Baby Beardies

[brigo]

Hi all, Im thinking of getting 8 baby beardies in the next month or two, im thinking of getting 4 from one clutch and 4 from another clutch, so theyre unrelated.

Im wanting to keep the beardies together for about 6-8months , until theyre old enuogh to split up for breeding.

What enclosure type would be best suited for 8 babies? Standard 4ft glass tank? with light, flyscreen lid etc? Or a Wooden enclosure with a glass front? Keep in mind they are only going to be in this tank while they are hatchlings, when theyre a bit bigger im going to move them into a wooden enclosure with glass front (so its easier to install lights etc)

Also, with the breeding, is it best of breeding them in pairs or trios ( 1 male 2 females )?

Thanks alot.

 

[kimba83]

8 in 1 tank ?? id get 2, 4 footers.. wooden with the glass front,

u do tho they cant breed till they are like 2 years?? and once they hit adult size they like there own space so that means ull prolly need like 8 x 4 footers :/

 

[Clairebear]

Where are you? If you're in North Qld you can get away with a fish tank no probs but down south they probably won't hold enough heat. If you give them a super strong basking spot though and lots of layers to get to it maybe?

 

[brigo]

As i said kimba they are only going to be in a 4ft tank while they are hatchlings, since they breed around 2 years of age, it gives enough time to organise a few bigger tanks/enclosures for them. I was also planning on selling/trading excess males if theres a need, i used to keep beardies before, just not this many, and never attempted breeding them. Im planning on breeding them in the next few years or so.

Clairebear, what size enclosure suits best? Do they need high tanks as well? Also, for 8 hatchlings what size tank would be sufficient? bear in mind that im NOT going to keep them in there for good, only for a few months at most.

Thanks.

 

[brigo]

bumppp

 

[Clairebear]

Well i'm no beardie expert, just seen and heard of quite a few set ups up this way, and all the ones i've seen have been in tanks just because we can get away with it up north. My monitors are in tanks, and get heaps of heat from their basking spot even through winter. So where are you again?

I've heard/seen one adult beardie per 4 foot tank, and don't keep male/female together all year round as they will overmate sometimes, and wear the female out (damn those male libidos).

As for how many hatchlings to keep in what size... i'm sure there are heaps of beardy breeders on here... hellooo!!!??? we need some advice!

 

[Snow1369]

you can breed them at 12 months but you have to power feed them, i think hazz had some breed at 8months (as a uni project?) by power feeding.

 

[Snow1369]

i have 4 atm and have 2 together, i wouldn't recomned kepping more than a few together as you'll have tails toes and other bits eaten by clutch mates, or at least the more dominant ones, i hope you are breeding crix as they eat alot at that age.

 

[brigo]

Yeah crix wont be a problem, so best off raising hatchlings seperate? Or at least in pairs?

Whats a good sized tank for hatchlings?

Also, How big does enclosure need to be to house a pair of beardies? or a trio ? Thanks.

 

[dragon lady]

As adults, 4ft tank can have 1male 2 female, 5ft 1 male 3 female etc.....for quality breeding and to give you longer at breeding your females..breed them after 2yrs of age. Breeding them before shortens their lifespan and increases major health problems. Let your 2yr old fem have 1 hatch first season then 2 seasonally after that.......any more per year will increase a deep calcium problem.....then they cant walk,eat nether alone breed.
If you bring up a unrelated pair of males in a 6ft tank as hatchlings + 3 unrelated females its possible to keep them together for life as good breeders...........remember in the long run you are actually setting up your females in their life habitat to breed.....you move your males in breeding season.I know this is a bit more than you asked...thought it may help!

 

[brigo]

So in breeding season what do you mean by move your males?

Also, im thinking of getting 4 hatchlings off one breeding and 4 off the other, total of 8. Should i keep 2 from one breeder and 2 from other in a 4ft tank, and another 4 in another 4 ft tank to grow?

Also, should i keep excess males seperate for breeding, incase one male just doesnt know what to do lol

 

[Miss B]

You sure you really want eight beardies? They're hard work!! :lol: I've got four adults, and I seem to spend every spare moment of my day looking after them :| :lol:

As for enclosure sizes, I keep mine in a bank of melamine enclosures with each one measuring 3 foot x 2 foot x 2 foot. I imagine that four hatchies in a 4 foot tank would probably be fine, just so long as they are well fed and have a big basking area to share.

 

[brigo]

Ok, thanks. Ive changed my mind and might get 2 from one breeder and 2 from another. 4 in total.

Ill keep 4 in a 4ft, and when theyre older ill probably keep a trio together...which is better?

as two males might be a bit violent?

 

[Miss B]

Yeah housing two males together will most likely end in some major fighting and possibly loss of toes, tails or anything else they can get their teeth around :lol:

 

[brigo]

lol yeah thought so, im leaving in a few minutes to pick up a linen closet, its 190cm x 60cm x 60cm. Ill be busy adding glass front, holes for lighting etc lol.

Is that good enough for 4-6 baby beardies?

Also how many adults will that be able to house? its virtually a 6 x 2 x 2.

Thanks.!

 

[dragon lady]

6 by 2 by 2, will allow 1 male 3 female as adults.............good luck with your ratio,there is 1 female born to approx 8-10male ...last year (DEC) i got 7 hatchlings only 2 were female...thats why we pay$$$$$$ for them!
SO when going to each of your breeders ask for ALL female..that way if you end up with 4 then you easily get a male later....until their 6mnths plus its very hard to accurately tell what sex they are.
BONUS......you can keep girls together in a bigger tank as they love to socialise.& for the other.......
you are setting your tanks up for you females to dig & lay in!!! eventually if you have more than 1 male you can swap them from tank to tank for breeding colour/lines..alas its the females that are in that tank for life!

 

[sezza]

BONUS......you can keep girls together in a bigger tank as they love to socialise.

That is so cute and funny!!

 

[dragon lady]

May be cute but its fact....they are not like males....us females love to yak...they eat better, socialise better and enjor each others company!..males of most breeds are territorial .

 

[planks]

Yeah housing two males together will most likely end in some major fighting and possibly loss of toes, tails or anything else they can get their teeth around :lol:

im sorry miss b but you wrong about the males i have houses all my boys in the same tank and they have never fight ed in fact they all sit on the opisite end from the girls

 

[Miss B]

im sorry miss b but you wrong about the males i have houses all my boys in the same tank and they have never fight ed in fact they all sit on the opisite end from the girls

Probably depends on the personality of the individual beardies, and everyone will have a different story to tell. I'm going by my own experience. My two males caught sight of one another last weekend and basically tried to kill each other through the glass, I'm talking about some serious aggression.

im sorry miss b but you wrong about the males

I don't think there is a 'right' and 'wrong'. If your males get along, that's great, but if someone wants to buy two males and house them together, there are no guarantees. They need to understand that it may be neccessary to provide seperate enclosures for the males.