New enclosure suggestions

[Richardmb01]

I recently purchased a set up for a future bearded dragon on craigslist. I am trying to learn everything i can. I wont purchase a pet until i have a clue .
I am not sure what bulb goes which which receptacle and if all are needed. I could give you all my assumptions but would just like to get your responses so i do it right. Plus which items should go on which side. Again i have my assumptions.

 

[Broly]

Hey, I do hope somebody else replies who is more experienced than me and can offer detailed advice but I will say that you shouldn’t be using any coiled or coloured bulbs. I think this is a huge no-no. My own set up, everything is mounted inside the tank so I know less about mounting bulbs from above the tank. You will also need a substrate, tile is a good option and easy to clean. Or you could use a non-adhesive shelf liner. Other members will have other suggestions and preferences. It’s also very important that you purchase at least two digital probe thermometers (stick on thermometers are inaccurate). You can also purchase a digital hygrometer to keep an eye on the humidity inside the enclosure.
The two most important things are the UVA & UVB and to ensure you’re achieving the correct temperatures before bringing home your pet. I hope someone else can chime in with more info

 

[TheLongfellows]

Hey, I do hope somebody else replies who is more experienced than me and can offer detailed advice but I will say that you shouldn’t be using any coiled or coloured bulbs. I think this is a huge no-no. My own set up, everything is mounted inside the tank so I know less about mounting bulbs from above the tank. You will also need a substrate, tile is a good option and easy to clean. Or you could use a non-adhesive shelf liner. Other members will have other suggestions and preferences. It’s also very important that you purchase at least two digital probe thermometers (stick on thermometers are inaccurate). You can also purchase a digital hygrometer to keep an eye on the humidity inside the enclosure.
The two most important things are the UVA & UVB and to ensure you’re achieving the correct temperatures before bringing home your pet. I hope someone else can chime in with more info

First of all how exciting your getting a beardie I’ll tell you they are the best reptile you can get ours is full of personality and loves to cuddle with us. jjgamez is right tile is a great substrate that’s what we use easy to clean and holds heat. Good ol paper towels will work well for now. I personally don’t use loose substrates like sands or dirt because dragons have a tendency of eating it then becoming impacted this can get bad even kill the animal. (A lot of people do and would argue that fact but I feel it’s just not worth it.) He is also correct about coil bulbs. I think I see a coil (twisted looking bulb) don’t use coil uvb bulbs they put off nearly no uv. They also cause eye irritation and cause of many other health issues. Where you have the decor is really up to you and where we end up putting the lights left or right is fine as long as it’s not right in middle you want to create a temp gradient a way for the animal to move out of light to cooler area. You want 100-110 for a baby dragon. Middle should run in the 90’s and cool side between 80-90 get the digital temp gauges the stick on analogs are very inaccurate trust me I’ve ran tests of my own. I can help you with what uvb and bulbs you need if you tell me the size of your tank. Getting the proper uvb is the biggest deal if there is not sufficient uvb and a certain distance from the animal the dragon will not have “wild” like sun rays that help Synthesize D3 they will have no energy not eat and get very ill. I cannot stress enough the uvb is crucial. The lamp fixtures in your pics for the basking bulb are good to use. If the temps are gonna drop below 65 degrees f than you will also want to get a CHE (ceramic heat emitter to supplement heat at night. Only supplement heat at night if it gets that cold the cooling off at night is part of there anatomy and really need the cool down so if using a CHE never let it get any warmer thank like 77 I keep my baby around 70-74 at night. Don’t use any colored light bulbs for night time beardies like dark when they sleep and again cause eye problems. a lot of pet stores will give bad advice don’t purchase kits they end up being useless and you have to spend more money replacing things. Well my family and I are happy for you these animals are amazing. Let me know tank size and we will get y’all set up. Welcome to the forum! Sorry just noticed you have a CHE the (flat whit one.) do you know the watts to all those bulbs ditch the red one and coil one. Tank size will help us find you good uvb and bulb watts for the other bulbs

 

[Skybug]

Id get your feeders setups as well, if you can offer him multiple kinds of bugs that will keep him nice and healthy, roaches are really good u can keep them in a tote with egg crates , meal worms are okay alot of people dont like them, black soilder fly larve seems to be the new feeders people like, i personally dont like crickets i think they’re dirty feeders but I understand if they’re all u can get, good for you for wanting to get your tank ready before you get ur baby, if u have any questions feel free to ask there are no dumb or silly questions

 

[Bailey]

You've got the incorrect UVB!

Do you have any substrate? Please tell me your beardie isn't just walking on the glass bottom of the tank...

Lots of husbandry issues here, i'd get started on figuring them out!

Here is a link to a good UVB light, it comes with a back-up bulb too: Click here to go to amazon link
@Sadie is absolutely amazing when it comes to lighting placement, i am sure she can help you if need be!

 

[Richardmb01]

Thank you for all the great advice! Have been reading non stop for weeks. The tank is set up and a better uvb light will be here this am and my beardie just arrived yesterday afternoon so i figured a few hours with the wrong uvb shouldnt be that bad. I have a CHE emitter a basking bulb and the coil uvb bulb set up for now. I have dubia roaches and mealworms. I know the mealworms arent the best but that is what she was eating before and wanted to keep it consistent along with sweet potato and leafy greens. She wasnt in the tank until it was complete using reptile carpet until i find some tile. I have two thermometers and one has a hygrometer. Again, thanks for all the advice i am sure ill need more soon.
Here are a few pics. If you see anything else lmk.
P.S she started eating a few hours after being here so i assume that is a good thing.

 

[Skybug]

I like ur tank setup , my only critiques would be to put the backgrounds inside the tank, beardies dont like seeing their reflections in the glass and it can stress them, and you know stick on thermostats are bad? They only messure ambient air temperature, get a digital probe put it on the basking spot the middle of the tank then the cool side to get proper readings, you dont need an expensive heat gun to detect temps, messure from the heat lamp to his basking spot u want it between 8-11 inches , very cute lil bugger, get him a wash cloth rub it on your clean body to get ur scent on it and put it in the hide he uses most(beardies love soft things ik its weird) buy him some black soldier fly larva aswell (dont dust them) they’re very good for babies , try to get him to eat salad every day, you dont want a problem with him not taking vegg in the future,

 

[Richardmb01]

Thank you for all the help! I will put the background in the tank. The thermometer and thermometer/hygrometer do have the probes.

 

[TheLongfellows]

Great job sounds good to me and your right the coil won’t hurt for a short period of time it’s better than nothing.Happy to hear you got the other uvb on the way. Nice looking dragon too. Bsfl are great for the growing babies lots of calcium and protein. Yes salad eating is good to introduce now it can be a pain when they get older.

 

[BeardieLover<3]

I would suggest not feeding mealworms! My 2-3 month old bearded got impacted and i had to do a few things to get her to poop! Dubia roaches are very good for bearded dragon, I order mine here and do the suscribe and save. My 2-3-month-old eats 500 in 2 weeks but to save shipping costs i did 500 with a quantity of 2 delivered every 4 weeks. SO 1000 roaches for her As for salad collard greens are what i do. And occasionaly some carrots, apples and kale.

 

[TheLongfellows]

collard greens, turnip greens, kale, and some occasional cilantro. Our babies also like squash and raspberries and blueberries but do those ever so often because there high in oxalates same with the cilantro. Carrots I feed to my roaches and what they eat your bearded dragon eats. So you can always "gut load" your bugs with things too. Beware though if you feed a lot of high calcium veggies to your bearded dragon and dusting the bugs with calcium watch for yellow in the urate "pee" if it's getting yellow it's getting too much calcium. I've made this mistake I have taken down the number of times I supplement during the week due to the high calcium content foods that she eats. I was overloading her on calcium for awhile. No Bueno

 

[Richardmb01]

Curios if this lighting setup is acceptable. Basking area is at 105 degrees cool side is 75 degrees. Is there a better location for the reptisun uvb light and should i use the 5.0 or 10.0 bulb. Its a 40 gallon tank. Thanks again!

 

[Broly]

Hey which UVB do you have currently? Is it a T8 or a T5? The 10.0 is better for Bearded Dragons so should be chosen over the 5.0

 

[Richardmb01]

It is a T5

 

[Broly]

I don’t have a mesh top on my viv, so my T5 is inside and I have a 120gal but I know mesh tops significantly reduce the UVB. I have included a link with a little bit more info regarding that > http://www.uvguide.co.uk/fluorescenttubemeshtests.htm

 

[Broly]

Ps. I’m not saying your T5 like that isn’t sufficient - I’m more saying I can’t advise if it is or not as I don’t have a similar set up so haven’t done as much research regarding bulbs from outside the tank. But deffo go with the 10.0 over the 5.0 for sure!

 

[TheLongfellows]

If it is a 5.0 t5 you want it inside that tank because even inside the tank you’d want it at least 9 inches from decor. If it’s the 10.0 it can be on the mesh but you want the decor within 10 inches at least some would say 6-9 inches through mesh for the t5. I’ve had my t5 ho 10.0 on the screen of a 40 gal. and gave my baby access to 8 inches. If you keep it on screen make sure you give the dragon a lot of ways to get as close as it needs to or wants to. They know what they need just give it that gradient to do so. Hope this helps