Reptile & Amphibian Forums

My wife and I just bought our first BD, and we obviously have a couple of questions. We thought maybe someone on here could help us out. Our beardie is about 8 inches long including tail, we were told about 5-6 months old. We have a 20 gal. reptile tank with an undertank heater on the left side. on top of that we have placed the small rock den. We are using a ground walnut, sand like stuff for the bottom called Desert Blend Lizard Litter. Across the middle of the tank up to the right rear corner of it there is a log. It is propped up on a small waterfall and beside the waterfall is his food bowl for fresh greens, fruits and veggies. We have a reptisun 7 uv fluorescent light (20 inches). We also have a small clamp ceramic fixture for his night time 75 watt heat bulb, and a larger one for his day time 75 watt heat bulb. both of these are over the top of the log approx. 5 inches below the fixture itself. Does this setup seem adequate and/or correct? Also, is the den sitting on top of the undertank heater okay? What are the appropriate times for running the lights (i.e. turn off the fluorescent at night? 24 hour heat lighting?)? We are not having any problems currently, but we are trying to head off any we may encounter. We appreciate any help you may provide. Thank you again.

Just want to mention that your substrate (walnut bedding) isn't ideal, especially for younger dragons. there is quite a controversy over substrates but most agree walnut can be a impaction hazard. (I also bought it with my first baby beardie) most recommend non-adhesive shelfliner or newspapers for babies. Some people do use sand as a substrate but do not recommend the "reptile sand or calci-sand" they can also be a impaction hazard, if you want to use sand, washed childrens playsand is better than those "made" for reptiles. Personally i love the shelfliner, easy to spot clean and no mess. But i will admit that both my girls love a sand box to play in and scratch around. I'm sure everyone will give their opinions on this. Good luck on finding what works for you.

Marilee
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0.2 Bearded Dragons (Dezirae & Artimis)
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Thank you for your advice. Is the shelfliner the artificial grass carpet?

Welcome to the site! I use newspaper as a substrate. Cheap, (free really from flyers and ads) and easy to replace. The shelf liner they are referring to is actually from wal-mart. I cant' remember the brand but I used it for a while. It is easy to clean and another good choice. The reptile carpet is good as well, but its a lot of work to keep clean. I know that sand is the most natural, but my opinion is that there is always residue left behind from waste. In the wild it works, but in a 6 square foot enclosure it leaves something to be desired.

But all of the above are okay to use. The crushed walnut is not a good choice.
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0.1 Western Hognose
1.0 Bearded Dragon
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