Second Hand Vivarium Questions *With Pictures*

[TheReptile838]

Hi,
I'm getting a Beardie in August and have done my research and I have got a 3ft by 2ft vivarium second hand all ready. The person who used to have it my mum knew and they gave us a second hand vivarium that used to have snakes or Beardies in.
I just have a few questions about the vivarium.

It has finger prints on it and other little marks that I can scrub off and use Reptile Disinfectant, but do I need to do anything else to it to clean it?

Here is a picture of the vivarium:

Is this vent ok? I want to make sure heat can escape and air can get in properly and it can't get too humid in there. Do I need to move the vivarium away from the wall so that there is more space from the ventilation and the wall?

I bought this feeding dish and put it upside down for the basking log to balance on. Is this ok?

I will put slate tiles on for the floor of the vivarium. Can I use one that someone I know had at their yard (there is building/gardening stuff in the yard) which is clean but I can still use reptile disinfectant on? When putting in the tile, do I just put it in straight on top of the wood?

There is an old thermometer here, I am changing it to get a brand new one, but how do I take it off?

I will be getting a brand new UV light, but will there be wires hanging down like this one, and if so, does it matter and if it does, how do I block the wires?

The vivarium came with this thing which I guess is to hold to basking lamp. Is this ok to put the basking lamp in or should I get rid of it?

There was a hole for the wires of the uv light to go through. Should I worry about a baby beardie being able to climb from his log and out of the vivarium? Should I use something to block the hole?

Thanks,
Abi

 

[TheReptile838]

Anyone?

 

[TheReptile838]

Please, I really need to know if this vivarium is safe for my beardie before I buy everything for it and buy my beardie

 

[CooperDragon]

I'm sorry for the delay in response. I haven't owned a viv like that before so I'm not sure if my response will be accurate but since nobody chimed in I think it's a nice tank. I wouldn't worry about the opening too much. Just don't put the end of the basking log too close. The tiles on the floor are a great idea. Maybe put some repti carpet/astro turf on part of it if they slip around too much. I'd say pull those dial thermometers out any way you can and patch the holes. The best way to get a good temp reading is to pick up an Infrared Thermometer gun and check temps at will. Second best is a digital thermometer with a probe that you can put in different areas but that takes almost an hour to get a good reading. I wish I could help you further but I haven't owned that kind of tank. I'll be glad to have you bounce ideas my way if you'd like though.

 

[TheReptile838]

Thanks for your reply, I really appreciete it
Do you think sand paper could go under the tiles? The tiles are from a yard/big out side garagey type of thing, so if I clean it thoroughly with reptile disinfectant, do you think it is ok?
The thing to hold the heat lamp looks a bit small, should I actually use that or take it out?
The reptile shop that I would be buying the parts for inside the viv and the beardie, they said that they have a Hygrometer so I can see what the humidity is as well as temperature, are those any good? They don't sell timers there, but I know where to get timers but what types do you think are the best?
Should I block the hole by just sticking a bit of wood over it or something?
Also do I need another vent in the vivarium and do I need to move the vivarium away from the wall?

Thanks

 

[CooperDragon]

Why do you want to put sand paper under the tiles? The tiles I used were from the home improvement store and cut to fit my tank. Originally I washed them in hot water and scrubbed them down a bit then stuck them in the oven for a while. After that I just cleaned them with hot water and vinegar as needed. Pretty easy to take care of. I never monitored the humidity and it wasn't an issue but that all depends on where you are I suppose. From what I've read shoot for 30-50% but temps are primary concern. Get an IR temp gun if you can. Otherwise go for a digital thermometer with a probe that you can place in the tank to get good readings. Timers aren't reptile specific. Just pick up any household outlet timer at a store like Target or Lowes etc. Not expensive and you don't need anything fancy there. Just set the lights to a schedule that works for you and the dragon. I wouldn't worry too much about the hole. From what I've seen they aren't really escape artists. I left the front doors of mine open a lot as long as I was home. You could use some kind of mesh or screen repair kit to patch it and leave some airflow. As for additional vents, just do some trial and error. I can't say for sure as my tank has a screen top which provided plenty of air. If you feel like your dragon needs some more air, I'd say cut another hole in the top as needed.