Heating for custom enclosure

[1gr8ftoy]

I have two beardies and I want to put them in something bigger than their current 60 gallon home. I have designed what I think will be a nice home for them but am having difficulty figuring out how to properly control the heat. I am planning on having their basking spot being up on the top shelf and will have branches that they can bask on resting on the side of the shelf. I was planning on also putting an underside heater under the glass bottom (this was my only reason for going with glass over linoleum lined wood actually). Does anybody have any suggestions? The dimensions are 60"H x 72"W x 30"D. I want to make sure they are healthy as possible! By the way, one of the reasons I want it so big is I want to have a section on the bottom where I can put a place for egg/faux-egg laying (we think they are both girls so it would only be faux-egg's, but we are not positive yet). Any suggestions are welcome! By the way if anybody is curious I made my design in Google Sketch-up, free and amazing!

I got the idea for this when I saw an iguana cage for sale locally and copied a lot of their idea's, but put my own spin like 2 shelves instead of just one midway down the cage.

EDIT:
I am wondering if it would be better to make a longer bottom shelf like this, any input on that?

 

[PetLover16]

what a great idea. I probaly wouldn't use a glass bottom. i would probaly use plexi-glass because it is stonger. You could use a heat pad meant for humans(just put a tile underneath if you are worried about it.) or a Heat Pad meant for reptile tanks. I like the idea of the big shelf but i think thats up to you. best of luck at making this great enclosure!

 

[1gr8ftoy]

Thanks for the input. I am really needing information on the best way to make sure it stays the right temps, input from anybody please!

 

[PetLover16]

glad i could help. If you have plexiglass i think lighting and under the tank heater would keep it good. but if you use screen the heat will just "Leek" out.

 

[1gr8ftoy]

You have to use screen for the top because UVB lights don't work through glass. I do like the plexiglass idea for the bottom though thanks again!

 

[BadCon]

I say shorter middle shelf, as the longer one will prevent much of the light from reaching the bottom of the tank, making it a dark and gloomy place for the dragons.

 

[1gr8ftoy]

That is true, I hadn't though of that. What if I mounted some sort of small light panel under the bottom shelf...?

 

[jon21388]

amazing design

 

[jodyberry]

Why don't you make a dual level heating and cooling zones? ie: put a basking lamp top left AND middle left of the cage. Put maybe a 3 or 4 foot Reptisun 10 on the top left, and a smaller 2 foot reptisun under that shelf that's midway down. This way, they'd get their UV most anywhere in the cage and could bask at the top or bottom left.
Theoretically the left side of the cage will be the warm area. In my 4x2x2 cage I need 2 basking bulbs to reach the high temps they need.

BTW, are you going to build this yourself or have someone do it for you?


Nice design!