i got my first beardies

hi guys
i have 2 new bearded dragons one i am told is likely to be male and the othe i'm told is likely to be female but no guarentees. leela (think is female) jub jub (think is male) they seem in seperable at mo and found them asleep this morn curled up in the planting, which was cute and now they are playing follow the leader walking around the viv.
my viv is 5ft by 3ft by 3ft. i know i will have to seperate them later but right now they seem happy enough. temps are hot end 108 cool end 75 and centre 90.
still not eating veggies though. offering squash, greens, broccoli, occasional carrot as told this is like a treat veg for them, and kale all to no avail.
both eating crix ok though.
can you tell me when it is ok to start handling them? had them 2 days now.

thanx guys. x

*lol* I'm not worried about it. I usually don't mind others posting on my boards unless it's something completely pointless or strays away from the subject to begin with. Good luck with your beardies.

I was told that you can start handling them from day one. I read too that you were supposed to give them so much time to adjust to their new home, but I was told otherwise, that they will adjust anyways, so it's Ok to handle them.

The veggies, haha, good luck. It's going to take some time, as I was informed, and saw. Just keep offering is what they told me. So, I did, and now he chows down in the wee early morning hours before everybody else is awake. I started getting up in the middle of the night and putting some in the cage so when they awoke, they'd have fresh stuff to eat. I don't feed Toby until about 10am...he gets up at 6am...so I know he's hungry, that's why I put the veggies in. This way, he at least eats a bit of them before his first real meal of the day. Maybe try that if you can handle getting up a half hour to an hour before them just to give them food. Then go back to bed after you give it to them.

Hello,

Well, a 5x3x3 is not bad for 2 small dragons. They will begin to hit sexual peaks at 6 months, so, you have a bit of time before you will need to separate. Otherwise, they will breed way too early!
What type of lighting do you have? What type & brand of UVB do you have? Do you have a bright white basking light as well?
What are you measuring your temps with a digital probe or a temp gun?
What was your substrate? I apologize, I cannot remember if you did mention it.
As far as the veggies & greens, like Amber said, good luck! It will most likely take them awhile to recognize it as a food source, but keep trying. Eventually they will or should start to eat it. Honestly, some are just better at eating them than others are as they are very individual. You can try getting some phoenix or silkworms to put into the greens & veggies to see if that entices them. Maybe some dragon bites, too which they might like, too. Great they are eating crickets though. Make sure that they get fed 2-3 times daily, & you are keeping them well hydrated.
If they are already eating then, it sounds like they are adjusting pretty well to being relocated. It would be fine for you to start handling them, maybe try to get them out one at a time, to mist or bathe them. You can gradually work up to more time in handling them.
What type & brand of supplementation are you giving them, & how often are you giving it?

Tracie

right....
i have repti glo 10.0 uvb and yes they have a bright light for basking
i am using a temp gum to check on temps as told this is a little more accurate then probe. is that correct?
as for the substrate i'm just using very large paper towels as had no end of conflicting reports on what is best to use. my local pet store says calci sand is best whilst the guys at the store i brought them from said lino or paper towels as they were on paper towels in the store i've stuck with that for now as that is what they're used to.
i said they were doing well with the crix and but today they seem to be a bit indifferent and have only eaten 10 each in total and it is now 4.30 pm here. (uk)
i think they may be ready to be handled as every time i put my hand in jub jub tries to climb on!!!!! bless!!!!

They will go through periods where they don't eat as much. Just keep an eye on it and maybe throw in an extra feeding if you can before their bed time. I read that you aren't supposed to feed them unless there is an hour between the time they eat and the time they go to bed, I'm guessing so they have time to sit under the basking light and digest? Who knows. There are days I try to feed Toby and he'll only eat 1 time out of those 2-3 tries. I guess it's also to do with the fact that he gorges himself and he also has his veggies. hee hee

yeah i've heard that they need the light to help with digestion and so they shouldn't have food less than an hour before lights out. their feeding times are 10am 2pm and 6pm lights out a 8pm til 8am.
wanted to know when i seperate these guys how much longer will 1 be ok for in the viv i already have? just want to know if i should be looking for 2 new vivs rather than 1.

Hello!

Great no calcisand, so do not get it. The people at the petstore are wrong. That is the worst type of sand you can get as it clumps up like cement & cannot be passed well at all. It causes horrific impactions. The only type of sand I will even think about ever using is the washed & sifted playsand. The paper towels or newspaper are fine for now, no problems.
Well, I would say they should be separated around the length of 10-12 inches or so, unless they begin having issues before then. The males can begin "trying" to breed at 6 months of age, but can hurt themselves trying to do so. They neither one are ready at that age.
The reptiglo 10 is fine. Make sure it is 8-10 inches away from your dragon, & the temp gun is great. They work very well.
Are you using any supplementation at all? They need phosphorus free calcium 5 times weekly for babies. You can throw in some D3 as well, since you are using a flourescent bulb.
It sounds like your setup is fine for now, until you have to look into separating them.
Let me know if you need anything.

Tracie

Originally Posted by isismac

wanted to know when i seperate these guys how much longer will 1 be ok for in the viv i already have? just want to know if i should be looking for 2 new vivs rather than 1.

5ft x 3ft x 3ft is plenty of room for one adult beardie, so you will only have to get one new tank when it is time to separate them.

I agree that the Calcisand should NEVER be used! We keep all our babies on paper towels and then move them to play sand when they get to be about 6 months old. Also, we give all our beardies veggies first thing in the morning and wait until a couple hours later to give them crickets. This way they are hungry and eat the veggies since it is the only thing available. However, if yours aren't eating their veggies yet, don't be concerned. They will start eating them when they are ready.

It sounds like you've really done your research and are providing great care for your beardies! Congratulations on your new pets. Enjoy them and let us know if you ever have any questions.