Enclosure assistance...almost there!

[luvalot]

Hello

I have a 48x18x24 terrarium.

For lighting I have the T5 10.0 Reptisun and a 150W basking light.

I have put tile as the substrate.

We have a hide but it has about an inch lip to get into it (is that ok?)

My big question is that it all seems so ...hard in there. The entire floor is covered in ceramic tile. Should I get some reptile carpet to put in his hide or elsewhere in the enclosure?

I am also having a very hard time finding a basking rock that goes as high as i need it to to reach the ideal temperature. I found some cork wood but after I bought it found out it is not long enough.

I would post a picture but I have no idea how. I have nowhere to save it to other than my computer.

And will my beardie (approx. 8 months old) be able to get up a basking rock when he only has three legs? I do not have him yet as we are setting up first.

Should he have a water dish in there?

And lastly...should I block off part of the cage? Is it too big for him?

Thanks for all the help...

 

[Derz13]

Hey there!

So the tile is fine, make sure it is textured tile so he has traction as he walks, it will also help keep his nails filed. If you want to add some repticarpet in his hide or on any spot that is fine too just remember to change it out often..
You can make a basking spot out of wood by making a table like structure with a ramp, or you can also make one out of polystyrene, which is what I will be doing! Seems easy enough, cheaper than buying a large one, and customizable, so you can make it as high as you want. For your special beardie i would just make sure your ramps or rock spot are not on too much of a slope so he wont have to try so hard to climb up. Our friends here have some great ideas on rock structures over in the DIY section if you want to check that out.

As for the water, if your enclosure has proper ventilation, a small bowl in an enclosure that size should not be a problem but make sure you are monitoring your humidity levels closely and be sure to change the water daily.

It is a fairly large cage for a juvenile bearded dragon. Ive seen this scenario both overwhelm and excite a young beardie. Me, personally I would close off a bit of the enclosure for a couple of weeks until he gets comfortable in his new home.You want him to feel comfortable in finding the correct temperature so a smaller area will give him less to try and figure out. Just make sure there is still a warm and cool side in the small portion if you do decide to block off.

 

[ruben0311]

definitely something to look into is some stones that you can stack with, or bricks. you will be able to adjust the height of the basking spot as needed and ensure that there is plenty of grip available. extra space can be used quite easily for a separated feeding area too! that way there's less areas food can escape to and you can still clean up easily.

 

[AHBD]

Hi there.....here is the info for posting pics :
https://www.beardeddragon.org/useruploads/
Use the XIMG button
As for the tank size, it should be fine if he's 8 months old. And if you want to, just collect some nice pieces of wood from outside, drift wood can be especially nice looking. Just brush it off + pop it in a preheated 250 oven for an hour. Nothing sappy or coniferous, and be sure it doesn't touch the heating elements in the oven.