Bearded Dragon Set-up??

[Turnermator01]

Hi all,

I am looking into buying a dragon in the coming months. What i need to know is would the following size viv be big enough?

Length 1220mm (4ft), Width 375mm, Height 405mm??


I will be using Zoo med ReptiSun™ 10.0 UVB 36" 30W for the lighting plus a basking light in the 'hot' end. Would that be enough??

Thanks

[jools]

Not really big enough for an adult - should be minimum 1220 x 600 x 600mm. The lighting sounds fine - but you will need to run the basking light on a dimmer thermostat.

[Turnermator01]

What about 3ft x 2ft x 2ft. Would that be suitable

[joe_oasis]

Originally Posted by Turnermator01

What about 3ft x 2ft x 2ft. Would that be suitable

Yes that would be fine,, for one adult beardie
just refer to a checklist when your buying all your stuff

Heat source (spot bulb, ceramic) i reckon a 150w should do that
Heat mat (measuring half the vivariums length)
Uv source (minimum of 8%) you'll have to put a 24inch in there
Thermostat (you'll need this to control the spot bulb/ heat mat in your vivarium)
Themometers/hydrometers
Waterbowl/Feeding dish
Substrate
Nutrobol/supplement
If you need to know anything else mate feel free to ask

[Siders77]

4x2x2 is the minimum recomended for beardies I think

[jools]

And a minimum 10% UV

[Ash33]

My beardie is in a 3x2x2 viv and he seems ok, as long as they're handled regularly then it should be fine. And I was always told they need a minimum of 12% uv XD

[joe_oasis]

Originally Posted by jools

And a minimum 10% UV

its a bare minimum of 8% but manufacturers only make 10% nowdays

[oobernoob]

It's actually non of what any of you have said.
It's a minimum of 10% UVB lighting, situated in the vivarium no further than 12 inches from the ground. Any further and the UVB rays disipate too much and become useless to the dragon, not offering the essential vitamin D3 it requires to digest the calcium, leading therefore to hypocalceamia, and furthering into metabolic bone disease (wiggly limbs, legs falling off, jaws falling off etc etc - not pretty).
UV lighting is useless, it does not emmit the rays needed. Please make sure you obtain a UVB tube.
I would be tempted to go for a 4x2x2 vivarium too, the 3ft ones do suffice, but considering the cost difference is only usually around £20-30, it's worth buying the 4ft one now. When your dragon is fully grown, it will have attained a length of around 22 inches tail to nose, and as such will fill nearly 2/3rds of a 3ft vivarium. It's likely that at this point you will want to move him to a bigger vivarium that then will cost you another (approx. £100) where as you could have just shelled out that little extra to begin with. All the re-wiring, temp settling, light fitting, i know what i'd do.

Paul

EDIT: didn't see the original poster had mentioned UVB already, my bad, sorry. Still, the point stands

[Paul B]

oobernoob is absolutely right.

If you r house does not drop below 60F at night there is no need for the heat mat at all.

In the Australian desert the temps drop considerably lower than that and the dragons sleep like they are dead which is good for them.

Warm nights for dragons are of no use at all.

10 or12% UVB and a 150w spot on a dimmer stat will do nicely. and a 4x2x2 viv at the least.