Your bearded dragon is going to be spending all of its time, except for when handled, in its enclosure. As an owner, you have to make the best decision that is key to the happiness and healthiness of your pet.
Think of it as a human: you want space to move around and the ability to feel comfortable. The same goes for your bearded dragon, so let’s spend some time thinking about the best size tank for your bearded dragon.
Ideal tank size for a bearded dragon
The size of your tank will be determined by the age of your bearded dragon. Throughout their lifetime, you may have to purchase more than one to accommodate for their rapid growth.
Babies
For any reptile under 10 inches, a 20-gallon tank is recommended. This will give them ample room to grow, whilst not feeling too isolated.
Teenagers
When they start to grow between 10-16 inches long, you’ll want to upgrade them to 40 gallons.
Adults
Depending on the fully grown size of your bearded dragon, an enclosure could range from 50 gallons up to 125 gallons. Typically, any beardie between 16 and 20 inches long will need 50-75 gallon tanks, whilst 20 inches plus will need a much larger tank – ranging up to 125 gallons.
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We highly recommend the Vivexotic Viva Bearded Dragon Oak starter kit. With a state-of-the-art ventilation system housed at the back of the tank, sliding doors with ‘slide stopper’ protection to stop any escapes and two internal shelves for basking areas – this enclosure is a dream purchase for anyone in the market looking for a bearded dragon enclosure.
It gives ample room for your bearded dragon to move around in, but also creates a suitable environment and can be a permanent home that has the potential to house up to 2 bearded dragons.
Setting up your bearded dragon tank
Once you’ve gone ahead and got your starter kit, or at the very least a suitably sized enclosure, you need to start thinking about what to put in it.
When it comes to owning any type of reptile, the key to success is getting the lighting, heating and humidity perfect.
To do this, you’re going to need a few things:
- UVB Lamp – provides essential ultraviolet rays for your dragon’s skin. They will need up to 12 hours of exposure to this lamp.
- Heat Lamp – not all UVB lamps provide heat as well as UVB rays. If this is the case you will require both.
- Ceramic Heat Emitter – At night time, your enclosure needs to stay at a high temperature. If you’re unable to keep the temperature above 60 degrees, then you’ll need a ceramic heat emitter.
- Thermometer – to help regulate the temperature
- Hygrometer – to help regulate the humidity. For best use, you’ll want a humidity of around 35-40% as this best replicates their home environment.
Now, it’s time for the fun stuff. What decorations can you put in your enclosure to ensure your pet’s happiness?
Long story short – it’s completely up to you.
You can go for a simple, elegant approach with few decorations but useful in their inclusion. Or you can truly replicate their home environment and mimic a tropical rainforest as much as you can in the space you’ve got.
Some great things to include:
- Basking log
- Hiding place
- Branches to climb on
- Plants (Fake or live)
When it comes to putting plants in your enclosure, there are a few things you should know. Mainly, that they affect the humidity levels in the enclosure. So be sure, you’re adding the right ones.
- Succulents
- Aloe Vera
- Turtle Vine
- Pear Cacti (remove spikes)
If you’re worried about which are safest, stay with fake plants. However, don’t cheap out because they’ll break off easily and could cause your beardie to choke. Ensure they are high quality and keep an eye on them throughout the day.
If you enjoyed this article you might also like to read about Bearded Dragon Diet and Nutrition and The Red-Bearded Dragon: Care Sheet
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