Beginner Enclosure Questions ! Help!!

[PrincessBeardiexo]

Hi!
I'm soon getting my first Bearded Dragon and I've been researching for MONTHS! But now it's time to buy everything and set it up and make sure things are working BEFORE I buy a bearded dragon and bring he/she home and put them in (So excited).
First of all I'm buying a 40 gallon breeder ExoTerra tank and a ExoTerra sand mat. My first question is there any way to remove the styrofoam background or has anyone had issues with it ?
My second question is , is it okay to put fake plants and vines in the tank or does it have a issue with the heat and how much they get ?, I'm not planning on like putting it everywhere just like a branch with like vines and leaves making it kind of tree like and with plants from maybe like aquarium decor (I saw someone do that does that cause issues) just to bring life into the tank.

My third question is I was thinking of getting an extremely small waterfall instead of a water dish but I'm not sure on how healthy that would be I've read on it but in my opinion I would just give them baths or I've seen someone use a cute little water gun and occasionally spray their Beardie if they couldn't bathe them what do you guys think ?

My fourth question is pellets and things of that nature are they a good thing on occasion as a treat or a daily thing or are they not good at all and if they are what brand ?

My fifth question is lighting I know I want a ceramic heater for night time cause where I live we get winters and etc I also want a uvb meter is that a wise choice to get ? Also I wanted a thermometer gun which I heard is perfect. I'm not sure whether the compacts tops for lights are gonna work with the ExoTerra tank top design if you have pictures on your setup I would appreciate it, is a compact UVB better.
I wanna build my own basking spot and etc out of wood like I saw in a YouTube video if you have any helpful suggestions it would be great.
I'm getting an adult bearded dragon preferably because they are cheaper and easier to care for than a baby in my opinion in which you have to worry more about sickness and it not being healthy.
I also live in Ohio and it's hard to find a good reptile store and also harder to find adult bearded dragons even if they aren't morphs which is a pain ugh, does anyone know some places in Ohio for breeders and or stores that sell good adult Beardies I would really really appreciate it!
Thanks!

 

[CooperDragon]

The Exo Terra is a very nice tank. I have one too. The foam background can be lifted right out and I suggest doing this. You can put it behind the tank as a background if you want but I'd go with a printed background instead (you don't need a background though).

Fake plants and vines provide good areas for climbing and I like the shade that some fake plants provide. You can put them on the cool side of the tank if you're worried about the heat.

A water fountain may be nice but it may also raise the humidity in the tank and it would be a pain to keep clean. You'd need to clean the parts of it often to keep it sanitary. Not worth the effort in my opinion. I'd stick with either a water dish or no water dish and just drop water on his nose for him to lick up or provide a shallow warm bath he can drink from. Most of their hydration comes from food (so make sure the bugs get plenty of moisture) but it's still good to offer supplemental hydration.

I don't like the pellets and processed food because I'm not exactly sure what's in them and they don't provide hydration. You can gutload bugs on fresh veges and ensure they are well hydrated and if you offer fresh veges in salads you know exactly what is in them and it will provide very good nutrition. Fresh food and live bugs are best in my opinion.

If the temps inside the tank stay above 65 overnight, then no extra heat is needed. If the tank temps go below that, I'd use a low wattage ceramic heat emitter or a heat projection bulb like this http://www.reptileuv.com/shop/index...id=196&zenid=f1d4d534646b0ec56562fa215c10dfeb

I use one in the winter and have it on an adjustable lamp stand so I can fine tune the temperature. I want the overnight temps to be in the high 60s or low 70s.

Using an IR temp gun is a great way to get accurate temperatures. I highly recommend getting one.

A UVB meter is very nice to have but it's expensive. If you have the budget for it, by all means get one. It's not necessary though. I have a Solarmeter 6.5 and like it very much.

With the tank you have, I recommend using a T5 tube light for UVB. A 22'' mounted on the basking side will work perfectly. It should sit about 12-14'' above the basking spot so you can put it right on top. These are good choices: This fixture http://www.amazon.com/Sunblaster-904296-NanoTech-Fixture-Reflector/dp/B00AKKUBDQ
With this bulb http://www.amazon.com/Zoo-Med-ReptiSun-10-0-Lamp/dp/B00AQU8HAO/

Or this combo set http://www.lightyourreptiles.com/22-t-5-ho-fixture-high-output-with-arcadia-d3-12-ho-bulb/

A lot of folks build their own basking spots out of wood or coated foam. I haven't done this so I can't provide any helpful tricks but you may want to browse the DIY and Enclosures section for examples. I like to collect branches from outside to use as climbs and basking areas. Driftwood works well because it's wide. I just rinse the branch off well and bake it in the oven at 250 for 30-45 min until it's sanitized.

I'm not sure about breeders in Ohio but you could have one shipped from a breeder if you'd like. There are also traveling reptile expos that may be helpful. If you're looking for an adult you may also want to consider adopting one in need of a new home. Check the for free section here and maybe craigslist for dragons who need a good home in your area. You're doing your homework and are putting together a very nice setup that would make an amazing home for any dragon. You'll just want to double check the health of an adopted dragon because a sick rescue may be tough on a first timer.

Here are some photos of my setup using the same tank. I have a 150w basking light in a fixture on one side. The seasonal CHE is on a stand to the right. My UVB tube is across the front (Arcadia T5). If I had to do it again I'd get a smaller one that runs only half the length to provide a better gradient. They're quite powerful and the 36'' is a bit much.

 

[PrincessBeardiexo]

The Exo Terra is a very nice tank. I have one too. The foam background can be lifted right out and I suggest doing this. You can put it behind the tank as a background if you want but I'd go with a printed background instead (you don't need a background though).

Fake plants and vines provide good areas for climbing and I like the shade that some fake plants provide. You can put them on the cool side of the tank if you're worried about the heat.

A water fountain may be nice but it may also raise the humidity in the tank and it would be a pain to keep clean. You'd need to clean the parts of it often to keep it sanitary. Not worth the effort in my opinion. I'd stick with either a water dish or no water dish and just drop water on his nose for him to lick up or provide a shallow warm bath he can drink from. Most of their hydration comes from food (so make sure the bugs get plenty of moisture) but it's still good to offer supplemental hydration.

I don't like the pellets and processed food because I'm not exactly sure what's in them and they don't provide hydration. You can gutload bugs on fresh veges and ensure they are well hydrated and if you offer fresh veges in salads you know exactly what is in them and it will provide very good nutrition. Fresh food and live bugs are best in my opinion.

If the temps inside the tank stay above 65 overnight, then no extra heat is needed. If the tank temps go below that, I'd use a low wattage ceramic heat emitter or a heat projection bulb like this http://www.reptileuv.com/shop/index...id=196&zenid=f1d4d534646b0ec56562fa215c10dfeb

I use one in the winter and have it on an adjustable lamp stand so I can fine tune the temperature. I want the overnight temps to be in the high 60s or low 70s.

Using an IR temp gun is a great way to get accurate temperatures. I highly recommend getting one.

A UVB meter is very nice to have but it's expensive. If you have the budget for it, by all means get one. It's not necessary though. I have a Solarmeter 6.5 and like it very much.

With the tank you have, I recommend using a T5 tube light for UVB. A 22'' mounted on the basking side will work perfectly. It should sit about 12-14'' above the basking spot so you can put it right on top. These are good choices: This fixture http://www.amazon.com/Sunblaster-904296-NanoTech-Fixture-Reflector/dp/B00AKKUBDQ
With this bulb http://www.amazon.com/Zoo-Med-ReptiSun-10-0-Lamp/dp/B00AQU8HAO/

Or this combo set http://www.lightyourreptiles.com/22-t-5-ho-fixture-high-output-with-arcadia-d3-12-ho-bulb/

A lot of folks build their own basking spots out of wood or coated foam. I haven't done this so I can't provide any helpful tricks but you may want to browse the DIY and Enclosures section for examples. I like to collect branches from outside to use as climbs and basking areas. Driftwood works well because it's wide. I just rinse the branch off well and bake it in the oven at 250 for 30-45 min until it's sanitized.

I'm not sure about breeders in Ohio but you could have one shipped from a breeder if you'd like. There are also traveling reptile expos that may be helpful. If you're looking for an adult you may also want to consider adopting one in need of a new home. Check the for free section here and maybe craigslist for dragons who need a good home in your area. You're doing your homework and are putting together a very nice setup that would make an amazing home for any dragon. You'll just want to double check the health of an adopted dragon because a sick rescue may be tough on a first timer.

Here are some photos of my setup using the same tank. I have a 150w basking light in a fixture on one side. The seasonal CHE is on a stand to the right. My UVB tube is across the front (Arcadia T5). If I had to do it again I'd get a smaller one that runs only half the length to provide a better gradient. They're quite powerful and the 36'' is a bit much.

Thank you so much you're a doll for the quick response and I appreciate it ! And yeah I see what you mean about the waterfalls now that I researched them more

 

[Terry15]

Here's a picture of my tank with the rock wall behind it.

 

[PrincessBeardiexo]

Here's a picture of my tank with the rock wall behind it.

quite cute !

 

[AHBD]

Hi Terry...Your set up looks really nice in general ! Cooper already answered most of your important questions. As for where to find an adult, there are several monthly shows , depending on where you're at. The All Ohio [ Columbus area ] and the Cleveland are 2 shows. Be careful that you're not getting an old, sick dragon or an over bred female. Look for an alert, healthy one. You might opt for buying + having a sub adult or large juvenile shipped from a reputable breeder.

One more thing , be careful of the hammocks because beardies can easily snag their claws and sprain their arm in those. Several threads about that happening...ripped claws + sore arms. The fabric or mesh is not compatible with fast moving animals with claws and the hammock itself does not support the body properly. You're better off with another pretty basking log in place of those.

 

[Taterbug]

I got Pepper from Midnight Dragonz, they go to the All Ohio Show in Columbus and also I think to the Cin City reptile show in Cincinnati.

 

[Terry15]

My nieces dragon, Mystic was not in his tank when I took those pictures. He use to hang in the hammock, but does not really use it much. The other hammock came from Carolinas Dragons on Amazon.

 

[PrincessBeardiexo]

Hi Terry...Your set up looks really nice in general ! Cooper already answered most of your important questions. As for where to find an adult, there are several monthly shows , depending on where you're at. The All Ohio [ Columbus area ] and the Cleveland are 2 shows. Be careful that you're not getting an old, sick dragon or an over bred female. Look for an alert, healthy one. You might opt for buying + having a sub adult or large juvenile shipped from a reputable breeder.

One more thing , be careful of the hammocks because beardies can easily snag their claws and sprain their arm in those. Several threads about that happening...ripped claws + sore arms. The fabric or mesh is not compatible with fast moving animals with claws and the hammock itself does not support the body properly. You're better off with another pretty basking log in place of those.

yeah I've been looking at shows but they aren't on my schedule

 

[luvalot]

Hello!

I have been researching threads looking for folks with the same terrarium as I have.

I keep reading that the light should be on the inside.

I am looking to get a Reptisun 10.0 (24") Is it okay on the top? Does it just sit on the mesh? It won't burn it?