bearded dragons

[crush the turtle]

i have a gippsland water dragon, but lately iv been thinking i should sell him and by 2 hatchie bearded dragon or should i keep the gippy,, what do u think, witch ones are easy to look after, with ones handle better, witch ones are cheaper to look after ect...

thankz

 

[Miss B]

I reckon Bearded Dragons would be easier to look after, as they don't grow quite so large as a water dragon. They are also better handlers, and can be quite friendly little things. Being smaller; they may also be cheaper to feed, I'm not sure.

But my vote is for beardies Not that I'm biased or anything :lol:

 

[crush the turtle]

can u keep two adult bearded dragons in a 4x2x2 enclosure?!?

 

[Miss B]

Couldn't guarantee it for sure, it generally depends on the temperament of each dragon as to whether they are suited for co-habitation or not. Two males is usually a recipe for disaster. Some people keep male/female pairs and female/female pairs together without any dramas. With a male/female pair, the male may harass the female and stress her out, in which case seperation is the best option.

I think a 4 x 2 x 2 would be ok for two adult beardies, but you would have to have a backup enclosure just in case for some reason, the two needed to be separated and housed alone.

 

[crush the turtle]

cool thanks

 

[JKretzs613]

Hello

Hello,

NO, a 4x2x2 is basically designed for one adult bearded dragon, & is not large enough for 2 adult bearded dragons to live in comfortably. IF you are going to house 2 females, then you will need at least an 8 foot enclosure for them to be comfortable in. There is no guarantee that they will get along anyway. Some do, & most do not.

Tracie

 

[crush the turtle]

ohhk, ill prob get 2 babys keep them togethier till they get a bit bigger than split them up into two diffrent enclosures..

 

[Miss B]

Dunno about 8 foot. I am pretty sure Chris1 keeps Bug and Chub in a 6 foot enclosure. We are considering removing the divider in Diego and Phoenix's enclosure and housing them together in a 6 foot x 2 foot x 2 foot. If a 3x2x2 is suitable for a single adult, then surely a 6x2x2 would suffice for a pair.

We've got a 4.5x2x2 and I still reckon an adult pair would live pretty comfortably in an enclosure that size.

 

[JKretzs613]

Hello

Hello,

Well, that is fine then, just split them up later on. I would separate them when they get around 8-10 inches long then.
Usually they do much better in 8 foot enclosures. That way, they can each have their own basking end without having to "share" with each other. Sometimes, if too crowded, they have to fight for stuff which leads to dominance issues & they can't get away from each other.
Why crowd them if you don't have to? It is nice to be able to provide adequate space for them.

Tracie

 

[crush the turtle]

what temps should i keep the baskting stop at, and do u have to use thermostats.. and also at night do i turn the heat lights off,, if so should i get a heat rock and use it at night ?? thanks

 

[DA_GRIZ]

Hello,

NO, a 4x2x2 is basically designed for one adult bearded dragon, & is not large enough for 2 adult bearded dragons to live in comfortably. IF you are going to house 2 females, then you will need at least an 8 foot enclosure for them to be comfortable in. There is no guarantee that they will get along anyway. Some do, & most do not.

Tracie

wow 8ft is like big anouth for a pair of gippys almost and like 3-4 beardies if not more

 

[JKretzs613]

Hello

Hello,

An 8 foot enclosure is perfect for 2 dragons, but not 4. Why does everyone want to crowd them in when they keep them in captivity? I just don't get that! They don't live all crowded in the wild so why do people insist on keeping them like that in captivity? Being too crowded breeds disease & stress anyway, & I wont do that to them.

Yes, you need a digital probe or a temp gun to measure your temperatures with. Do not use those stick on types that you get from petstores as they are not very accurate. For babies, 95F or 35C & 110F or 43C are the recommended temps, but no higher.
Do not use a heat rock as they can burn themselves on it. If you need nighttime heating, then use a ceramic heat emitter for warmth.

I hope this helps.

Tracie

 

[0_missy_0]

JKretz, what makes you say 2 beardies in a 4foot enclosure is too crowded? A friend of mine keeps 2 beardies in a 4foot enclosure and they seem not to care about each other's presence, in fact if anything they loved each other. And from what I've seen, they're not such active lizards so they wouldn't constantly run into each other. I'm not disagreeing with you, I'm just asking as I know nothing about beardies and curious about thisI've been under the impression that beardies love company is all, or am I wrong?

 

[crush the turtle]

thanks tracie, ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,whats a good night time heat??


cheers

 

[mattmc]

4x2x2 is what i keep my 2 in. they are fine and they love each other. they sleep together and dont harass each other. they eat together and dont harass each other. they are the best things to watch.
good luck.
matt

 

[Chris1]

I am pretty sure Chris1 keeps Bug and Chub in a 6 foot enclosure.

yeah, my girls live in a 6x2x2 enclosure, but its on the floor with the doors open so they can get out if they want space. Chub is generally sleeping on a heat baggy in the balcony doorway when i get home from work while Bug hogs the basking spot.
most of the year they get along fine, snuggle up together and stuff, but around spring Bug starts getting a bad attitude and beards Chub.

 

[hornet]

yea a 4x2x2 would be fine for a pair of beardies.

 

[cris]

IMO a 3x2x2 or anything of similar volume is fine for beardies(anything bigger is better obviously) IMO

I have mine in a 4x2.8m avairy and he only uses a very small area 95% of the time.

IMO adult water dragons should have at least around 2 square meters floor space(preferably more).

 

[JKretzs613]

Hello

Hello,


Well, I have just seen two dragons that apparently got along & then one day turned on the other & the person came home to a mangled dragon. To me, personally, it isn't worth the risk. Probably one of the reasons that dragons in captivity don't use a whole lot of space in their tanks is because there really isn't that much room to run so they don't try. Take them out & see if they run! I can guarantee that 95% of them would probably enjoy more room once in a while if anything just for exercise too. I wouldn't want to feel cooped up. They have a certain parameter of territory that they tend to stay in out in the wild which I am sure is larger than a few feet.
If only I was in Australia where I could see some wild ones, I would love to see it.
Anyway, I understand it is expensive to get multiple setups but I honestly think most would be better off in their own home. There are exceptions where 2 females can be housed pretty well, as long as one doesn't try to take over which is what happens fairly often. Sibling rivalry I suppose.
If they are too crowded in, that makes it harder to keep the enclosure clean, they can run through feces more easily, getting disease or drinking or eating dirty food & or water. Stress causes coccidia levels to rise, etc, which runs their immune system down.
Dragons generally are not social creatures by nature. Any other dragon who they look at as a competitor for food, water, shelter, they will compete with. You don't want them to have to compete for any of that if you choose to keep them as a pet, it doesn't seem very fair. I know they establish some type of heirarchy in the wild but they do not "hang out" together & they have plenty of space to get away from each other too unlike they would in an enclosure.
Those are just things that I have seen. Hopefully it gives some insight perhaps.

Tracie

 

[JKretzs613]

Forgot

Hello,

Sorry I forgot to mention the type of heater. If you want a nighttime heater use a ceramic heat emitter since it doesn't put out any light, just heat. A good temp for night is 60-65 or so. They can safely go into the 50's but most people keep them 60+ at night.
I hope this helps.

Tracie