OnyxFlame":3uru385b said:
First, keep in mind that bearded dragons grow to the size of the tank, and I'm pretty sure if you have more things in the tank, it most likely won't grow as big.
You could probably start adding more when it is around a year old.
I would recommend getting a background for the tank, or some leaves that hang on the wall (you can get both at PetZoo). You could also get a hammock for it as well.
This is completely false. No animal, as far as I am aware, actually grows to the size of it's enclosure. Animals can have stunted, abnormal growth from an enclosure being to small, but this normally shortens their lifespan and is completely unhealthy. An animal kept in too small of an enclosure may be smaller, but that is due to the poor environmental condition causing failure to thrive. This probably is what you were trying to convey, but I just wanted to clarify as it is a myth I see a lot that really steams me (especially when it's applied to goldfish).
With this in mind, graduating an animal from a small to a larger tank as need be is perfectly acceptable. What size is the tank you have now, Deabrua? It looks like a fine size for a young dragon, but they grow quick! Make sure your animal always has adequate space to move around in.
On that note, 40 Gallons is generally considered the smallest acceptable living situation for an adult dragon, but in general the larger the enclosure the better (to a point; obviously it has to be something you can fit in your house and afford to heat). I have Guac in a 4 foot by 18 inch by 18 inch enclosure I built myself which is about the same as 52 or 53 gallons in volume, but a little less than half of his tank has a secondary platform for him to bask on. Essentially, his floor space is about 9-10 feet total, with the section under the basking platform serving at the hide he usually sleeps in (he has some fleece there he likes to hide in). On top of that he has two other hides and some nice big branches to climb around in, plus a BD safe plant in a pot that I swap out every couple weeks (right now it's a basil plant that he's eaten most of. Jerk.).
A lot of KarrieRee's suggestions are spot on.
Personally I don't like the use of pebbles. I don't think they look good and I don't know what your dragon gains from them, plus if she did eat them it could be a disaster. Another thing I don't like is the way you have that piece of wood - hard to tell from the picture but I really worry it could fall and injure your dragon.
None of that answers your question though... Here are a few things I would add:
-Another hide. Something with a closed end so the dragon can truly feel "hidden". The split log you have is great and my dragon LOVES his, but they don't really allow the animal to feel as protected as they want to half the time.
-Fleece for playing in.
-Hammock - Cloth is better as previous posters mentioned.
-More wood - The wood you have in there is great! But please make sure it has no risk of falling/shifting in a way that may hurt your animal.
Overall BDs are fairly simple animals that don't need a complicated set up. They do benefit from enrichment, but you can generally give them more bang for your buck by rotating one or two of a few enrichment items into their enclosure at a time then the same three for their entire life.
Hope this helped and wasn't to rambly. Let me know if I can answer any questions.
Best,
-Ellen