Glass Aquarium - Plastic Top, black paint and lighting

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HectorTex

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Hi everyone,

New here, my beardie's name is Hector, he's currently chillin and eyeing a new empty aquarium across the way. Got a sweet deal on a 47x17x20 glass aquarium.
110280-4354471751.jpg

On the exterior of the back wall it''s painted black, would much of the heat be absorbed by the paint through the glass? There is also a black plastic top that is on the outer rim, do I need to get rid of it? what temps does it start releasing fumes? i planned on putting the dome lights in the center, may cut off the plastic center piece. Not sure how to tackle the top, may put something like this over the top with rubber along the sides
and put the dome lights on top.

Was also looking at Reptisun, should i get a 24" or 36" RS linear tube fixture if we went that route? currently have two dome ceramic fixtures; i have a feeling it may not be enough for this large a tank. They work fine for what Hector is in now.

I have a bit more length to work with in his current tank, was looking for suggestions for substrate or other items. I was thinking:

  • Desert Eco Carpet on bottom
    Tile

For tile i may do a mix of textured and smooth, is a rocky backsplash too textured?
Eating area- carpet or tile?

Of course will have his favorite chillin' stick to bask, not sure what else to do with all this new space. My dream is to extend a 'ladder/walkway' to both tanks :lol:. Trying to make use of the vertical space, along with a digging bowl and a hidey-hole, not sure what to get cause Hector is pretty big and I dont want him to get stuck if we bought one of those logs or corner pieces at the pet store.
110280-6523221698.jpg

I know, lot's of questions, but I'm not the primary owner of Hector, no prior experience with Beardie's and a new tank to experiment with to make Hector happy.
 

CooperDragon

BD.org Sicko
Staff member
Moderator
I'm not sure the black paint will make any difference really. If you do a backsplash, I'd make it as thin as possible since the enclosure is fairly narrow to begin with. You may consider a photo background that you adhere to the outside which would take up no interior space.

The metal mesh with rubber around the edges is a good idea for a replacement top if you wish to go that way. If you got it a bit oversized (an inch or two) on each edge you could bend the edges downward or curl them in to keep the sharp edges out of the way. Does the existing top have mesh inbetween a plastic frame? The mesh should be OK under heat, but if the plastic edges come into contact with a hot bulb or fixture, they could melt. I've found that simply adding a piece of foil over the plastic provides enough shielding. You could also hang the basking light from an adjustable stand which would keep it overhead and out of contact with the top. That would help keep it out of the way for when you need to get in to access the enclosure.
 
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