Enclosure Size

[Shannon Pitman]

I currently have a 4 foot by 18 inch by 18 inch enclosure for my 11 month bearded dragon, but I think it is still a little too small for my big buy. He is 19 inches and roughly 440 grams I believe, and he just runs around looking like he wants a bigger one. I've heard that a 75 gallon tank is the maximum for a bearded dragon under a year. I'm planning on building a new tank for Spud that will measure 6 foot x 2 feet x 2 feet. What do you guys think? Is there such thing as too big of a tank as long as I can provide the correct heat requirements, which I can.

 

[Mungi's Buddha]

I think Spud will be a very happy dragon in a 6x2x2 home....plenty of room to roam My belief is that more room in most cases is a good thing for most creatures as long as the correct lighting and heating requirements are provided. Minimum size for an adult bearded dragon is a 40 gallon breeder tank or equivilant which is 36L x 18D x 17H and the most common size for DIY enclosures that folks usually build for them is a 4'x2'x2'. Your current enclosure is perfectly adequate for him as a permanent enclosure but if you want to build him something larger I would say go for it...he wont complain I assure you!

If you do decide to build one be sure to take lots of pics of the build and share them!

Enjoy!

 

[Shannon Pitman]

Thanks for the input! Here are a couple of pictures of the new enclosure and background that I threw together! I have yet to put anything in it, including Spud besides to see if the new shelves will hold his big body , but when I go shopping, I am looking to get a new uva/uvb (reptisun 10.0 4 foot) and a new shelf liner which I am in love with using as a substrate. It is easy to clean, although he never goes poo on his floor, he enjoys pooing in the pie dish I provided for him for a water/bathing dish. I have an 150 watt ceramic heat emitter so I don't think I'll need a new heat bulb, maybe just a stronger outlet! I made the shelving out of styrofoam and applied roughly 6 coats of watered down grout for support and later painted the backing with a red/brown mixture that ended up looking like a fake spray tan color but I modified that slightly with 2 extra coats of light colored grout. I believe that the tank came out pretty great, and that he'll be very happy! I really would like to provide a dig box for him. I've been reading up on what to put in the tank to allow him to dig and I think I would use alfalfa pellets, as I've read that they will not hurt spud if he decides to eat one, what do you think? Have you heard good things? Maybe some suggestions?

 

[Germ]

BDs thrive on Bright white light, using a white or clear bulb would be a much better choice for daytime heat than a CHE. Also it is not a good plan to have the UVB covering the length of the enclosure, they need to be able to get away or out of it should they feel the need, in the shade so to speak, which in most enclosures is the cool side. A 24" fixture will do the job quite nicely, UVB is only required to cover the basking spot at a distance close enough to be effective, as that is where they should be spending the majority of their time if the temps & heat gradient are set up properly.

Good Luck

 

[Noella]

Great looking viv so far.

 

[Mungi's Buddha]

Your enclosure looks good I hope that the boards that you used to construct it are hardwood and not pine or cedar. It is hard to tell from the pics. Cedar is a definite no go for reptiles due do the aroma it puts off and most other conifers such as pine will leach sap even after painting in most cases which is also not good for dragons.
I would also recommend that you provide some vertical supports for your shelves. I have built quite a few of them using the foam and grout and can tell you that without proper support they will crack presenting a fall danger for your dragon.
You will also want to make sure that you seal the gaps in the corners, top and bottom of your enclosure to make sure that your live feeders can not squeeze through and get behind the "rock" panels. They will quickly find even the smallest gaps to escape being dinner
Lastly you are going to have to install some vents to provide proper air circulation and to allow excess heat to escape.
Looking forward to further updates on your build and to seeing the final product!!

Enjoy!

 

[Noella]

Hmm. Makes me wonder if the paneling in my house is pine. The people who lived here before me, painted the whole inside the house one color. Nowadays, this liquid stuff dribbles down the paneling. It's not water either. It's just a slow trickle that stops before reaching the bottom. I even tried cleaning it off, it doesn't come off.