Finally got bearded dragon!!!?

Question

Hi i have been asking alot of people about lizards cuz i want some as pets. Just got a beardy today, and its AWESOME! its 5 inch and it is really calm and likes being held it seems like. However i bought a basking lamp, uv lamp, small crickets, repti carpet, water and food dish, vitamin powder, and i have some stuff for him to clime. Is there something anything else i need though? i want to make sure i do everything right. Oh! and i'm about to get a viper gecko. Since both are going to be young, can i put them together and see if they will coexist?

Answer 1

The only suggestion I can make is to get rid of the repti-carpet.  My daughter volunteers at a local reptile rescue center and sees alot of lizards that have been kept on the carpet and rip their claws out!!  Their claws get caught and the pull and pull until the claws rip right out...you can only imagine how painful that must be :(

In fact, we adopted a leopard gecko that had been brought in and only has 2 claws left because of it.  You're better off using paper towels or Ground English Walnut Shells.  I use the Walnut Shells for our geckos and beard ingest some of it, it's perfectly safe.  

As far as keeping a viper gecko with him...not a good idea.  Beardies are pretty solitary and have been known to eat smaller lizards!!

  Good luck and have fun...beardies are awesome!!!!!

Answer 2

DO NOT PUT THEM TOGETHER! Beardies shouldn't be houses with other species. they can kill each other. or at the very least fight for the food.

Also.. the carpet is ok... just keep his nails trimmed with baby nail trimmers and you won't have problems. It is much safer than sand or walnut bedding.

I used the walnut bedding for years and found out it was giving my bearded respiratory issues due to the dust. sand can compact his little intestines.

Offer him veggies everyday. He will learn to love them.

You could get something for him to hide in.. if desired. but your set up sounds great.

Answer 3

Read over these sites.  Do not house them together...a bad idea.  No sand or walnut shells.  Loose substrate can cause impactions!  I use non-adhesive shelf liner....easy to clean and looks great.  Cheap too!  

http://www.beautifuldragons.503xtreme.co...

http://www.bio.miami.edu/ktosney/file/BD...

http://www.beardeddragon.org/

Answer 4

no. the beardie will eat the gecko eventually. as people have said. exne on the carpet. i use calcium sand for my beardies...and you know. i'd sugest getting yourself a good book on bearded dragons. i don't trust anyone online who gives me bearded dragon information. i got a good book. diresguarded everythjing everyone told me. and i have toextremly happy, healthy bearded dragons who live pecafully in the same tank (even though i was told over and over again they couldn't)

and i'd say, keep holding it. hand feed it, and spend as much time with it as you can. my first one was calm when she was a baby., now i take her everywhere with me, and she loves people. she always rides on my shoulder. they're awesome lizards.