Setting up enclosure for Bearded Dragon

[Forensick]

Well....
I sent my licence app off yesterday, hopefully they are WOEFULLY slow, but at least it gives me time to set up an enclosure.

i am going to convert my old 4foot tank intoMr Beardies new home.
obviously the old glass lids go bye bye, but what do you recoment i replace with.

also, what should i set the tank up with.
obviously i need heat and light.
and i know i'll need a thermostat and a UV light
but WHAT do i do for heating

do i go the heat mats, cords, rocks, lights, non light heater thing (like a stove element in a light socket), a combonation of?
whats best, and whats the easiest way to set it up....


and i know this tends to start a fight..... but what substrate do you feel is best

thanks....

(also any name suggestions for the future Mr Beardie will be welcomed )

 

[Inkslinger]

Mesh top works great with halogen one end hot as they will thermo regulate, uv fluro substrate bubs paper, light on daylight hours off night time thermo not needed. juvies to adults washed river sand not as messy as the red just as fine so no stones caught in their innards. Lots of hides and for the older ones a larger water dish they love to swim. Dont stress and make it harder than it need to be beardies would have to be one of the easist dragons to keep followed closely by water dragons.

 

[stringbean]

stay away from the heat rocks.
i have herd some bad things about them. like they break easily and i think i saw some where that someones was zapping their reptiles.

 

[grimbeny]

Yea the heat rocks can get awefully hot and burn ur beardies, go with a heat globe. And if u r getting a young beardie dont use sand i have just heard too many stories of young b$eardies getting compaction from sand.

 

[MoreliaMatt]

astro turf works wonders!

 

[Forensick]

so just hook the lamp up to a thermostat, and leave it on 24/7?

 

[MoreliaMatt]

no need for a thermostat if it has a mesh top in my opinion..... just keep an eye on the temps and change wattage's of the bulbs as required

 

[MoreliaMatt]

i would provide a 75watt light, a heat mat and no thermostat if it was me...... just have a branch leading up to the heat lamp for basking....

 

[Forensick]

oh, cool..... saves me like $100

you reckon just put a thermometer in there.

its 29degree for beardies isn't it?

 

[bunnykin]

Astro turf its cheap its easy to clean and they love it.
If you use a heat mat use it on the side of the enclosure and you must have a theromstat with a mat.
you also should use a digital thermometer .
Never use heat rocks for beardies

 

[Forensick]

what about a heating cord instead of a heat mat.
(they are cheaper.... and needing a thermostat kinda sets my budget back a bit)

 

[hornet]

heat cord is fine, i use it, no hassles

 

[Forensick]

cool....
should i just wind it around under the substrate at one end?
or underneath the glass?

in a 4foot tank, what % of the tank should i heat, and how long a cord would i need?

 

[hornet]

under the tank, i would just heat 1/3 of the tank, with heatcord you can control temps just by how far the spacing of the heatcord is, start off with loops about 5cm apart, see how that goes

 

[MoreliaMatt]

and you must have a theromstat with a mat.

ive never used a thermostat with a heat mat....

and know of plenty of reputable breeders and large reputable reptile shops that dont use them either....

provide adequate ventilation and keep an eye on the temps, it can be done, and is quite safe to do so....

its one of those touchy subjects! just like glass vivariums vs wooden vivs......

there are so many different views and so many different perspectives and opinions......

in the end your left to make your own choice!

 

[Forensick]

would the heat cord do any damage (melting) to the polystyrene stuff under the glass?

 

[MoreliaMatt]

what substrate are you going to use?

 

[hornet]

nope i have never had that prob

 

[Splitmore]

all you will need is a spot globe and a uv flourescent light. With a 4ft tank a 75w or 100w globe will do fine, just place it up one end of the tank and put a rock or log directly underneath it. Heat mats are useless for basking lizards like beardies, they need to to be able to absorb heat from above. It will get very hot directly under the spot globe but thats the way they like it. The lizards will simply move away if they get too hot. Just leave both lights on for 10-12 hours a day and provided it doesn't get too cold at night during winter you won't need any night time heating or lighting.

 

[Houdini]

I've had my beardie for two months, and from what I've read this is what i'd suggest.

Don't use a heat mat, or rock. They can burn beardies bellies, and they prefer to get heat from above.

If you have a climate controlled house then you don't need a thermostat, you just need to get the right light for them to get a perfect basking temperature. You can also get the basking spot hotter or cooler by moving the basking rock/log closer/furthur from the light. Make sure they can't touch it, they can jump high too so a mesh top is a good idea to protect him from it. You should have a max of 46C in basking spot, or they can get burnt. They won't move away if they're going to burn themselves, they won't know. 40-43C is the best basking temp for them, and 25-28C in the cool end. Take your temps with a digital probe thermometer, the analog ones are useless.

You need a UV light, the best is a Repti-Sun 10, or an MVB, which i believe you can't use with a thermostat, so a Repti-Sun 10 is the best. It should be a tube not a coil one, the coil ones only last about a month. The tubes last about 6 months, before they need to be replaced or there won't be enough UV. With a tube they should be 4-6 inches from it, with an MVB they need to be at least 18" away to avoid UV overexposure.

The best substrate in my opinion is slate tile. When they poo you can just wipe it off with a disinfectant, wash them in the dishwasher or sink every once in a while, and it is like their natural ground. Sand is not safe even for adults it can cause impaction. If you wet your finger then touch any type of sand, it'll stick to your finger. Thats how it blocks up beardie's guts. ANY particle substrate can cause impaction.

They eat A LOT of live prey, when they're growing they eat 50-100 a day. when they get to a year old, they slow down on growing, and start to eat more vegies. as an adult they should get about 50 bugs a week, and lots of vegies. For the best vegies, use this site: http://www.beautifuldragons.503xtreme.com/Nutrition.html

Good luck with your new little buddy. They can be a lot of work but are so worth it. Send me a pm if you have any questions, I'll try and help you out. Good luck!