DIY Custom tank or Store bought Glass Breeder

[GingerBeachy]

I've got a question we're pondering for our new Bearded Dragon. We've only had him a month and are guess-timating that he/she is about 11 weeks old, so this will be for the future when it is time to increase the cage size.

My husband, a carpenter, would love to build a custom cage for the beardie, with a DIY back wall that has ledges and climbing rocks. I love the idea, but am worried about cleaning all the bacteria, germs and nasties that could get trapped on it. Does anyone have any ideas about a good cleaning product and or method? I'm concerned that all the grooves and crevices of a homemade wall would harbor harmful bacteria. I've read that a 10% bleach solution will kill almost everything, but also read that bleach is not safe for beardies.

I am leaning toward a glass breeder bought at the store, thinking that it would be the best option to thoroughly clean and disinfect.

What do you all think? Thanks!

 

[Dookieshoot]

I'm watching this, as I too am curious....

 

[ProfessorD]

10% bleach solution would kill mostly eveything and as long as you wash it thoroughly the beardie will be fine. I like making my own cleaning solution with vinegar, lemon, salt, and water. It works great and is all natural.

 

[GingerBeachy]

10% bleach solution would kill mostly eveything and as long as you wash it thoroughly the beardie will be fine. I like making my own cleaning solution with vinegar, lemon, salt, and water. It works great and is all natural.

Thanks for the info. Is there a specific ratio that you use? I'd prefer a more natural cleaner rather than bleach.

 

[ProfessorD]

For I think a 4 or 5 cup sprayer, I put 5-6 cups of water to a boil, added about a tablespoon of salt, stirred and let cool back down, added 2 cups of vinegar, and then squeezed one lemon and stirred together. It works really well for my beardie, frogs, and newts.

 

[BotanicalStig]

To be honest the diy faux rock structures are a bit of a pain to take care of and they don't last very long. I've made some for my beardie and after 6 months use they're cracked and torn to bits. I had to replace my original with a backup. That was after five layers of grout and three layers of proper non toxic grout sealant.

If that's the route you were planning on going I would try and sway you in the other direction. Mooses adult tank with not have any diy structures in it. However, with your husband being a carpenter there's no excuse to not build the tank yourselves

Just my two cents.

 

[GingerBeachy]

To be honest the diy faux rock structures are a bit of a pain to take care of and they don't last very long. I've made some for my beardie and after 6 months use they're cracked and torn to bits. I had to replace my original with a backup. That was after five layers of grout and three layers of proper non toxic grout sealant.

If that's the route you were planning on going I would try and sway you in the other direction. Mooses adult tank with not have any diy structures in it. However, with your husband being a carpenter there's no excuse to not build the tank yourselves

Just my two cents.

I appreciate your two cents

As you mentioned, the DIY structures and the possibility of it being too hard to get clean properly is my biggest concern. Especially since we've only had the beardie for a month, I'm a novice on care and cleaning.

I would like a custom tank, he's looking to use plywood and acrylic...... I prefer all clear sides though, again to make sure all germs and bacteria are erradicated! We have all four sides of the breeder glass clear of any backdrop and our beardie seems calm and content. I've noticed that alot of other posters suggest putting backgrounds, etc to help destress the lizards, is that necessary? Or only if the lizard seems stressed? We've been fortunate that there has been no relocation stress with ours ..... he started eating right away and hasn't stopped since!

Thanks for the input!