So you are thinking of bringing a bearded dragon home. You want to set up a beautiful home for your bearded dragon but you don’t know where to start. Maybe you are even confused as to how big or how small it should be. The need to have the right size of tank for your bearded dragon cannot be overemphasized. You can end up impeding the growth of your bearded dragon if their tank is too small. In fact, a talking tank that is too small can even cause them to fall sick. A tank that is too big can also end up giving you a constantly tired and overstimulated bearded dragon. The tank has to be just right for your dragon to have the optimum existence. So how big exactly should a bearded dragons tank be?
How big should Bearded Dragon Tank be?
For 10-16 Inch Dragons i.e Early adult dragons need at least a 40-gallon tank. 16-20 Inch Dragons will need larger tanks and it’s recommended to have at least a 50-75 gallon tank for these sorts of dragons. 20+ Inch Dragons will need a minimum of a 75-gallon tank. However, A tank with about 120 gallons in size would be best.
Now that we have established just how big a bearded dragons tank should be, we might as well talk about other features of the tank. A tank and a bowl are never enough they say… So what is enough? Below I’ll go into detailed features of hat a bearded dragon tank should be. Come along for the ride.
Bearded Dragon Lighting and Humidity
The next thing to think about when it comes to the idea situation to keep your dragon in is the lighting and humidity. Your tank needs to be as bright as possible. Bearded dragons have evolved to require full-spectrum lighting that will last for a minimum of 12-14 hours each day Because they are native to Australian deserts. Full-spectrum lights emit light in all the UV ranges. Bearded dragons need this sort of.light in abundance to stay healthy.
The light needs spread as equally as possible throughout the tank. You should also create an elevated surface that will allow the bearded dragon to vine about 6 inches of the light. You can achieve by having a rock or a branch or a built elevation so your bearded drain can lie in it to bask in the light. Bearded dragons need two different sorts of light. The first one is the UVA/UVB long fluorescent tube light. The second one is the basking bulb/light.
Bearded Dragon Fluorescent Light
This light is designed to light up the bearded dragons’ cage. It needs to successfully mimic natural sunlight. Your bearded dragon needs the light fun this sort of bulb to help them digest their food and absorb nutrients and retain good health in general. This bulb is designed to provide sunlight equivalent and not to serve as a heat source. You will need a whole other bulb to provide heat for your bearded dragon.
You will need this UVA/UVB light to be present daily in order to prevent metabolic bone disease in bearded dragons and to keep your dragon healthy. These bulbs lose their strength with time. They will need a replacement. It is ideal to replace them at least once in 6 months.,
Bearded Dragon Basking Light
This light serves the major function of providing heat for your bearded dragon. This has to be a bright white light. Bearded dragons don’t seem to adjust well to other types of light.
Both lights are very important and none should displace the other. You have to find space for both of them as they are both very important to the welfare of your Dragon.
Temperature for beardie cage
Bearded dragons are from an area of the world that is very much like a desert. They have evolved to like and need heat to be healthy. You cannot heat up the whole tank though otherwise, they could overheat. The tank needs to have a hot side and a cold side In order to strike a balance.
The hot side temperature should be about 95 F° to 110 F°. The cool side, however, should be 85 F°. You could use two thermometers to make things much easier. One for each side.
To keep your dragon nice and warm, you can use either a ceramic heater, A ceramic heater. A reptile basking light (red, white, or blue). A household light bulb that emits heat
During nighttime hours the temperature of the tank can fall as low as 65 F°, however, it’s recommended to keep the temperature around 70 F° to 75 F°. You will probably need to invest in an under tank heater (UTH) If you cannot keep your tank this warm during the night.
Your bearded dragon will need to bask in the spot. It is the elevated spot that was earlier discussed. The basking spot should be 95 F° for adults and 110 F° for juveniles. Avoid using heated rocks in your dragon enclosure because it could burn their underbelly.
Humidity Gauge, Thermometer, and other equipment
Two highly functional and accurate thermometer are important gadgets to have in a bearded dragon enclosure. You can make sure the temperature within your bearded dragon’s tank is ideal. These thermometers will be placed in the hot and cold sides of your tank. Smaller tanks can generally function with one thermometer.
Another important gadget that you will need is a humidity gauge. Bearded dragons are desert reptiles so they need a low humidity environment to stay healthy and happy. You can use a screen top to keep the humidity in the enclosures from getting too high.
Bearded Dragon Tank Bedding
Another very important part of your bearded dragon comfort is the bedding.
The type of bedding you use depends on the age of your bearded dragon. Younger dragons generally need to eat more insects than older dragons. Whatever is on the floor of their home is fair game i8iin the hunting and feeding business. They will be ingesting quite a bit of whatever their bedding is made of so you will need to be careful. There is a wide range of ideal flooring for dragon homes. Here are some of them
Newspaper, Paper towels, Butcher paper, Reptile carpet. Reptile carpet is most recommended amongst all of these. Avoid anything that is made of wood chips or sand.
Tank Accessories
To put it quite frankly and honestly… your dragon will not be happy in a bare or empty tank. A tank with a bowl in it will just never be enough.
The desert Is not bare at all even though it does sound like it is. There are a lot of things that make it interesting. You need to find tank decors that will make your bearded dragon love his home!
Get some accessories for your dragon and be creative with it. You can get items like Cage Furniture, Tank backgrounds, etc… here is some cage furniture that your dragon will love.
Reptile Hammocks
Simply put: bearded dragons love hammocks. Find one, buy one, and set it up for your little reptile friend. It will make him friendlier.
Branches
Most bearded dragons love climbing. It is in their nature.
It will be really sweet to have at least one Frank in their enclosure. You could place the branch in such a way that it would get them closer to their basking light bulb. There are artificial branches in pet stores…But check for insects and crickets on them first if you get a real one.
Dragon Hideaway
Your bearded dragon needs a spot that he can scuttle into when he needs to sleep or if he just feels threatened. He needs to feel safe in the knowledge that there is a place he can hide in when he is being stared at. Besides all of these, they are awesome for brumation period. Put a light near his hiding place … This way, they would be able to warm up on top of it.
Tank Backgrounds
Transparent glass tanks make bearded dragons feel exposed and insecure. You will need need to use a background if you are using one of these.
This will not only make the bearded dragon feel more secure, but it will also make the tank look more attractive and less stark.
