Very new... Did I get the wrong enclosure?

[The Counsils]

Okay.. so very new.. first post.. my daughter is getting a beardie in May. I got her an Exo Terra Large Low Terrarium, 36"x18"x12". I got her just the enclosure for now because all the "kits" come with sand and we've been reading that sand could cause problems for babies/juveniles. So we decided to piece together a tank. I realize that this is a large enclosure for a baby or juvenile and she/we may have to hand feed.

I'm wondering what heat source would you suggest for the low profile terrarium? Also how long do you think her beardie would be in this size enclosure? Should we have gotten the taller enclosure?

Thanks,
Carol

 

[Gerald Smith]

I can’t comment on the lights. But I’ll tell you what I think I know about cages, I’m still new to this. It was a good call to not go with sand. If they eat sand accidentally it could cause impaction. Most people recommend against carpet because it may cause damage to their nails. My dragon has carpet but I want to change that soon. A lot of people recommend newspaper or paper towels because it’s safe for them and easy to clean up, just throw it away and put down some more. Now the real OG dragon owners seem to prefer non/glazed ceramic tile or even better I’ve heard is slate. This will obviously require cutting tiles to fit the cage. I don’t know much on how to do that so please speak to the Master Dragons on that. As far as cage size most people speak in terms of gallons. It’s suggested min for a juvenile is 20gal and min for an adult is 40gal. But what is more important is actual length and width. I have a 40gal tank for my juvenile and it measures 36” in length. I’ve seen at least one 40gal tank that is 48”. So I think that tank would be more shallow or narrow to be the same gallon but longer. If yours is 36” it sounds like it will accommodate an adult. I think the are full grown between 18-24mos so you should have plenty of space for awhile. With all that being said all dragons will not be the same size when the reach adulthood so if it happens to be bigger you may have to get a bit larger cage. As far as height is concerned the cage just needs to be tall enough to hold a branch, log, or rock that the dragon can climb on to bask. They like to get up off the ground but they don’t require too much vertical space. That’s about all I know. Hope it helps and congrats on becoming a beardie owner!

 

[The Counsils]

If yours is 36” it sounds like it will accommodate an adult. I think the are full grown between 18-24mos so you should have plenty of space for awhile. With all that being said all dragons will not be the same size when the reach adulthood so if it happens to be bigger you may have to get a bit larger cage. As far as height is concerned the cage just needs to be tall enough to hold a branch, log, or rock that the dragon can climb on to bask. They like to get up off the ground but they don’t require too much vertical space. That’s about all I know. Hope it helps and congrats on becoming a beardie owner!

Thank you for replying.. the enclosure is a 33 something gallon (36"x18"x12"), if it I got the taller enclosure (36"x18"x18") it would have been 40 gallons. It's good to know that they just like to bask off the ground. That is where my concern was with the heat and making sure that it was too HOT and maybe the 18" height would have been better, but I guess that is just trial and error and a good digital thermometer. That is why we are getting equipment before we get our beardie.

Also have questions about UVB.

Most of the kits have a basking light bulb and a UVB bulb. I have read that they need between 12 - 14 hours of UVB and temp needs for both day and night unless it stays above 65° at night. Does that mean that after 12 - 14 hours turn off UVB AND basking light bulb and use ceramic if below 65° through the night?

How much sleep do they require and does the room have to be totally dark for sleeping? The beardie will be in my daughters room and she sleeps with the closet light on that is about 11' from the desk where the beardie will be. Do we need to block the sides from light?

Thanks again!
Carol

 

[Gerald Smith]

Thank you for replying.. the enclosure is a 33 something gallon (36"x18"x12"), if it I got the taller enclosure (36"x18"x18") it would have been 40 gallons. It's good to know that they just like to bask off the ground. That is where my concern was with the heat and making sure that it was too HOT and maybe the 18" height would have been better, but I guess that is just trial and error and a good digital thermometer. That is why we are getting equipment before we get our beardie.

Also have questions about UVB.

Most of the kits have a basking light bulb and a UVB bulb. I have read that they need between 12 - 14 hours of UVB and temp needs for both day and night unless it stays above 65° at night. Does that mean that after 12 - 14 hours turn off UVB AND basking light bulb and use ceramic if below 65° through the night?

How much sleep do they require and does the room have to be totally dark for sleeping? The beardie will be in my daughters room and she sleeps with the closet light on that is about 11' from the desk where the beardie will be. Do we need to block the sides from light?

Thanks again!
Carol

I’m still learning about lighting but I’ll tell you what I’ve read. 12-14 hrs is correct but maybe less during winter months. I’m not too sure. So after the 12-14-hrs turn off both lights. The temp must never drop below 65 degrees so if it gets colder than that you’ll have to find a way to warm the cage. You can’t leave the lights on it needs darkness to sleep. There are night time heat lamps that us uv/infrared? lights that provide heat w/o light but some people say that the beardies can still see the lights and it bothers them. I think the ceramic heat lamps would be the better choice but please research night time heating options. Don’t use a heat pad. They can’t detect heat from below and they could be burned. I’ve read that it should be as quiet and dark as possible when it’s night time for the beardie. Mine stays in my bedroom soif I’m gaming or watching TV I turn off my bedroom lights, put a box in front of his cage and use headphones so as not to bother him too much. I’m not sure how to tell if it how it affects him. I thought about just covering the entire cage with a sheet or something but my lights are on a timer and I don’t want to risk starting a fire. Um…that’s all I know I think. I invite anyone to correct me if I have provided incorrect information.

 

[Gerald Smith]

Oh one more thing I thought of. They need at least 2 hours to bask after eating because the heat and uv aid in their digestion. So don’t feed it and the turn the lights off too soon.

 

[The Counsils]

Oh one more thing I thought of. They need at least 2 hours to bask after eating because the heat and uv aid in their digestion. So don’t feed it and the turn the lights off too soon.

Thank you! I haven't seen that before. I have seen that they need basking time (1 to 2 hrs) before eating, just not after eating. Is that right? I think I've only seen that in one place.

 

[The Counsils]

I’ve read that it should be as quiet and dark as possible when it’s night time for the beardie. Mine stays in my bedroom so if I’m gaming or watching TV I turn off my bedroom lights, put a box in front of his cage and use headphones so as not to bother him too much. I’m not sure how to tell if it how it affects him. I thought about just covering the entire cage with a sheet or something but my lights are on a timer and I don’t want to risk starting a fire. Um…that’s all I know I think. I invite anyone to correct me if I have provided incorrect information.

Good to know! My daughter uses ear buds most of the time and she's usually quiet starting at 8pm because daddy works super early and starts to try to sleep around 8pm. She doesn't have a TV in her room but is on her laptop.

I think we will set the enclosure up with warm side on the left and cold side on the right because the right side would have two exterior walls. We will have to make some "blinds" or a cover for the sides to block any light. I'm sure one day she will stop sleeping with the closet light on.. she did a couple years ago for a few months not sure why she still keeps it on. I know I'll tell her that Mr/Mrs Beardie needs it dark.. if that doesn't work I'll tell her that she needs to help pay the electric bill (AKA the dreaded chores) since beardie is going to need all kinds of lighting. LOL

 

[Gerald Smith]

Thank you! I haven't seen that before. I have seen that they need basking time (1 to 2 hrs) before eating, just not after eating. Is that right? I think I've only seen that in one place.

I haven’t heard anything about before eating. But it could be that they need to warm up to be active enough to eat? Not sure on this one.

 

[mamaof2dragons]

yes they need to bask before eating at least an hour to warm up and digest there breakfast. and also they. need to bask after eating in the evening for 1 to 2 hrs before you turn out the lights. stay away from the colored infrared lights it bothers their eyes and keeps them from a deep resting sleep they need to stay healthy. you can tape newspaper on the out side of the tank on the side closest to your little girls closet and that will be sufficient to not be to intrusive to the beardies sleep.

 

[Calicorks]

Hello, and welcome to the wonderful world of Dragons! This is a great spot to get info and guidance weather your new to dragons or experienced and just need advice.

The tank you got is a good size, yet a baby dragon should not have the entire tank open yet due to them being babies and not knowing where the light or food is. I’d suggest to divide the tank into a smaller area for your baby until it gets older. Maybe some cardboard or something to ensure it dose not have the entire tank to get lost in and not get the proper heat.

I keep my babies on paper towels with a few rocks to let them sharpen their nails. When adults, I put tile down and clean up is a breeze.

Don’t be scared to feed your guy a few times a day. Here’s my routine.... first thing in the morning everyone gets greens chopped up. A few hours later about 10 to 15 crickets. Then when I see them roaming around a lot like they are looking for something I’ll offer another 10 crickets. Then at dinner time I’ll offer some kinda worm or roaches and they’ll eat another 5 to 10 more. The dragon will slow down when they are bigger and eat most greens, but it’s important as babies they get protein and dust the insects with calcium a couple times a week.

Last, this might be overkill but I have raised 9 dragons since babies and they all seem to love this. Each dragon gets a warm (not too hot for me to put my hand in) bath either in the tub or the sink 3 times a weeks. The water is at their shoulders and they can still stand. I let them soak like 20 to 30 minutes, and add warm water as needed to make sure the water stays warm. They drink from the water and eventually will learn to poop in there.

I wish you luck, and keep us posted on the progress.

 

[TorQueSS]

Thank you for replying.. the enclosure is a 33 something gallon (36"x18"x12"), if it I got the taller enclosure (36"x18"x18") it would have been 40 gallons. It's good to know that they just like to bask off the ground. That is where my concern was with the heat and making sure that it was too HOT and maybe the 18" height would have been better, but I guess that is just trial and error and a good digital thermometer. That is why we are getting equipment before we get our beardie.

Also have questions about UVB.

Most of the kits have a basking light bulb and a UVB bulb. I have read that they need between 12 - 14 hours of UVB and temp needs for both day and night unless it stays above 65° at night. Does that mean that after 12 - 14 hours turn off UVB AND basking light bulb and use ceramic if below 65° through the night?

How much sleep do they require and does the room have to be totally dark for sleeping? The beardie will be in my daughters room and she sleeps with the closet light on that is about 11' from the desk where the beardie will be. Do we need to block the sides from light?

Thanks again!
Carol

Hello!! Temperature at the low end of the tank should be around 70 Fahrenheit and up around 90 at the warm end, if it’s a low tank get a light you can hang from the wall or ceiling to adjust the heat, which means getting a thermostat for inside the tank. We used paper towel when ours was a baby, it worked great, as an adult we use repti-carpet most of the time, he has no feelings about sand in his tank so we don’t bother anymore, his hammock is under his heat lamp and we made him a large cave for sleeping out of a box with a fuzzy blanket on it, (he LOVES snuggling in fabrics, which brings me to bed time. Ours loves being “put to bed”. We keep his awake times with the sun, put him to bed at sundown, and he prefers a blanket over his head whether for safety or lack of light I’m not sure, or he will use his cave. We have his UVB light on with his heat lamp during the daytime but change his bulb every 6 months as they reduce effectiveness after that time. He refuses to poop where he lives so “dances” at the glass when he wants out and he’ll poop on our hardwood floor instead ‍ (Easy clean-up) he gets a fresh salad every day, check they’re food lists to make sure you’re feeding him the right stuff, no spinach for instance, and add calcium and vitamins to it every other day and hand feed him super worms, crickets, horn worms, and butter worms on occasion. He’s in a 40 gal tank but I think he needs more room. But he’s out every day traipsing around the house for exercise a few times so I don’t feel bad, he’s not in there all the time.
Hope that helps!
Nicki

 

[The Counsils]

Hello, and welcome to the wonderful world of Dragons! This is a great spot to get info and guidance weather your new to dragons or experienced and just need advice.

The tank you got is a good size, yet a baby dragon should not have the entire tank open yet due to them being babies and not knowing where the light or food is. I’d suggest to divide the tank into a smaller area for your baby until it gets older. Maybe some cardboard or something to ensure it dose not have the entire tank to get lost in and not get the proper heat.

I keep my babies on paper towels with a few rocks to let them sharpen their nails. When adults, I put tile down and clean up is a breeze.

Don’t be scared to feed your guy a few times a day. Here’s my routine.... first thing in the morning everyone gets greens chopped up. A few hours later about 10 to 15 crickets. Then when I see them roaming around a lot like they are looking for something I’ll offer another 10 crickets. Then at dinner time I’ll offer some kinda worm or roaches and they’ll eat another 5 to 10 more. The dragon will slow down when they are bigger and eat most greens, but it’s important as babies they get protein and dust the insects with calcium a couple times a week.

Last, this might be overkill but I have raised 9 dragons since babies and they all seem to love this. Each dragon gets a warm (not too hot for me to put my hand in) bath either in the tub or the sink 3 times a weeks. The water is at their shoulders and they can still stand. I let them soak like 20 to 30 minutes, and add warm water as needed to make sure the water stays warm. They drink from the water and eventually will learn to poop in there.

I wish you luck, and keep us posted on the progress.

LOVE all your advice!! Thank you! We are putting the tank in the bedroom tonight and slowly getting other equipment. We already have a ceramic heater from when we bred Jack Russell Terriers and chickens.

It's all getting real!

 

[The Counsils]

Hello!! Temperature at the low end of the tank should be around 70 Fahrenheit and up around 90 at the warm end, if it’s a low tank get a light you can hang from the wall or ceiling to adjust the heat, which means getting a thermostat for inside the tank. We used paper towel when ours was a baby, it worked great, as an adult we use repti-carpet most of the time, he has no feelings about sand in his tank so we don’t bother anymore, his hammock is under his heat lamp and we made him a large cave for sleeping out of a box with a fuzzy blanket on it, (he LOVES snuggling in fabrics, which brings me to bed time. Ours loves being “put to bed”. We keep his awake times with the sun, put him to bed at sundown, and he prefers a blanket over his head whether for safety or lack of light I’m not sure, or he will use his cave. We have his UVB light on with his heat lamp during the daytime but change his bulb every 6 months as they reduce effectiveness after that time. He refuses to poop where he lives so “dances” at the glass when he wants out and he’ll poop on our hardwood floor instead ‍ (Easy clean-up) he gets a fresh salad every day, check they’re food lists to make sure you’re feeding him the right stuff, no spinach for instance, and add calcium and vitamins to it every other day and hand feed him super worms, crickets, horn worms, and butter worms on occasion. He’s in a 40 gal tank but I think he needs more room. But he’s out every day traipsing around the house for exercise a few times so I don’t feel bad, he’s not in there all the time.
Hope that helps!
Nicki

Hello!! Thank you for all this wonderful advice!! I love how he likes to be "put to bed". We will be making a blind for around the tank so that the light won't keep the little one up! I was wondering about pooping, thanks for the info!


Carol