Adequate Housing?

[KaiKaiBean95]

Hey guys,
I'm a relatively new beardie owner (got beardie in December of 2016), so I just want to make sure I have my tank set up well and I want to make sure I'm doing everything right.
Here's the tank:

It's a 40 gallon tank. The temp gets up to 100-103 in the basking area, and around 80 in the cool area. The UVB is a "Zella Slimline desert 50 UVB T8 fluorescent fixture".
The branches are natural birch, and I made sure they were cleaned and I stripped as much bark off as I could.
I sure hope I'm doing alright with her. I love my baby girl, and I want her to be happy.

 

[kingofnobbys]

Hey guys,
I'm a relatively new beardie owner (got beardie in December of 2016), so I just want to make sure I have my tank set up well and I want to make sure I'm doing everything right.
Here's the tank:

It's a 40 gallon tank.<<< 40 Gal is only suitable for hatchlings and juvenile bearded dragons, you will need to upgrade her to a full size 4ft L x 2ft W x 2ft T viv very soon.
The temp gets up to 100-103 in the basking area, and around 80 in the cool area. The UVB is a "Zella Slimline desert 50 UVB T8 fluorescent fixture". <<<< Zilla UVB tubes are poor quality , made in china and produce a very poor UV spectrum - return it for an exchange to a Zoo Med, or an Exo Terra , or an Arcadia T8 or a T5 10%UVB tube or better.
Also a ZIlla 50 uvb is only rated at 5% UVB so it's entirely inadequate for a bearded dragon, she would literally have to sit on the tube you have to get adequate UVA and UVB , but with that brand of tube she is also being exposed to dangerous bands of UVB and UVC.
You need a T5 tube rated at least 10% UVB in a reflector hood mounted under mesh lid.

Also the T8 tube is obstructed by the screen lid (it needs to be moved so it is hung UNDER the mesh lid and positioned so it's closer than 6 inches) from the basking spot and one end of the tube is very close to the basking globe.
The branches are natural birch, <<< cant comment on birch, I use eucalypt branches complete with bark in my vivs.
and I made sure they were cleaned and I stripped as much bark off as I could.
I sure hope I'm doing alright with her. I love my baby girl, and I want her to be happy.

Mesh hammocks are hazardous to beardies who regularly injure themselves when there nails are snagged in the weave.
I'd remove the hammock and move the hubbahut (1/2 hollow log) directly under the basking globe and one end of the UVB tube. I will double as a basking spot and toasty hide.

 

[KaiKaiBean95]

Thank you for your advice. I will fix it when I can.
At least those are the only problems, though. It's nice to know that everything else seems alright.

 

[kingofnobbys]

Thank you for your advice. I will fix it when I can.
At least those are the only problems, though. It's nice to know that everything else seems alright.

Well , may be more issue , but we need more details to be able to help set you up right :


Can you give us a good rundown on the setup and schedules (light and feeding) :
Basking light
........ is it a coloured globe ? (BAD)
........ what is it's wattage ?
........ how far from the basking spot ?

TEMPERATURES ?
>>> daytime
.......warm zone
.......basking spot
...... how are you measuring your temperatures ?
TOO COLD = SLEEPY DRAGON
>>> overnight minimum viv temperatures ?

UVA AND UVB ADEQUATE ?
>>> is the uv rated AT LEAST 10%UVB ?

>>> or a T8 tube ?
>>> or a T5 tube ?

VERY IMPORTANT : what is the brand ?
(not all UVB compacts and tubes are created equal or as well , many shops sell their own brand (Zilla, All Living Things, Reptile-One, Nat Geo , Natural Selections (in green boxes) which are cheap Chinese clones made very cheaply using very poor quality quartz glass and cheap phosphors ==> very poor UV spectrum produced incl UVC band and bad parts of the UVB band)


>>> also is it sitting ontop a mesh top ? == BAD
>>> how far from basking spot ?
too far and the UVA and UVB WILL BE TOO DILUTE.
UVA FLUX TOO LOW where dragon is ==> a very lethargic dragon w/ a very poor apetite just in the short term , and neurological problems if this persists , not to mention MVB if UVB flux too low long enough with inadequate metabolisation of dietary calcium or inadequate intake out calcium

TANK
>>> size (L x W x H) and construction , photos of the setup are often helpful .

SUBSTRATE ?
>>> is it sand ? == BAD AND IF CALCISAND this is EXTREMELY BAD/LETHAL when ingested
>>> is it particulate ? == BAD
>>> careful of carpet , it can be snag nails and is hard to keep hygenic



TOO SHORT A PHOTOPERIOD (lights are not kept on long enough each day , will make beardie think it is winter , recommend at least 14 HRS PER DAY)

FEEDING SCHEDULE (I recommend at least 2 hrs lights/heat on before first live feed and after last feed of the day)
>>> when are you offering live feeder insects ? what are they ? how big are they ?
>>> when are you offering greens and other veg ? what are you offering ?
good guide is here : http://www.beautifuldragons.com/Nutritionframeset.html

 

[Drache613]

Moved by Moderator from General to Enclosures