First setup - UVB question

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BrightStar

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Great, thank you both for the advise.

How can I tell if a log/branch is cedar? I'm a bit clueless on tree identification.
 

CooperDragon

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As far as I know, it's kind of soft and should smell pretty nice. They are evergreen trees so the branches would most likely be near a stand of evergreens. Sometimes it has a kind of reddish color depending on which kind of tree it comes from. Here is more info about Cedar and reptiles. http://www.anapsid.org/cedar.html
 

BrightStar

Hatchling Member
Original Poster
Thank you so much, CooperDragon. I really appreciate your advise.

I looked for some suitable branches yesterday when we walked the dog. I'm pretty sure none were cedar, but I wasn't comfortable about bringing any home as they were covered in fungus, and had large colonies of spiders/pill bugs living in them.

I think one option would be to wait until winter. I guess I'll have to see what I can find online if I get my beardie before then.

I'm going to be going with shelf liner instead of particle substrate. But I wanted to provide a dig box. How deep should it be? Is it okay to use oak leaves? I brought a few bags of oak leaf online (not sure if it's dried or fresh), thinking it would be a safe dig substrate. But then I saw mention of oak being toxic... Whilst elsewhere I see it mentioned as being fine. Any idea about this?
 

CooperDragon

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If it has fungus on it, it's probably rotten/rotting and no good. Keep an eye out. One of these days you'll just come across the right piece.

As far as a dig box goes, using leaf litter is fine. That's commonly used as a layer in a bioactive substrate setup. As far as I know, oak should be fine.
 

CooperDragon

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You probably don't need much. They like to burrow a little bit. I use small fleece blankets and scrap strips of fleece for digging and burrowing and a handful is usually enough.
 

BrightStar

Hatchling Member
Original Poster
Thanks.

My UVB should be arriving tomorrow, and I ordered loads of supplies from LllReptiles.com. They're due to arrive Thursday. I'm hoping to have the cage ordered by the end of the week. That could take up to about four weeks (includes build time and delivery time). But I'm getting very excited!

I made a start on looking at basking lights. I had a question about the dome sizes - I notice most come in 5.5" and 8.5" sizes. Which size should I choose?
 

MsCarter

Juvie Member
I see you have received so much great advice here. Your setup is going to be dragon heaven when it's all said and done :) can't wait to see pics of the finished product and your little one once you get him/her.
 

MsCarter

Juvie Member
BrightStar":153wdhmy said:
SpacialCoogs":153wdhmy said:
If it's expensive why don't you make it yourself?

Use foam to create the ledge/shape, grout and seal it. I would use magnets instead of suction cups, you can get some really strong ones that you can mount in the ledge and then on the other side of the tank.

I'd love to, but I doubt I could make anything that looks even half decent. Maybe I can practice a little with some simpler ideas. But the cage is going to be in our living/dining room, so I really want to make a bit of a centerpiece out of it, and get a really nice

It's super simple (if I can do it anyone can lol) just a little time consuming imo. I made a few basking rocks for my girl bc I couldn't find anything big enough that wasn't $50+
Not to mention you can custom make it to look the exact way/color you want it to.
I strongly suggest this method to anyone wanting a good background or large basking platform/hide that doesn't cost an arm and leg.
 

BrightStar

Hatchling Member
Original Poster
MsCarter, I would at some point like to have a go at making my own. But a cage background seems like a bit too much for a beginners project. The last time I tried some DIY pet toys was when I tried making a tunnel system for my ferret. All I had to do was cut some holes so I could fasten tunnels to the cage walls with zip ties, and I cut myself pretty badly (and have the scar to show!). So DIY is not exactly wise for me. But I would like to have a try, at some point, to make some custom stuff for my Beardie.

CooperDragon, thank you once again. I went with 8.5" dome to start with. I brought two (one for the basking bulb and one for the CHE). I'm wondering about something - do I need a temperature gradient for the night? Or is it okay so long as one side is no cooler than 65? Can the other side be colder than that?
 

CooperDragon

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I just watch one side overnight (often the sleeping side). I have a night mode on the heat projector (over the cool side) that keeps it between 70-73 overnight.
 

BrightStar

Hatchling Member
Original Poster
Should the night side be the same side as the day basking side? Or should the night side be the day cool side?
 

MsCarter

Juvie Member
BrightStar":izrqjiwx said:
MsCarter, I would at some point like to have a go at making my own. But a cage background seems like a bit too much for a beginners project. The last time I tried some DIY pet toys was when I tried making a tunnel system for my ferret. All I had to do was cut some holes so I could fasten tunnels to the cage walls with zip ties, and I cut myself pretty badly (and have the scar to show!). So DIY is not exactly wise for me. But I would like to have a try, at some point, to make some custom stuff for my Beardie.

CooperDragon, thank you once again. I went with 8.5" dome to start with. I brought two (one for the basking bulb and one for the CHE). I'm wondering about something - do I need a temperature gradient for the night? Or is it okay so long as one side is no cooler than 65? Can the other side be colder than that?

? I can completely understand that. I have injured myself while doing the simplest of tasks. And an entire background for the size enclosure you are getting would be quite a project.
I'm sure what ever you decide to go with will be beautiful in the end
 
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