ENCLOSURE

Set up of a new vivarium should be done before the dragon comes home so there is no stress waiting for the tank.

A bearded dragon needs ample space to thrive, so too small of a home will result in an unhappy lizard. Too large is generally not a problem, except when they are very young and can become overwhelmed by the space,

A 20 gallon may be all that is needed for a baby bearded dragon, but they grow fast and will need a bigger vivarium soon.  A 40 gallon(36'x18'x18') would be the next tank up, and this will last a while as growth slows during early adulthood. This size was at one time considered the standard for adult dragons, but it has been raised to 6'x4'x4', a 120 gallon. That's huge but makes for a happy dragon.

A dragon is going to need space to move around freely, and enough height that an elevated platform wont be too close to the bulb.

A general rule of thumb is 3 times the length of the lizard long, and about 21"-24" high. Since an adult dragon can be 18'-24', this would mean a 6'x2'x2' would be needed.

A 40 gallon is still widely practiced and often recommended by pet stores, I still consider a 75 gallon(4'x18'x18') or even a 60 gallon breeder to be enough space if decorated properly. 

If your dragon is exercised daily by taking them out for playtime (helps with bonding anyway)' a smaller vivarium can be used.

UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES SHOULD AN ADULT BE HOUSED IN A 40 GALLON OR SMALLER.               BIGGER IS BETTER

Enclosures that are front opening can be a better option because most beardies don't like a hand coming from above. They possess a parietal eye on their head that processes light and shadows. YOU SEEM LIKE A HAWK. Even if you have a top lid, picking the lizard up by the side will help calm them when they are handled. Some don't seem to care, some are extremely skittish.

Also helping with stress is to allow only one side to be see through by covering up the sides on the outside.   This is going to help the dragon relax and feel safer from predators when they know things can only come at them from one direction.

Size is also going to determine the amount of heat needed to create a hot side and a cool side along with the temperature gradient needed within. 

 

MATERIALS: A glass aquarium is one of the most common and easiest to keep clean, but they are heavy and fragile.

                              A melamine vivarium is glass or plexiglass with melamine wood elsewhere. They too are heavy

                              A PVC is like a melamine vivarium but made of plastic,  so it is much lighter and can easily be stacked on top one another.

                              If you are handy, a wonderful vivarium can be made from wood or repurpose old furniture. Remember though wood traps heat more than glass making temps and ventilation tougher. Although tougher these allow you to customize the size and decor to fit your home.

 

                                                                                                LIGHTING

All of my lighting goes through a timer that is set to provide about 14 hrs of light and basking heat

Bearded dragons are diurnal, meaning they are active during the day and sleep at night. The circadian Rhythm and activity levels depend on good bright light and a period of darkness for night.

The use of colored bulbs is not recommended. If heat is needed at night, a ceramic heat emitter that produces no light can be used. More on those in HEATING.  A lot of behavior problems are due to poor husbandry, or poor conditions with light, heat, temp. These are all fixable before they create stress or health issues.

 

                                             UVB

One of the most important bulbs you can have is one that produces UVB. Without UVB a dragon cannot absorb nutrients from food, can develop MBD, and have numerous other problems. 

UVB can be produced by a fluorescent tube type bulb or a mercury vapor bulb. the full spectrum LED that also produces UVB is becoming an option but is still unproven.

A good linear tube light is a must. The coiled compact UVB bulbs are not a good choice because the light is concentrated in a narrow beam that can harm the dragon.

A linear bulb comes in two sizes, a t8 and t5. The t8 is fatter and the t5 is more powerful. A t8 cannot go through mesh and must be installed inside of the enclosure.

Glass and plastic also block UVB, so a window nearby is not going to be an option.

These bulbs will come in different intensities as well. A 5.0 is more tropical, a 10.0 is desert and the lowest that is recommended. 12.0 and 14.0 are also readily available and more intense. The more intense the output, the farther away it can be from the basking area. 
10.0-usually 9"-11" on mesh and 14"-17" without

14.0-usually 10"-12" on mesh and 14"-18" without

Mesh blocks up to 45% of output and the best way to test is with a solar meter. These are expensive but another option is a uvb card. It color changes according  to uvb output and can be purchased on Amazon cheaply.

The UVB bulb should be at least 1/2 of the enclosure length, starting on the warm side.

Mercury vapor bulbs are another option for UVB and they combine heat with UVB but the problem is they are pricey, expire in around 6 months, and have too narrow a beam to cover 1/2 the enclosure.

UVB bulbs expire in 6 to 12 months also but the real problem is they still produce light, just no UVB so they must be tested frequently with an output reader of some kind.

Basking bulbs and heat bulbs produce visible light along with heat. Most if not all of your heat will come from the light bulbs so that leads us to heating. Remember dragons love light and if your tank is still too dim with the proper wattage bulb, a led light can supplement with little heat.

 

 

                                                                                                 HEATING

All lizards need a distinct day and night cycle to maintain their natural rhythm. Nighttime temps can drop to about 50, but ideally, they should be kept at 60-75.

Dragons are a basking type of lizard meaning they use heat directly from an overhead source that mimics the sun. There must be a temperature gradient in order for the dragon to regulate body temperature. They need to be able to escape the heat even though high temps can be tolerated. They can and will overheat. Yr basing bulbs should be on one side or the other in order to create a temperature gradient. Basking surfaces can be made from stone, tiles, branches, or logs, but stay away from most plastics or adhesives as they can fume when heated. Stone absorbs more heat than stone, but both are good options. 

Basking bulbs should be about 10"-14" from the basking surface. If the bulb (which should be checked with a temp gun) needs to be closer to the animal, then a protective shield should be on the fixture to keep from causing burns. Its best to use a high wattage bulb to create the necessary heat for your dragon. The wattage = heat output. To make the basking area hotter the area can be raised or wattage increased. Same for cooler, less wattage. The bulbs can also be put on dimmers to make it custom. Be aware though that halogen bulbs provide hotter temps at lower watts. I just remember how flammable they were and tend not to use them. 
If supplemental heat is needed a long with the bulbs, or nighttime is too cold, a CHE, or ceramic heat emitter can be used. These are heat bulbs that produce no light and can also be dimmed. Using a temp gun a nice temp can be achieved using both bulbs and the bulb can stay on all night if it helps make the temps right. Having a temp gun is essential to create proper ambient temp and gradient. These should be used in addition to the digital thermometers in both ends of the enclosure. 

VIVARIUM TEMP                                  HUMIDITY
warm side: 85-95 ambient               30%-40%

basking: 95-110

cool side: 68-85

night: 60-75

 

                                                                                                  SUBSTRATE

I don't recommend any type of reptile carpet because spot cleaning is difficult and  they create a home for bacteria.

Loose Dirt

A beardies native Australian habitat is a mix of sand and clay, loose sand and clay.

I personally don't use loose substrate, but might start as I have diggers and the stigma has faded to an increasingly good option.

It is important not to use calci-sand or viti-sand, and not to put young or injured dragons on it. instead use paper towels until healed or grown.

Many still do not recommend loose substrates due to the serious risk of impaction, but it is found that poor husbandry really causes the problems.

If it sounds like a good choice, go for it. 

You are going to need about a depth of 4" to 6",  it must be spot cleaned daily, and it will all  need changing every 4-6 months.

 

Jurassic Natural Australian desert dragon habitat: actual sand/soil from Australia

Jurassic Reptile Substrate: dust free,natural and soft

Zoo-Med:  Repti-sand

ExoTerra: Desert Sand

DIY: 50% play sand, 30% organic topsoil, and 20% ExoTerra excavator clay

 

Tile

Tile is my personal favorite and I use it in all my adult vivariums.

Tile has a few advantages like heat retention, it files their nails, and is the easiest to clean.

I use a putty knife to scrape solids, vacuum it up, spray with diluted vinegar, scour pad the mess, and wipe up with a paper towel.

Although tile is the easiest to clean and keep clean, it must be grouted at the seams or bacteria will live in the cracks between tiles. This is the reason why we do not use any carpets.

Peel and stick tiles are not recommended because of the glue vapors and the tile itself giving off fumes when heated past 100. This would also be the reason I don't recommend sheet vinyl either.

 

Paper Towels

I keep all babies, and most juveniles on paper towels. This makes it easy to change a soiled piece, or replace it all frequently. It's not a pretty choice, but a good one.

 

Plastic Sheets

This has become my other favorite substrate. They seem to have no smell, are cheap, and come in pre-cut to width rolls. Pre-cut to standard aquarium widths and textured but super easy to clean. Just a scrub and wipe for spot cleans, or take it all out for a hose off. I am using these where I was using paper towels with the juveniles.

 

                                                                                     ENCLOSURE DECORATIONS

The real purpose for decorations should not be to look good, but to provide exercise and enrichment to your beardie.

A boring, barren house would stress a person out and make them a bit angry and the same goes for bearded dragons. I occasionally have to change my decorations because they let me know if they're unhappy by hiding, pacing, or not wanting to move about.

As you make up a vivarium, remember bearded dragon are originally from the deserts and grasslands of Australia. There are endless options to recreate the desert, but imagination rules here. Doll house anyone? Of course safety is still supreme and any decoration must be able to withstand a dragon, handle the heat, and encourage exercise and natural behavior.

Basking platforms can be made from wood logs, tiles, rocks, bones, or DIY foam projects(YouTube is full). Just about anything to elevate them closer to the heat.

The drawback to some logs and stones is they have holes and crevices for feeder insects to hide out. Inevitably that cricket that hides will be a male and make noise every night.

They also need a hide to seek solace and feel safe. I use a simple small box with a hole cut out for the babies.

For the adults I have either made mine from slate or flagstone, but you must either silicone the rocks together or place them where they can't shift and injure the dragon. I have also DIY made some foam and grout rocks and caves that came out good.

As I mentioned near the pic of my enclosures, woven hammocks are no good because they can easily hang a nail or limb.

Plastic plants are also frowned on but I use them sparingly. I had never had an issue with the dragons trying to eat them, but I primarily used thick, sturdy, large leaved plants. Unfortunately with these babies I put fake plants for the little ones to hide in and I saw evidence on every one of biting. I took them all out and put them in the skink and snake tanks.

 

                          FEEDING

 

Bearded dragons are omnivorous eating meat(insects)and plants. Providing a varied diet is essential to having a healthy dragon.                                                             

 

                                                                                               INSECTS

                                                          MOST WIDELY USED FEEDERS ARE: 

                                               STAPLES

                                                                                            Crickets

                                                                                           Roaches

                                                                                           Hornworms

                                                                                           Mealworms

                                          OCCASIONALLY

                                                                                           Superworms

                                                                                           Waxworms

                                                                                            Butterworms

                                                                                            Silkworms

                                                                                            Black soldier  fly larvae

 

Crickets and dubia roaches make up the majority of the feeder insects.

Crickets though stink, escape, make noise, and all die unexpectedly. Not bad if you are buying a small amount as you go.

Dubia roaches though are a much better feeder. They get 1 and 1/2" long and pack way more protien than crickets so it takes less of these to feed. Drawback however is they are expensive and always dead at a pet store. I order mine from Dubia,com and also have several adults in a large bin just breeding nymphs. With one dragon I wouldn't need to purchase more. Dubias also can't climb. can't fly, make no noise, don't stink, and die if they escape.

 

                                                                                              VEGETABLES