Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I am researching Bearded Dragons so that I can buy one in the near future and be as prepared as possible. There are a ton of questions to follow:
I noticed a guy in the area is selling his old enclosure which is 36X16X18 (40 gal breeder tank) and I am considering buying this tank as a permanent home for our new baby.
What do you think on the size? I read on several sites that this is the min size cage for an adult Beardie. I will admit I plan on taking him out when he is older so that he can free roam the living room after I get home from work, but this will have to alternate as I have a Chinese Water Dragon who does the same. I am 99.99% sure those two fellows would not get along.
Is this a good size cage for an adult male beardie? Should I divide it to smaller proportions while he is a baby? How big do you suggest? The breeder informed me that she keeps hers in serilite containers and they are not uesd to being able to see out... should I cover the aquarium so as to not stress him? Should I keep him in one of these sterilite containers to begin with, and then move to the larger cage as he grows?
She told me she uses sifted sand from Home Depot for substrate, but I have read that it might be better to go with shelf liner or paper towels while he is young... what do you suggest for a baby that has been reared in this enviroment already?
Thats all for now....
(Sorry if I'm being a pest)
Tania
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~~Tania~~
Jake (Chinese Water Dragon)
Peter (House Gecko)
Mosley (Maltese Shi Tzu Mix)
RIP Mary (House Gecko)

That is an acceptable size for now, but you do want to section it off. Make it about the size equivilante of a ten to twenty gallon tank. Just a hint though, this can be a pain in the butt if the crix can find their way over it. I found out the hard way. Also, make sure that the cover you have on the tank is solid all the way around, and fits snuggly to the top of the tank. I had about a hundred little crickets running around my house, becasue they found their way out of the tank. o Little buggers. As for them not being able to see out, if that is what they are used to, I would cover the tank for about a week or two, that is what I had to do with Tequila. Gradually reveal a little of the view at a time. She or he will need time to adjust to their new enviorment. Bd's as every other reptile are skittish when they are babies. They are so small, we are so big. It is instict for them to be cautious. It will take time to build a trust between you. I have found it to be benifical to have as little interaction as possible in the first couple of days. Only putting your hands in the tank when necessary. Feeding for example. As for substrate. I have found that shelf liner to be the best for me, the kind without adhesive. I is relitivly cheap, easy to clean, and more attractive than papertowels. I get one that is sand colored, with little palm trees on it. I am by far not an expert, Tequila is my first BD and it has been somewhat trial and error. I know what you mean about the caresheets though, they all seems to tell you something different, what I do is take the advice that is recommended on more than one site. I think that answered all your questions on this post, but I would like to help out in any way possible. I will be emailing you with some web sites I found helpful. Don't worry about having a lot of questions, it just shows that you want to be the best"mommy" you can. I felt the same way when I started out, but you won't know unless you ask. Feel free to ask me anything else you want, I might not always know the answer, but I will give it a shot.
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7 Leos
Milo(my adult male) Mongo, Raptor,and Spaz
Popeye and Boo(named after Monster's Inc. Character)sex unknown, but I am pretty sure they are females.
Pumpkin the Patternless (he's a boy too.)

1 Female Sandfire X Blood Aboriginie Red Bearded Dragon. Tequila Sunrise, Tequila for short

1 dog
Baby (Peekapoo)

2 Cats
Mr. Kitty and Shelly (my adopted senior citizen. She's 14!)

I lost my baby blizzard before I even picked out a name. May he/she Rest in Peace

Acceptable size for now?
Or for the entire life of the beardie?
-----
~~Tania~~
Jake (Chinese Water Dragon)
Peter (House Gecko)
Mosley (Maltese Shi Tzu Mix)
RIP Mary (House Gecko)

Definitly for now, but I upgraded Tequila to a two foot wide tank when she was about five months old.
-----
7 Leos
Milo(my adult male) Mongo, Raptor,and Spaz
Popeye and Boo(named after Monster's Inc. Character)sex unknown, but I am pretty sure they are females.
Pumpkin the Patternless (he's a boy too.)

1 Female Sandfire X Blood Aboriginie Red Bearded Dragon. Tequila Sunrise, Tequila for short

1 dog
Baby (Peekapoo)

2 Cats
Mr. Kitty and Shelly (my adopted senior citizen. She's 14!)

I lost my baby blizzard before I even picked out a name. May he/she Rest in Peace