Hi all, I am new here and new to keeping bearded dragons. We just bought my daughter a dragon a few weeks ago and things have been going great. It eats like a champ and is very active. When we first bought it, we bought a tank kit that included a 20 gallon tank, heat lamps, uvb bulbs, etc. basically everything we needed. I am now looking to build a much bigger enclosure for our dragon just because I don’t like seeing him crammed in the 20 gallon tank. I have researched builds and am going to build a 4x2x2 melamine enclosure with glass sliding doors on the front. I am hung up on what light fixtures I need to buy for an enclosure like this. I don’t plan on having a screen top so I assume I’ll need to attach a t5 strip inside as well as some type of heat lamps. Do you have recommendations for how to accomplish this and maybe links to what I should buy? I really appreciate your help.
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Looking for help with heating and lighting diy enclosure
- Thread starter Jarrodmo
- Start date
Homedepot aka Lowe's (any lights)
Melamine is good-- NO pine ---- the lights I can help w/ --- the UVB will need to go inside the tank --- a 24" fixture like a Zoo Med Sunblaster or Arcadia are all good hoods - you do not want the fixture across the whole tank - your dragon needs to be able to escape the UVB rays so half the tank is good - your going to want a Reptisun 10.0 T 5 bulb or the Arcadia 12% bulb - that is considered a T 5 - do not put the UVB on the back wall it needs to go directly above the basking decor piece 12-15 inches --- not sure how you can do that unless you take and put some metal strips across for attachment -- I would not make permanent decor pieces -- if you haft to move them for say heating temps you wont be able to do that -- basking bulbs are going to be trial and error and may change w/ the seasons - I am using a Zen Habitat and summer my bulbs change wattage -- your probably going to need a CHE ceramic heat emitter in the winter - I am not sure how to have the basking bulb on the tank w/ no screen except if you bought a stand from Petsmart to hang over the tank then you can lower it and raise it when necessary -- same w/ the heat emitter -- your going to need a couple of digital probe thermometers for actual basking temps stick ons can be used for ambient temps only! NO colored bulbs NO heat mats or rocks and NO sand! Basking bulbs need to be a bright white bulb no off white or yellowish color I would start w/ a 100 watt and get your basking temps of 105-110 for a baby using the digital probe thermometer and placed where hes going to sit -- you want 3 temps in the tank basking side which is hot a middle of the tank temp in the 90's and cool side of 80's during the day --- temps at nite can be from 65-75 dark and cool-- as your dragon gets older he will not want real hot temps and they will need to be adjusted to 95-100-- I would get him out of that kit his in as soon as you can -- the UVB I am assuming came w/ a coil which they are terrible for causing health issues and stick on gauges etc ---- you will need a digital probe hygrometer placed on the back center of wall of tank -- optimal humidity is 20-50% -- nothing below 20% and nothing higher than 70% --
https://www.pangeareptile.com/store/arcadia-prot5-uvb-kit.html 24" fixture w/ the 12%
https://www.pangeareptile.com/store/zoo-med-reptisun-t5-ho-terrarium-hood.html currently out of stock
this comes w/ a 5.0 bulb it can be used as a back up but the distance and is different from the 10.0 bulb
https://www.pangeareptile.com/store/zoo-med-reptisun-10.0-uvb-t5.html 22" bulb
Amazon.com : Sunblaster T5 High Output Fluorescent Strip Light, 2-Feet : Plant Growing Light Fixtures : Garden & Outdoor
Amazon.com : Sunblaster T5 High Output Fluorescent Strip Light, 2-Feet : Plant Growing Light Fixtures : Garden & Outdoor
www.amazon.com
Zoo Med Digital Thermometer
Measure the temperatures within your terrariums and reptile cages easily with this digital thermometer by Zoo Med! Order temeprature and humidity guages from Pangea Reptile.
www.pangeareptile.com
Underside of the tank???????????? Meaning a wood top?
Yes, I was planning to do melamine top, bottom and sides and then have sliding glass doors on the front. With plenty of vents on the back and sides.
You dont need fixtures people screw the sockets into the lid -- depending on how high the bulb is you do not want the dragon any closer than 6" to the heat bulb or your going to need a heat guard
Amazon.com: Reptile Anti-Scald Lamp Covers Heater Guard for Cage,Lights Bulb Lampshades for Lizards Spider Scorpion Protection Reptiles Supplies Industrial Grade : Pet Supplies
Amazon.com: Reptile Anti-Scald Lamp Covers Heater Guard for Cage,Lights Bulb Lampshades for Lizards Spider Scorpion Protection Reptiles Supplies Industrial Grade : Pet Supplies
www.amazon.com
Thanks again Sadie. That’s what I was thinking, screwing the socket right to the lid. Where do I buy the sockets or are they just regular sockets you’d find at Lowe’s?
Amazon.com: Reptile Heat Light Fixture Holder, E27 Base Bulb Socket Adjustable Reptile Lamp Holder Bracket Reptile Heat Light Stand for Lizard Turtle Tortoise Reptile Ceramic Lamp Holder(110-240V): Home Improvement
Amazon.com: Reptile Heat Light Fixture Holder, E27 Base Bulb Socket Adjustable Reptile Lamp Holder Bracket Reptile Heat Light Stand for Lizard Turtle Tortoise Reptile Ceramic Lamp Holder(110-240V): Home Improvement
www.amazon.com
