Enclosure

[Peanutlolz]

Would a cage like this be fine to build and keep inside? I'm planning to build it for my little guy.

 

[jayce82]

no for the simple reason you won't be able to heat the tank. you need either a wood or glass type tank.

 

[Reptilelady]

I agree with Jayce82, you would need an enclosure to keep the heat in. With it being screen and having a lot of ventilation the heat would escape from it. If you prefer to DIY you can find them on the internet, or just go to a local pet store/shop to get a glass terrarium. Problem with ordering a glass terrarium online is possible glass breakage from delivery. If you go in store, you can check to see if there's any cracks or any problems.

 

[AHBD]

Did you mean inside, or outside ? If inside, it could work only if your house stays very warm and you use high watt heat bulbs. It would be a great outdoor cage but you could add more climbing structures
that would go for inside as well ] and put something over it for partial shade if it's outdoors.

 

[Peanutlolz]

Did you mean inside, or outside ? If inside, it could work only if your house stays very warm and you use high watt heat bulbs. It would be a great outdoor cage but you could add more climbing structures
that would go for inside as well ] and put something over it for partial shade if it's outdoors.

I would like to build something like his inside and we rarely use our air conditioning during the summer which is now starting near us and I use 100 watt bulbs now so would I have to up the wattage?

 

[kingofnobbys]

no for the simple reason you won't be able to heat the tank. you need either a wood or glass type tank.

See AHBDs reasons.

 

[EllenD]

Your beardie's enclosure needs to keep the following temperature ranges CONSTANTLY:

Cool Side: 75-80 degrees Fahrenheit
Hot Side: 95-98 degrees Fahrenheit
Basking Spot: 100-103 degrees Fahrenheit (for adults)

This enclosure won't hold those temperatures no matter how high a wattage basking bulb you use because the heat will rise and escape out of the mesh on all 4 sides and the top. The reason it's great for an outdoor enclosure is because it has ventilation and your beardie won't cook in the sun like he would in a glass or plastic enclosure out under the sun, because glass, plastic, wood, etc. traps the heat inside the enclosure. Outside, under the constant sunlight you obviously don't want the heat to be trapped, it turns into an oven. But inside you absolutely have to have the heat trapped, hence needing a glass, wood, plastic, etc. enclosure with a did bottom, solid back, and two solid sides. The only part you can have as mesh would be the top where your heat comes inside.

So it makes no difference if you don't run your air conditioning or if you use a higher wattage basking bulb, you could use a 300 watt bulb it still wouldn't keep the temperatures inside that enclosure high enough because the heat will just rise and escape.

If you want to build a similar type of enclosure for indoors you need to use wood or melamine board and have a SOLID floor, solid back, solid 2 sides, and either a solid glass front (doors) and a mesh top for lighting, or a solid top with the lights installed under it and then possibly mesh doors on the front.

There are a million different indoor enclosures you can build, just not one with open mesh sides, back, or floor. If your beardie's temperatures inside are not constantly high enough he will not be able to digest his food, amongst a dozen other health related issues.

 

[Peanutlolz]

I agree with Jayce82, you would need an enclosure to keep the heat in. With it being screen and having a lot of ventilation the heat would escape from it. If you prefer to DIY you can find them on the internet, or just go to a local pet store/shop to get a glass terrarium. Problem with ordering a glass terrarium online is possible glass breakage from delivery. If you go in store, you can check to see if there's any cracks or any problems.

Okay I'm probably just gonna buy an exo terra 36x18x18. My not so little guy is getting bigger and I want to make sure he has plenty of space. I'm want to try and buy it from a store. Worst case scenario I will order one.

 

[Peanutlolz]

Your beardie's enclosure needs to keep the following temperature ranges CONSTANTLY:

Cool Side: 75-80 degrees Fahrenheit
Hot Side: 95-98 degrees Fahrenheit
Basking Spot: 100-103 degrees Fahrenheit (for adults)

This enclosure won't hold those temperatures no matter how high a wattage basking bulb you use because the heat will rise and escape out of the mesh on all 4 sides and the top. The reason it's great for an outdoor enclosure is because it has ventilation and your beardie won't cook in the sun like he would in a glass or plastic enclosure out under the sun, because glass, plastic, wood, etc. traps the heat inside the enclosure. Outside, under the constant sunlight you obviously don't want the heat to be trapped, it turns into an oven. But inside you absolutely have to have the heat trapped, hence needing a glass, wood, plastic, etc. enclosure with a did bottom, solid back, and two solid sides. The only part you can have as mesh would be the top where your heat comes inside.

So it makes no difference if you don't run your air conditioning or if you use a higher wattage basking bulb, you could use a 300 watt bulb it still wouldn't keep the temperatures inside that enclosure high enough because the heat will just rise and escape.

If you want to build a similar type of enclosure for indoors you need to use wood or melamine board and have a SOLID floor, solid back, solid 2 sides, and either a solid glass front (doors) and a mesh top for lighting, or a solid top with the lights installed under it and then possibly mesh doors on the front.

There are a million different indoor enclosures you can build, just not one with open mesh sides, back, or floor. If your beardie's temperatures inside are not constantly high enough he will not be able to digest his food, amongst a dozen other health related issues.

Thank you for the suggestions. I'll just buy a exo terra 36x18x18

 

[jayce82]

I have the exact tank you're wanting and I need to sell it. are you near louisiana?

 

[Peanutlolz]

I have the exact tank you're wanting and I need to sell it. are you near louisiana?

I live in Illinois so no not really lol. Thanks for the offer hope you sell it soon.?

 

[AHBD]

A glass tank is probably your best option. But you certainly could get a good heat gradient with large aluminum reflector domes that have the porcelain socket, they project the heat downward. This is the type here :
https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0ahUKEwi4t6qrnqfUAhUF54MKHdVWCzcQFgilATAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.homedepot.com%2Fp%2FDesigners-Edge-10-1-2-in-Brooder-Clamp-Light-165%2F204667675&usg=AFQjCNFbpL1RWlbP6plr4-zbzDH6OYUspw&sig2=pzuCoY302etG9g9CvtDXPg

A 160 watt MVB on each side [ or about 2 feet apart ] or one and a high watt halogen bulb would probably do the trick, especially because the cage is not very tall or too large.

But your best option , since it's going to be your indoor tank is just just get a large glass or other enclosure.

 

[Drache613]

Hello,

Do you already have that particular tank built, with open mesh/hardware cloth screen?
Personally, I have used open air tanks almost exactly like that but 4x2x2, for practically as long as we have kept bearded dragons. We have always lived in the south, essentially, Florida & Texas so temperatures really haven't been an issue.
One thing that I don't always agree with is always keeping the tanks so hot, constantly. In nature, there are a number of gradients, always in which they choose from along with fresh air all of the time. That is a huge reason why we have chosen those types of tanks so that they could experience more with their senses. They have excellent hearing & sight. Glass tanks rob them of their hearing in a lot of ways & distorts their vision also. I like that open air tanks increase their ability to be able to interact.
If you can maintain the basking temperatures within the 95-110 ranges & a cooler end 78-82 then I don't see why you can't build an open air type of tank.
You could consider the Arcadia D3 12% MVB bulb or a halogen bulb for basking along with a tube bulb UVB.

Tracie

 

[Drache613]

Moved by Moderator from General to Enclosures