Eddie789":3id0ii7t said:
Alrighty! I have a 20g long. What wattage would i need? I also have a small light fixture but don't know what size it is. I need to measure it and find out what size bulb it takes? I have one 75 watt infrared night light. Do i need that at night time for my beardie? Or is it useless? sorry for the stupid questions!
No such thing as a stupid question here, caution is a sigh of intelligence. Never forget that. The red spectrum lighting will only keep your dragon awake at night. They can see this color. If you require heating at night, then the best option is a ceramic heat emitter, a cheaper option would be a blue or black light. If you go with the light then I find the best results are to let them get to sleep and turn the light on after that. If your household temperatures do not drop below 75 degrees Fahrenheit then I wouldn't worry about it, as it would be unneeded. They actually will be fine down to 70 degrees F but, it is best at 75 and up but not hotter then 85. The warmer temperatures will also keep them awake.
A 20 gallon long at what height? Most likely a 75w - 100w basking bulb. When you get your basking bulb you should use a digital thermometer with probe to monitor the temperatures of the basking spot. The basking spot for a young dragon is recommended at 105-110 degrees F but, no higher then 115. With the basking at this temperature the complete opposite side of the enclosure should range from 80-85 degrees F during the day, this is considered the cool side. Dragons regulate their temperatures to what feels comfortable to them at the time, within these ranges. Some signs that your basking is too hot would be your dragon is always on the cool side of the enclosure, then you know the temperature which it is set is not what the dragon wants it to be. This is kinda tricky as the ideal temperatures vary by individual. Once you got it though then your good. Keeping notes of these things will help you in the long run, and best to be done from day 1. Some other tips on enclosures, don't use sand. Sand is not the natural environment for a dragon. They are considered a desert species by most and this has made false rumors on substrate. The desert which they refer to is a clay/loamy substrate. Best substrate to use would be paper towels or newspaper (easy to clean and very sanitary), natural stone tile (fairly easy to clean and keeps their nails naturally filed) reptile carpet, and non-adhesive shelf liner. Keep a water dish and a food dish, this way you don't have unneeded messes to clean by placing food on the enclosures floor. Dragons like to climb so drift wood is a good option to place at their basking spot, or a false resin piece of decor. False plants are good for a more natural look but, keep in mind dragons have an instinct to drink droplets of water from plants, this is how they would drink in the wild. So a fabric based false plant is best (silk). There are some natural plants you can get but, i never remember which ones they are. Keep in mind if you go natural, then you have to monitor the humidity levels in the enclosure a lot closer. Humidity is recommended from 10-40%, again varies by individual. Humidity should never be able to reach 50% this is a safe distance from the 55-60% which mold, mildew and other nasty fungi start to grow. A lower humidity is often preferred, and often substituted with 2 times a day misting with clean room temperature water, and or baths... i could ramble on forever so if you have anymore questions just ask, don't be shy. BTW Have you gotten your dragon yet? If so, can we get pictures?
