Living with Roaches

When I first decided I wanted a Bearded Dragon, I said no thanks to the idea of breeding my own feeders. But then I learned how easy it really is to keep these little guys. Once they're established, you have a food source for life.
They have a larger meat to shell ratio than crickets, they're practically silent (they make noise as they crawl on each other), they don't smell and you can feed less because one Dubia has way more meat than a cricket. I don't know if this is accurate, but someone mentioned this on a forum I found when I googled "dubia vs. cricket". I assume they meant crickets of the same length.

• Newborn nymph- 1-3 crickets
• Small nymph- 3-5 crickets
• Medium nymph- 5 crickets
• Large nymph- 8 crickets
• Adult dubia- 8-10 crickets

Roaches need a 12-16 gallon plastic tub. Dark is better.
A heat source (heat pad, CHE) to keep the tank around 90 with a hot and cool side. 
Egg carton flats or something to hide in (you can order them online or go to your local Denny's after breakfast and ask nicely)
Water gel crystals because sponges stink and babies love to drown themselves in standing water
 A ventilation hole with a screen covering
Slick packing tape to stick around the edges of the bin (Dubias are extremely poor climbers, but the babies can climb the sides by static electricity)

This is what my setup looks like, because I always forget to go out and find some egg flats on weekends. The heated side is on the right and the roaches tend to hang around on that end. Right now I'm using a very small reptile heating pad, but I'm thinking about buying a large one for humans the next time I go to the store.

About a month ago, I ordered a colony of 200 medium sized Dubia Nymphs for $31.50. They arrived in the middle of a heat wave and despite my request they be held at the post office, they were sent out for delivery. I was really concerned they would all be dead, even though it was only 93 that day (102 the day before).

But I opened the bag and they were all alive and happy. I really enjoy checking on them every other day. I like how they go through an orange slice like a bunch of little piranhas and they just lay on top of their roach chow while they eat.

Their chow is half a cup of dog food, half a cup of cat food, half a cup of cheerios and a quarter cup of fish flakes. I mixed it in the blender, but it's old so I didn't get a superfine chop. Oh well. They don't mind. It's important to give them a high-protein diet or they can start to cannibalize each other. They get assorted greens and squashes. Whatever you plan on feeding your Beardie, you should feed to your roachies as well.
They go crazy for oranges. I've been told it's like an aphrodisiac. None of my nymphs are adults yet. Although, when I cleaned out their tank today, I saw one that has lengthened out and looks like it may only need to moult one more time before it's an adult. I am absolutely giddy about this!

Don't underestimate the power of the water crystals. I did and I paid a hefty price. Just one 1/4 cup of crystals makes over a gallon of gel, if not two. I was not aware of this. That gallon is going to last me a year at this rate. I haven't even made a dent in the past month.
I had a really hard time finding this stuff. Lowe's carried a bag that wasn't 100% polyacrylmide for about $13. I gave in and went over to walmart. The crystals are in the gardening area, next to the plant food. This little bag was $7 and will last me forever, I think!

Roaches may give you the heebie-jeebies but over time, you may come to appreciate them. Notice the white one in this picture. It's freshly molted and I think it's absolutely ADORABLE how they still have black eyes, but it's a small line, like they're squinting. Don't ask me why, I have no idea. And when their exoskeleton is just starting to harden, they take on this mottled gray color and look kind of pretty.
I feel like I've been taken over and I just love them. I can't wait for them to start breeding! In the mean time, my future dragon will be getting crickets and phoenix worms. Maybe a male or two every once in a while. Here is a photo comparison I found online. This way you never feed any females.

I hope this has helped you get over the stigma of spending large sums of money on cockroaches and breeding them in your closet. :)

Let's talk cost: Pet Store vs. ANYWHERE else.

This is a post I've been meaning to make, more for my own curiosity than anything. I'm going to list the items I've bought so far and compare their prices with Petsmart. I'm almost completely ready for a beardie and I have yet to buy a single thing at an actual pet store. The closest I've come is ordering the UVB tube from a pet supply store on Amazon.com. I will list the Calcium and Vitamin powder, which I haven't bought yet, but will buy from Petsmart, since with shipping, it's just about the same price to order online.

• 40 Gallon breeder tank with locking lid: $50 on Craigslist ($110 at Petsmart)
• 24" UVB tube: $9!! on Amazon.com- it was a one time chance but still amazing ($50 at Petsmart)
• 24" Strip light: $9 at Wal-Mart ($50-$130?!! at Petsmart) 
• 75 watt heat bulb: $.45 at Target ($7-$30 at Petsmart) Though in fairness, I may shell out the $30 for a ceramic heat emitter bulb this winter.
•  Ceramic dome heat lamp: Free with tank ($12-$50 at Petsmart)
• Digital probe thermometer: $13 at Wal-Mart ($16 on Petsmart.com)
• Light timer : $5 at Menards Hardware ($11 at Petsmart)

• 2 18"x18" ceramic tiles: $4 at Home Depot ($9-$15 depending on what substrate you choose, not that any are actually appropriate for Beardies)
• Caulk to seal tiles: $1.50 at Home depot

• Styrofoam for Basking area/hide: Free (This one is tricky because there are so many types of wood or resin basking thingies and then you factor in hides so I'd say $25- $150)
• 5 lb box Non-Sanded Grout: $6 at Home Depot
• Mod Podge Non-Toxic Sealer: $5 at Hobby Lobby

• 2-3 food bowls: Free with tank ($7 each at Petsmart)
• Rep-Cal calcium powder: $9 at Petsmart
• Rep-Cal vitamin powder: $15 at Petsmart

Grand Total: $127 vs. $328-$600

As you can see, it pays to do your homework. Most items sold at the pet store with a reptile name brand on them have ridiculous markup. Not to mention all the items they want you to buy that you don't actually need like sand substrate or  a dial thermometer to stick on the side of the tank.
With a little creativity and a lot of research, you can find everything you need without ever setting foot in the pet store. Just cheat and order stuff online. :) But really, one thing I've learned since joining the Bearded Dragon forum is the hardware store is your new friend. Get to know it and you'll have a great relationship.

PS. I didn't mention food in here, which costs that other arm and leg. I'm currently caring for a starter colony of Dubia Cockroaches. They're your ultimate discount. Spend $50 on them now, let them get settled for a few months and start to breed and if you care for them right, you have an unlimited  supply of food for your reptile for the rest of its life!

Last night I had a dream about a little dragon

I ordered a starter colony of Dubia Roaches and now it's starting to feel real that I'll actually get a Beardie soon! I've been watching the tracking and I was hoping they'd arrive today, but it looks like they'll be here tomorrow. I'll make a post about it, with photos tomorrow night.
I dreamt I was in target, but it had a pet area. Like with puppies, birds, fish, whatever. The weird thing is I dream about that pet store every once in a while. It's always the same, but it shows up in different places in my dream. But that doesn't matter. Just something interesting I've noticed.
I had found three awesome books on clearance for less than $2 each and there, on the floor next to the pet area was an adult bearded dragon. Just chilling out.
I picked him up and helped him hang on to my shirt so I could hold my books. Then I met up with my boyfriend and asked him to take my books. He took the beardie, haha! He was instantly smitten, which is really unlike him. All reptiles make him uncomfortable.
So we were walking up to the register, doting on the little guy and I told the cashier we had found him. She called her manager and got in contact with whoever lost him.
As we were walking outside, I tried rubbing his cheek, but he bit me and left my finger bleeding. A lot. But I just told myself it was because it was dark and my finger surprised him. It didn't stop me from cooing and fawning over him as we walked to our car. My boyfriend was really enjoying him, too. It was so cute.
Sadly, his owner was outside and stopped us before we could get to our car. I was planning on setting him up in my half-ready tank for the night. We talked for a while and handed him over.
Sorry the dream wasn't interesting. I just wanted to share it on my little dragon blog. I can't wait to actually hold my new beardie. I wonder of my boyfriend will like it, too?

New setup checklist

When preparing for a new pet, it's important to have a full list of the absolute necessities before you hit the petstore. That way you know what you need to buy, but more importantly, how expensive it will be. When you go to the store without an idea of what you need to spend, you'll feel overwhelmed about how much there really is and skimp on the necessities. Don't. Learn now, be prepared now and decide if this is really what you want. Or be like me and buy a little at a time, before the pet arrives!

The Bare (but indispensable) Necessities:

• A proper sized tank (for babies this is a 20 gallon long, for adults AT LEAST a 40 gallon breeder)
• A UVB light (THIS IS ABSOLUTE, YOUR DRAGON WILL SUFFER WITHOUT ONE)
• A light fixture for the UV bulb
• a 50-75 watt household bulb (Reptile heating bulbs are scams and Beardies need bright white light during the day in their tank)
• A ceramic, reflective heat lamp
• A basking spot (like a Driftwood log or something hand made)
• Tank substrate ie. Linoleum, grouted tiles, newspaper (no bedding like sand or walnut shells)
• A digital probe thermometer to test the temperature of the basking spot
• A proper sized hide in case your Beardie wants to escape the UV light for a while
• A bowl for worms (Mine will be fed primarily Dubia Roaches and Repti Worms)
• A salad bowl
• Calcium Supplement (5x a week)
• Vitamin Supplement (2x a week)

That's the absolute minimum, most of which I have already. My list looks like this:

•  A proper sized tank
• A UVB light
• A light fixture for the UV bulb
• a 50-75 watt household bulb
• A ceramic, reflective heat lamp
• A basking spot
  
• Tank substrate
• A digital probe thermometer
• A hide
• A bowl for worms
• A salad bowl
• Calcium Supplement (5x a week)
• Vitamin Supplement (2x a week)

It's exciting seeing that! I'm getting so close, but that's the bare minimum. I have more to collect because I want to create my own basking area and hide with styrofoam and grout. I also want to start breeding Dubia roaches so I have to get them a proper setup as well. So much work to be done!

Why it's so important to be prepared

When I was a kid, I was crazy about animals, and my parents would let me buy whatever I wanted. But my knowledge on how to care for them was very minimal- usually limited to whatever care book I could find on them at the pet store- and then I would disregard most of the more complicated information. I had never bought a UV light or taken my pets to the vet. I look back on it now and I feel sad for those pets that died, relieved for the ones I gave away and thankful now that there is a plethora of information on the internet for this generation of kids to not make the same mistakes I did.
But they still do. It's hard when people treat pet store employees like they are the be all and end all of reptile knowledge and these kids get hardly any training on the actual needs of most reptiles. Once in a while you get a gem of an employee who really knows their stuff, but for the most part, you aren't going to find people like that working at Petco.

I'm starting this blog to document the journey I'm taking to PREPARE for getting a Bearded Dragon. I'm already part of the way through, but I still have quite a way to go before I'm truly ready to buy my first dragon.
I've wanted one for as long as I can remember, but I really started wanting one last year. I was 25 and my baby fever was in full swing. Being unwed and financially incapable for kids, I decided I wanted another pet to baby. I have four cats and two dogs, but I wanted something new. I had been unemployed for a long time, and was hesitant to make the plunge into Beardie parenting because of the cost to feed a baby dragon.
I've been working at my new job for about a month now and I've been compiling all the necessities for my future little one.
I decided I would like to adopt an adult as my first dragon, because a large, relaxed reptile will seem less appealing (and easier to get used to) to my 2 prey-driven cats than a teensy little baby that might possibly dart around. Plus I can take it places during the summer!
Now that I'm more mature, I spend a lot of time obsessing and researching about things before I'm ready to take the plunge into anything. It's worked out well, but it really is all I think about. I spend hours a day, scouring the BeardedDragon.org forum, thinking about what the stand will be for the tank, where the tank will go, should I start a Dubia colony now, etc. etc.
I will go back and make posts about what I've already gotten and some of the interesting (I hope!) experiences I've had already. A couple come to mind.
I hope this blog can be helpful for anyone who is considering the possibility of bringing any reptile into their life. Reptiles are cheap to buy and have extremely expensive setups. But if you do your research first, you'll find cheap DIY options everywhere, that work just as well, if not better than the things you buy at the pet store, with a reptile logo on them. I'm going to share my tips with you, as I try to get everything I need for a Bearded Dragon, while still being an extreme cheapskate.