Hello from Scotland!

[Arctic Fox]

Hey All...

I don't have a dragon yet but I have been researching for the last month.

I'm planning to get just one... and I have been looking at a 4ft Vivarium so I don't have to look for a bigger Viv later.

For equipment, I'm thinking a basking light and a UVB strip light. Some say those curly UVB bulbs are no good! Does that sound correct?

My home gets a bit cold in the winter (can drop around 5C at night in the rooms) so I was also thinking of getting a ceramic heater element.
Does that sound like a good idea or overkill?

I work in the electronics industry (Embedded systems), so I'm planning to build my own habitat system with a few temp sensors, humidity, web cam and even a small pc fan to extract carbon dioxide. And have it all connected to the internet so I can monitor temps etc..


Cheers

Paul

 

[Josh]

Welcome to the forum!
I prefer the straight, long UV bulbs. I have a 4 ft one
A Ceramic Heat Emitter, CME, is a good idea just in case. You can probably forego your basking light if you have a CME.
I'd love to see your internet integrated system, Paul! Keep us updated on it's construction.

 

[gilliesexotics]

Hi, welcome to the forums! I second what has been stated above. You will have to keep us posted with pics!

 

[Germ]

A few good links to help get you started ...

Basic BD Care Sheet - A Place To Start

Bearded Dragon --- Exclusive Care Info Library

Beautiful Dragons Nutrition Chart

UVB Setup

Is Bearded Dragon Co-habitation a good plan?

How To Sex A Bearded Dragon

 

[Ron G]

Agree about the coil uvb bulbs. Don't get one! One of those came with my starter set and luckily I did my research and got rid of it the next day. Based on the research they should be taken off the market. It bothers me that pet stores still continue to sell them.

 

[Germ]

If set up properly, compact UVB bulbs will do the job very well. Almost all issues with most UVB bulbs, of any style, stem from improper setup issues.