Enclosure build in process

[kennedy]

O.k.! I am a newbie to both this forum and Bearded Dragons. I have had my Beardie for about a month and have enjoyed reading the posts on this forum. It has been very valuable in helping me keep my beardie happy. So far he has been eating well and appears to be thriving. Being a juvenile he is currently in a 29 gal. aquarium. However, I know this wont be big enough for long. Having some woodworking skills and wanting to have plenty of time to get a new enclosure done, I have decided to build the absolute best enclosure that I feel a Dragon could have. So I have some questions,
1. What is the optimum size for a fully grown Bearded Dragon? I want him to have plenty of room after I have put his other necessities in it.
2. I planned on using ceremic floor tiles for the flooring. Is this a good idea? If not, whats best?
3. I have planned for three different lamps in my setup. I have planned for vents in both the side walls and the back of the enclosure.
4. I am currently studying some online plans that I have run across so I do have some idea of everything a enclosure should have.
5. If anyone has any suggestions or ideas PLEASE let me know. I am very good at taking constructive criticism, so let me have it. My goal for this is to have a beautiful and eye appealing enclosure but more importantly I want my beardie to be happy and healthy.
6. I do want to stain it and apply polyeurithane. I am a little concerned that any leftover fumes or vapors could hurt my dragon. Any info on this would help to.
Thanks to evryone in advance for your input. It is much appreciated.

 

[ladyknite]

Good for You!

Minimum size for a dragon is 36 x 18 inches, but bigger is nice.

Ceramic tile is a choice. What are you currently using? Some dragons adapt well to tile, others do not. It's a dragon choice really. You can also experiment with non adhesive shelf liner, reptile carpet, newspaper or other non particle substrate while he's young.

3 lamps.........I'll assume one is UVB. With an enclosed unit, generally one bulb for heat does the trick. You'll be surprised how warm that cage gets by 4 pm. Is there another reason for the 3?

Poly is fine. Let dry for 48 hours before putting him in.

 

[kennedy]

Well lets put it this way, I bought him at Petco and they said I needed three different lights. On flourescent reptile light, one daytime heat lamp, and one nighttime heat lamp. As for the substrate they told me to use sand. Obvously now I know that sand is highly debateable issue with Bearded Dragon owners so I want to get rid of the sand just in case it is bad for my beardie. THIS is why I love this forum, I can get some real help here!

 

[ladyknite]

hmmmmmmmmmmm they lied to you.

Let us help you out.

First off............the florescent bulb they tell you that you need........is probably wrong. I'm assuming their suggesting the Zilla or the repti glo 10, which is their product at this time.
Scrap that, return it, or whatever. Order the repti sun 10 to fit your fixture from the "BUY SUPPLIES NOW" button at the top right hand corner of this page.

He won't need a nite time light unless your temps drop down below 65F at night. Dragons need to cool off at night.

The sand they sold you was most likely repti sand or calci sand. It's deadly. Some of us have used playsand for older dragons, but for young ones, stick with a non particle. As your experience and confidence grow, you can branch out and experiment later on. But keep him safe while he's little.

 

[kennedy]

geez........ I don't understand why these stores are in business. Anyway I am learning more and will definatly see if I can get that bulb tonight. I will keep posting to this forum and hopefully I will get past this newbie stage and keep my beardie happy. Thanks so much for all the help from everyone!!!!

 

[zebraflavencs]

There are several reasons why these stores are in business. We want to correct misunderstandings, and misinformation so your (or anyones' for that matter) pet can grow up and live long in a healthy environment..
Hope that helps out !
Janie

 

[ladyknite]

Janie forgot to tell you that they're in business for money. One motive, one reason, one goal.

Not a problem. We're pretty diverse here and most of us have been around for quite some time.
You'll do fine. Just keep up the good work.

 

[Craiger]

If you like, you can browse my Photobucket account to get some ideas. I've built a couple enclosures in my time.

Here's the links:
Frodo's: http://s19.photobucket.com/albums/b163/Craiger7/Dragons Lair/
Sam's: http://s19.photobucket.com/albums/b163/Craiger7/Sams Place/

Either one should help. Granted, my vents are all up high. They work just fine and temps have never been an issue for me....but that might have a lot to do with their size. I can imagine a smaller enclosure would need more air movement to keep temps at bay.

Should you have any questions about something I've done or didn't do, ask away.

 

[kennedy]

Thanks Craiger. Awsome job on both of the enclosures. I think I want to do mine similar to Sam's enclosure! Thanks alot for the pictures and the ideas!

 

[Craiger]

Thanks Craiger. Awsome job on both of the enclosures.

Thanks. Really, I appreciate it!

I think I want to do mine similar to Sam's enclosure! Thanks alot for the pictures and the ideas!

Cool. I don't try to pretend like I know everything, because I don't. But I do have some experience built up, now, that helps give me some confidence when it comes to building enclosures. So feel free to ask anything, anytime should you have questions. Even if it's an idea I've yet to pursue, it always helps to get someone else involved when planning things....especially those that have already "been there, done that". I talked to so many people during the build process of each of my enclosures that I feel like many of them had about as much input into building them than I did myself. Personally, I like to think of it as me learning from others' mistakes so I don't have to learn them the hard way myself.