96 replies to this topic

[POWER5LAVE]

i remember when we had are pyton and it took 2 of use to feed him due to the fact his eyes were bigger then his belly

and when it comes to tanks its always best to make your own sure you dont use heated orinments as my lizzards and snakes are dopey and will sit on it play with it and get hurt

damn i want anouther iguna now

[adam_93rio]

i suppose £25 isnt too bad for a bearded dragon. make sure its really active and doesnt show signs of illness before you take him home

what size tank are you after? my bearded dragon started in a 2 1/2 foot tank then after a year or so moved up to a 4 foot

rex is in a 2 and half foot tank at the moment but when he goes home will be in a foot and half square. this is plenty big enough for him for now.
then will be moved up into a 2 and half foot again then a 4 foot.

most reptiles, if given a lot of space will get bewildered by it (daft as it sounds because in the wild they do what they want) this is the reason he is starting off in a small tank

hes still settling in at the moment and quite jumpy if you go in his room. the tank is in the corner of a small room and quite low down so when you go in it will make him feel even smaller, when he gets home he will be at chest height so should be happy

reptiles are fine with no interaction, although jesse loves it, he is fine on his own all day. when i go home i can slide the front of the tank open and stick my arm in. he sits looking at me until i say 'come on' and then he will run up my arm

the guy at the reptile place loves him and wants him off me, i took him in once to see how he interacted with others etc. and they all backed down straight away. not sure of his exact morph (morph is like a breed) but he is quite big compared to the other puny adults i see more commonly.

oh, also about the claw cutting. they normally will staty short through wearing down on the rocks or logs in the viv, but they will get long eventually. i do them myself rather than pay vet fee's. its quite simple, just with a pair of nail clippers and be sure not to cut too much off. they do have veins in their claws and will bleed if you cut into them. if they do bleed just let them sit in calcium powder as this will help clot the blood whilst also giving him something to help his bones

i hope i have answered all the queries, and hope if you get a beardy you will enjoy raising him/her. just remember to give them a few weeks to settle with minimal handling and he will realise that you are the one giving him food and water. take slow steps at a time, and try not to approach him from above too much. then when he trusts you, try gently stroking his back then move on from there.

if you need any help with him then send me a pm, im happy to answer any questions

[davidv]

Thanks Adam good info.Best to use the Cal. powder on all food in a small dust.
Yours is well trained well done.
Now you have all got me thinking i would like another snake a small Bow. tried a king and it was not nice.
Any forsale?
I tried a pet thread in the past mine failed this one is tops.Any Pictures ?

[Calman]

i suppose £25 isnt too bad for a bearded dragon. make sure its really active and doesnt show signs of illness before you take him home

what size tank are you after? my bearded dragon started in a 2 1/2 foot tank then after a year or so moved up to a 4 foot

rex is in a 2 and half foot tank at the moment but when he goes home will be in a foot and half square. this is plenty big enough for him for now.
then will be moved up into a 2 and half foot again then a 4 foot.

most reptiles, if given a lot of space will get bewildered by it (daft as it sounds because in the wild they do what they want) this is the reason he is starting off in a small tank

hes still settling in at the moment and quite jumpy if you go in his room. the tank is in the corner of a small room and quite low down so when you go in it will make him feel even smaller, when he gets home he will be at chest height so should be happy

reptiles are fine with no interaction, although jesse loves it, he is fine on his own all day. when i go home i can slide the front of the tank open and stick my arm in. he sits looking at me until i say 'come on' and then he will run up my arm

the guy at the reptile place loves him and wants him off me, i took him in once to see how he interacted with others etc. and they all backed down straight away. not sure of his exact morph (morph is like a breed) but he is quite big compared to the other puny adults i see more commonly.

oh, also about the claw cutting. they normally will staty short through wearing down on the rocks or logs in the viv, but they will get long eventually. i do them myself rather than pay vet fee's. its quite simple, just with a pair of nail clippers and be sure not to cut too much off. they do have veins in their claws and will bleed if you cut into them. if they do bleed just let them sit in calcium powder as this will help clot the blood whilst also giving him something to help his bones

i hope i have answered all the queries, and hope if you get a beardy you will enjoy raising him/her. just remember to give them a few weeks to settle with minimal handling and he will realise that you are the one giving him food and water. take slow steps at a time, and try not to approach him from above too much. then when he trusts you, try gently stroking his back then move on from there.

if you need any help with him then send me a pm, im happy to answer any questions

Thats brilliant mate big thanks!


You covered it all i thinks cheers, im undersided though wether to get a baby ordered form the pet shop, but i wont know the sex. Or go to a bolke ive seen advertising beardy babys and he has them sexed.(Also has good feedback on them) Same price but if i buy privatly i dont know how far along they'd be (Still babys but might already be used to taking food fomr him)

Hmmm....

Oh and i was thinking of the link on the last page, its quite big at 40"x20"x20" (LxWxH) but when i went down the pet shop they lady said that because they need a hot and cold end the minimum length is 36", even for a baby.

[davidv]

Many pets do grow to the space of there home fast.I do think a top range themo. is a safe must.
Bought a cheap one with a baby grass snake it failed and lost nice pet.It only eat fresh fish easy to keep.Very friendly pet when young.
You have all got me on another pet snake.
When i was young you could buy a Tort. for 50p.Honest.

[adam_93rio]

they used to feed tortoises dog food and keep them in a box too

if they are really small babies then it can be very difficult to sex them. at best, a good breeder will be able to give you a good guesstimate. but will only be about a 80% chance of being right. which is it you would prefer? males will fight if put together and females should be fine.

beardies are a very tolerant species and very easy to raise, make sure to dust the crickets in calcium. i only used this when he was growing up but now he is full size doesnt need it really. i would just chuck some in the tub of crickets and give them a shake.

they do need a hot and a cold end. it would be best to give them a basking (sun bathing) spot in the hot end and something to sit on further towards the cold end.
there are arguments that bearded dragons dont need water as they should get enough from their food. as they naturally live in the desert, the only water there is isnt accessible to them. ive only ever seen jesse drinking once or twice in the few years ive had him. so i often dont bother with the water every day, just give him some once or twice a week really but he never touches it. if yo do put water in, put it in the cold end as they dont like it too humid. and when they are older they will start eating things like lettuce, rocket and watercress. (really love peppery rocket from asda) be careful with greens as some (like spinach) in large amounts can cause problems. but obviously the salad should be in the cold end ideally

ill keep adding information as we go along. its easier to answer a question on something than to just write up everything you may need to know

a couple of pictures, i think ive put them up before somewhere



he stopped when i told him not to go downstairs!

he loves cosmics and dunlop d1's

his latest tank, (3 and half foot wide and quite deep and very tall, its been moved around a bit since the picture. but the picture makes it look smaller than it is


heres jim my tokay gecko, (like the elvis song... jim the gecko) ((in the ghetto))



most pictures are at night as thats when hes out most often. but hes starting to tame now


jim doesnt come out of the tank much as hes a tad insane. he isnt keen on people really except me, and i wont hold him without a leather glove on

hope you like!

Edited by adam_93rio, 05 June 2010 - 02:34 PM.

[Calman]

Not sure about the Gecko but i really love your beardy

Definatly convinced now! Was saving for the Festival but as its next weekend and tickets have rocketed up dosnt look like im going. So just waiting for my X360 to sell and get hold of a Vivarium!

Thanks for all your help mate, my step mum used to have one but sold it after a couple years. So she has helped me a bit in which sort of foods etc. She didnt mention the Calcium powder though. Does it do for them the same as us? Good bones and general health?

Oh yeah forgot about the male or female bit

Im not fussed really, im not planning on gettin any more than one so male being aggresive wont be a problem. Main thing was just so i knew. But do males get more aggresive than females at all on their own?

Edited by Calman, 05 June 2010 - 03:39 PM.

[davidv]

Pictures are great thanks.Cheers me up and im sure others also.
With my Tort. As a child the Well known fish shop in Shirley Stratford rd. on the the way to Henley no names can be given of shop by fair rules.They said they eat loads of veg. then you put them in a crate to sleep with a lid on and veg well vented with straw.They were more than wrong mine died asleep.I just did what they told me.Im glad they cost loads now.I also bought a terapin great small pet had my own green house with a natural pond also under the steps well set up.I had a lot of spiders toads newts and frogs went on holiday came back and he had blown up eating Frog sprorn.Right mess.SAD.

[adam_93rio]

Not sure about the Gecko but i really love your beardy

Definatly convinced now! Was saving for the Festival but as its next weekend and tickets have rocketed up dosnt look like im going. So just waiting for my X360 to sell and get hold of a Vivarium!

Thanks for all your help mate, my step mum used to have one but sold it after a couple years. So she has helped me a bit in which sort of foods etc. She didnt mention the Calcium powder though. Does it do for them the same as us? Good bones and general health?

Oh yeah forgot about the male or female bit

Im not fussed really, im not planning on gettin any more than one so male being aggresive wont be a problem. Main thing was just so i knew. But do males get more aggresive than females at all on their own?

yeh basically calcium helps with growth of bones and keeping them strong ect, exactly the same as humans.
males wont be aggressive at all unless they are seriously mistreated, but they are generally dosile and tame creatures. love being held, when you get handling one, give it a stroke in a few places, like a little slow tickle and you will learn where he likes to be stroked. when you find the right spot he will close his eyes to show how relaxed he is.
usually how it goes is that you just buy one gender unknown, then when theyre a bit older just stick a mirror in front of him/her. if the beardie attacks their reflection then its a boy. if they are not bothered, then its probably a girl. but check a few times to be sure. failing that turn them upside down, at the top of their tail the males will have two bumps (his two veg as it happens) and they will be quite wide at the top

http://www.beardeddr...agon-sexing.jpg

like this

also, if they dont have enough calcium it can lead to metabolic bone disease, (MBD). which is basically when bones have not grown properly and strong enough. when the bones are too weak from not enough calcium they bend while they grow and can break very easily.
http://z.about.com/w...ed-dragon_8.jpg
if you look on that link it shows a bearded dragon who has started with MBD, it shows the bottom part of his arm is quite bent.
once a bones is bent this way it can still be strengthened by dramatically adding calcium to its diet, however i find that reducing the risk in the first place is the better option

sometime they look like they have a second elbow, (in more extreme cases)

Edited by adam_93rio, 05 June 2010 - 05:40 PM.

[minidan]

LOVE the tokay gecko! ive always been a fan of these lizards but would never attempt to own one as a pet due to their insane characteristics.

i dont blame you for wearing a leather glove though lol!

can i ask where you got Jim, as they are a sort of 'specialist' pet?

[Calman]

Not sure about the Gecko but i really love your beardy

Definatly convinced now! Was saving for the Festival but as its next weekend and tickets have rocketed up dosnt look like im going. So just waiting for my X360 to sell and get hold of a Vivarium!

Thanks for all your help mate, my step mum used to have one but sold it after a couple years. So she has helped me a bit in which sort of foods etc. She didnt mention the Calcium powder though. Does it do for them the same as us? Good bones and general health?

Oh yeah forgot about the male or female bit

Im not fussed really, im not planning on gettin any more than one so male being aggresive wont be a problem. Main thing was just so i knew. But do males get more aggresive than females at all on their own?

yeh basically calcium helps with growth of bones and keeping them strong ect, exactly the same as humans.
males wont be aggressive at all unless they are seriously mistreated, but they are generally dosile and tame creatures. love being held, when you get handling one, give it a stroke in a few places, like a little slow tickle and you will learn where he likes to be stroked. when you find the right spot he will close his eyes to show how relaxed he is.
usually how it goes is that you just buy one gender unknown, then when theyre a bit older just stick a mirror in front of him/her. if the beardie attacks their reflection then its a boy. if they are not bothered, then its probably a girl. but check a few times to be sure. failing that turn them upside down, at the top of their tail the males will have two bumps (his two veg as it happens) and they will be quite wide at the top

http://www.beardeddr...agon-sexing.jpg

like this

also, if they dont have enough calcium it can lead to metabolic bone disease, (MBD). which is basically when bones have not grown properly and strong enough. when the bones are too weak from not enough calcium they bend while they grow and can break very easily.
http://z.about.com/w...ed-dragon_8.jpg
if you look on that link it shows a bearded dragon who has started with MBD, it shows the bottom part of his arm is quite bent.
once a bones is bent this way it can still be strengthened by dramatically adding calcium to its diet, however i find that reducing the risk in the first place is the better option

sometime they look like they have a second elbow, (in more extreme cases)

Brilliant mate thank you. Step Mum gave me a book on them so ive got reading for a few night between revision !

In there it said that if your to have one on its own, your better off with a male but the difference is minimal. (Females can have ovary problems without a mate basically?) One last on i promise Is there a certain age that you stop giving them calcium added crickets or not?

Cheers (Oh yeah, started building a table to fit the new viv, got told off by next door for being to loud. Apprently you cant cut would outside at 9:45.... Lost track a bit )

[davidv]

Thanks again Adam also.Very interesting subjects.As the Thread grows like Rex i hope more will add there pets with info and pictures.All of these type pets have gone up loads in price over the last 10 years.There are not many Pet shops left in Solihull.Years ago there were many to put on my drive around and have a look list.We have Shirly Aquatics and another shop in Acocks green one at the Radleys.It like getting things for my Nitro Jatto a big trip to birmingham.Another one of my big boys Toys.

[adam_93rio]

basically untill they get a bit bigger, when they are young they have a sort of baby face. when they get bigger and start to develop their adult looks thats when i stopped giving him the calcium. but it sort of faded out as he got older

pictures showing difference you can see between adult and baby (all pictures of jesse)



he loves the beer


size comparison




ok bit of an update on rex, hes still eating well and starting to get used to us getting closer to him. had some fun pouring water into the hot end of his tank and him chasing the drops around. got a vid of him eating a pinky and a picture of him trying to hide
(vid might not be fully processed yet)
lr6B983uwY

trying to hide


and this is mary, another bosc at the reptile place i use.
i think shes around 2 years old

[adam_93rio]

LOVE the tokay gecko! ive always been a fan of these lizards but would never attempt to own one as a pet due to their insane characteristics.

i dont blame you for wearing a leather glove though lol!

can i ask where you got Jim, as they are a sort of 'specialist' pet?

theres 3 shops local to me that stock reptiles. (2 are around 15 minute drive). most reptile places will only do things like bearded dragons and snakes as they are just there to make some money, youll find that a shop owned by reptile keepers (sort of enthusiasts) hold stock of slightly more exotic reptiles aswell as the norm.
theres a pets at home near me actually starting to sell bearded dragons. when i went in i told them about how their enclosures were terrible and had to tell the staff how to look after them. i dont think they will sell brilliantly as they are £70 each or 2 for £120. a prime example of them just trying to make money.
the place i use sells dragons from as little as £15, and the ones they have had for a while they get fond of so go for a maximum of £70 as adults

jim was at the place i use, and my mate bought him before i got the chance. then he sold me him along with a few other geckos with tanks for £50. that was a fun day, 2 people, 3 gecko's, a 3 foot and a 2 foot tank... all in a mini at once.

[Calman]

OMG stop posting piccys Making me jealous!


Nah, keep us posted mate and good luck with them, hopefully ordering my Viv tommorw! (Y)

The beardy baby aint going to be cheap - £65, and im get what im given basically. (From the pet shop) I spoke to the person selling sexed babys for £25 and they've just sold the last of the older ones and theres non for sale for another 4 - 5 weeks.

Ahh well..

Edited by Calman, 07 June 2010 - 07:32 PM.