Is It Okay to Move Up to the 55 Gallon?

[Beardie4me]

Aragon is now 4 months old and 10 1/2" from snout to tail. He has been in a 29 gallon since I got him at 4 weeks. I am wanting to upgrade him to his 55 gallon and use the reptile carpet, as opposed to the white paper towels he has been on. Is he old enough to move up? I will keep his big reptile dome light on one side (the one that was recommended on here that I got at Pet Mountain) and then put a regular light bulb in a dome at the other end. Thoughts please??? Thanks a bunch!!

 

[zebraflavencs]

A 40 Breeder would be better by far. The 55 only is 12" wide, not like the 40B which is 18" wide. The 55 is really tall, making it difficult for proper UVB to reach the dragon, the 40 is much lower and easier to maintain .
The minimum size viv for an adult is 36" x 18" x 18 ".
Janie.

 

[BadCon]

I second the above poster in that a 55 gallon is not nearly wide enough for an adult dragon to move around comfortably. That said, if you already have a 55 gallon go ahead and use it. You can move your dragon in there now if you want, as he should be big enough.

Pay special attention to basking temps, and UV exposure, as the 55 gallon is very tall and it might be difficult to get the heating and UV sources close enough to your dragon. It might be beneficial to use some vertical cage furniture, to take advantage of the extra height in the 55 gallon. So perhaps adding some driftwood or stacked bricks/tiles to create two stories for your beardie to climb on.

 

[Beardie4me]

I do already have the 55 gallon set up, with a vertical basking ramp. As he is only 4 months old, he does have ample time before adulthood. So I will go ahead and move him up to the 55, and invest in a 40 gallon breeder before he hits full adult size. Thanks for the input!!

 

[BadCon]

Being completely honest, while a 40 gallon breeder has more floorspace than a 55 gallon, I don't think its enough to justify the cost of purchasing a 40 gallon when you already have a 55 gallon.

Your money would be better spent on something significantly larger, such as a custom built 4'x2' enclosure, or a larger glass tank. So I would save your pennies and move up to something significantly larger when your dragon is older. Otherwise, stick with the 55 gallon.