Getting My First Beardie

[Karizma212]

Hiii I Was Thinking About Finally Getting My Beardie I Just Want To Make Sure I Got Everything Settled Like Which One Bearded Dragon I Wanted And What materials I Needed But I Still Dont Understand What Watts I Need For A 40 Gallon Terratrium Any Suggestions? And How Will I Know If My Baby Dragon Is A Male Or Female?

 

[Dana92]

Not sure on the wattage, since I still get confused on that myself.. but you won't be able to tell the gender of the beardie until they're a bit older. When they're babies, they show signs of BOTH genders so it can get confusing. Once they're old enough though, telling the gender is is pretty easy. You want to look on the underside of the tail right where it joins to the back legs. If you see 2 lumps then it's a boy, if you see 1 lump in the middle then it's a girl!

 

[PatsyB]

Welcome to the forum!

You need a UVB bulb that covers at least 2/3's of his tank and a basking bulb. You will also need two digital probe thermometers to monitor the temps on both the basking spot and the cooler side of the tank. The wattage of your basking bulb depends on how far away from the light your beardie is to get the temperatures up to the right amounts. I would start with a 100 watt and adjust accordingly. It's normal to buy lots of different types of bulbs and wattages until you find the one that works for you. At one time I could have opened a light store in my house!

 

[drzebra]

For a 40 gallon tank, you can also use a 100 watt mercury vapor bulb for both heat and uvb.

This is divisive, though. A lot of people swear by them, a lot of people refuse to use them. Personally, my preference is for mercury vapor. My dragons just seem to respond to it better.

 

[Karizma212]

Where Do I Put The Mercury Vapor Bulb On His Basking Spot?

For a 40 gallon tank, you can also use a 100 watt mercury vapor bulb for both heat and uvb.

This is divisive, though. A lot of people swear by them, a lot of people refuse to use them. Personally, my preference is for mercury vapor. My dragons just seem to respond to it better.

 

[drzebra]

Yes, the mercury vapor bulb (Solar Glo, Power Sun, Sunspot, etc) goes over the basking spot, on the side of the tank that you want to be hot. Just for additional light, I put a run of the mill daylight fluorescent light over the cool side.

 

[Karizma212]

Yes, the mercury vapor bulb (Solar Glo, Power Sun, Sunspot, etc) goes over the basking spot, on the side of the tank that you want to be hot. Just for additional light, I put a run of the mill daylight fluorescent light over the cool side.

What Light Do I Put In At Night Besides The Red Light?

 

[drzebra]

No lights at night. Beardies need complete darkness to sleep. Even the red or black lights mess with their sleep cycles.

If the tank gets below 65 degrees Fahrenheit at night, use a ceramic heat emitter. It screws into a light socket and gives heat, but no light.