What size vivarium is suitable for a baby BD.

Status
Not open for further replies.

Dmurra83

New member
Hi all, first post on here so expect many questions to come and I apologies in advance,
I am going to get a bearded dragon and I am just wondering what you all would say is a good size tank needed, I am worried I will get something far to small, if you could give me dimensions in inches or cm that would be great, thanks in advance.
 

KarrieRee

BD.org Sicko
Beardie name(s)
Hiccup he is 6 and Blaze is 4
Nothing smaller than 40 gallon- what is recommended is a 75-120 gallon-- so whatever you can afford now the bigger the better- UVB needs to be a Reptisun 10. 0 TUBE T 5 or T 8-- do not get a fixture the same length as tank- we can give lots more info so please ask
Karrie
 

Claudiusx

BD.org Sicko
Staff member
Moderator
Hi there,

If you can, there is no reason why you cant start a baby off in its large forever home. Ideally a 4x2x2 but a 40g breeder will suffice as the bare minimum for an adult. Which is 36"x18"x18"

However, I wouldnt go with anything smaller than a 20g for a baby. Any smaller and it's too difficult to get proper genes and gradients.

So my vote is for starting them off with a 40g breeder or 4x2x2.

-Brandon
 

kingofnobbys

BD.org Sicko
claudiusx":3nzys3zh said:
Hi there,

If you can, there is no reason why you cant start a baby off in its large forever home. Ideally a 4x2x2 but a 40g breeder will suffice as the bare minimum for an adult. Which is 36"x18"x18"

However, I wouldnt go with anything smaller than a 20g for a baby. Any smaller and it's too difficult to get proper genes and gradients.

So my vote is for starting them off with a 40g breeder or 4x2x2.

-Brandon
'

True , however this can often be overwhelming and very stressful to a young hatchling who wont be accustomed to so much space all to itself .
Also in a larger enclosure it's more likely the little dragon will loose track of it's more active fast moving feeder insects (especially roaches and crickets (and locusts if available where you are) so I recommend starting off in a small enclosure for the first 6 to 9 or even 12 months , about 120L ( not less than 70cm long and 45cm tall , a converted clear sided tub is perfect for rearing maybe 2 hatchlings for their first 6 to 12 months ).
One way around this is to temporarily partition off one half of the forever tank while the dragon is little , then as it grows larger , remove the partition .

That the general standard for a single adult central bearded dragon is a tank 1.2m long x 60cm wide and no less than 45cm tall ( the height is determined more by the height of hide/s , the basking branches , fake rock grotto , and top to bottom distance of the basking globe + the ceramic light fitting.


PLEASE DON"T BUY a tank with a mesh top .
Yes I know these are what pet shops all push over there in the USA , but a mesh topped tank is not a thermally efficient tank ( you'll need much more wattage to achieve proper basking spot temperatures , warm and cool zone daytime temperatures , and to hold the tank at an acceptable temperature overnight (esp in cooler climates) and it's a very poor design for a reptile tank and should be avoided .

Plus many noobs make the mistake of buying tank kits , these invariably come with undesireable bedding (sand), poor basking globes and woefully inadequate UVB sources ( 13W compact UVB globes ).

Spend a few more dollars and get a front opening tank , replace the mesh top with solid timber ( MDF, plywood , even thin melamine or offcuts of 4mm thick decorative wall paneling are going to be a vast improvement).
Mount the lights all UNDER the lid.
Invest in at least 2 digital thermometers ( the ones with a probe that dangle on the end of long wire cable )

If you opt to use a rearing tub to start off , here's how I set up my rearing tubs : viewtopic.php?f=34&t=252847&p=1916091#p1916091
 

Dmurra83

New member
Original Poster
Thanks for all your help and information so far, greatly appreciated... I'm in Ireland and I'm trying to see if I can get a large second hand tank one that they can grow into..
 

kingofnobbys

BD.org Sicko
Dmurra83":3vh8ck0d said:
Thanks for all your help and information so far, greatly appreciated... I'm in Ireland and I'm trying to see if I can get a large second hand tank one that they can grow into..


Be wary of second hand enclosures , you don't know what GIT parasites , viruses or bacteria the previous resident reptile was suffering from and you can not trust the seller to be honest and up front about this ( they are only interested in getting rid of it as fast as possible for as much as they can ).

If you find a suitable secondhand enclosure .
I very strongly advise :
>> you replace the UV slighting right away ( you don't know how old the lights are that came with it )
>> get a local sparky to check the wiring for the light fittings ( this might save your life ).
>> strip down to a bare bones enclosure and check for presence of mold .
>> throw away anything that came in the deal that's porous - it's impossible to sterilize these items even with high temperatures (oven bake) , steam , bleach or F10sc (even at 1:125 concentration)
>> remove all hard non-porous surfaced furnishings , scrub then down ( to clean off urates and poo and food or other discharges ( that might have come from a sick reptile / injured reptile ) and then use F10sc at 1:125 to thoroughly sterilize these ( let them airdry ).
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Members online

Still Needs Help

Latest resources

Latest posts

Latest profile posts

I miss you so much, Amaris 💔
What is a quick way to warm up a cold beardie? His heating element went out overnight and now he's very cold.
Pearl Girl wrote on moorelori1966's profile.
i feel so sad reading your about me 😢
Clapton is acclimating okay I think. He's quick as lightning so I'm not sure how much I should bring him out of his house yet. He's not at all interested in his salad though. I wonder if I should change what I'm giving him. Least he's eating his crickets.

Things to do:
Buy calcium powder
Material to raise surface for basking spot
Scenery decals for back of tank

Forum statistics

Threads
155,910
Messages
1,255,767
Members
75,968
Latest member
Heavenbeardies
Top Bottom