General Questions

[UserNameIsValid]

Hey guys, my girlfriend wants to get a beardie and I just want to know the basics. How big of an enclosure do they need, how often do you feed them, what specific veggies, fruits, and insects are best for them, and my biggest hangup is, do they brumate? If they do, will keeping their heat the same prevent this? And who should I buy the beardie from?

[SnakeyJay]

I don't keep beardie's unfortunately... Hopefully someone will be along soon to give you some advice.

[dannybgoode]

4x2x2 viv, they need high uv (t5 12% is considered the minimum these days). They work really well in a sandy bioactive viv. They need to be able to get within 6-8" of the uv source (no closer) and a basking spot around 40-45c.

Usual requirements on being able to thermoregulate AND photoregulate-that is to be able to get away from the uv source also.

I keep a Timon lepidus (way more interesting than a bearded imo -see my 'Meet Julius' general lizard forum for more details) and their care is similar. I use an Arcadia D5 uv light which is compact but very powerful so it allows very high uv at one end of the viv and much less at the other.

You would normally have the highest uv concentration at the basking spot also so the lizard gets max uv whilst basking which is pretty much what would happen in the wild.

Diet is the usually crickets, locusts and roaches together with green veg dusted with a suitable calcium supplement most feeds and a broad spectrum vitamin supplement one or twice a week.

Do not cohabit them and do not breed them. They are thoroughly overbred and most are purchased very cheap and poorly looked after.

Remember the purchase cost of a correct setup will far far exceed the cost of the lizard as will the ongoing electricity bills and food but that is true of most lizards these days.

Also, whilst many become insanely tame they should not be out of the viv for any more than 30 mins at a time really. They need that high uv and heat and letting them chill around the house causes long term harm.

[SnakeyJay]

Originally Posted by dannybgoode

4x2x2 viv, they need high uv (t5 12% is considered the minimum these days). They work really well in a sandy bioactive viv. They need to be able to get within 6-8" of the uv source (no closer) and a basking spot around 40-45c.

Usual requirements on being able to thermoregulate AND photoregulate-that is to be able to get away from the uv source also.

I keep a Timon lepidus (way more interesting than a bearded imo -see my 'Meet Julius' general lizard forum for more details) and their care is similar. I use an Arcadia D5 uv light which is compact but very powerful so it allows very high uv at one end of the viv and much less at the other.

You would normally have the highest uv concentration at the basking spot also so the lizard gets max uv whilst basking which is pretty much what would happen in the wild.

Diet is the usually crickets, locusts and roaches together with green veg dusted with a suitable calcium supplement most feeds and a broad spectrum vitamin supplement one or twice a week.

Do not cohabit them and do not breed them. They are thoroughly overbred and most are purchased very cheap and poorly looked after.

Remember the purchase cost of a correct setup will far far exceed the cost of the lizard as will the ongoing electricity bills and food but that is true of most lizards these days.

Also, whilst many become insanely tame they should not be out of the viv for any more than 30 mins at a time really. They need that high uv and heat and letting them chill around the house causes long term harm.

Cheers mate, I was just commenting to bring attention to the post

[UserNameIsValid]

Thanks for the help guys, hoping for some more answers so I can make a definite decision, and dannybgoode, I love the look of jeweled lacertas!

[dannybgoode]

Originally Posted by UserNameIsValid

Thanks for the help guys, hoping for some more answers so I can make a definite decision, and dannybgoode, I love the look of jeweled lacertas!

And similar to a bearded in so many ways just much more cool

[nakabaka]

Got a few things to add if this thread is still being watched, as I've bred beardies.

Everything above but here's a few added things. Look up which veggies are bad to feed even its food. Beet tops, spinach, kale, for example. They contain a compound that binds to calcium the lizard ingests in its digestive tract, much like D3 would, thus inhibiting calcium uptake and possibly causing MTB. Bad business. Some bugs are even poisonous, such as fireflies. If you haven't grown it yourself or can't get it "organic" I wouldn't feed it to the lil' guy. THIS paragraph goes for pretty much any lizard.

Have a dubia colony firing off the hook before bringing a beardie home, especially if hatchling. Those guys are like pubescent teenagers on your grocery bill, and having an overage in dubia production will only help you as it will eat 15-20 crickets a day, possibly nearly as many dubia nymphs. Keep in mind its the nymphs you want to feed a hatchling, and with how much it will eat, you still need nymph surplus to grow up and keep the breeding cycle going. Same as feeding the beardie, avoid those foods which will inhibit calcium uptake. What goes into its food will enter it.

About dubia roaches. Best darn feeder insect I've ever used. Doesn't bite, doesn't stink, doesn't make noise, if one gets out it'll just be filet migon for a spider even if it's preggers, extremely easy and cheap to maintain. Most expensive part will be the roaches. I like having about 13 females per male, and a 2nd box for the nymphs/juveniles as I clean their tubs out. Do not go cheap and just go ahead and buy the egg crates for their tubs, and don't forget the packing tape. You can find how-to's on YouTube.

If you can't get those sexy 12% UVB bulbs, go with a pair of 10% bulbs. Won't hurt one bit. Set up for its adult enclosure from the get-go and feed it in a smaller box. 40g breeder is absolute MINIMUM for adult, with footprint over height (have very LOW height if at all possible). He will use the footprint to move around, plus the shorter height means less wattage needed on your basking light for ample temps, and more UVB will penetrate to the floor of your enclosure.

Hope this helps anyone interested.

Oh, one correction to the above. Do NOT use sandy substrate. That might impact them as they have a habit of "testing" stuff to see if it's edible. Use reptile carpet, even over newspaper. Best thing you can put in there as a beardie substrate. Also, put a stone slate in there too. Not a tile, but a slate piece. It'll help with their claws.

[dannybgoode]

Originally Posted by nakabaka

Got a few things to add if this thread is still being watched, as I've bred beardies.

Everything above but here's a few added things. Look up which veggies are bad to feed even its food. Beet tops, spinach, kale, for example. They contain a compound that binds to calcium the lizard ingests in its digestive tract, much like D3 would, thus inhibiting calcium uptake and possibly causing MTB. Bad business. Some bugs are even poisonous, such as fireflies. If you haven't grown it yourself or can't get it "organic" I wouldn't feed it to the lil' guy. THIS paragraph goes for pretty much any lizard.

Have a dubia colony firing off the hook before bringing a beardie home, especially if hatchling. Those guys are like pubescent teenagers on your grocery bill, and having an overage in dubia production will only help you as it will eat 15-20 crickets a day, possibly nearly as many dubia nymphs. Keep in mind its the nymphs you want to feed a hatchling, and with how much it will eat, you still need nymph surplus to grow up and keep the breeding cycle going. Same as feeding the beardie, avoid those foods which will inhibit calcium uptake. What goes into its food will enter it.

About dubia roaches. Best darn feeder insect I've ever used. Doesn't bite, doesn't stink, doesn't make noise, if one gets out it'll just be filet migon for a spider even if it's preggers, extremely easy and cheap to maintain. Most expensive part will be the roaches. I like having about 13 females per male, and a 2nd box for the nymphs/juveniles as I clean their tubs out. Do not go cheap and just go ahead and buy the egg crates for their tubs, and don't forget the packing tape. You can find how-to's on YouTube.

If you can't get those sexy 12% UVB bulbs, go with a pair of 10% bulbs. Won't hurt one bit. Set up for its adult enclosure from the get-go and feed it in a smaller box. 40g breeder is absolute MINIMUM for adult, with footprint over height (have very LOW height if at all possible). He will use the footprint to move around, plus the shorter height means less wattage needed on your basking light for ample temps, and more UVB will penetrate to the floor of your enclosure.

Hope this helps anyone interested.

Oh, one correction to the above. Do NOT use sandy substrate. That might impact them as they have a habit of "testing" stuff to see if it's edible. Use reptile carpet, even over newspaper. Best thing you can put in there as a beardie substrate. Also, put a stone slate in there too. Not a tile, but a slate piece. It'll help with their claws.

Out of interest why not a sandy substrate? I don't mean just sand but a reasonable sand content to an overall mix of a nice bioactive substrate. All other husbandry being good and the animal in good health then imo this is the way to go over any carpet or newspapers.

They ingest dirt in the wild after all...

[UserNameIsValid]

@Nakabaka, great info! Thanks for your input! Do they always brumate though? Or will keeping the heat even year round prevent this?

[dannybgoode]

Still disagree with the substrate. By all means look at the pros and cons but these days with the other tools at our disposal to ensure optimum husbandry the whole 'don't use loose substrates' thing is very outdated advice.

Reptile carpet has issues of its own if not replaced regularly and I'd take a good bioactive mix any day. Your bearded will not suffer from compaction etc and as I say in the wild they'll ingest bits of dirt when burrowing and feeding.

Plenty more advice on bioactive in the natural vivarium section of the forum...

[nakabaka]

Yes, they ingest it in the wild, but that is also a factor that limits their lifespan int he wild. For example, my sister had a raccoon she raised from a baby. In the wild, their lifespan is 4-5 years due to predators, poisoned food (they do scavange), being hit by cars, falling from trees, etc. Peewee's lifespan was 13 years. Ingesting too much dirt over time is one of these factors for beardies. In this regard, NO, it isn't outdated.

And yes, reptile carpet DOES have issues, mostly bacterial buildup, which really is no different from other substrates and the reason you clean it from time to time. You toss it in the wash by itself, dry on low, bam. Never had an issue so long as you don't use softener or scented soaps. Just as easy to spot clean and easier to swap out. All in all, reptile carpet is my go-to for herps that don't require much humidity and don't need to burrow. So far as burrowing, mine never felt the need even when I did try loose substrate.

For brumation, no idea, as mine always did. However, as others online on other forums have noticed, it seems to be the time of year they're hatched that matters for their first brumation. Hatchlings that popped later in the year tended not to brumate that first year. For their brumation, just keep the ambient temp at no less than 60, keep lights off, keep a hide large enough for him/her in there, and place the enclosure out of traffic's way (as in another room where you don't have fumes from chemicals and such) so as to avoid bothering said beardie. He will come to on his own, and yes it's normal for it not to even get up to drink. Do not feed it during this period either, as not having heat can make the food spoil in its stomach and poison it. Even if it will eat and u keep the heat light on for a couple hours after, it COULD get impacted by not waking up to do its business; had an issue with this once.

[nakabaka]

So far as bioactive subs are concerned, I personally wouldn't trust human tech over nature. We tend to come up with AWESOME ideas then years later end up with cancer and other issues. Granted reptile carpet is tech, but it seems to work better than other stuff I've tried. If it works for you, then, I mean, I'm not God or anything.

[dannybgoode]

Bioactive IS nature and not human tech. Its precisely that and couldn't be more natural if it tried! o you even know what bioactive is (genuine question and not having a dig but from your response it seems not) as there's no human tech to it at all!

In the past when it was much harder to get the rest of the basic husbandry requirements right - UV, high temp basking spots etc then yes impaction etc was an issue. Things have moved on massively though with high power UV bulbs, decent radiant heat emitters, much more advanced thermostats etc all being readily affordable to hobby herper helping them to ensure the husbandry parameters are correct.

This in turn means that using a bioactive substrate is an entirely viable, if not very desirable, choice that should be considered.

My T. Lepidus has come on in leaps and bounds since I changed him over and the general upkeep of the viv is a doddle now. And yes, saying that loose substrate should be avoided IS out of date advice.

Sure, you may have a preference for carpet - fine - but to say that something else is wrong and causes problems is not fine when this is not the case (all other husbandry factors being where they should be).

[SnakeyJay]

Originally Posted by dannybgoode

Bioactive IS nature and not human tech. Its precisely that and couldn't be more natural if it tried! o you even know what bioactive is (genuine question and not having a dig but from your response it seems not) as there's no human tech to it at all!

In the past when it was much harder to get the rest of the basic husbandry requirements right - UV, high temp basking spots etc then yes impaction etc was an issue. Things have moved on massively though with high power UV bulbs, decent radiant heat emitters, much more advanced thermostats etc all being readily affordable to hobby herper helping them to ensure the husbandry parameters are correct.

This in turn means that using a bioactive substrate is an entirely viable, if not very desirable, choice that should be considered.

My T. Lepidus has come on in leaps and bounds since I changed him over and the general upkeep of the viv is a doddle now. And yes, saying that loose substrate should be avoided IS out of date advice.

Sure, you may have a preference for carpet - fine - but to say that something else is wrong and causes problems is not fine when this is not the case (all other husbandry factors being where they should be).

Gotta agree here, I keep all my cave gecko species on a bioactive substrate... There is no bacterial build up, that's the point of "bioactive".... The organisms break down any waste etc..

I even have shed skins disaapeared within a night.

[dannybgoode]

It is great to see a lizard dropping completely covered in various organisms within minutes of them being deposited and then gone completely within hours. The cycle of life at the max...