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DRAGON QUESTIONS!!!!

dragonfreak805 Nov 08, 2006 05:14 PM

dear dragon lovers
i just currently purchased two baby bearded dragons that are now i think 4 weeks old. My first question i am asking is that is it ok to keep them in the same tank and if so for how much longer can i keep them together. My other question is about one of the dragons, he/she has not been eating very well and looks a lot smaller in width then the other dragon, however i do see her eat maybe 2 or 3 crickets a day and i always have food available for it to eat wether it be crickets or worms. but the other dragon will eat at least 7 or 8 crickets at a time, and also find room to snack on worms. i dont know if this is a big problem or not but please reply asap!!!!

dragonfreak805

Replies (3)

PHLdyPayne Nov 09, 2006 07:59 PM

To get a better ideal of what is going on, it will be useful to know more details of your setup. How big is the cage? What is the ambient temp and basking temps? How far is your UVB light and what kind is it (florescent tube, or MVB). What sort of substrate do you have? Do you have only one basking area or do you have a few?

As one dragon is obviously eating as much as it can, I suggest separating them now. The reason the other one isn't eating is most likely due to the other dominating her. Once both are in separate containers, she should start eating more. Probably best to set them up so neither can see each other through the cage glass.

If she really starts to loose weight or becomes quite lethargic, make sure she is well hydrated and get her to a vet. a fresh stool sample should be brought as well.

dragonfreak805 Nov 10, 2006 01:28 PM

Hey thanks for all your input. Rigt now I have the two dragons in a 20 gallon tank. I have one spot for them to bask, 75watt bulb, however we just put in a new one today. I have a floresent tube for them to get the uv rays. and i have a heating pad under the tank to heat the sand. and at night I put in a ceramic heat bulb. As soon as i get some more cash i will buy a new tank for the other little guy. IS THIS SET UP OK??

PHLdyPayne Nov 11, 2006 01:11 PM

The setup isn't too good. For one thing, you should get rid of the sand and the under tank heater isn't necessary at all. Use just paper towel for babies as they can get impacted on any loose substrate very easily. Washed children's play sand is fine for older dragons and adults.

Make sure you have a good digital thermometer as two 75W bulbs can easily overheat a 20 gal tank.

The tank should be ok with two very young dragons for a little while, but no more than another 4 -5 weeks, depending on how fast they grow and if one or the other shows signs of failing to thrive.

If you are tight for money, pick up a clear rubbermaid or sterlite container at Walmart. These can be used as dragon tanks safely, providing you don't have other household pets or children that may want to get into the cage with your dragon or be a potential danger to them. If you do have such, look for used 20 gal tanks in the newspaper and aquarium places. Many places will sell cracked or similar tanks that can't hold water anymore for very cheap. I picked up a 20 gal tank for $10 from a petstore who was getting in new tanks for their fish/animals when they renovated last year.

Don't worry about getting a hood, though if it comes with one, that is fine. A screen lid can be bought for about $20 at most petstores or you can make one for about $5. Some 1"x1" wood at home depot plus aluminum screen and a staple gun is all you really need (some screws to attached the wooden frame. Pre drill the holes, as 1"x1" pieces of wood will split easy with a hammer. Alternately you could just use glue and those squiggly things used to connect corners of frames...can't think of these things, but basically it is a thin piece of metal about half an inch wide and maybe an inch long, bent to look sort of like the inside layer of cardboard (though closer to ruffle chips) and sharp on one end. You hammer these into wood near the corners to connect them. Whatever method you use, it is pretty easy to cut and build a screen lid that fits within the inner ledge of the frame of a glass aquarium (or you can have it overhang, but inside ensures the frame is rested on something solid).

You can put the basking light right ontop of the screen, though the UVB fixture will have to be attached underneath the lid (best way to do this is to have a wider sheet of wood in the middle of the screen cover, then you can screw the fixture to the underside.

You will also need to make sure the basking hood is attached to teh top of the tank securely, or clamped on the side of the tank,this way it can't be easily knocked off by a cat or kid and fall against something that could catch fire from the heat. A clamp stand could be used.

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