bond-007, what exactly are you feeding your crickets? I don't think our little Beardie has been getting enough calcium so from now on I'll be making sure he does so "gutloading" sounds like a great idea.

    I guess beardies are too much work for teenage boys :o


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    #8
    Our man in Havana
    Closed Accounts Posts: 29,476 ✭✭✭✭Our man in Havana


    I feed them a mix of either Namiba cricket food (powder) or the zoo med cricket powder & Namiba calci cricket gel (basically its jellyfied water) Tropical fish food is good & some apple/cucumber/orange - the bugs will last a lot longer - Or you can use bug grub which is a powder you mix with water.

    Crickets also must be sprinkled with a calcium powder 3-4 times a week for babies & pregnant females. I use a mix of powders but have the vet ark range of products at the moment - they are pricy but last for ages & are a necessity!


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    #9
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    Just an update

    I've assumed care of the beardie and crickets and our little "Sidney" seems much more active. I'm not sure if I'm imagining it but he seems to be spending more time basking and on his back wall than a few days ago. I read the care sheet posted here and stoped feeding him carrot :eek::eek:

    The temp in his vivarium is ok and he's actually started hunting his crickets now instead of just taking them from us when we offer them. He used to just sit there and gobble them, now he knocks them out of the tweezers to go hunt them. Nice to see him a little more active. When he's awake tomorrow I'll post a picture of him


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