Reptile & Amphibian Forums

well..ive been keeping herps well over 4 years now...kept everything from tree frogs to snakes....and currently breeding leopards...but definitely wanna get into beardies....i haven't gotten into them because of my tight budget and time....but now that i have about a few hundred to spend...i wanna know whats the most cost efficient setup i can get...please include prices as it will be extremely helpful....also...how do u feed the repcal pellets if i get them?...just moisten and put in a dish?..thats it?...sounds too simple...and i hope it is....i want this to be a permanent setup...so i want it to last throught my beardies life...im probably getting a baby...7 weeks old or so...also please post pics of enclosures u guys have....also i forgot to mention about the prices on UVB light and heat lamp...so basically a total price of an enclosure...i know im askin alot...but for u beardie heads out there...im sure u are happy to help...thanks in advance for any replies!!!

sincerely,
eric chen
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"you won't know success if you haven't failed..."-eric chen
1.1.1 Hi-Yellow Leopard Geckoes-Gecko Party, Town and Country Pets
0.0.2 Blizzards-AAA Reptile Supply
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0.1.0 Boxer Dog-Local Dog Shelter

The cheapest cage you can get is one you build yourself. For a baby you can just set up a 20 gallon long tank, which will last for a few months while you build the big cage. A 40 gallon breeder tank is a minimum adult sized tank, but bigger is better. My custom cage is 2x2x4 feet. I use PowerSun mercury vapor bulbs for both heat and UVB, so I don't need more than one fixture or bulb. TO get started, a 20 gallon long tank, with a screen lid, paper towels for substrate, a basking heat bulb and a flourescent tube UVB bulb, plus some branches or rocks for climbing, is all you really need. Some breeders raise cricket-free babies on pellets, but mine wasnt', and she won't eat them. She gets crickets or superworms and lots of veggies and fruit. Your new baby may only want to eat crickets unless it was raised cricket free. I seem to remember spending about 100 dollars on my first beardie setup, and maybe 200 on the custom cage. The flourescent tube UVB bulbs are usually about 20 dollars. The powersun's are about 50 dollars.
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