Caring for my bearded dragons, am I doing ok?

I bought 2 bearded dragons about 2 months ago, they have grown fast and are currently 12 inches long from head to tail end and weigh 100 grammes each. I have an exo terra tank which was the biggest the pet shop had and very expensive, it is 90cm wide x 45 depth x60cm height. I have used play sand as a substrate even though the pet shop gave me wood chip, I have in the tank a few logs, vine, a couple of rocks and fake plants, a medium water dish that the beardies sometimes sit in, and food dish.

I give them washed dandelion leaves/kale/other greens daily and black crickets (lots) daily.

I use a uva light that goes right across the tank, a heat mat covering half the tank and a basking light. I turn the basking light off at night and back on in the morning.

They seem very healthy and active but my question is am I doing things right?

I am worried I may be doing something wrong as lots of websites tell me different things such as don't keep them together, don't use sand etc etc.

Can anyone give me advice or tips, I love my dragons and really want them to be fit and healthy.

Also the last few days one dragon has been head bopping and one has been arm waving, although I can't tell for certain if they are male or female. One which I think is male, his beard has darkened and he has tried pinning the other by the back of it's neck, the other which i'm not sure about the sex, is a lot lighter in colour going a yellowish colour when warm. Please any advice welcome



Thanks in advance x xCaring for my bearded dragons, am I doing ok?
I have read your post several times now and all in all you are doing fine. The main problem is is that you have them together. Beardies don't need friends and only come together to mate. It sounds like you have a male and female by the actions of the black beard on him and him trying to breed with her, waving by her is she is submitting to him.

Play sand is ok after they are a year old but I would not be using it for under that although their size makes it sound to me that they might be around 6 months also with him wanting to mate. They are far too young to mate and are you ready for incubating eggs for 70 days as well as getting new tanks and light set ups for the babies and finding them homes. Plus it is not good on the health of the female at all. She should be around 15 months old and weight much more than you said. In my opinion you are asking for trouble. Just think about a 13 year old gal giving birth.

I have 5 and each is in their own tank. Three are in 55 gallon and the other 2 are in 75 gallon tanks. They need much more floor room than climbing areas.

They need their own basking areas and hides and I don't think you can do that in the size that you have.

Are them temps 100-110 degrees in that area Seriously I would get them separated now if its not too late already. Even if she has mated with him she still needs her own tank and to be away from him as he will continue to mate with her and thus you have a big stress factor there.

If I can ever help, just email me, its open

As far as your feeding goes it sounds good. Young dragons need to have as many crickets as they can eat twice a day for a 10-15 minute time frame. Please don't cut them back to just a few a day. The first year they need 80% protein to 20% salad mix and after a year that reverses to the oppositeCaring for my bearded dragons, am I doing ok?
you are doing fine. i have a male beardie who is 3 years old now. although you may be feeding them a little too many crickets... feed them only about 4 (2 for each) and go to every other day. especially as their beards start to appear. and do not worry, the head bopping and such is a meathod of communication between the two. mating actions will not begin until they are fully mature. (1 year old)



best of luckCaring for my bearded dragons, am I doing ok?
Everything seems fine except the sand, kale and the heat mat. The sand could lead to impaction but if you still want to use it just make sure to feed them in a seperate container. Kale is a once in a while green as it can bind there calcium to where they can't digest it, you should be offering them collard, mustard or turnip greens instead of the kale. The heat mat is ok I guess as long as your temps are right but you don't really need it. As far as the protein "bugs" go you are doing great make sure to feed them as many as they will eat in 15 minutes 2-3 times a day also make sure that there dusted with calcium, once there 18 months you can go to every other day and calcium like twice a week. And the last thing would be to seperate them soon, there becoming territorial over eachother which is why the male is head bobbing and the female arm waving and you definitely don't want them mating if there from the same clutch and at there size/age either.
I HAVE 5 BEARDED DRAGONS YOU SEEM TO BE DOING THINGS RIGHT I WOULD CHANGE THE SAND BECAUSE IF THEY GO FOR A CRICKET OR WORM THEY WILL GULP THE SAND WHICH IS NOT GOOD I THINK U HAVE A MALE AND FEMALE AS 2 MALES WILL FIGHT HOPE THIS IS GOOD ADVICE DONT U KNOW TO GIVE THEM VITAMINS ON THE CRICKETS