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My First Beardie

Yes, I'm gutloading the crickets. I have the commercial gutload and I also throw in fresh veggies that the devour in minutes.

I bought a new UVB light....it's a 2.0 Repti Glo...it's all my petstore had at the time when I went to get it that would fit in my fixture.

The basking light is now a 150 watt instead of the 75-100 watt that I did have.

He knocked over his stacking rocks sometime today or yesterday. Now I got to pick'em back up again.

His newest order of crickets should be in soon. I swear he goes through about 1000 crickets a month.
 
Something I just noticed and thought was funny.

Toby's commercial food, he doesn't eat the green pellets. He'll eat the red and yellowish looking ones, but won't touch the green ones. Isn't that funny? I find it a bit odd, too, but still HIGHLY amusing. Just thought I'd share that with you. Picky little thing.
 
Hello

Hello Amber!

Yes, the sometimes pick out certain colors that they like better or attract their attention more. It is funny!
Great you are gutloading the crickets so that they are nutritious for him. He is eating alot right now.
Wow you really had to increase your wattage for the baskinglight. Is it getting cooler now?
Well, you will need to get a higher UVB light. The 2.0 is hardly any output at all. I hate for him to have any bone issues due to not enough UVB. He is doing so well right now. The best thing to do if you aren't ready for the MVB is to order a reptisun 10 right now online. They are only around $18-20 online. They are at least double that in the petstores.
I hope he is doing great today!

Tracie
 
The temps. here keep fluctuating. We were in the low to mid 70's last week, and this week we are in the high 80's low 90's but NEXT week, we are supposed to be back to the mid to low 70's again. So cold weather is pushing in and it'll stay shortly. I will get a new UVB as soon as possible. Right after the weather stays cool. Then I know for a fact I won't be able to take him outside.

I bought him a harness yesterday. Even if it's too big for him right now, by spring or summer, it'll fit him. :D

Hubby is still debating if it will be cheaper to just buy a tank to put him in, or to build one. I really think building would be cheaper....because the tank alone is going to cost us $200 if we buy it. That's not including the sand and decorations that go in it. Any ideas of what is cheaper?
 
Update on Toby's Growth....he is now a full 12 inches long and weighs 65 grams. WHOO HOO! He's getting BIG! haha Had to order 1,000 more crickets in a WEEK to feed him. The first order was 500....:p
 
Hello

Hello Amber!

That is a great update on Toby! :D He is really really growing & eating tons now.
Are you getting the washed & sifted playsand? That is the ONLY sand I will come close to recommending.
Great you got a harness. He will grow into it for next spring & summer. Definitely he needs a stronger UVB. I am glad you will go ahead & get another one soon.
Well, I personally think that building one is cheaper, but it does depend on the type of wood you get. You have to buy finish, but that isn't that much money. The wood looks very nice, & holds heat well, too. How much glass or plexiglass were you using? The top was going to be open, correct?
Yeah, before long, it will be staying cold for awhile, no more 70 degree days for awhile.
I am so happy he is doing well now. Great job.

Tracie
 
I am doing the front only in plexi glass. The sides and back would be wood, and the top screen/mesh.

Yeah the harness is too big on him right now. lol...it's all good though. At the rate he's going he will def. be in it by next spring/summer.

I could only find river rock sand at the places I went....so I sift it twice and bake it in the oven until it's hot. Then I sift it AGAIN before I put it in his cage. It's pretty fine grained by the time I'm done. Takes me at least an hour and a half to do so. More work than necessary, but worth it.

Our weather is getting pretty cold now. It's going to be 70's by next week. It's been raining off and on this week. So yeah, a new light is def. in store.

I hopefully have a job soon so we'll be able to provide much more for him sooner than expected, including insurance. Hubby says if he gets sick we'd just get a new one, but I think he's finally understanding that it wouldn't cut it.
 
Hello

Hello Amber!

What's up?
Oh Toby is a lucky lucky man. His new home is going to be awesome. That is great, it will be a nice, warm place for him, as well.
It will have plenty of ventilation as well. It sounds like it is going to be so cool for him. The river rock is fine. You feed him out of his tank right now anyway, so he should be fine on that. At least you take the time out to clean & wash it properly, that is great.
OH well hopefully you wont have to take him until he is 6-8 months just for a little health checkup, not because he is sick. They are easily replaced sure, BUT they are irreplacable, if you know what I mean. I know you are doing all you can for him.
That is wonderful you are working, so he will have what he needs. Yes, he does need a new light now. I am getting ready to post a UVB report from the UV guide on the UVB lights, namely the coils & how dangerous they are. So, please steer away from the compacts & coils. I am pretty sure I had told you that, but just in case I didn't. Don't let any person in the pet store talk you into them, they are very dangerous.
The only acceptable UVB lights are the reptisun 10, reptiglo 8, or reptiglo 10, which are the flourescent lights, & the T-rex active UV heat or the Megaray for the mercurcy vapor bulbs. That is it right now.
Hope all is going well. Talk soon.

Tracie
 
Will keep all those in mind while online shopping for him. :D

Yes, he gets fed out of his cage, I don't like having to ruin the set up chasing any crickets who wind up surviving...just got to be too much. So eventually, he'll just, I don't know yet. He's already almost too big for his travel carrier that I got him. That's what I feed him in right now. I didn't see any bigger ones, but oh well. I plan on getting a 10 gallon long tank to keep his crickets in, this way I can keep more at one time.

Hubby was worried about how I was going to feed him while working. But I got it all figured out. He'll get fed once before I leave and once after I get home, I might even have to leave some in his tank....:S or at least I can make sure he has enough veggies and worms to last him between. :D

Yes, I know that they are irreplaceable. I have a hard time replacing pets. I eventually love them all the same, but, it's not the same. I def. want to get him into the vet for a checkup before his year with us has come and gone. So this way I can make sure he's growing like he should. Although from his weight, I don't think there's much of a problem in that area. :p
 
Hello

Hello Amber!

Yeah, you wont have any problems finding those lights I recommended for you.
I can't blame you for NOT feeding in the tank, those critters go everywhere & hide & you have to mess everything up just trying to catch them, it is annoying. The worms, as long as you have a glass that they cannot climb are no problem! OH Toby's weight isn't an issue, he is growing very well.
I think little health checkups are a good thing. With everything that goes on these days, it is a good idea. Alot of people don't agree with that though.
It is hard getting another pet when one dies on you. It is never really the same, though.
That feeding schedule sounds perfectly fine though. Really, at this point, feeding with feeders 2 times a day, leaving greens in his tank with maybe some worms, that should be fine. He will get plenty. You will just have to allot a little time in the mornings before leaving. So make sure his light comes on early enough to where he is nice & toasty before feeding.
Wow that is great he is already outgrowing his little carrier. You can get a plush carrier with mesh sides & a soft liner. Just get one for a small to medium cat or dog, & they are great.
Sounds like things are going really well. Talk soon.

Tracie
 
Toby is going to be a BAT for Halloween. I'm in the process of making his costume now. I want it thick enough so he stays warm (only going to have him out for the first half hour or so) and he's also going to have a small trick or treat bag (I'm going to fill it with his dragon bites...hee hee) It's going to be adorable!

I'll take pictures when I put his costume on him and post them. :D
 
Hello

Hello Amber!

Oh Toby is going to be a bat for Halloween? THAT, you absolutely have to take a picture of for me. How cute. I wonder what his reaction will be?
He is going trick or treating with you? Maybe his trick or treat bag will be full of dragon bites & candy!
He will really look like a dragon with wings! That should look cool. I hope he is cooperative! LOL

Tracie
 
Oh wow, a dragon, you know, as bad as this is going to sound, I never thought of that! That's too funny. Well, I guess I could do that too...

He shed again. This time his underbelly and neck shed too. Not sure if they ever did before, but it's the first time I've ever seen it. He's knocking over his stacking stones anymore. I guess he's too big for them now. But we got him another vine, so he stays on those two.

Is it normal that he buries himself between the stacking rocks and sand to sleep at night? I'm so used to him sleeping on the leaves or hanging on the "wall" and sleeping with his head resting on the top part of it. But lately, since the last time I took him outside, he doesn't sleep up there anymore. He still climbs up there during the day when he's not on his vine, but not sleeping. At first thought, I was thinking maybe he was too big, but when I saw him up there later the next day, that went out the door. Now my only idea to why he's sleeping there now is because maybe it's still warm from when the basking light was on? The only thing that makes sense to me really.

So a dragon, hmm....I might change my idea...good thing I hadn't started on the wings yet. :p
 
Hello

Hello Amber!

Yeah, he might look really cool with wings like that! LOL
Great that his belly & beard shed, he must be getting a beardie belly then! LOL
That is completely normal for him to want to sleep between his stacking rocks, especially if they are still warm. He is outgrowing his tank decor now? Are you going to use the same vines in his new tank?
I am so happy he seems to be doing so well now! :D

Tracie
 
Yes, the two vines I have for him will be used in the new tank. They are pretty big, almost too big for the tank he's in now. I might be able to find a use for his stacking rocks too in the long run, not sure though. But yup, he's getting too big for his decor. :D

I think I have hubby talked into building his new tank now...so we'll see. :D
 
Hello

Hello Amber!

So your hubby is getting all setup for his new project! LOL
Well, at least Toby has enough stuff to climb on though, the vines will be alot of fun for him to hang & climb on. I am sure that he is starting to outgrow everything though!
Glad that he is doing so well!

Tracie
 
Well, I MIGHT not build anymore. My cousin just called me and told me about this store that has a 75-whatever gallon tank FULLY set up, including the mister and yadda yadda, and included with it is another beardie, about Toby's size, all for $150....so I MIGHT be able to talk hubby into doing that instead because it's WAY cheaper than building or buying a new tank and decorations! The tank up there is set up so the dragon they have can grow into it and not need anything changed. :D So I'm excited and hoping I can get it.

They also sell their crickets for $0.90 per 12 crickets medium size. And their worms are all fairly cheap too. I'm paying $0.02 per cricket any size, so the crickets I have better deal on, but the worms so far, can't beat that from what I've seen. I'll have my answer by sometime tonight hopefully on if I can get him or not. :D YAY!
 
Hello

Hello Amber!

Are you going to put Toby in with another dragon? If so, that is not a good idea!
They will each need their own tank. Toby is male so there is no way he can be housed with another dragon, it just doesn't work.
Sorry!
Did you decide to get the other dragon though yet?
So what would you do for Toby? Don't forget, you still need to get a UVB light for him for the winter.
Let me know what you decide. :D


Tracie
 
I decided not to get the other dragon. The tank he was going to come in is a 50 gallon, and granted I have read, and been told by MANY that a 50 gallon is big enough, but I don't want to do that.

No, I wasn't going to house them in the same tank. Maybe next to each other, but not in the same tank.

Yeah, I'll be ordering the UVB light this Saturday hopefully. If not, then by next Saturday. Our weather has decided to stay in the upper 80's again this coming week. So, he's been getting outside more.
 
Hello

Hello Amber!

Good you weren't going to house them together. I kind of figured you weren't going to but thought I would mention it anyway.
Well, a 50 gallon isn't all that big. I don't blame you for not wanting to keep the other dragon in it. I agree, I personally don't think they are large enough either.
So you decided not to get it right now? Did your husband want to get him, too?
Lucky your weather is holding out right now so Toby gets his sunlight outside. It seems to be working right now. That is great.
Hope all is well with you.

Tracie
 
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