Need Help on supplies for a bearded dragon PLEASE

[stepht347]

Hey! My son would like a bearded dragon for christmas, I have read, read, and read some more until I am so confused I don't know what to do and I don't trust the people at the pet store! Can anyone please give me guidance on lighting?? Thinking of getting the exo terra terranium 36x18x12. People have confused me so much with the many different lights there are, there wattage, blue lights, clear lights, ceramic stuff, etc......the last thing I want is to not take care of him well so any help would be greatly appreciated! I would like to know if this cage is too big, I know I can put a divider in it if y'all think it is, just wondering if it would be ok to leave out. The dragons are about 6-7 inches I believe at the store.

Also, do i get a bulb hood? do i get separate domes? do i get ceramic stuff? wattage? I know i need a basking light, a UVB light.......do i get a uvb with uva and heat combined?? there's just so many questions......how far above the dragons should they be? is this cage too short? do they need a blue light too? i don't want any fires started and i don't want it to be too hot or not enough, i don't want eye damage, I just want him to be healthy!

There's so many questions i can't think of them all, please input! Thank you!

 

[Taterbug]

It's ok, it's overwhelming at first but does get easier. I suggest setting everything up ahead of time, as sometimes the temps are a little difficult to set. Individual parts are a better way to go than any kit at the store.

Habitat - 36x18x18 is accepted as the minimum cage size. You shouldn't need to reduce the space, but it's sometimes helpful put up paper/screens on 3 of the walls to reduce stress. I can't praise front opening doors enough!
The larger the cage the more space for your pet and the more opportunity to furnish it for them. I currently use a 48x24x24.

Equipment I find useful
I like to have both a probe thermometer and an IR gun meter. At least one is needed to check basking temps.
A timer will make life easier, there are even day/night timers that can turn on different heat sources as programmed.
Dome lamp for heat sources. Ceramic sockets are able to withstand more heat so are preferred. Stands are handy for adjusting the basking temp and keeping the light off the cage.
Thermostats are helpful safety devices, they prevent the heat sources from overheating the cage. For a lightbulb you'll want a dimming thermostat, not an on/off
Calcium/vitamin supplements
Gram scale, not super important but helpful to track weight/growth and have records incase the lizard ever gets sick.
I use stainless steel cat bowls for food/water dishes.

Lights - the aim is to recreate the sun. Heat, light and uvb should come from the same "source". I use a basking/heat light and a separate uvb tube light.
For this...
Heat: You want one bright white basking bulb in a dome lamp. A PAR38 halogen flood light from a hardware store would be good, though of course there are many options. The bulb wattage will depend on you own situation. Factors are: room temp, distance to basking spot and cage type. I always have to do trial and error. Keep this out of reach and at least 6-8" away or more.

UVB: this gets mounted to the side with the basking light, directly overhead. T5 florescent lighting is very powerful, it can be used outside of the screen and should cover about 1/2 the enclosure. The fixtures may cost more but the bulbs last 1 year. T8 florecent lights need to be longer, closer to the animal and unobstructed by screen but are more common. They are advised to be replaced at 6months. distance depends on the type, I can help you more if you know the type you want.
Not all brands are the same, reptisun and arcadia are considered the most safe and reliable. I get reptisun 10.0 bulbs on Amazon, but arcadia 12% D3+ are available on lightyourreptiles.com. Again. There are good options for all in ones but they have special needs and may still require a heat light.

Night heat: if you get low drops at night, especially below 65, then add a ceramic heat emitter. If your cage stays warm all night, no need for any extra heat. (No red, blue or purple bulbs)

Dragon: Have you looked in your area for any breeders? I'd go with a good private breeder over a petstore any day.

I hope this helps and isn't just more overwhelming.

 

[stepht347]

Thank you soooo much!! I appreciate your time and your information! As I start collecting the items, I may have more questions, but I'm going to aim to get the things you mentioned. I just wanted someone who has had one awhile and has experience enough to tell me exactly what works for them, so i appreciate it! I don't believe there are any breeders in my area, though I honestly don't know how to check on that! We live in Bossier City, LA....I may try to google. This is the very first time I've posted to a forum in my life so I hope I'm replying correctly! Thank you again!

 

[Taterbug]

Thank you soooo much!! I appreciate your time and your information! As I start collecting the items, I may have more questions, but I'm going to aim to get the things you mentioned. I just wanted someone who has had one awhile and has experience enough to tell me exactly what works for them, so i appreciate it! I don't believe there are any breeders in my area, though I honestly don't know how to check on that! We live in Bossier City, LA....I may try to google. This is the very first time I've posted to a forum in my life so I hope I'm replying correctly! Thank you again!

Glad it was helpful and by all means ask any questions you have. There are many ways to accomplish certain things (like heat and lights) and every has a preference and tricks . There are some guides on this site too that can help you pick out supplies, and you'll find many helpful folks on here when you do have more questions.

 

[stepht347]

Ok, so I was looking on amazon to get the reptisun 10.0.....there seems to be one that says "mini" and fits in a dome and then there are the long ones that go in a hood thing and cover the majority of the terranium....

do you think i should get the long one that covers the tank with the hood? or one for a dome?

 

[Taterbug]

Ok, so I was looking on amazon to get the reptisun 10.0.....there seems to be one that says "mini" and fits in a dome and then there are the long ones that go in a hood thing and cover the majority of the terranium....

Do you think I should get the long one that covers the tank with the hood? or one for a dome?

The long ones are best. The beam the compact ones makes isn't the right size or shape for a bearded dragon.

I use this one: http://www.amazon.com/Zoo-Med-ReptiSun-Terrarium-Hood/dp/B00AQU8F2O/ref=pd_bxgy_petsupplies_img_y
and this fixture: http://www.amazon.com/Sunblaster-904296-NanoTech-Fixture-Reflector/dp/B00AKKUBDQ/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1417996489&sr=8-4&keywords=sunblaster
I have it set about 14" away from the basking spot on just half the cage. The fixture is a hanging type, a zoomed or good aquarium hood would work too - some of those sit on top of the tank.

This is an option too: http://www.amazon.com/Zoo-Med-ReptiSun%C2%AE-Fluorescent-36-Inch/dp/B001F97J86/ref=pd_sbs_petsupplies_2?ie=UTF8&refRID=0VRDGX8FC24VXF80RBKF
You would want a T8 fixture that matches the wattage, and to mount it about 6-10" away.

 

[stepht347]

Thank you so much for all of your help!. I went with the reptisun 10.0. Starting with a 75 watt basking light to see how that goes... Waiting for it to heat now....I wanted to load a picture and show you but I don't see a way. Do you know of a way?.

 

[Taterbug]

Thank you so much for all of your help!. I went with the reptisun 10.0. Starting with a 75 watt basking light to see how that goes... Waiting for it to heat now....I wanted to load a picture and show you but I don't see a way. Do you know of a way?.

Tinypic.com and photobucket.com will allow you to upload the picture, just share the link it generates

 

[stepht347]

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