Looking for info

[ryvanzandt]

Hello

I am thinking about getting a bearded dragon in 2-4 months time. I am not new to reptiles. I currently have a 1 1/2 year old Russian tortoise and a juvenile ambilobe panther chameleon. My plan is to build my tortoise a new home and using his current home (24x24x48 DIY Critter Condo) for a bearded dragon. Since a beardie eats most things that I feed the russian and the chameleon, I figure it should not be much of a food cost increase.

I've looked at different care sheets and there are always slight differences in them, so I will ask the community of keepers for their best practices. If you have specific care sheets you like/refer to please let me know.

Is the DIY critter condo big enough for an adult? I may build something bigger later, cause I always want the best for my animals, but if its a year or 2 down the road don't want the guy to be miserable. I will post pics of my current setups later when I get on my IPAD.

I use Arcadia T5 12% bulbs, what is the proper UVI for a beardie? I have a solar meter to measure the basking spot. Is half the enclosure enough coverage for uvb?

What is the proper supplementing types and schedule?

I have plenty of questions, but those are the ones I would like your opinion and clarification on right now. I will keep researching and I'm sure I will have more questions and need more clarifications later.

Thanks

 

[averyhanna_]

hello, you’ve asked a lot of questions so if i miss anything please ask them again!
adult beardies need at least 75 gallons typically, so it depends what age you get your dragon. if it’s around 40 gallons that will be okay for a year or two but an upgrade would be best!
you’ll want a basking side and cool side. temperatures can range depending on the age, so i can go into more detail if you’d like. typically 2/3 of the enclosure is best for uvb. you’ll want a tube rather than coil.
supplements also depend on age, with more frequency when young. you’ll want a calcium supplement and a multivitamin with beta carotene. again, if you’d like i can give more details!
good luck, and welcome to the form