Exo Terra Allglass Terrarium, 18 by 18 by 24-Inch by Hagen

[spike5]

Looking to go larger for our 11 month old Spike...Looking also to have a viv that he can climb in as well-but a few concerns come to mind:

-Can a beardie be in a viv that is 24" as long as we make a place for him to get closer to his basking bulbs?
-The Exo Terra, although pricey, seems to have good reviews and not much more on Amazon than a 55g tank...any one have experience or a thought about either vivs?
-Concerned about the foam background and crickets getting out per reviews...anyone have this?

Any other ideas for a larger viv that can stay below $125? We don't have the option to build our own so we are looking to buy on line.

Thanks for any advice!

Suzy

Spike

 

[spike5]

...oops...that's 24" HIGH not long...;-)

 

[AllanonsWrath]

If it's only got an 18x18 footprint, that won't give much room for him to move around in the bottom. Plus when you start adding in the hide, basking platform, etc.... you may not have any floor space. I would try craigslist for some cheap aquariums. I have found 55 gals going for 40 - 50 dollars. You want a minimum of about 3ft in length, most people prefer 4ft. Hope that helps.

 

[BadCon]

You can get a 40 gallon breeder style tank for less then $100 at almost any major petstore. That Exo Terra tank is WAY too small for a dragon.

 

[spike5]

Thanks-both of you were very helpful! I was so focused on the height I did forget about the footprint. We have a 20g now and it is much wider than 18. I will look into the 40g and craigslist-that's a great idea. Thanks!

Any ideas on how to add extra lighting? We are in NY so it gets cold in the winter here. Right now we have a ReptiSun® 10.0 High Output UVB Fluorescent Bulb, 18-Inch, a 100w bulb and a ceramic bulb heater. His temps have been steady with these-Anyone know if I just increase the watts for the bulbs?

 

[AllanonsWrath]

You can increase the wattage if you need more heat. As long as the temps are holding steady at the correct temps, you wont need to though.

 

[spike5]

Ok-Thanks-feel a litle more at ease. The temps are always so worrisome!

 

[AllanonsWrath]

I haven't gotten my new baby yet, but I've just gotten my enclosure and have been monitoring the temps since I got it all set up. I know now when I need to adjust the light / CHE to keep correct temperatures. It's getting colder here, so I may need to turn the lights up a little and maybe even use the CHE during the day. But, I will keep my eye on it. It's fairly simple, just have to keep checking it and making sure they hold steady.

 

[rdoyle]

There is one like the Exo Terra one with a 40 breeder foot print at my petsmart. I think it was Tetrafauna. it was 199.00