Buying Bearded Dragons

[dbruin77]

I am going to the reptile show in Toronto, in sept. I am interested in getting a bearded dragon. What i really would like is a red flame or a tiger / red flame. Are they sold at these shows? Can anyone tell me of good breaders to buy from at the expo, as i here there are lots for sale at the expo.

[ICULIZARD]

We will have a table at the show and there will be lots of different morphs to choose from, including Sandfire Red/Redflame x Salmon. (Carson x Jewel)

Pictures of the parents and information can be found at www.iculizard.com

Now's the time to ask all the questions you have to get prepared and this forum is the perfect place to do that. :)

ICULIZARD

[dbruin77]

Tanks for the info! I already printed off the care sheet from your websight just after i posted the first message. I already have a leopard gekko.

[ICULIZARD]

Your welcome :)

If you want an updated caresheet (plus our hatchling caresheet) please let me know what e-mail address to send it to....the one you have listed here? It contains much more information that should be helpful.

:)
ICULIZARD

[PeteinPort]

Hello,

My name is Brad, father of three kids. We live in Port Carling (Muskoka). We're planning to get our first BD soon and have been doing a lot of reading on the internet. There are some great sites and some really caring people.

We're planning to come to the Sept 12 Reptile Expo to meet the experts and get some information and to buy a juvenile. We're planning on getting our tank set up before we come.

Any advice for us would be appreciated.

Should I bring some kind of container to carry BD home in?

I'm new to forums - so a quick lesson on dos and don'ts would be appreciated too.

My son's name is Peter so therefore the name "PeteinPort".

Thanks.

Brad

[beardieguy]

welcome to the wonderful world of bd's. Thay are quite fun to own. It is a good idea to have a container with you when you go to purchase one. My advisa is to buy one from a guy named Tim from capital dragons. He always has strong bloodlines and very nice colors.

[Capital Dragons]

Hi Brad,

Well I' sure that your kids will LOVE there new pet! Dragons really do make great reptile pets for kids...

Almost all of the vendors will supply you with something to get your new pet home. We use deli cups with holes punched out and paper towel so it will fee secure. One thing I have noticed when transporting dragons is that they seam to be much more relaxed if they are put in a box. When they are in the dark they just go to sleep. No stress..

This expo will be a great one to get a great dragon. There will be some great dragon breeders so I’m sure you’ll go home with something special…

Good luck,
Tim Daly
www.capitaldragons.com

[damzookeeper]

Hi Brad and dbruin77 and welcome to ssnakess.com
Will this be your first show? You are in for a treat, I think this is going to be one of the biggest shows yet. There will be many vendors there with bearded dragons and being a bd breeder myself, I can tell you that if I want a beautiful healthy dragon that I don't have to worry about sickness or problems with after purchase I would definately go with Mega (iculizards) or Tim (cap. dargons). These guys are the best breeders at the show in my opinion and I have dragons from each of them that are doing great and have awesome colors. You might find someone there with a little cheaper price for a dragon but paying that little extra for a health guarentee is definately on the plus side. Not all breeders will refund if your dragon gets sick after you purchase it and not all breeders will keep in touch. These two breeders are among the top in Canada imo. There babies are very colorful and from great blood lines. I'd definately buy from them again, if I was adding to my collection. :)

Good luck at the show and hope to see you there. I wont have any dragons but you can feel free to stop by my table and introduce yourself.
Take care and have a great show! :)

[ICULIZARD]

Thanks Deb.....It's always nice to hear that the hard work and lack of holidays are worth it!

Hi Brad....Great choice for a first reptile.....I am biased, but Bearded Dragons really are the best reptile pet especially for kids. They seem to enjoy being handled and if the right environment and care are provided, they are very easy to care for and it's a great idea to attend the show......as Tim said, there will be lots of great dragons available. You will have a great time!

There is so much to know and all the breeders will be happy to answer your questions, my best advice for before the show would be keep your enclosure for your new dragon very simple (and cheap!) Bearded Dragons grow quickly and you don't want to spend a lot of money on a setup that they will quickly outgrow. It also isn't optimal to put your new baby in a huge adult tank as they have a hard time finding the basking spot and food etc. We use simple rubbermaid bins with the UVB light rested right on top and you can get a heat fixture stand that will adjust to have the basking bulb right over the dragon. I have attached a picture of one of our racking units to help you get an idea. Hope this helps!

http://www.ssnakess.com/photopost/data/500/1784Baby_Rack.jpg

Megan
www.iculizard.com

[PeteinPort]

Megan,

Thanks for the picture. It's worth a 1,000 words. I was getting all twitchy about needing to get a big tank and a basking tree etc. I think I'll go the rubber maid route.

I noticed you don't have mesh on the top of your bins. Don't they climb out? Don't the crickets jump out?

Do you have anything on the bottom of the bin?

Do you use timers for your lights? I kind of like the idea of a timer to turn the lights on at 6:00 am so the little guy/girl is awake and warm by the time the kids get up to feed him/her.

Thanks for the post.

Brad

[Capital Dragons]

Thats great advice... Dragons grow so quick that a "temporary" set up works great!

Small crickets can’t jump out or climb out if you use the clear shiny plastic Rubbermaid tubs. Washed, dried and shifted play sand works great as a sub straight. Easy to spot clean, cheep and crickets can’t hide under it as they can with newspaper. Keep it simple and enjoy!!!!

Here is a helpfull link..


FAQ'S (http://www.dachiu.com/care/abeard.html)
http://www.dachiu.com/care/babiesbasking.jpg http://www.dachiu.com/care/closeupbabies.jpg

[ICULIZARD]

Your welcome Brad. Glad it helped.

We don't use sand for our babies, we put rubber shelf liner on the bottom of the bin. It comes in rolls and can be found at Walmart, Home Depot, Zellers, etc. You just cut it to the size you need and when it becomes dirty, you throw it in the wash.

The sides of the bin are smooth, so baby dragons cannot jump out, once the dragons get larger they can and you may need to buy a taller bin. The crickets cannot climb up or jump out, so you don't have to worry about crix all over your house!!

We have all our enclosures (breeders and babies) on timers from Home Depot. It's much easier on you and better for the dragons as then you get them into a routine. Routines are great, they eliminate stress for the dragons.

When the Dragon grows and it's time for it's permanent enclosure, you may want to consider a proper reptile enclosure....I like melamine with sliding glass doors. There will be lots for sale at the show which will give you ideas :)

Megan
ICULIZARD

[PeteinPort]

Tim and Megan,

Thanks for all the great information and pictures.

I'm finding two schools of thought on the sand/no sand as a substrate issue. Some like it, some swear against it especially for juveniles because of the risk of impaction.

Somehow I imagine their natural environment has a bit of sand in it, so I can't figure out where the impaction issue comes from. I agree the sand has to be right stuff - washed and sifted - but is using it at all dangerous for young BDs. So, do I sand or don't I sand?

Also, so I don't flinch from sticker shock at the expo, what price can I expect to pay for a colouful juvenile?

Thanks again.

Brad

[ICULIZARD]

Well.......Sand or no sand is a decision you will have to make. Have a look at past threads and you will see this topic has been covered more than once and people never agree!! We choose not to use the sand with our babies just in case. I believe that a healthy Bearded Dragon will not have any problems with sand, but we only use it for our Juvie's ( starting when they are 6-8 months) and Adults. Dragons actually do not come from areas with loose sand.....in their true environment they will encounter packed down dirt/sand which is not as easy to injest. In the end the decision comes down to you and your personal preference based on what you have read and believe, there's just no "perfectly right" answer.

As for prices, usually you can expect to pay between $40-$400......Colourful babies can be seen for $60-$250 usually. Juvie's in the past have been priced between $200-$400. I know it's a wide range, that's just a general list.

:)
Megan
ICULIZARD

[Joses Hut]

Like Megan and Tim said " simplicity is the key." Bearded Dragon needs are actually very simple to meet. Another options with regards to food is silkworms. Crickets are great, however if you are concerned with them escaping, silkworms are a great substitute. Silkworms are also much better for them, due to their high calcium content.

We have purchased Dragons from Tim, but have not had the pleasure of dealings with Megan yet, and have some beautiful Dragons. Hopefully in your quest for one, you find a breeder of their quality.

If you would like more information on Dragons, as well as feeder insects, feel free to use our website as well.



Jose's Hut (http://www3.telus.net/public/storm866/)

Jose's Hut