My first beardie

[BeardieMum❤️]

Hi all,

I wanted somewhere to share my experiences, I’ve never owned a bearded dragon before and I’m super excited about meeting my little guy next week.

well I guess I started with lots of research and then I purchased my viv, lights and all other gizmos and gadgets....

The lights and slate tiles going in...

I then went about making a cave, I had a polystyrene box and lots of pieces of polystyrene that I had been saving up, hot glue was my friend! Its no where near finished but here is how it’s going.....

(Lots and lots of mess)

Well then I had a bright idea to start on a background, I used two foam sheets and stuck them together to make them stronger, now is rock making time ...

here how I’m hoping it will all fit together...


I am currently working on the sides then it will all need grouting so check back for the update.

thanks for viewing.

 

[Skybug]

What are u covering the foam with? I recommend this if u haven’t found something yet , its tintable and ive seen people use it in aquarium settings so its very safe.

 

[BeardieMum❤️]

What are u covering the foam with? I recommend this if u haven’t found something yet , its tintable and ive seen people use it in aquarium settings so its very safe.

This made me chuckle, this was one of those in the near future questions I had lined up for you, but u beat me to it being far to helpful as usual. Thank you.

 

[Skybug]

Glad my mind reading powers are working lol, ive done foam backgrounds in the past and my bearded dragon is a heavy digger/scratcher , so she ended up destroying them and exposing the foam, ive never used drylok, i wish i knew about it before i did my current build, make shure u do atleast 3-4 coats to really make it solid, and maybe have some bricks on top of it as it drys, the masonry paint might make ur foam warp.

 

[BeardieMum❤️]

Glad my mind reading powers are working lol, ive done foam backgrounds in the past and my bearded dragon is a heavy digger/scratcher , so she ended up destroying them and exposing the foam, ive never used drylok, i wish i knew about it before i did my current build, make shure u do atleast 3-4 coats to really make it solid, and maybe have some bricks on top of it as it drys, the masonry paint might make ur foam warp.

Lol they really are!!
Okay I will do, thank you.
I was also thinking of using spray foam over the board, between the ‘rocks’ which I will carve out, I thought it might add a bit more strength to it and make it look more realistic.

 

[BeardieMum❤️]

Is your background partly cork bark now? How’s that holding up?

I did see one pre done I really wanted but it would of totalled nearly £200 so I decided to make one..... I really hope it doesn’t get scratched to bits .

 

[Skybug]

The cork bark tiles hold up really really well, she hasn’t even damaged it at all that i can tell, they’re 50$ each for the largest one which is 18x24 i think, if u use expandeding foam make shure its rated for tanks and ponds, they definitely let out fumes and take a week to cure.

 

[BeardieMum❤️]

The cork bark tiles hold up really really well, she hasn’t even damaged it at all that i can tell, they’re 50$ each for the largest one which is 18x24 i think, if u use expandeding foam make shure its rated for tanks and ponds, they definitely let out fumes and take a week to cure.

Good to know about the cork!!
Ok that’s a pain, does it have to be one for tanks and ponds or could I just really over- seal it??

 

[Skybug]

Good to know about the cork!!
Ok that’s a pain, does it have to be one for tanks and ponds or could I just really over- seal it??

I personally would use something rated for ponds and tanks, the chems inside these products scare me, most of them are safe, but not for a lizard tank thats gonna be consistently hot and getting uv rays. “Great stuff” is what id recommend. Ive seen a couple YouTubers use it. Im shure they’re completely safe, i just wouldn’t risk it.

 

[BeardieMum❤️]

I hear and respect what your saying and I’ve seen those vids too which is why I’m questioning you (no offence) It will only be in the gaps which are quite sunken back, I would definitely over coat those areas with the sealant you suggested and I have ocd so I will be checking everything like mf (pardon my French) so the second I see damage I will remove it.
can u get the pond stuff in any colour other than black?

 

[BeardieMum❤️]

Only because I will use the leftover elsewhere (I have many uses for it)

 

[BeardieMum❤️]

I have tons of the regular stuff laying around, thought I was done spending money lol!

 

[Skybug]

No please ask away , although i am a first time beardie owner aswell , i have successfully raised my beardy to almost two years of age now (shes fat and happy) ive also had lots of different kinds of lizards and amphibious things over the years , I think it comes only in the one color unfortunately, if u show me the brand foam you have in mind im shure its fine. Additionally Someone on the forum used “flex Seal” the black rubber stuff that comes in a can, and coated their styrofoam with it , they said it had no smell and was very durable, and its rated safe for ponds, idk what route you wanna go down for the final texture and sealant, what i did for my foam background was basically the same thing as you (except not as nice) I didn’t carve the foam , i put on a bunch of safe caulking let that dry as a layer, then did another stuck rocks and sand into it, my beardy was a juvenile at this point and she still destroyed it, dont do what i did. , i think after whatever foam you end up using it’ll be okay if you seal it with the drylok a couple times , and i know it sucks buying stuff and ordering the wrong things etc. the 100$ lizard turns out to be the 300$ then 500$ , it really adds up quickly. If you have a local forest I recommend going there and “cleaning” up some branches and using those as decor to save money (bake anything you find at 200f for 5-10 minutes) a nice brick from the yard will do as a hot spot and scratching post for now, thats what had till my bearded dragon got bigger and needed different enrichment, i made my enclosure to fit her needs as an adult.

 

[BeardieMum❤️]

I will get a pic of the stuff I have tomorrow, thank you!
It really is so frustrating, I promised my son a dragon weeks ago and it’s turned into this huge expense..... silly me!!
I have very little experience with reptiles so your advice is so greatly appreciated, I owned one snake about 18 years ago and had no clue what I was doing, the snake was not happy! needless to say it went to a good home 6 months later ( the only pet I have ever given away). I am a total animal lover and I’ve had lots of different pets and they have all exceeded the normal lifespan by a long shot ( that’s a post for another day ) so I hope things continue!!

I have a huge piece of driftwood ( mangrove root) which was originally for my 200 L aquarium however it would suit this purpose perfectly! It actually looks/shaped like a dragon a certain way, unfortunately I will need to position it flat on the ‘face’ of the dragon so does not resemble it whatsoever!! I will post pics of the wood tomorrow, see if anyone else sees the ‘dragon’ lol!

Im not sure how to clean it tho, oven is not possible, it’s so big it will need the bathtub, was gona soak in light bleach water solution then rinse, soak a few times water and leave in sun to dry, what do u suggest?

 

[Skybug]

As long as your lighting , uvb and heat, are proper, and you’re feeding him with calcium/vitamins dusted bugs anyone can raise a healthy dragon they’re very easy to care for, besides the heafty price tag…… thats good you’re reusing it, i dont see why you can’t place it how you want, im shure the beardy wont see a lizard, and bleach and soap is perfectly acceptable, wash and soak it in cold water and scrub it really good , air it out for a day or two before adding it to your tank.

 

[BeardieMum❤️]

I got the Arcadia ProT5 Kit - Desert 12% 24w as recommended by @Sadie, Exo Terra Intense Basking Spot 100W, ProRep Ceramic Heat Emitter 100w for night, it’s all set up except for dimmer and minstat which I will be doing tomorrow (the thermometers and temp gun arrive).

The wood never made it into the aquarium!! Neither has a drop of water, I’m currently growing dandelions and herbs in it I have other aquariums set up and I was collecting bits for the 200l tank however this beardie expedition Took over and robbed me of my wood, time and money lol!!

I will do, thank you

 

[BeardieMum❤️]

Here’s the wood and ‘dragon face’ I hope I’m not the only one who sees it!


This is it the other way up (the way I will have it) it still needs trimming....


how long should it’s soak in the cold water bleach solution?

 

[Skybug]

Thats a nice piece of wood, I honestly can’t see the face on it, if it wasn’t in a fish tank you might not want to soak it for long, id just spray it really good with soap and bleach let it set for 5-10 minutes then rinse and scrub it down, it doesn’t look dirty or grimy to me.

 

[Skybug]

Oh nowwww i see the face lol, it’ll be fine ur beardy wont notice a thing

 

[BeardieMum❤️]

No please ask away , although i am a first time beardie owner aswell , i have successfully raised my beardy to almost two years of age now (shes fat and happy) ive also had lots of different kinds of lizards and amphibious things over the years , I think it comes only in the one color unfortunately, if u show me the brand foam you have in mind im shure its fine. Additionally Someone on the forum used “flex Seal” the black rubber stuff that comes in a can, and coated their styrofoam with it , they said it had no smell and was very durable, and its rated safe for ponds, idk what route you wanna go down for the final texture and sealant, what i did for my foam background was basically the same thing as you (except not as nice) I didn’t carve the foam , i put on a bunch of safe caulking let that dry as a layer, then did another stuck rocks and sand into it, my beardy was a juvenile at this point and she still destroyed it, dont do what i did. , i think after whatever foam you end up using it’ll be okay if you seal it with the drylok a couple times , and i know it sucks buying stuff and ordering the wrong things etc. the 100$ lizard turns out to be the 300$ then 500$ , it really adds up quickly. If you have a local forest I recommend going there and “cleaning” up some branches and using those as decor to save money (bake anything you find at 200f for 5-10 minutes) a nice brick from the yard will do as a hot spot and scratching post for now, thats what had till my bearded dragon got bigger and needed different enrichment, i made my enclosure to fit her needs as an adult.

Here’s the stuff I have...