black soil beardies food

[sandymegan]

HI,
well, we've been enjoying our beardies for a few weeks now and they seem to be really individuals. Just wanted to know what else to offer them... at the moment they are devouring crickets like mad - still haven't got the courage up to have woodies all over the house. And we offer them fresh fruit or veges and some pellets each day. But it seems to me that they aren't eating much of the fruit/vege if any.
Any suggestions would be welcomed.
One other thing, is it normal for one to be out and about all day and the other to be lazy and sleepy (maybe a little shy) under a hollow log only to come out to feed??? (perhaps it's a boy)
:roll:
thanks every one
Megan

[saikrett]

i have 2 eastern beardies and i can't get them to eat anything but crickets.

they spend all day running around and basking.

[sobrien]

My vittie loves his crickets and i have tried to change to woddies but couldn't bring myself do keep them. He wouldn'd eat anything but crickets for most of the year even though i kept trying. But one day, i caught him devouring bearded dragon food (Repcal) and now he really only eats that but sometimes i can get him to eat celery leaves or red lettuce etc. Don't be worried about them not eating these things. I mean in in the wild they wouldnt get such a selection. Just try earth worms, i hear some of them like these but crickets and fruit and veggies should be enough to keep them happy for a long time.
Cheers simon

[Pinkie]

My 2 eastern beardies love crickets, and woodies too. I bought 200 x 1mm speckled feeder roaches (from Brian at Herpshop) so that they could have a change in diet. They loved these too althought they were harder for them to catch.

I hear wax worms (not meal worms) are also good in moderation for beardies and if you want to get your beardies to start eating fruit/veg, put the wax worms underneath the chopped fruit/veg so it looks to the beardies like the fruit/veg is wiggling. This might be able to entice them to eat the fruit/veg!

[Magpie]

From my experience and talking to others, most dragons won't eat fruit or veg until they are 6months to 1year old. Worms are good, just dig them from the garden. You can try a worm farm but most dragons won't eat the red, blue or tiger worms that these use. Should be no worries with supplemented crickets.

[sandymegan]

Fantastic,, thanks everyone.
You have certainly put my mind at rest. I'd hate to think I was depriving these cuties of anything. :wink:
Hey, don't they move quickly when they want to?
Meg

[africancichlidau]

As for the one hiding all the time just make sure the enclosure is big enough as it COULD be a domination thing. When I had my Vitties one small female would hide all the time until I built them a larger enclosure. Then she was out all the time That is also a good idea of Pinkies, (at least I think it was Pinkie), about putting the live stuff under the vegies as this is how I got mine onto them too. Also, make sure the size of the vegies is easy enough for them to handle.

[sandymegan]

Africa, the enclosure is an old aquarium so 120cmx45cmx45cm. Big enough for 2 bs beardies??? they are only 10cm at the moment.
The temps are good (gradient from 26-34'c) and there is a hollow log at each end (the quiet one seems to prefer the hollow log at the warmer end).
The quieter beardie (Albert) is also the bigger of the 2 - domination did occur to me.(no whips please ). would removing the hollow log be better. The smaller guy (Henry) scampers about and basks on the rock under the heat lamp or on a branch near the UVB tube.
I just thought that they were indivuals with diff personalities??? What else could I do?

[Alexahnder]

the cage is defintely big enough

[africancichlidau]

Sounds like ya doing it all right sm Just keep on keeping on and all should be fine, what you're experiencing probably is only the difference in personalities between the two animals. Yup tank should be plenty big enough but have you thought of blanking off the back and sides so they can't see all around them? Why I say this is when I first got Vitties I kept them in 3 tiered all glass enclosures 4 foot 6 inches long. When they became too big for this I built them a melamine enclosure and they became so much happier with their environment. I experimented a bit and it seems to me that they feel insecure in an all glass tank and have to watch for danger on all 4 sides and from above. Just a thought but try taping some brown paper around the tank and see if things change?

[sandymegan]

thanks for the confidence boost!!
The rear 3 sides of the tank have been painted with an Aussie deserty scene by a friend of mine (on the outside of course) so they can't see out.
I just think that he's a lazy bugger. (I say he but don't know sex yet as too young)
You are all so helpful.....THANKS.......Is there a chat tonight ?
:mrgreen:

[stretch]

Whose beardies were having trouble with feeder roaches??? Mie always had trouble catching crickets! hehehe They jumped all over the place and the beardies would be run off their feet trying to get their bellies full and usually gave up before too long! Roaches was the best move I made!

I have a lazy vitti and a hyper vitti. Chris wants to change their names to Marge and Homer...hehehe. I think its a personality thing. Asterix (the fat lazy one) can certainly be quiet active, but more often than not he is the one hiding and sleeping.

I have noticed too as the weather cools down that the pair of them are wanting to be covered more.

Sounds like you are doing all the right things! Just keep doing it. I'll bet you the sleepy on is a boy...hehehe Asterix is! Well I am sure he is. You usually cannot tell for sure until they are around 6months, but my two are quite obvious. One has one lump, one has two!

Sue