Hey all.
In January I rehomed a beardie and have spent the last month and a half really getting his enclosure set up the way I want. He came with a lot of accessories so I had to get creative to utilize what I had, make sure it's adequate, and not spend a ton of money. I just wanted to make a post to share with other potential newbies that may be helpful. I did a lot of research before getting a dragon and this forum has so many DIYs and good tips!
This is Jotan's enclosure. It's a hair over 50 gallons. I wanted him to have room to move on the floor, but he also loves climbing so I wanted him to have multiple things to climb on at various heights. He sleeps and climbs on his hemp hammock and can also hide under it. Under the hammock there is an under tank heating pad for chillier nights. Next to the hammock is a wooden hide. He sometimes chills under it but prefers to lay on top to absorb UVB. His basking platform is made from bricks I found in my yard. (If you do this, make sure to properly disinfect) with a piece of driftwood still near the basking lamp but out of the direct light beam.
I've been using repti-carpet as substrate but am debating switching to tile. The carpet is great for the most part but it can be a pain to scrub the poop out. Overall it's nice though as it's cheap, safe, and relatively easy to clean.
Lighting was the biggest thing for me.
He came with a UVB fixture that I couldn't get to mount inside the tank, so I cut out part of the screen under the light so there's no obstruction between the UVB and him. I am using a Reptisun 10.0. The fixture has a reflector and he's about 14" from the light source. He also has an MVB. There is a lot of controversy with MVBs. Some people think they're a scam as their heat output isn't always the best & it's cheaper to get a regular bulb for heating but I was paranoid when I got him as his setup wasn't providing him with proper UVB or heat. (there was plastic and a screen filtering the UVB light) so I wanted to make sure that at least 80% of his cage has UVB coverage.
I opted for a exp terra solar glo 160W. This particular light has equal parts good and bad reviews. My personal experience so far has been good with this light but a megaray or powersun is probably a better choice if you go the MVB route.
Don't use the stick on thermometer. I have one, it's about 7-10° off from my infared thermometer and when you're dealing with beardies, thats a pretty sizeable difference.
Last note: get a background of some sort. J used to bang his head against the glass when he could see his reflection.
Wow haha that was a lot! In summary this really helped me:
Tank:
50gal minimum. Even if you're getting a baby it's better to start big and save yourself the $$$ and work of switching to bigger tanks so much cause beardies grow fast.
Screen tops work, but make sure they can handle the heat of a lamp on it or else you'll need a lamp stand. If you can't mount your UVB in the tank and don't have a lid with built in fixture, plan on cutting your screen. Mesh/wire filters out 50% of UVB.
Substrate:
YES: repticarpet
paper towels
tile
NO:
sand
wood chips
paper shavings
Lighting:
NO infared or colored lights
UVB: reptisun 10.0 is the best on the market. Or arcadia. I recommend a reflector & don't let screen or plastic filter.
Heat: a regular household light bulb would work, MVB isn't necessary it's more of a preference
Accessories:
Get creative! Things they can climb on, something to hide under, various levels so they can choose their temperature gradient, just don't use things with jagged edges or surfaces or things hanging off that they could eat. Hammocks are great but be careful with the mesh green ones as their nails can get caught easily.
Temperature gradient:
Most would say 75°F-105°F is pretty solid. Or 80°F-110°F
Don't let it get below 65°F at night.
Honestly it seems like way more than it is. Invest in the setup and the rest is easy
Here's Jotan!
In January I rehomed a beardie and have spent the last month and a half really getting his enclosure set up the way I want. He came with a lot of accessories so I had to get creative to utilize what I had, make sure it's adequate, and not spend a ton of money. I just wanted to make a post to share with other potential newbies that may be helpful. I did a lot of research before getting a dragon and this forum has so many DIYs and good tips!
This is Jotan's enclosure. It's a hair over 50 gallons. I wanted him to have room to move on the floor, but he also loves climbing so I wanted him to have multiple things to climb on at various heights. He sleeps and climbs on his hemp hammock and can also hide under it. Under the hammock there is an under tank heating pad for chillier nights. Next to the hammock is a wooden hide. He sometimes chills under it but prefers to lay on top to absorb UVB. His basking platform is made from bricks I found in my yard. (If you do this, make sure to properly disinfect) with a piece of driftwood still near the basking lamp but out of the direct light beam.
I've been using repti-carpet as substrate but am debating switching to tile. The carpet is great for the most part but it can be a pain to scrub the poop out. Overall it's nice though as it's cheap, safe, and relatively easy to clean.
Lighting was the biggest thing for me.
He came with a UVB fixture that I couldn't get to mount inside the tank, so I cut out part of the screen under the light so there's no obstruction between the UVB and him. I am using a Reptisun 10.0. The fixture has a reflector and he's about 14" from the light source. He also has an MVB. There is a lot of controversy with MVBs. Some people think they're a scam as their heat output isn't always the best & it's cheaper to get a regular bulb for heating but I was paranoid when I got him as his setup wasn't providing him with proper UVB or heat. (there was plastic and a screen filtering the UVB light) so I wanted to make sure that at least 80% of his cage has UVB coverage.
I opted for a exp terra solar glo 160W. This particular light has equal parts good and bad reviews. My personal experience so far has been good with this light but a megaray or powersun is probably a better choice if you go the MVB route.
Don't use the stick on thermometer. I have one, it's about 7-10° off from my infared thermometer and when you're dealing with beardies, thats a pretty sizeable difference.
Last note: get a background of some sort. J used to bang his head against the glass when he could see his reflection.
Wow haha that was a lot! In summary this really helped me:
Tank:
50gal minimum. Even if you're getting a baby it's better to start big and save yourself the $$$ and work of switching to bigger tanks so much cause beardies grow fast.
Screen tops work, but make sure they can handle the heat of a lamp on it or else you'll need a lamp stand. If you can't mount your UVB in the tank and don't have a lid with built in fixture, plan on cutting your screen. Mesh/wire filters out 50% of UVB.
Substrate:
YES: repticarpet
paper towels
tile
NO:
sand
wood chips
paper shavings
Lighting:
NO infared or colored lights
UVB: reptisun 10.0 is the best on the market. Or arcadia. I recommend a reflector & don't let screen or plastic filter.
Heat: a regular household light bulb would work, MVB isn't necessary it's more of a preference
Accessories:
Get creative! Things they can climb on, something to hide under, various levels so they can choose their temperature gradient, just don't use things with jagged edges or surfaces or things hanging off that they could eat. Hammocks are great but be careful with the mesh green ones as their nails can get caught easily.
Temperature gradient:
Most would say 75°F-105°F is pretty solid. Or 80°F-110°F
Don't let it get below 65°F at night.
Honestly it seems like way more than it is. Invest in the setup and the rest is easy
Here's Jotan!
