Reptile & Amphibian Forums

okay alot of the habbitats i have seen for bearded dragons are not aquariums...is there a reason for this? i am thinking of buying a 75 gallon tank for my dragon, but most of the ones i have seen on websites are not glass on all sides but only on the front...is there a reason for this? just wondering bc i want to get the right cage for my pet thanks

The main reason (IN MY OPINION) to have glass in just the front is to make sure the bearded feels safe. If there are 4 glass sides then the bearded (if it is a baby) might feel the need to protect itself from all 4 sides. It gives them a little more privacy and lets them adjust quicker.

A 75 gallon is terrific for a bearded. Just make sure its not a 75 tall because then it'd be too narrow for the bearded.
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1.1 mali uro's-Ares and Apollo
1.2 saharan uro's-Orion and Iris
1.2 bearded dragon-Hades and Draco
0.2 leo gecko-Kalypso
0.3 tokaye gecko-Sid Vicious
1.0 tarantula-Peter Parker
0.2 dog-cheeka
0.2 zebra finch-beeps
0.2 african gray parrot-keya
1.0 red headed parrot-pancho
0.3 Fish (sorry no names for them)

well its 18 inches wide...and with my anoles we took paper and put it on the back and sides so that you could only see in/out of the front...i posted this in the habbitat board too and someone said something about ventilation bc the heat rises and so it would be harder to heat the cage...that kind of worries me, all the other reasons he said not to use one where just preferences...he said that aquariums were more expensive but, the 75 gallon one is only going to cost me 170$ and a cage of the same dementions from www.customcages.com was 330$ it came with some things but i dont think it came with 160$ worth of things to make up the difference...

any ideas where i can get a cage thats not quite so expensive but is still a good one to have?

we started our baby out in a 20 gallon long. At about 5 months he was VERY ready for more space. The price on the 75 gallon was perfect for our budget. I made a rock wall in one corner--leaving about half of the tank with plenty of floor space for feeding. Drako has been in this tank for almost a year and is VERY happy.

I am thinking of redoing the rock wall...but the first design has been great...

DM

omg, thats awsome, i really think thats what im going to do now do you have any problems with the temp control? what watt bulb do you use? lol i have so many questions...ummm

i want to use the sand substrate...and thats ok for the juvies but is it ok when they get older? or is it just a pain in such a large tank so you use...? lol wow you just made my day THANK YOU

WOW! That Rock wall is really nice! How much was it to make it? I've always wanted to make a rock wall 4 her! just checking the budget!

First I used some scrap plywood as a frame--back sides and lower supports attatching with angle brackets. I used styrofoam sheets--1 in. thick and used my hands to 'sculpt' the layers. I used a styrofoam-dafe Liquid Nails to attatch the foam to the plywood--or to stack the styrofoam to make the steps. I used some spray on foam--the kind to seal cracks--to add texture and fill in any small voids. I let it dry for a day or so and then used colored tile grout (nutmeg--one bag used). I used 3 thin coats of grout--letting it dry a day between coats. Again I let it set for a few days and then used a WATER based sealer--I have heard that you can use a mixture of 1:1 elmers glue and water too. Two days later it was good to go....

Make sure you know your tank opening measurements--you want it to be easy to get in and out when you clean the tank.

I am NOT a 'handy' person and this project was easy to make. Last year several people on this board made them and I decided to try it...it worked! Drako uses all 3 levels and loves to hang off the top edge near the stairs on the right.

DM

umm is there a pattern you have or sometihng like that? i would hate to try and do that with out a pattern...or a little better instructions...

the room the tank is in is rather warm--at least 75F during the day and no less than 70F at night.

I made a wood and wire mesh top for the cage that has 2 hinged openings--our tank had a 'plastic'support bar in the center so I used that as a dividing place. The top fits down into where the 'glass' top would have gone. I have a strip light for UVB going across the back of the tank. For basking I use a 100 0r a 150 (current)watt bulb. The fixture rests at an angle on the wire mesh top pointing to the rock wall. I sometimes use a 40 watt bulb on the other side of the tank for extra light. The rock wall holds heat but does not get hot enough to burn.

I do not use sand. A tank that size would be a pain to clean--and you can never get it all when you scoop--I'm a little parinoid--also my dragon LOVES to taste everything--I know he would take in too much sand. I really like the shelf liner (Duck Brand) it is VERY easy to clean and NOT slippery at all. They had this cool pattern that matched the rock wall...

HTH
DM

Sand is NOT OK for juvies...higher risks of impaction. After they are around 6 months old sand becomes an option. Never use one of those 'repti-sand' products they are TERRIBLE for beardies. Washed playsand is the best choice if you use sand--but again I chose NOT to use it....

DM

well the reason i even considered to use it was bc that is what the place i am buying it from say they use with it beforei get it...www.fireandicedragons.com...so i thought it would be ok...what should i use if i dont use the reptisand? what is the difference between play sand and that?