Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Just curious I WANT ONE SO BAD!! but i have my leos for now they are cool too.

here's one way to do it (the way i do hehe)

normal beardie 30
119 qt rubbermaid 15
mvb 35
dome 10
thermometer 15
little tupperware food bowls 5 (for a bunch)
petsmart basking branch 15
crix per week 10
calcium and vitamin 15 (lasts a long time)
misting bottle 2
timer 5

so if i just did my math right, its about 167 per setup. but keep in mind some things like the calcium alst a while, and the crix get cheaper per beardie the more beardies you have (you can buy in bulk and get more of the crix eaten instead of just dying off)
-----
proud mama to:
1.0.0 ball python (mr snake),0.0.1 albino florida kingsnake (CK),1.1.0 leopard gecko (sebastian and vilma),0.1.0 colombian rainbow boa (luce),1.1.1 bearded dragon (kaipo, dulce, and kellen), 1.1.0 colombian redtailed boas (adam and eve)

again with these cheap lizards! where are u guys getting these?!?! If you live in a stupid little town like me, count on 140 for a normal....

wow, where in the world do you live???

ive gotten 2 of my 3 beardies at expos...the first was a normal for 25 i think, then i got kaipo from lisa here, and i just got a gold baby at an expo for 25 as well. pet stores are usually higher.
-----
proud mama to:
1.0.0 ball python (mr snake),0.0.1 albino florida kingsnake (CK),1.1.0 leopard gecko (sebastian and vilma),0.1.0 colombian rainbow boa (luce),1.1.1 bearded dragon (kaipo, dulce, and kellen), 1.1.0 colombian redtailed boas (adam and eve)

I live in Sault Ont, Canada. It's right in the middle of the great lakes, if you look at a map. There are no expos and no breeders here, so I have to go through this one shady petstore. How much, does anyone know, would it cost to ship a beardie to me? I want more of them (down the road...they are so great) but I refuse to give this lady any more of my money. She buys from breeders, and then triples the price she paid.

within the US, its usually about 35 for shipping. one of the breeders here should be able to tell yuo about shipping to canada or, since my geography stinks, would you be able to drive to a show or breeder in the states near the border?
-----
proud mama to:
1.0.0 ball python (mr snake),0.0.1 albino florida kingsnake (CK),1.1.0 leopard gecko (sebastian and vilma),0.1.0 colombian rainbow boa (luce),1.1.1 bearded dragon (kaipo, dulce, and kellen), 1.1.0 colombian redtailed boas (adam and eve)

Don't buy the dragon from a petstore..that most likely is why it's so much. Look around for a local breeder or try mail ordering a dragon. However, get your setup ready before you get the dragon.

The initial cost of the dragon's setup depends if you are getting an adult dragon or a baby. You can start with a small enclosure for a three month old dragon (to about 6 or 7 months) but will need at least a 55 Gal long tank (2'x2'x4' in dimensions) for an adult dragon. So, you could spend about $50 US for a 35 gal tank (or equivant sized rubbermaid tub). Or, if you would rather start with the adult tank you can partition it in half (or in thirds depending on the size) and increase teh partition as the dragon gets older.

To build say, a 5'x2'x2' adult enclosure, it will cost about $100 to $150 bucks (or more) depending on what building materials you decide to use. I used 1/8th of an inch floor underlay sheet, 8'x4' in size. This was used for the back and bottom of the enlosure. (two 5'x2' sections cut from the bigger sheet). For the sides, I used plexi glass (cost the most by itself actualy..about $45) For the frame, used 1"x1"x8' boards. The top was half 1/2 inch plywood and wire mesh (1/4" wire mesh would be perfect). It cost me about $120 including the hinges and nails and several coats of varish. This is in Canadian Dollars as well. I had a friend of the family build it for me but it shouldn't be too hard to do for anybody with rudimentary carpentry skills.

The light fixture I bought was 4' long and able to hold 2 tubes. It also came with it's own plug. It cost me about $25.

A used a large spotlight bulb and fixture (made to be stabbed into the lawn to shine on something outside, I just didn't use the stake or basemount it came with, just the bulb and socket and suspending it through the wire section of the enclosure as a basking light). This cost me about $18 Canadian. (it is a 150W bulb in a socket rated for 225 W).

A repti-glo 8.0 UVB tube, 4' long, cost me about $24 Canadian. A second tube, full spectrum light, cost me about $4. Not sure if this has any UVB output at all, but bought it mostly for additional light in the enclosure.

I found a nice piece of driftwood at my parent's camp to use inside the enclosure. Soaked it in a beach solution, soaked it in plain water, let dry in sun for a few days. Cost, 0$.

Food dishs I used ceramic ashtrays, 2 for a $1 at the local dollar store.

Multi vitamins and calcium suppliments, last a year or more with a single beardie, $8.99 and $ 9.99 Canadian

Greens and crickets are your consumable expense. The younger the dragon the more crickets it will eat. You need to have crickets that are no bigger than the space between the dragons eyes to start. A 2 month old baby could eat as many as 40 crickets a day, so wil need 1000 to last you a few weeks. Fortunately you can get a 1000 crickets via mail order for about $20 (with shipping and taxes) Mixed greens would be about $5 a week...depending on how well they keep in your fridge.

SO, to build you own enclosure and get all the basic supplies you need. It will cost you about: $231 Canadian, before you buy the dragon.

You can cut this cost down by doing alot of hunting. An old dresser (especialy one that is long more than tall) could be converted into a nice enclosure for a dragon just by adding plexi-glass, light fixtures and hinged doors. Garage sales and ads in the paper could yield aquariums that are big enough (55 gal or larger for adults) for very low prices. Some pet supply stores may have damaged aquariums they would sell cheap because they can't hold water anymore (may have cracks or poor seals) which would be perfect for reptiles. Somebody on this list actually purchased an old display counter from a store going out of buisness that he converted into a very nice enclosure for his reptile.

If you are willing to wait awhile and do some hunting around, you can find what you need for low prices.

I live in Canada and can get a normal beardie for $80 Canadian

where in canada? from a breeder or a pet store?

I paid $150.00 for mine and we cant get anything but normals in my city. Heck, I didnt know there were anything else for a long time after I got mine! I dont even want to say what I paid for my snow corn but I love them all, its worth it to me

where in canada are u? ur still a step up from me.... we can only get regular corns here. nothin' fancy... I love canada, but its a herpers nightmare!

Im in Thunder Bay Ontario. Im still shocked that I got a snow corn here, I was waiting for someone to get ANY corns in that werent already 5 years old then I found the snow in a pet store here. I dont like to get anything but supplies there but we put her on hold for a few weeks then waited another almost two weeks before we picked her up. So far so good Its so hard to find any quality pets here it seems that for every pet Ive gotten its been months of searching and then once I find one I want Im so careful to be sure they are healthy and happy.

no kidding. Its really crumby living so north of everything. Waterloo/Kitchener really seems to be the reptile center of Ontario. I was there all the time when I first started getting interested in herps, so it was wonderful. Now, I hardly ever get up there, and its a pain trying to find even supplies in this stupid little city.

I was planning on buying a glass terrurium. a 50 gallon.