Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Ok first off most of you say not to buy a bearded dragon from the pet store. So where should I buy one from? Pet store (petco) has some small ones like 4 inches, but then again there are about 6 of them in a 10 gallon cage it seems.

Anyways so what online place has them for fairly cheap or I should say 'reasonable' since quality is priceless to a point. I don't care for a specific color, but a 'lemon' one would be cool but I don't want to spend to much on something just because of its color.

So next crickets, how do you guys store them? Currently I feed my anoles 24 crickets a week since they are adults and I don't make my animals obese and prone to heart problems and they don't grow like a bearded dragon does.

So how many crickets do they eat a week and what is a good online supplier? I'm not buying 200 crickets from petco spending $20 on them a week when I can get them online for alot cheaper.

I already have calcium powder without the phosphorus crap.

Also would a 29 gallon cage be big enough for about a year? Just asking since I already have one on hand just doesn't hold water anymore which is fine with me.

Do all females lay eggs even when they aren't fertalized? If so that seems like a hassle and I would prefer a male since I probably won't want to deal with the eggs and making sure 'she' is ok.

I have plenty more questions but if anyone can answer these I can throw more out. I'm 21 and I have a well paying job and lots of free time.

4 inch dragons are newly hatched and fragile. It is also sometimes tough for someone inexperienced to get them started with eating salad and live food. A breeder generally does not sell dragons until they are 6" . At that time they are more hardy, able to be sexed, and thereby giving far less risk of tragedy.

Well, my first recommendation is always dachiu.com but there are many quality breeders around. If I knew where you lived maybe I could tell you of a reptile show in your area. Of course you can always check the clasifieds above. You will find many available and maybe even some local.

I have guessing 30" by about 18" sterlite blue bins with lids I bought from walmart. I cut most of the lid away and duct taped window screen from Home depot over the hole. Then I use kricket keepers for every day use. Every 3 days I open the bulk tanks feed them and add more to the kricket keepers.

6" dragons can eat from 30 to 60 a day depending on size. I use Southerncricket.com. They are extremely reliable! and their size and count is always more than on target.

29 Gal., no way for a year. Beardies grow fast. Long before a year from their hatch date you'll need their adult enclosure. Minimum recommended is 4' x 2' floor space. Your might get a month out of a 29 Gal.

Yes females lay eggs with or without a male. Another reason not to get from a pet store. They are too small to sex.

Didn't mean to repeat any of your answers.
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0.9.0 Ball Pythons
0.1.1 Leopard Geckos
0.0.1 Egyptian Tortoise
0.0.1 Bearded Dragons

No such thing as repeat. Just opinions that agree.

thanks for the information

good thing you told me about that being to small

however i noticed you also said 4' by 2'

around here they only sell 36inch LONG x 18 inch DEEP x 18 TALL

that is all i could find that was DEEPER than 12 inches around here at least, so would that work or not, it looks pretty large in my opinion and i only plan on having 1 dragon so perhaps it would work for at least a year? i would love to build one but I will not be able to till i get married which is around 10 months from now which we would get an house together and have the space for something larger...

i live in kokomo, Indiana; which is about 60 miles north of indianapolis if that makes any difference

I'll check out those links you sent i appreciate your help!

Heh, please allow me to share with you a little lesson on life.

> > > "i would love to build one but I will not be able to till i get married which is around 10 months from now which we would get an house together and have the space for something larger..."

Fella, you've got that all backwards. It don't work that way. If you don't build a cage now, before you get married, you won't do it for another 15 years or more.

Ya see, once you get married your wife will require (demand) more of your time. And then you throw a house into the mix. You'll be spendin' all your time working yer butt off to pay for the house, and not only the house, but all the new furniture it takes to fill up the house. Not to mention the wife's desires. While yer a workin' yer fanny off payin' for all that your wife tells ya she's pregnant, with TWINS. LOL!!!

But I'll tell you one thing; If you've got a good woman, everything I just mentioned is a small price to pay. Thank God for my better half!

Seriously though, I see these other fellas have taken care of your Qs quite well. I'll go ahead & throw in my 2-cents worth.

The 29-gal isn't worth foolin' with because you'll only get about 3 months use out of it, max.

If you don't have the time to build an enclosure look for a 40-gal breeder tank or 55-gal tank. Preferrably the 40-gal breeder. Once in awhile I see these in some of the big name chain pet stores. If you don't see them, ask someone if they can order them. Used tanks are often found in newspaper classifieds, too.

It's pretty hard to balance things out, to make it worthwhile, ordering crickets online if you have only one animal to feed 'em to. You usually still come out ahead a little but then there's the time involved in keeping them, caring for them.

Most places have a 500 cricket or x-amount of $, for a minimum order. I can order 500, signed/sealed & delivered, for $15. That comes out to 3-cents per cricket.

When ordering for a single animal I usually order a size or two smaller than I need, this allows room for them to grow and not be too big by the time I get to the last ones.

Have a good one!
HH
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Due to political correctness run amuck,
this ol' hillbilly is now referred to as an:
Appalachian American

Yea the tank I'm looking at is a 40 gallon breeder I believe

i forget the exact dimensions but it was like 30 or 36 inches by 18 by 18 or 17

it is huge but looks nice, comes with a screened top for $103.99 at petco and I can normally get a discount of 10%-15% so that brings it to about 100 after taxes

you are right it seems backwords ; ) however who really knows how long it will take to get a kid or anything im not in a hurry

either way i look to be secure when it comes to money for the next couple years as i do contract work and i recently signed on for a 5 year deal with prossible extension

Either way I'm just looking for something I have always wanted so I want to get it. Could care less about buying a new car or anything rather have something that is interesting and save up whatever else I can save.

You are right on the crickets, 500 crickets would probably grow to fast, but I wanted to review all options. I will probably buy them from petsmart for a whooping 8 cents a cricket which will be expensive, but I'll experiment with that at first probably. There are local suppliers around my area I'm sure since all the pet stores get them from the same guy every tuesday and thursday so all I need to do is ask around to see WHO exactly does this since I'm sure petco and the rest of the pet stores are getting them for 2-1 cent a piece, but if I had to pay 5 cents that is better than me making petco richer.

Taking out the middle man is a good thing.

Yeah, I feel that tank will last you about a year. In the last month or so of that year the tank won't be an "ideal" size but will do.

On ordering crickets; it would be close as to whether or not you were able to use them all up before they got too big. When I had two hatchlings I was able to order 500 - 1/8-inch crickets and use them up before they were too big. The 1/8-inch ones were tiny for the beardies but it gave me plenty of room, time, to have them fed off before they got to the maximum edible size of 3/8-inch.

Even if you were only able to use 2/3 of the 500 you order (333) you'd still come out ahead versus getting them from a pet store. There are trade-offs for both options.

I wish you well in your family plans & business plans!

Have a good one!
HH
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Due to political correctness run amuck,
this ol' hillbilly is now referred to as an:
Appalachian American

Fella, you've got that all backwards. It don't work that way. If you don't build a cage now, before you get married, you won't do it for another 15 years or more.

ROFLMBO! Reminds me ... last night I was watching a bit of a talk show with Denzel Washington (who's ALMOST as yummy as my hubby). When asked how his marriage has lasted so long, he said simply, "I do what I'm told." lol

Sorry...hadda share!

Ha! Ha!

If momma ain't happy, ain't nobody happy. That's a FACT! LOL!

Catch ya later!
HH
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Due to political correctness run amuck,
this ol' hillbilly is now referred to as an:
Appalachian American

Yes you are looking at a 40 Breeder. They are 36 x 18 x 18 tall. Some people house their dragons in this side for all their lives. I also have books that list this as the minimum size.

In my opinion a dragon is ready for a full size enclosure in about 5 months. They just grow so fast and are pretty much full grown lengthwise in 8 months or so. So you'll have to see.

As far as depth goes, it's not as important as floor space. All my 36 x 18" cages are 30 breeders only 12" tall. The shorter tanks allow me to get closer with the UVB.

Southerncricket.com

how much is freight

just curious as what they charge

8.50 for ground to a residence.

I'm a newbie too, but I can answer a couple of those.

First, where to get one: I saw those babies for sale this week at Petco too. I'd really use that as a last resort though. I got my from a local breeder. Where are you located? If you can't find a breeder near you, try a reptile show (again, where are you located?).

Crickets: If your beardie is big enough to eat full size crickets, you can get them from bait shops fairly reasonably. I think I heard someone once say not to feed bait shop crickets though. I'm not sure why. I suppose there could be a good reason, but I'm betting it's being a bit overly paranoid. If you need smaller crickets, you'll probably need to get them online. There are a LOT of places online, some of them advertise on Ebay, reptile auctions, or the classifieds here on Kingsnake.

That's about all I've got.
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0.9.0 Ball Pythons
0.1.1 Leopard Geckos
0.0.1 Egyptian Tortoise
0.0.1 Bearded Dragons

You never know if bait shop crickets are wild caught and may have parasites. Certainly, for use as bait, they are not concerned about the crickets health. Crickets that are raised for the pet trade are more likely to be healthy and parasite free.

Well, first off, "house crickets" which are what are sold in bait shops and pet stores are native to europe, so I don't think they'd be wild caught. Also, many of the big cricket suppliers sell to bait shops AND pet stores, so they're the same crickets. I suppose there COULD be cases where bait shop crickets are less healthy, but in either case, the income of the supplier depends on those crickets' health.

I'm not really arguing with you. I'm just not sure if there's much of a risk. I don't feed bait shop crickets. Mainly because my beardie is too small and by the time she's bigger, my roach colony will be big enough to support her. But, is there any evidence anywhere that bait shop crickets are more likely to carry parasites? I'm seriously asking. I don't know. It just seems like a lot of times on the internet, a certain theory gets thrown out there by someone who's guessing and then everyone takes it and runs with it, whether there's any truth to it or not. So, does anyone KNOW if this is true?
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0.9.0 Ball Pythons
0.1.1 Leopard Geckos
0.0.1 Egyptian Tortoise
0.0.1 Bearded Dragons

I just figure why take the risk. But to each their own as they say. I go through way too many crickets to get ripped off by a pet stores or bait shops anyway.

>>I just figure why take the risk. But to each their own as they say. I go through way too many crickets to get ripped off by a pet stores or bait shops anyway.

Well, I agree, IF there really is a risk. That's what I'd like to know. Because, for someone that uses, say 200 crickets a week, buying from a bait shop would be the best option. You can get that amount for about 4 bucks. You can't order them for that price and you'd pay four times that from a pet store. SO, it would be nice to know if there really is any danger in feeding bait shop crickets. I'm kind of skeptical about there being dangers, but I'm not positive.
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0.9.0 Ball Pythons
0.1.1 Leopard Geckos
0.0.1 Egyptian Tortoise
0.0.1 Bearded Dragons

i live in kokomo indiana

about 60 miles north of indianapolis and 200 miles from chicago

you can always buy a custom cage offline. boamaster.com is a good place. also cages by design. however shipping is kinda expensive but worth checking out.

as far as using a glass 40 breeder..if this is the way you go, go to walmart and get some adhesive shelf paper. cover the inside of the cage glass on the sides and back. dragons do not like seeing their reflections and causing stress.
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Beach Beardies

2.2. bearded dragons
1.1. Sugar Gliders
0.2. Felines *queen athena and missy*

Looks like your most convenient show will be the Midwest Reptile Show in Indianapolis on July 15th.

http://www.midwestreptile.com/

alright thanks for the link = )

busy on july 15th but probably will go in august 26th

hopefully they have some adult dragons so i can get the 'real' experience of their size

And that way I can bring the lady with me to creep her out since she hates snakes. I was raised catching reptiles when I was bored, where as her grandma and mother raised her saying all snakes will bite you and toads give you warts.

Will be interesting although she seems to like turtles the most, but I don't think she realizes that even small turtles can bite.

4" babies are too small to buy from anywhere. They are barely out of the shell, may not even have eaten much. Then they are boxed up and shipped to a petstore then crammed in a little 10 gal tank with a whole bunch of other dragons. On top of fighting for basking heat, uvb light and food with all its cage mates, now that little bearded dragon has to deal with kids banging on the glass etc.

So, when bought by people these dragons are already highly stressed, half starved and terrified. Then they are put into a totally new environment...it is much more difficult for these delicate dragons to bounce back and get back to what baby dragons need to concentrate on, eating tons to grow. Not something for the first time bearded dragon owner to deal with. Much higher mortality rate, not necessary from mistakes by the new owner.

Waiting till the dragons are 6" long and about 6 weeks old, ensures the dragon is well established and thriving. They also have more reserved fat to tolerate a couple days of little eating as they get used to their new home.

Reptile shows are the best place to get dragons, more choice and you get to talk to the breeders themselves and most are quite willing to answer questions not just at that time but in the future over the phone or email (though some breeders may be very busy and may take a day or two to answer back...really depends on how email they get. Most do try and respond promptly though.)

The events tab above will show all the reptile shows coming up all across North America, so you should find one. There are a couple shows that go to Chicago...when and where i don't know..Just remember seeing ads for Chicago shows in Reptiles Magazine. A reptile show is a great place to bring a girlfriend and wife to be to see reptiles, especially if they are a bit nervous about them (if she has phobia of any reptiles..not a good place to take her or course). Many breeders will allow prospective buyers to hold animals or at least touch them while they hold the animal. Also, you can buy the adult cage at the show at the same time. Many big cage designers have booths at reptile shows, especially the big ones in the US. Asking about a particular show in your area in the forums can also reveal what sort of size to expect and what typically is there (breeders and suppliers).

Crickets can be ordered in bulk from many sources online. Under the Businesses tab above, you will find a list of breeders, feeders and supply sellers online with webpages you can check out and compare prices. The closer they are to you, the less shipping you will need to pay. If not sure, most sites will have contact emails and phone numbers for you to use to get more specific info.

Crickets can be stored in rubbermaid bins filled with egg cartons and fed either a store bought gut load, or fresh greens, crushed cat food, fish flakes, chicken mash and other foods. Thus you can order say 500-1000 1/8th to 1/4 inch crickets and feed them off as you go. The slightly smaller size than what you need now works good as it gives time for the crickets to get bigger before they get too big to feed (crickets should be the distance between the dragons eyes).

One last comment.

You mention in 10 months you will be getting married. Though it would be nice to get a bearded dragon before hand, but you already indicated you won't have time to build an adult cage and can't easily find a large enough cage in your area. But when people get married, the prep work takes alot of time, then the ceremony and usually followed by a one week or longer honeymoon. Who's going to be taking care of your dragon while you are away? Also, moving into a new house brings up its own share of problems.

I am thinking it may be better for you to continue researching the care and keeping of bearded dragons and wait till after you are established in your new home. It may mean waiting another year but then you will be better prepared to enjoy your new dragon and have the time to spend with him and build the adult cage.
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PHLdyPayne

> > > "...a one week or longer honeymoon. Who's going to be taking care of your dragon while you are away?"

Ah, c'mon now, ev'rybody knows good 'n well that you take it with ya.

Why, nearly ev'ry one of my relatives that had a pet pig before they were hitched took 'em with 'em on their honeymoon. And it worked out well, especially in the cases where their wives were their pet pigs (multiple applications). Ha! Ha!

Ya'll have a great day!
HH
-----
Due to political correctness run amuck,
this ol' hillbilly is now referred to as an:
Appalachian American

A man walks into his wife's bedromm with a sheep under his arm. The man says "This is the pig I've been screwing when you have a headache" The wife says "But that's a sheep?" and man says "I wasn't talking to you!".