Posted by:
brdfreak
at Sat Dec 27 11:19:39 2003 [ Email Message ] [ Show All Posts by brdfreak ]
I would NOT go with a ceramic heat emitter. Beardies need intense lighting for several reasons. It makes them more active, increases thier feeding response, etc. The heat emitter would not provide any form of light for them. It is best in my opinion to get a reptisun 8.0 or 5.0 that will stretch across the cage then get a regular flourescent bulb for the other side of the double bulb fixture. They will need to get within 6" of the UVB bulb to have any benefit from it. Then get a spot bulb over the basking area. I can't tell you what size bulb to use for the spot as you will just have to play around with the distance from the bulb and wattage and such to get the basking temp to 105 -115 degrees F. The other end of the cage should stay around 80- 85 degrees F. That should do you for lighting.
I also want to add that I don't think the dimensions of the cage are big enough for a beardie. Maybe a small one but then you'll have to get a larger one when he matures into an adult. Whiuch is less than 18 months in most cases.
For a substrate I suggest Duck shelfliner from Wal-Mart. It is 5 bucks a roll and is great. Much easier to clean than other substrates and in my opinion healthier for the dragon.
If you want to study some on your own and not rely on everyone else to give you info I would suggest buyuing the book Bearded Dragons by Robert De Vosjolio. It is great and has almost anything you could want to or need to know about them. Also, the link Stacey gave you to reptilerooms.com has a wealth of info on many things pertaining to beardies. Another site for info on foods and growth charts and such is beautifuldragons.com
I strongly suggest reading the care sheets mentioned above and buying and reading the book mentioned BEFORE you purchase ANYTHING for your beardie. Though they may seem a hassle at first once you have one you'll see that they are a very rewarding species to keep. Nothing is better than a happy healthy beardie staring back at you!!  good luck!!
Robert
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I've never used a reptarium but, - brdfreak, Sat Dec 27 11:19:39 2003