Enclosure help + Best affordable thermometer??

[albithebeardie]

Okay I have a bunch of questions so bear with me!

1. I need a proper thermometer I have been using crappy stick on thermometers for both my babies and I have realized that is just not right.. What is an affordable yet very accurate thermometer? Also do I need two for two enclosures?

2. I am wanting to build my 3 month old baby girl Bubblegum a super tricked out enclosure and I have been researching it so so much but I still feel like I have no clue where to start.. Any and all help is welcomed!

3. For the time being Bubblegum is in the 40 Gallon ReptiHabitat™ Bearded Dragon Kit from Zoomed and I haven't added too much besides some driftwood, a hammock and a rock that sticks to the side with magnets and I am a little worried because every time I come home she is not on the hot side and she is dark and covered with stress marks.. I am worried about the UVB because it is a compact not a coil but I have still heard bad things about that.

4. Can a beardie be too big for an enclosure? Albi is 15/16in and he is in a 55g tank and lately he isn't in his cage often but when he is he looks bored and always sleeps.

Any advice you can give and I will try and post photos of their enclosures if someone could post a link on how

Thanks in advance !

 

[CooperDragon]

I'd pick up a temp gun because you can get instant readings all over both tanks. A relatively cheap one should do the job well enough.
http://www.amazon.com/Nubee-Temperature-Non-contact-Infrared-Thermometer/dp/B00CVHIJDK

I'd build an enclosure designed for an adult that she can grow into. 4'x2'x2' is a good standard starting point but if you have space then the bigger the better. I'd check out the plans for a crossfire enclosure as those are proven to be pretty solid https://beardies.dreamwidth.org/2145.html

The kits do come with some items that I don't recommend. Lighting is most important so while your basking bulb is probably OK (that will be determined when you have a good temp gun) I would replace the UVB light with a tube style bulb because the compact bulbs put out a very narrow, intense beam of light with little exposure to the sides or at a distance which isn't optimal for basking. Instead, you want to create a nice wide, even spread of UVB across the basking area which is better achieved using a tube style bulb. I recommend picking up a T5 bulb and fixture which you can later transfer over to the enclosure you plan on building. I'd go with 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/

I would also replace the sand with a solid substrate such as non adhesive shelf liner or tile because they are much easier to keep sanitary. If you have at least a few places to climb and some places to hide/get shade then that's OK for the time being. You can add new stuff over time.

A dragon can outgrow an enclosure. They should have room to easily turn around and the depth of the tank should be as long as they are at a minimum. In this case if he gets plenty of time outside of the tank, then a 55 is probably fine. They tend to be less energetic when they're older so they don't move around as much (although he may be moving around more than you realize during the course of the day). If his appetite is good and he's active when outside of the enclosure, he's probably OK.

You can upload photos here https://www.beardeddragon.org/useruploads/ and post them using the XIMG button.