Newbie To Bearded Dragons

[SoleSky]

Hey guys,
You seem to have a really great community going on here and I thought that it would be good to join to get some tips and info on bearded dragons. I don't yet have a bearded dragon but thought it would be a good idea since I'm going away to college and always enjoyed the company of pets. Since I can't bring my dog I felt that the next best companion would be a bearded dragon. I plan to go to the reptile expo in the next two weekends to check out some bearded dragons but I was just wondering if there were any better places to get juveniles and what size tank I should start with. I was also interested in the lighting and timing of the lights. Thanks for your help.
-SoleSky

 

[beardie_love]

Hello there, SoleSky! And welcome to the forum.

Glad you are researching before purchasing a dragon. You can give the caresheet a look on this site. Great info there.

The minimum size tank you should have is a 40 gallon breeder (36" x 18"). Better to start off with that size rather than getting a small tank at first and then upgrading. At least the 40 gallon can be kept its whole life. If you decide to get a baby, you can section off the tank so the little one won't be overwhelmed.

As for lighting, everyone recommends the Repti-Sun 10.0 (tube). For a basking bulb, a regular household bulb will do. The timing for the lights can be 12/12, but during the summer, I like to do 14/12 since the daylight is longer.

Feel free to ask more questions. We're here to help!