is my cage ok for a bearded dragon

[Bmj89]

Hey folks i was cleaning out my garage and i found and old pvc plastic cage idk where the heck it came from or who in my family bought it but doesnt matter now because i have laid claim to it HAHAHA!! the dimensions are 48in long 24in deep and 12in tall. Now i was thinking of getting a beardie, i know the Length and width are good but does the height really matter....i mean i look at the cage and it seems a full grown dragon would do fine as long as temps and everything are correct but of course i love animals and want the best for them all so im asking for opinions on the matter Thanks

 

[CooperDragon]

The height is a bit low. The rub is that you need space to put in some climbing branches but you also need clearance for lighting. What you might be able to do is cut the top open and put mesh across it. Then you could suspend the lighting above it to give yourself a bit more space to work with. You could also build a wooden collar for it so you could cut it in half and add some height that way. I'd want a minimum of about 24'' height on an enclosure. The one I have is 18'' tall but I removed the top so I can suspend the lighting a bit higher and provide a little more climbing room and it works well.

 

[Bmj89]

The height is a bit low. The rub is that you need space to put in some climbing branches but you also need clearance for lighting. What you might be able to do is cut the top open and put mesh across it. Then you could suspend the lighting above it to give yourself a bit more space to work with. You could also build a wooden collar for it so you could cut it in half and add some height that way. I'd want a minimum of about 24'' height on an enclosure. The one I have is 18'' tall but I removed the top so I can suspend the lighting a bit higher and provide a little more climbing room and it works well.

My cage actually has a mesh cut out and my light hangs above on a clamp so i can change the height of the light anytime i want and the dragon would never have contact with the bulb. As far as having climbing space i would say its enough to elevate if it wanted to. I have a zoo med MVB and that gets me basking temps around 95 to 110 degrees depending on light placement but keeps ambient temps around 88 degrees during the day and i live in California so my house never really drops below 70 at night. I figured if it was enough floor space height wouldnt be so much of an issue. Thanks for your input by the way.

 

[CooperDragon]

OK. If the mesh cutouts are there, that's good. Which wattage of PowerSun are you using? You'll want to keep in mind that the mesh will intercept some of the UVB but different wattages will provide different UVB outputs (thus different optimal distances). If the MVB alone doesn't provide enough light, you can mount a daylight 6500k tube inside the tank to make it nice and bright without adding much heat or UVB.

 

[Bmj89]

OK. If the mesh cutouts are there, that's good. Which wattage of PowerSun are you using? You'll want to keep in mind that the mesh will intercept some of the UVB but different wattages will provide different UVB outputs (thus different optimal distances). If the MVB alone doesn't provide enough light, you can mount a daylight 6500k tube inside the tank to make it nice and bright without adding much heat or UVB.

Im using a 100w PowerSun bulb....seems to heat the entire cage pretty good and my basking temps have been consistent but im not sure as to how much uvb its giving off

 

[CooperDragon]

They provide a nice wide beam. The 100w sends best output at about 8-10 inches above the basking spot so I'd mount it in that range and then check the temps and go from there.

 

[Bmj89]

Ok thanks for the info much appreciated