New Owner with LOTS of questions!

thank you so much! I printed out the food chart on the beautifuldragon site as it is very helpful!

I can't believe the homeade platform page on that website. I am a genius at making things out of building styrofoam. For five years now, I've make lots and lots of things out of the styrofoam for the Macy's Xmas parade which is televised every year here in Atl. This past Xmas we were the Whos from the Grinch! I even made the Roast Beast out of styrofoam:

Everything on my house was decorated with parade leftovers, all out of styrofoam:

Well heck if you can do that I bet your beardie is going to have a castle when you are done. You could probably sell cute lizard furniture.

That gave me an idea, to sell stuff! Now, I have to get my styrofoam cutting equipment out. I have tons of styrofoam left over from this year's parade. I need to get nontoxic paint. I already have nontoxic glue, etc. I'm sure anything that is alright for people would be okay for animals.

You're going to have to cover the styrofoam with something much sturdier than paint....as soon as the Beardie gets any size to them, their claws will shred it just climbing on it. And if they start shredding it, they might just be silly enough to eat any small bits that come off, and who knows what that will do to their innards, as it sure isn't going to digest, lol.

I've noticed all different and new habitat backings at stores this year. I haven't looked into them all that closely, but they appear to be a form of Styrofoam as far as I can tell? Some are seriously cool looking and actually useful!
I wondered the same thing about the styro holding up to sharp little claws climbing on them for any length of time.. I think its worth checking out though to see what they are doing w/ them, If you can make cool designs and figure the way to make them safe that would be excellent!

There are so many things out there now for us to buy for our critters! I know there just isn't that much regulation w/ this stuff. I often wonder about what the materials are for things, how safe or non toxic etc.. All the different water and food dishes, they don't really tell you what they are made of. Hey maybe melamine!! So I wonder about my lizards drinking and bathing in water thats been sitting in them ,maybe soaking up some toxin. I try to get ceramic dishes when I can, the smooth kiln fired type.

I've been thinking about that all night. Hopefully I'll come up with something although the "stone" paint that fellow used really protects the styrofoam and if there is enough of a clear protective coat it might be okay. Maybe I'll build something and make one of my cats the "guinea pig" LOL At least Gizzard will get a few months wear out of it. I'm still amazed when I see how fast they grow.

Hello!

It sounds like everything is going very well. You are working on the decorating portion now. That is the FUN part, huh?
Good luck with your project. I would love to see pics when you are completed with it all!


Tracie

Yes, that is the fun AND expensive part! I had no idea that the dragon would be the least expensive thing I would buy! I am really having fun cruising all the message boards/pictures and information out there. You guys have been so helpful and have made me confident that we are hopefully doing the right things and we so appreciate it!

When should our first dr visit be? I keep reading about the fecal matter testing but figured I'd let him get use to our diet before any of that would actually give a true reading.

I've been a crafter/builder for a long time and with having kids, I use a certain clear protective coating that is made expecially for kids on most everything I paint. I figure that with the "sand" coat that goes on the styrofoam and then a few layers of the nontoxic clear coat, it should be fine. But with anything one would buy to put in the cage, it still is the owner's responsibility to check these things from time to time for wear and tear.

A friend of mine came over yesterday that helps me with the Xmas parades every year and she laughed so hard when I showed her the basking platforms as she has a styrofoam cutter too! I also wonder if making the platforms out of a thin, lighweight wood would work just as well but then you'd have to use a scroll saw, not as much fun as the styrofoam cutter but we might try that route too!