sierralynn":65sipia9 said:
kingofnobbys":65sipia9 said:
How old and big is your dragon ? (in grams and inches total).
If under 12 months old you can get away with a 100L tub , set up as shown here :
viewtopic.php?f=34&t=233480
If an adult , the tank needs to a least 4ft long x (1.2x the length of the dragon) and between 18 inches and 24 inches tall. Please stear clear of fish tanks mascerading as lizard tanks which have open tops (a mesh lid is essentially an open top).
Personally, I'd be looking for either a flat-pack timber tank with sliding glass doors on the front or building one from plywood.
I don’t know exactly how old he is but I got him in the beginning of November when he was a tiny hatchling so maybe 5 months old? He is already a little over a foot long from head to tail but I don’t have a scale to weigh him right now. The tank I am thinking of getting is 48x18x21 so ideally it could be a bit wider but I am having a hard time finding any bigger tanks that also fit my budget right now. I have thought of building one but I am so incredibly bad at building things that I can’t even build a gingerbread house so I don’t think that would be possible for me haha. What is the issue with a screen top? I have seen lots of nice enclosures with that feature. He lives in my bedroom and when I am not there the door is closed so nothing could get to him. The tank I have is actually zoomed brand and designed for reptiles but it has the sliding screen lid on top and he’s never tried to escape or anything like that. I am just trying to find the best enclosure for him that fits my budget
thanks for all the info!
I recommend a 100L to 150L clear plastic tub with a clip on lid like one of these
https://www.bunnings.com.au/all-set-149l-storage-container-with-lid_p2583377
the 149L tub is W:575mm H:480mm L:790mm and is UV stabilized and very tuff walled and near perfect high to mount a T8 10-12% UVB tube (or a 5% - 6% T5HO tube in a reflector hood under the lid ,or a 25W UVB200 in a NanoHood under the lid (which is what I do in my rearing tubs ,which are set as shown.
See this for working out UV lighting that's suitable for this :
viewtopic.php?f=34&t=235611
Will work well for him for the next 6 - 10 months, and start saving for a good solid timber 4ft x 2ft x 2ft tank with sliding glass front door for his forever home for when he grows out of the tub.
All kits (irrespective of the brand) are very poor and never ideal for the reptile they are supposed to be ideal for, poor UV sources included, bad / dangerous substrates included, mesh lids, poor basking globes, poor thermometers, bad foods included.
Better off just doing your homework and buying the best basking globe, UV tube and fittings and either a large tote / tub or a timber reptile tank and fitting it out yourself (you'll save a lot $ in the long run and wind up with healthier and happier lizard).
Issues with screen tops are :
>>> cheap and nasty
>>> NOT CAT PROOF
>>> will need to use much higher wattage basking and MVB bulbs and CHEs to maintain suitable basking and warm and cool zone temperatures in the tank (open lid allows all the warm air created to immediately escape - warm air is very buoyant and rises - surprising how many people simply do no know this fact - result ==> warm layer of air pooling at the ceiling of the room and wasted electricity
>>> mesh will block up to 50% of the UV when the UV tube or globe is mounted on top of mesh