So you're getting a new bearded dragon? Congratulations! One of the nearly heady things y'all can do before he arrives is put together his new abode. Only it can also be a really overwhelming chore, considering at that place is no shortage of opinions on how to create the perfect bearded dragon tank setup . What kind of fabric should you use? How hot should the tank be? Is sand actually that bad? What kind of lights practice y'all need?

Don't exist overwhelmed! We're sharing the basics you need to create your ideal bearded dragon tank setup and get an overview of what is safety and what is not when information technology comes to preparing your dragon's new abode.

Bearded Dragon Tank Setup: Supplies

Earlier you lot bring your dragon home, you'll demand to have the following supplies:

  • Enclosure
  • UVB light
  • Heating chemical element, thermometer, and hygrometer
  • Basking rock or log
  • Flooring
  • Some shallow dishes for h2o and nutrient
  • Alive feeder insects and tweezers
  • Adequate infinite in your abode

Bearded Dragon Tank Setup: The Enclosure

First things first! What kind of enclosure do you want your bearded dragon to exist living in? This is an important decision. Your dragon volition spend quite a lot of time hither, and it's important to brand him as happy equally possible.

There are a number of factors to consider when choosing the all-time enclosure for your bearded dragon tank setup: size, cloth, and where you will keep the enclosure in your dwelling house.

Size. What size tank does a bearded dragon need? The size of your bearded dragon will aid you determine the size of the enclosure. The standard size for bearded dragons is 40 gallons, although many adults are likewise big for this size and may get stressed. Here is a proficient dominion of pollex for choosing a tank size based on your dragon's length:

  • Babies (nether 10 inches long): 20 gallons
  • Juveniles (10 to 16 inches long): xl gallons
  • Adults (over 16 inches long): l to 75 gallons
  • Adults (over twenty inches long): 75 to 125 gallons

If you programme on getting a baby disguised dragon, information technology may exist tempting to buy a 20-gallon tank. If you determine to exercise this, but remember dragons tend to grow fast and then you will before long need a 40-gallon tank. Many Dragon Keepers terminate upwards getting a 40-gallon tank fifty-fifty for a baby to avoid ownership another one and then soon later on, just it's up to yous.

You may make up one's mind to go a twenty-gallon for at present because y'all have a minor space and you'll be moving soon. Or maybe you are keeping a baby and then giving him to a friend. It all depends on your circumstances and preferences.

Choosing the proper size tank for your disguised dragon helps her to feel comfortable and less stressed, especially in those offset few weeks when you bring her home and she is adjusting to a whole new environment. A expert size tank prevents glass surfing every bit well, which is ofttimes caused by dragons feeling too caged in.

Closeup of a bearded dragon in his terrarium

Enclosure Material

At present permit's discuss what is the all-time textile to utilize for your tank. At that place are definitely plenty to choose from, and if you start looking upwardly options online yous may experience overwhelmed. If you aren't going to build your ain tank DIY way, chances are you lot'll buy one online or at a pet shop. Here are some of the basic tanks that you can choose from:

  • Glass . A popular selection, glass terrariums are sturdy, widely available, and usually come with a screen chapeau that improves airflow and helps regulate the low humidity dragons demand. You lot can also get a front end-opening glass terrarium that makes information technology easy to access your pet and clean the tank.On the downside, drinking glass is a poor heat insulator, and so you'll have to check the temperature regularly to brand sure it's non too cold. This isn't likewise difficult to commit to especially if you have a thermometer gun.
  • Wood and Glass. Many Dragon Keepers opt to become a terrarium made of wood and glass instead of just glass with a screen top. Oftentimes this means in that location is one side that is glass and the rest is wood. Wood is an fantabulous heat insulator, so this may exist a improve option for you than a full glass terrarium if you alive in a colder surface area or like to go on your home temperature low. It as well may offer you more peace of mind so you don't take to worry nearly your dragon's heat as much.
  • PVC Plastic is another pick. It's quite lightweight, and there are mostly a lot of colors you lot can choose from. PVC enclosures are oft designed for stacking, which is ideal if you lot plan on adopting more one dragon.I common issue with PVC terrariums is poor airflow, so you have to be a piddling more vigilant with the humidity levels than with other cages. This shouldn't exist too difficult if you get into the habit of checking the humidity on a regular basis.
  • Screen. In your search for a terrarium you lot may meet some that take walls fabricated from wire screens. These are extremely dangerous for bearded dragons. In addition to the obvious heating effect, screen cages can hurt disguised dragons.Of grade, glass terrariums with a screen lid are a dissimilar story, because the bearded dragon will probable non be able to attain the screen lid. We cannot recommend using a screen-walled terrarium.

Location in Your Domicile

Some kickoff-time Dragon Keepers might not realize how important it is to make up one's mind where you will put your bearded dragon alee of time. Information technology will save you a lot of stress if you clear a place and get everything gear up before you bring your new reptile friend home. Here are some guidelines in deciding where to keep your dragon's new home:

  • Do not identify your dragon in directly sunlight.This can actually kill your bearded dragon. Although sunlight is skillful for them in the wild, in a domestic environment information technology quickly becomes deadly. The heat from the sun easily becomes trapped in the terrarium—peculiarly if information technology'due south glass—and the temperature volition go life-threatening to your dragon. A good quality UVB lamp is the best way to provide the heat and light they need.
  • Know alee of fourth dimension how much room y'all need. If you've never endemic a reptile before, you lot may not realize how big the tank really is, and the amount of space information technology takes upwardly may surprise you. The standard size 40-gallon tank is 36 inches long past 18 inches wide by eighteen inches deep. You will need a sturdy surface to set it on, so make sure you measure in advance.
  • If you accept other pets or small children, make sure the disguised dragon's tank is out of their reach. Cats and dogs can kill your dragon. If you can't go on your dragon in a dissever room from your cat or dog, make admittedly sure that the enclosure will not topple and that the chapeau is secure. If you accept small children, never let them nigh the tank unsupervised, and exist certain the terrarium is out of their reach. Children can be seriously injure if they manage to topple the tank, not to mention your dragon could exist hurt or killed.
  • At the same time, make certain you can access the tank easily. You will need to clean the tank, take your dragon out for playtime and baths, and give your dragon lots of beloved, so it's all-time to make certain you can easily get to the tank.
  • Keep the enclosure away from loud noises. Loud noises tend to really upset disguised dragons. For case, if you have a big screen Television that you watch frequently, or if you play electric guitar, or if at that place is a side of your house where yous can hear constant traffic, try to keep your dragon out of earshot.
  • Go on the tank in a identify that is light during the twenty-four hour period and dark at dark. While you will be providing UVB lite 12 hours a day for your dragon, they take trouble sleeping if lights are left on at nighttime, so it'south best to place them in an area that is quiet and dark at dark. This is peculiarly important during brumation if your bearded dragon ends upward going through that process.

Two bearded dragons

Do Not Plan for Cohabitation

If yous are planning to prefer multiple bearded dragons or if you already have one and are adding to your reptile family, please practise not house them together. It is rarely a good idea.

  • Bearded dragons are territorial and could kill each other, especially if you business firm ii males together.
  • If y'all house two females together, the less dominant of the 2 could get seriously sick considering the more dominant ane will accept over the nutrient bowl and the basking spot.
  • If you lot firm a male and female person together, they will begin to reproduce and yous must be prepared to take care of multiple baby dragons.

Bearded Dragon Tank Setup: Floor

Another key component in giving your beardie a comfortable abode is choosing the all-time flooring. There are quite a lot of options bachelor, and unfortunately not all of them are safety. When you think well-nigh what floor yous want to use, the most important cistron to consider is what is best for your dragon? What will assist your dragon feel happy and comfortable in their new habitation? What will keep them make clean and rubber? What flooring is safe for them and easy for yous to take care of? Let's get to the "lesser" of it.

Some of the very pop options are not rubber for your bearded dragon, and some are. It's best to do your research and be fully informed before you make a determination. You lot can even give your local vet or reptile shelter a phone call and counterbalance their stance besides.

Best and Worst Flooring Options

Substrate is a hotly debated topic among Dragon Keepers. Many substrates are truly unsafe for bearded dragons for the following reasons:

  • They can cause impaction, eye and nose irritation, and even internal injury.
  • They tin as well be really difficult to proceed gratuitous of bacteria and parasites.
  • Live insects tin can hands hide in substrate.

    • If you choose to use substrate, y'all must really do your research and make absolutely sure that you are choosing the safest option for your dragon.

    Sand is one of the almost mutual substrates that people use for their dragons. But it is very dangerous for your dragon. While sand is part of dragons' natural habitat in the desert, the sand that you meet for sale at pet stores and online is non Australian desert sand. It can cause gut impaction and can hands be inhaled, causing respiratory problems; not to mention it tin can also get stuck in your beardie's eyes, causing irritation.

    Pebbles and rocks are a large no as well. These can cause impaction and pause your dragon's teeth.

    Pebbles

    Walnut shells, for similar reasons, pose an extreme threat to your dragon's health.

    Other substrates are available for disguised dragons besides. These are frequently fabricated up of some kind of woods fries, calcium powder, coconut fiber, or some kind of edible textile. We highly recommend consulting with your vet if you are interested in using this kind of substrate. While the ones made of edible or calcium-infused materials are unsafe, some of the wood options may work well for you depending on your situation.

    Some substrates including wooden fries are quite absorbent and easy to clean, merely in that location is however some take a chance of impaction and you must exist vigilant about cleaning them when your dragon goes to the bathroom.

    The other effect you may meet with these softer, dumbo substrates is they retain moisture, which can raise the humidity levels in your dragon's tank. If you go this road, just use your hygrometer to monitor the humidity.

    One other affair y'all need to keep in heed with loose substrate is live insect feedings. Live insects such as crickets, Dubia roaches, and worms will try to escape your bearded dragon during mealtime. This chase can be fun to watch and is part of the natural order of things, but it's unsafe in a loose substrate setting.

    The insects can hands bury themselves in the substrate and hide until long after feeding time. They will either seize with teeth your dragon (crickets are notorious for this, and their biting hurts!) or they will eventually die and begin to rot in the tank, causing a smell and posing a threat to your dragon's health. If you lot accept loose substrate, use a special designated area away from the substrate for live insect feeding. A big plastic container works quite well for this.

    Sand mats are not a great selection either. They tin can damage your disguised dragon by scratching them or causing impaction or internal injury when your beardie ingests dislodged pieces.

    Reptile rug is a great choice for your dragon. Information technology doesn't cost much, it's easy to clean, and virtually options you will find are designed to prevent odors. Y'all do have to remove it to clean it, so information technology's best to have at least one extra carpet on hand. If yous have a babe dragon, you may want to proceed more than 2 carpets since babies become to the bathroom more often than adults.

    Tile is a very popular pick amidst Dragon Keepers. Dark-colored ceramic and slate tile are ideal choices. Both materials provide your dragon with traction to move around comfortably, and dark colors volition forbid the tile from getting cold.

    Make sure you don't use vinyl or linoleum, which are also slippery for your bearded dragon'due south claws to gain any traction. The other issue with those materials is they retain a lot of heat and at that place is nowhere for information technology to escape in your dragon's tank, so it can fire your dragon.

    Be very careful when putting the tile in your bearded dragon's tank. Information technology can scrape or pause the terrarium floor, particularly if it's glass. Using a thin towel or newspaper between the floor and the tile tin can help protect the tank's floor.

    Clay is a really fun option for your disguised dragon if y'all have time and are willing to put in a picayune extra try to fix it up. You tin can get really creative with information technology and sculpt an exciting desert-like terrain with burrows, hills, and hideaways.

    In one case y'all purchase the reptile excavator dirt at your local pet store or online, mix it with water and permit information technology dry out in the tank. Your dragon can couch in the dirt merely it will not break off and cause impaction. The just issue y'all may run into with clay is every few months you accept to remove and replace information technology, which tin can be a hassle if you don't have a lot of actress time to accept intendance of that.

    Newspaper is easily the cheapest option for your bearded dragon. It's a dandy choice for babies since they go to the bathroom a lot and newspaper is incredibly easy to replace.

    Lightbulb

    Bearded Dragon Tank Setup : Proper Lights, Heating, and Humidity

    Dragons are cold-blooded creatures native to the Australian desert. They don't generate their own body heat, so they need proper heating and lighting mimicking their natural habitat in order to survive. Poor lighting or heat can cause metabolic os disease , a very serious condition that warps your dragon's skeletal system and inhibits digestion and absorption of nutrients. Metabolic bone disease can paralyze and impale your dragon if left untreated.

    Hither are some things you'll need to maintain the proper heat, lighting, and humidity that your dragon needs to stay comfy and healthy:

    • UVB lamp. Many vets recommend a self ballasted mercury vapor UVB lamp considering they emit estrus forth with UVB rays. It's best to supplant the UVB seedling every vi months to ensure the all-time quality rays and heat for your dragon.
    • Oestrus lamp and UVB bulb. If yous will not be using a UVB lamp that emits rut besides as UVB rays, and so you will need a rut lamp also every bit a UVB bulb.
    • Ceramic heat emitter. You will need this if yous are unable to maintain a temperature to a higher place 65 degrees in your home at night.
    • Thermometer. To ensure your dragon is getting the proper temperatures at any given time of the day or nighttime, you'll desire to have a good thermometer on hand. You could place a couple digital thermometers at either end of your bearded dragon's tank, or you could use a temperature gun to quickly browse unlike areas of the tank.
    • Hygrometer. It's helpful to have a hygrometer to measure the humidity in your dragon's tank.

    In one case yous have the necessary supplies, keep these lighting, heating, and humidity guidelines in heed for your bearded dragon tank setup :

    • UVB exposure. Whether you get a self ballasted UVB lamp or another kind, ensure your dragon gets 12 hours of UVB ray exposure a solar day.
    • Humidity. The ideal humidity for bearded dragons is 35 to forty% because that mimics the humidity levels in their natural habitat. This is frequently easy to achieve simply by providing adequate ventilation (for example, your glass tank screen lid), placing the water dish away from the basking spot, and not misting your dragon's tank likewise frequently.
    • Crimson lights. Y'all may observe in your research that some bearded dragon tanks have a reddish low-cal on at night. Although many Dragon Keepers choose to do this, it's non necessary and tin can exist stressful for your bearded dragon. In the wild, bearded dragons would go to sleep in total darkness, or perchance nether soft moonlight and starlight. Red lights or other night lights you can get for your dragon just aren't the same. Dragons have trouble sleeping when there is besides much light, especially from a bulb or screen. Then information technology's best to avert adding a scarlet light or dark light to your dragon's tank.
    • Daytime temperatures. Every dragon needs a basking spot, and this spot should be between 95 and 110 degrees Fahrenheit during the day. Other parts of the tank should be cooler then your dragon can regulate body temperature as needed.
    • Night temperatures. At night, the entire tank should range from 65 to 75 degrees Fahrenheit. Of course, you don't have to keep a basking spot at nighttime.

    Bearded Dragon Tank Setup: Decor

    Possibly the most fun part of setting up your dragon's new dwelling house is selecting the decor! When it comes to creativity, the sky's the limit. Some Dragon Keepers opt for a laid back, simple surroundings, while others choose an elaborate theme such as exotic desert or tropical rainforest. If you are a first time Dragon Keeper, you may want to keep it simple to offset out, only information technology'due south entirely upward to you.

    Potted succulents on a desk

    Regardless of your style or theme, here are some items to include in your bearded dragon tank setup:

    • Basking log or rock. Your bearded dragon will demand a large surface to bask on beneath the heating lamp. A log or rock is perfect for this.
    • Hideaway. For bedtime, brumation, and following the natural instincts of burrowing, your dragon needs a hide. In that location are plenty of options available so you can observe 1 that matches your tank'south style.
    • Things to climb on. Whether information technology'south branches, rocks, logs, or another fixture that matches your decor theme, bearded dragons love to climb on things. Of course, just make certain in that location is withal room on the ground for your dragon also.
    • Hammock. Bearded dragons honey hanging out and lounging in hammocks. Identify i in the corner of your tank opposite the heating lamp, and your bearded dragon will cheers.
    • Plants. Many Dragon Keepers enjoy decorating the terrarium with plants, live or fake.

    Live plants can affect the humidity levels in your dragon'due south tank, so be sure to use your hygrometer ofttimes. Keep in mind that your dragon may eat some of the live plants, and so it's important to only keep alive plants and herbs that are safe for your bearded dragon to ingest.

      Safe plants include:

      • Aloe vera (If your dragon eats likewise much of this, she may get diarrhea, so just keep an eye on things)
      • Herbs such as rosemary, basil, oregano, and parsley (they may wilt in the humidity and so replace them when they begin to get bad)
      • Turtle vine
      • Succulents such as echeveria and haworthia
      • Prickly pear cacti (with spines removed)

      Another thing to proceed in listen if you are interested in using alive plants is that yous volition have to water and care for them as well as caring for your dragon. If you've never taken care of plants earlier, y'all may desire to start with a establish outside the terrarium and go from at that place.

      Pro Tip: Usually it's safest but to use plastic plants. Make sure they are loftier quality to minimize the risk of your dragon biting off a slice and choking or becoming impacted.

      Bearded Dragon Tank Setup: Feeding Essentials

      • Shallow dishes. For greens, fruits, insects, supplements, and water, yous'll desire at least 3 or iv shallow dishes on paw.
      • Insect tweezers. For alive insect feeding , information technology's helpful to have 1 or two pairs of tweezers on hand. Non but tin can it be fun to feed your dragon with the tweezers, but it tin protect you lot from insects that can pinch or seize with teeth, and it'southward as well a good option for those who would rather not touch live bugs with their hands.
      • Container for feeding. If you are using loose substrate or you want to get more up-close and personal when feeding your dragon, or if you lot simply don't desire to unleash alive insects into the terrarium and adopt a more independent environment, you'll desire to have a large, shallow plastic container on hand.
      • Live feeder insects. Whether you are getting a baby, juvenile, or adult disguised dragon, you will need to include live insects in their diet. Crickets and Dubia roaches are the most popular staple insects, and there are plenty to choose from every bit treats and supplements. Decide ahead of time what insects you will start with and see how your dragon likes them. And make sure y'all sympathise how to keep and intendance for the insects you choose, also.

      Good for you disguised dragons can live upwardly of ten years with proper care. The terrarium plays a huge role in giving your bearded dragon a healthy, happy life. Now that you know the basics of creating the all-time disguised dragon tank setup , you can provide your reptile with a home where she tin thrive.

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