Advice~leave screen off tank??

[koco46]

Hi,
We just adopted a beardie this weekend and he is in a 40 gal tank.The UVB light is a reptisun 10.0 in a fixture mounted inside his tank.He has a ZooMed basking lamp in a regular sized dome fixture sitting on top of the screen but it is such a pain to remove the dome fixture everytime I want to slide the lid open to put my hand in there to get him used to me etc.

It occured to me,I could get one of the dome light stands for the basking lamp and just leave the top off?
Has anyone tried this? He is very small and I don't think he could jump out.

I don't let crickets run in his tank,so that wouldnot be an issue,what does everyone think!!

 

[fluffpuffgerbil]

My sis and I leave the screen off the tanks of the dragons once it starts getting sunny out. When it's really cloudly for a long time, we'll leave the screen on with the UVB resting on it so it's covering most of the tank and the dragons are exposed to more. now that it's getting sunny, we'll leave the screen off and the UVB's just placed so it's across the two edges of the tank. It doesn't cover as much of the cage this way, but if the dragons want UVb, they'll go and bask underneath it on their branches. We've done it this way since we got them and no issues. We even have cats, but they don't know/care the lid's off and no one's ever tried to escape.

 

[Dooter]

Do not underestimate the jumping ability of baby dragons! ...I guess I'm just assuming that you have a baby.

Even if he's an adult dragon, I don't think I'd risk it. :|

I'd think that if you get one of those light stands, it would probably make taking the lid off easier? So you could keep the lid on, and be able to easily slide it off = problem solved?

 

[bunnyrut]

i don't have the screen on either of my tanks. the screen blocks part of the UV rays, plus it is easier to feed/pet/etc without the top.

I have never had an issue of my beardies escaping. the only time they climbed out was when the basking log was too high, or the tank was too small. even then they both did the same thing: they balanced themselves on the edge of the viv and just hung out there.

i would say leave it off unless you have something that goes all the way to the top of the tank or if you have other pets that may climb in. try it out for a few days and watch to see what happens.

 

[Chirple]

I would also suggest the possibility of a front-opening terrarium. Check out Craigslist.

I held out for one and I'm so glad I did, it's so much easier !

 

[ehinoBD]

My beardie has tried to jump out lol so I would say just leave it

 

[koco46]

Thanks everone for all the suggestions,I did buy a lamp stand today,that definately helps.

We actually were planning to get a beardie, but not until September. I had seen the exo terra cages,their front opening doors seemed wonderful,especially for a child.
Then i started browsing the forums here and came aross the DIY and the enclosures section and saw all the great enclosures people have built. My plan now was to build a custom cage by then and hopefully have an established Dubia colony etc,but found this beardie on craigslist and impulsively rescued him.
I am definately planning to build a better enclosure,eventually Spikewill be in my son's room,but I have to admit,I am a worry wart and the thought of having a lamp/heater going at night worries me.My plan is to turn an Ikea dresser into a vivarium but all fixtures wired inside the enclosure.

 

[bubbagumper6]

Thanks everone for all the suggestions,I did buy a lamp stand today,that definately helps.

We actually were planning to get a beardie, but not until September. I had seen the exo terra cages,their front opening doors seemed wonderful,especially for a child.
Then i started browsing the forums here and came aross the DIY and the enclosures section and saw all the great enclosures people have built. My plan now was to build a custom cage by then and hopefully have an established Dubia colony etc,but found this beardie on craigslist and impulsively rescued him.
I am definately planning to build a better enclosure,eventually Spikewill be in my son's room,but I have to admit,I am a worry wart and the thought of having a lamp/heater going at night worries me.My plan is to turn an Ikea dresser into a vivarium but all fixtures wired inside the enclosure.

I may have missed it somewhere but what lamps do you leave on at night? As long as it doesn't get super cold in your house at night your beardie will be fine without any lamps/heaters.

 

[RandyMarsh]

I may have missed it somewhere but what lamps do you leave on at night? As long as it doesn't get super cold in your house at night your beardie will be fine without any lamps/heaters.

This^ i have no lid on my viv which is a sterlite container, and just a clamp on light on the top. Franklin gets out ever so often but He's usually fine

 

[koco46]

Sorry I should have been more specific,I turn a CHE on at night,to keep his tank at about 70 deg.We turn off the heat at night ,so it definately gets cooler than 65 at our house.

 

[RandyMarsh]

Sorry I should have been more specific,I turn a CHE on at night,to keep his tank at about 70 deg.We turn off the heat at night ,so it definately gets cooler than 65 at our house.

I wouldn't know about all that, I usually sleep with franklin wrapped in his blankey

 

[sweetiepie9]

I've never used tops, I use power suns on lampstands & just have low furniture & I've never had a problem. I love it because the power suns are heat, too, so don't have to bother with a basking light. Plus, like yours, they get full UVB all the time, which is also a great thing.

 

[sweetiepie9]

Yes, you want to use a CHE at night if the temps go under 65F, but you can replace the basking light with it, on the lampstand, so don't need the top either. Unless your beardie can escape that is. Mine have never been able to. Rubio did escape his 40 gallon breeder, he's 22" long, as a result he's in a 75 gal with 2 feel high walls, so no more escaping for him!
Deb

 

[JenFid]

I leave the screens off mine. Like another poster said most escape attempts can be deterred by having furniture that isn't very tall. Sarth never tried to escape, and Daedalus has tried but she's a fatty so her attempts are pretty fruitless. But either way, the front sliding tanks are awesome. Good luck making yours!

 

[drgnfly2265]

I leave the screens off both of my vivs. Never had a need to use them. Even with the basking spots and hammocks in there, they can't reach the top.