Reptile & Amphibian Forums

hey ya'll!! we have a 55 gallon aquarium that was used for
fish(4'x1'x19''). It has a wooden stand and a wooden hood that goes over the lighting fixtures and shuts tight . one of the light fixtures in it is broken..leaving only one . the lighting fixtures are set on glass plates and there are glass plates that flip up...(think fish) I'm a little lost as to what I should do:
1. I posted before about shortening the tank until the baby
grows...the fixtures that came with the tank are really going to be no use to us b/c one, like I said was broken, and the other one is not inset and the glass plate that it sits on just
pops out...(it's not attached) so we may just cut it to fit another smaller fish tank that we have...BDlvr suggested shortening the tank to 30''in another post...should I go ahead and buy a fixture for the length of the entire enclosure or just use a smaller one for now and what length of fixture do you suggest?
2. I think my hubby is going to build or buy a wire/mesh top so I can place the lighting fixtures on. is it okay to shut the wooden lid on top or should I just skip the wood top all together?
3. what size/style basking light do you think I should get?
4. the lady I got the tank from had river rocks that she used for her fish and they look like excellent basking rocks or just for deco (they're huge) I'm wondering how I could sanitize them for my BD..they still kinda reek of fish...lol I was thinking of using a bleach solution but I've read that a vinegar solution is better.
5. for my substate I think I've already decided on the plastic table cloth or the shelf liner...they seem like they'll be the easiest to clean.
I know that many of you have posted your idea's in my first post to you(q's about gettting a dragon)..but since I have the actual enclosure now I just want to make sure we get what's best or what works best..so if you think your original answers would work for this setup just tell me and I'll get what you've already suggested. thanks again to all of you!! oh and BDlvr...I for one appreciate all your help!! I'm so glad there are people like you in this forum that sure make it easier to understand how to take care of a bearded dragon and look out for the overall health and well-being of the animal b/c that's what this forum is all about, isn't it?!!another thanks just to you!!!!
here is a couple of pics of my future bearded dragon's home!!

rather narrow tank, only a foot wide. As most dragons get to be 18-22" in length, it won't be able to turn around well in that tank. The length is good but without the width, the cage is too small for an adult. However it is fine for a baby till it gets closer to adult size (around 14-16" long). Then I think it will be best to move it to a cage at least 4'x2' of floor space.

For the fixture, you can either go with one that runs the entire length of the cage (as it is 4' long, a 4' fixture won't fit, as the fixture is an inch or two to accommodate frame etc) so a 3' fixture will be fine. Or one that runs just the section you will have available for the baby dragon. (if you are cutting it back to about 30" of length, a 24" fixture will be fine). This is, of course, for the UVB tube, not the basking light.

As long as there are vents somewhere in that lid, closing the wooden top is fine. If no vents on top or on the sides, then it would be best to keep the lid partly open, to allow excess heat to escape and fresh air to circulate. Not necessary to keep the wooden part off completely though, just give some air flow, as you don't want all your heat to escape either.

plastic table cloth is fine, I find it works best with a layer of paper towel underneath (gives some padding, and helps soak up leakage. Replace cloth and paper towel once a month).
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PHLdyPayne

Thanks for your thanks. lol.

I like the wood hinged lid. I can see a UVB fixture bolted to the bottom side. If your husband is handy, I'd but the cheap $12 fluorescent fixture at home depot(HD) (this is what is in my enclosures) and a 3 prong extension cord and a 3/8 cord clamp. All this will be much cheaper than the $50 shop light. I would bolt the light to the underside of the lid at the back hinge end. The only problem with this idea is if the bulb would be farther away than 20" from the tank bottom which is the maximum penetration for a Zoo Med 10.0

I would then cut 2 rectangles out of the lid about 8 x 8 one on the hot side and one on the cool side. I would attach hardware cloth over the holes. Hardward cloth comes in small rolls at HD and is like big screen. Then you can fit an 8" lamp hood over the hardware cloth.

I'm not sure you mentioned how old or big your dragon is. I don't think I'd worry about shortening up the tank unless it's like a 4" dragon. If it's 6 or 7" it'll be fine. Uh Oh a wavering opinion. lol.

You could also just remove the whole top and make a screen top. I just made one that is about 5 x 1' and its amazingly sturdy. I just used 1 x 2 's and stanley corner brackets on both sides and stapled the hardware cloth to it (I did miter the ends which makes it stronger but you don't have to) Then you can lay whatever you want on top.

I think a 75 watt spot bulb should work but get a thermometer and experiment. The phillips spot bulbs in HD are the same bulb as the Zoo Med Basking Spot.

I don't know about vinegar. Maybe it would get rid of the fish smell better? I'm sure it's fine as long as they are rinsed well. A 10% bleach solution is usually used for disinfection.

I agree with LdyPayne that a 4' x 1' is not a good forever home for your dragon. The minimum recomended size is 8 sq. ft. and yours is only 4. But it's a great start.

my hubby will probably build one in time and we'll use this one for fish one day.. he's seen alot of your enclosures and has all kinds of ideas now...lol oh and I don't have a bearded dragon just yet(been doing a ton of shopping online for breeders and such)just trying to get it all worked out and figured out and all that good stuff..lol I'll post some pics for ya when we get him!! thanks ya'll!!!