anyone one here keep beardies like varanids?

[Varanus666]

I've been wanting a beardie really bad here recently..and I was wondering if anyone kept them like a varanid. I just don't like seeing them on news paper and plain sand seems too bland to me too. If any of you do, what is the sand to soil ratio you use? I was thinking that there has to be more sand than soil..but I'm not sure. I hope someone can give me some insight. Thanks.

[Lankyrob]

Want to follow is as i would like to do the same at some point

[rmfsnakes32]

Sand isnt really good for them. I use reptile carpet.

[Corey209]

I've heard of people using repti sand but it stains their feet. lady bug said she uses eco earth without problems.

[Terranaut]

Poor wild beardie ... all that sand... thats a crock for sure.
http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_W90V87w3sr8/TSdOuFvk8xI/AAAAAAAAAmo/Fk9CRiT2kMc/s1600/Bearded+Dragon1.jpg
Calcium sand that they will be tempted to eat is not good for them but sand itself is fine. I have mixed my sand to dirt at 2 bags of sand to one of dirt. BUT. My dragons don't seem to like it and I am taking mostbof it back out and going back to tile. The idea seems sound but I think because mine have been on hard tile mist of their lives they didn't like the change. I will take a pic when I get home tomorrow.

[Jay]

Sand isnt really good for them. I use reptile carpet.

Lol.

As for sand, make sure it's natural.

[Varanus666]

Lol thanks. I want to go for something natural. I just don't like newspaper, paper towel, or tile. Just looks so..idk lab like if you know what I mean. As for carpet, doesn't that stuff get nasty easily?

[SpOoKy]

I keep both my beardies on 50/50 sand soild mix about 12-16 inches deep. I provide lots of different basking spots that range with surface temps from 100-120 degrees. Plenty of climbing branches and flat rocks. They both have done excellent on this set up and would not think of keeping them any other way.

[Varanus666]

what size is you enclosure? I found this really cool hollow log in the woods yesterday that seems perfect. How would I go about cleaning this and making sure it doesn't rot and what not?

[SpOoKy]

My female is kept in a 4ft long, 2ft deep and 3ft tall tank and my mal is kept in a 3x3x3 custon tank with different levels and shelves. As for the log I would just put it in. If you are using sand/soil, the dirt and bugs on the log will be helpful to the substrate. As for rottting, I think you will be fine, I don't see it rotting away too quickly unless it is already pretty rotted. If that is the case I woukd maybe stay away fromn it as I wouldn want in colapsing in on him or if he is on top the weight may make him fall through.

[Varanus666]

Alright. Thank you for the feed back. Guess I better start planning out the cage. Thanks again!

[Aaron_S]

Sand isnt really good for them. I use reptile carpet.

Worst. Product. Ever.

[Hannibalcanibal]

NEVER use reptile carpet. It's a bacterial farm. I use paper towels, but i change them every day, so it's way cleaner than reptile carpet...

[KORBIN5895]

Poor wild beardie ... all that sand... thats a crock for sure.
http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_W90V87w3sr8/TSdOuFvk8xI/AAAAAAAAAmo/Fk9CRiT2kMc/s1600/Bearded+Dragon1.jpg
Calcium sand that they will be tempted to eat is not good for them but sand itself is fine. I have mixed my sand to dirt at 2 bags of sand to one of dirt. BUT. My dragons don't seem to like it and I am taking mostbof it back out and going back to tile. The idea seems sound but I think because mine have been on hard tile mist of their lives they didn't like the change. I will take a pic when I get home tomorrow.

Try more dirt so it compacts into a harder surface.

Lol.

As for sand, make sure it's natural.

Nice to see you back.

[Terranaut]

Worst. Product. Ever.

Wasn't there a thread about rmf's beardie on here ;)
Oh nevermind it's dead... I mean the thread.... I mean the dragon....I mean both....ah whatever :(

[murrindindi]

I've been wanting a beardie really bad here recently..and I was wondering if anyone kept them like a varanid. I just don't like seeing them on news paper and plain sand seems too bland to me too. If any of you do, what is the sand to soil ratio you use? I was thinking that there has to be more sand than soil..but I'm not sure. I hope someone can give me some insight. Thanks.


Hi,I would actually use more soil than sand so it holds together better, maybe 60% soil to 40% sand (it`s trial and error).
Here`s a few more pics of them in the wild, taken quite recently...
http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8498/8420875599_d99295e24e.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/62077372@N05/8420875599/)
http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8084/8421974788_8826d98dac.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/62077372@N05/8421974788/)

[Pirarucu]

I have not, but I read a thread a while back on another forum from someone who kept their beardies just like varanids and they did fantastic, plus their health problems completely vanished. I can post the link if you'd like.

[Aaron_S]

Wasn't there a thread about rmf's beardie on here ;)
Oh nevermind it's dead... I mean the thread.... I mean the dragon....I mean both....ah whatever :(

That was pure gold.

[Aaron_S]

I have not, but I read a thread a while back on another forum from someone who kept their beardies just like varanids and they did fantastic, plus their health problems completely vanished. I can post the link if you'd like.

Who would have thought that our animal ailments were due to husbandry and not some random piece of decor, substrate, prey or just a "bad animal".

[red ink]

60% washed palysand / 30% excavator clay / 10% soil... makes for fantastic burrowing substrate for BDs.

Their natural environment has a lot of sandy top soil then harder clay packed substrate underneath.

Experiment on the mixtures and see how you go.... I would suggest placing the feed bowl on top of a large textured tile though to prevent some cross contamination of the veg matter. Their plant diet in a natural setting is not wet and on the floor so does not contain a lot of substrate particles on it.

[Little Wise Owl]

I have not, but I read a thread a while back on another forum from someone who kept their beardies just like varanids and they did fantastic, plus their health problems completely vanished. I can post the link if you'd like.

I would like this link please. I'd love to put my Beardies in a more natural set up.

I think it's frustrating when I'm looking for information like this and places like BeardedDragon.org go on and on about how any loose particle substrate WILL KILL YOUR DRAGON AND THERE WILL BE IMPACTION ALWAYS.

[murrindindi]

I would like this link please. I'd love to put my Beardies in a more natural set up.

I think it's frustrating when I'm looking for information like this and places like BeardedDragon.org go on and on about how any loose particle substrate WILL KILL YOUR DRAGON AND THERE WILL BE IMPACTION ALWAYS.


Hi, the "new" ideas about housing them in captivity are the higher than normally recommended surface temps at the basking site (around 50c+), and a relatively deep particulate substrate.
Here again is part of their natural habitat in the wild... The dragon in the bottom pic is a P. barbata.

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8494/8421964340_6b558ea490.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/62077372@N05/8421964340/)
D_01-1[1] (http://www./62077372/8421964340/) http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8236/8421957978_924bfe5513.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/people/62077372[url=http://www.flickr.com/photos/62077372/8421957978/)
14 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/62077372/8421957978/) [url=http:///62077372

[Little Wise Owl]

WATCH OUT HE'S GONNA SWALLOW THE SAND AND DIE. lol

What's the humidity at in their natural habitat?

[red ink]

WATCH OUT HE'S GONNA SWALLOW THE SAND AND DIE. lol

What's the humidity at in their natural habitat?

Humidity is dependant on where they are... they can tolerate up 70% humidity for prolonged periods in some of their natural habitat and as low as 30% in the Longreach area.

Variation in the habitats that I have found them....

http://i305.photobucket.com/albums/nn214/Red-Ink-Buldogs/P1010282.jpg

http://i305.photobucket.com/albums/nn214/Red-Ink-Buldogs/P1010294.jpg

http://i305.photobucket.com/albums/nn214/Red-Ink-Buldogs/eucalypt-forest.jpg

http://i305.photobucket.com/albums/nn214/Red-Ink-Buldogs/eucalypt-forest2.jpg

http://i305.photobucket.com/albums/nn214/Red-Ink-Buldogs/salt-lake1.jpg

[red ink]

What the substrate looks like... ( I was collecting these pics for a mate in the US who was a BD breeder) in the above post.

http://i305.photobucket.com/albums/nn214/Red-Ink-Buldogs/grey-dirt.jpg

http://i305.photobucket.com/albums/nn214/Red-Ink-Buldogs/red-clay.jpg

http://i305.photobucket.com/albums/nn214/Red-Ink-Buldogs/spinifex-sand.jpg

[red ink]

Some wild ones...

http://i305.photobucket.com/albums/nn214/Red-Ink-Buldogs/FNQ%20to%20Outback/52a55247.jpg

http://i305.photobucket.com/albums/nn214/Red-Ink-Buldogs/FNQ%20to%20Outback/df6333f7.jpg

http://i305.photobucket.com/albums/nn214/Red-Ink-Buldogs/FNQ%20to%20Outback/0ae8160e.jpg

http://i305.photobucket.com/albums/nn214/Red-Ink-Buldogs/FNQ%20to%20Outback/1cf45d00.jpg

Quick people... get some black top in your enclosures lol.

[Little Wise Owl]

Thanks a lot :)

How could I achieve a packed down, hardened substrate?

[red ink]

Thanks a lot :)

How could I achieve a packed down, hardened substrate?

60% washed palysand / 30% excavator clay / 10% soil is what I used to use for mine (he's on half tile, half straight sand these days).

The more excavator clay ratio you put in the more packed it becomes.

[jarich]

They have a wide range but anywhere from 30-80%

[jarich]

Sorry for the double post but Red Ink can you possibly take a picture of some basking surface temps you find them on?

[Little Wise Owl]

60% washed palysand / 30% excavator clay / 10% soil is what I used to use for mine (he's on half tile, half straight sand these days).

The more excavator clay ratio you put in the more packed it becomes.

Where do I get Excavator Clay?

[red ink]

Excavator clay is a zoomed product so petshops would probably have it...

[Pirarucu]

Here you go.
going to be experimenting some with my beardies enclosure (http://www.reptileforums.net/forums/showthread.php?87349-going-to-be-experimenting-some-with-my-beardies-enclosure)

[Falconeer999]

I would like this link please. I'd love to put my Beardies in a more natural set up.

I think it's frustrating when I'm looking for information like this and places like BeardedDragon.org go on and on about how any loose particle substrate WILL KILL YOUR DRAGON AND THERE WILL BE IMPACTION ALWAYS.

When I got my bearded, I spent a couple days reading posts there and decided it was a pretty much worthless site. You'll find contradicting information for every single post and almost all posts seem to be from people who have had their dragon for 0-3 months and are just copying/pasting care sheets they found elsewhere.

[Zosime]

i would go with the sandy soil mix my beardies love it.. i throw a little bit of cypress mulch in the soil also
http://i.imgur.com/JkHxEVX.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/wl6RrEE.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/YHQip1D.jpg