looking for some advice

[blazedragon]

dont have my beardie yet. want to build viv first and make sure temps are good...

dimensions 48x24x24

will be using 3/4" melamine

slate tiles for flooring

screened top. uvb bulb will not have screen to provide unfiltered light.

basking bulb should this be unfiltered?

thinking of having a full spectrub bulb(basically just want a little extra light on cool side) should this be filtered or unfiltered? or another type of bulb? or bad idea?

venting- besides open top. would extra vents be needed? if so size?

front sliding plexi glass doors. most likely will be 1/4" as i can get the tracks locally

has anyone had any expierence with these fixtures? Sun Blaze T5 HO Strip Light Fixture -- 2'. planning using 2 of these they come with a 6500k(blue) bulb could this be used for extra light on cool side?

flukers sun dome for basking light fixture. basking light is tbd. suggestions for basking light needed.

i'd say RH is roughly 60-80% winter 70%+summer.

Thanks for any comments/suggestions.

 

[Germ]

dont have my beardie yet. want to build viv first and make sure temps are good...

dimensions 48x24x24

will be using 3/4" melamine

slate tiles for flooring

screened top. uvb bulb will not have screen to provide unfiltered light.

basking bulb should this be unfiltered? If the setup will allow it, yes, that is the better choice, but not absolutely necessary. Screened may need a hotter bulb to provide the desired temps, depending on the setup.

thinking of having a full spectrub bulb(basically just want a little extra light on cool side) should this be filtered or unfiltered? or another type of bulb? or bad idea? Any white or clear bulb will do, when just needed for added ambient light, fluorescents are generally the better choice, as they throw off little heat, again depends greatly on the setup.

venting- besides open top. would extra vents be needed? if so size? An open screened top should be fine, you could make a small adjustable vent low on either side to aid in circulation, again depends on the setup & heat needs.

front sliding plexi glass doors. most likely will be 1/4" as i can get the tracks locally

has anyone had any expierence with these fixtures? Sun Blaze T5 HO Strip Light Fixture -- 2'. planning using 2 of these they come with a 6500k(blue) bulb could this be used for extra light on cool side? Yes this could be used, but just so you know, BDs thrive on Bright White Light so white\clear bulbs are the better choice

flukers sun dome for basking light fixture. basking light is tbd. suggestions for basking light needed. As for a heat bulb, any white or clear bulb of sufficient type & wattage to provide the required temps will work. Everyday Halogen bulbs, found readily available at most Hardware stores for less than half the price of pet store bulbs & do the job every bit as well, if not better. Halogens run quite hot, so high wattages are not needed, therefore are also cheaper to run. We all have to play with bulb types, wattages & distances to suit our individual setups.

i'd say RH is roughly 60-80% winter 70%+summer. Your RH is fairly high, similar to how it is around here. Ideally, we would like to have the RH in the 10%-30% range for BDs. Living in a Humid climate, there is not a lot we can do short of using a dehumidifier & constantly keeping all windows in the home closed. For me this is not an option & my BDs have adapted\adjusted very well for many years.

Thanks for any comments/suggestions.

A few good links to help get you started ...

Basic BD Care Sheet - A Place To Start

Bearded Dragon --- Exclusive Care Info Library

Beautiful Dragons Nutrition Chart

Is Bearded Dragon Co-habitation a good plan?

How To Sex A Bearded Dragon

 

[blazedragon]

Thanks for the fast reply germ. just to clarify the bulbs that come with those fixtures is white in color(they look white in pics) the blue i believe is the color temp(6500K) full spectrum bulbs. Im also going to order reflectors for both fixtures.
Also attached proposed design for the top.

 

[Germ]

The only thing I would suggest is moving the Basking light\spot to the left a bit, more towards the center of the UVB tube, as that is where the strongest effective UVB is emitted, there is very little emitted off of the ends of the tube.

Example of a Basic Setup: Showing the recommended Basic requirements, proper Temperatures & the points at which they should be measured from, in Red & the optional choices that are actually used in this particular example enclosure, in Black.

​

Read More: Basic BD Care Sheet - A Place To Start

 

[blazedragon]

Got my building supplies today... will post some pics after we get it together... the melamine was not as hard to cut as i imagined. will post the blade i used as well.

 

[blazedragon]

mostly together..sorry not many pics kinda short on help

 

[Pat B]

Good start....Where do you get the tracks for the front?

 

[blazedragon]

i went to all the local harware stores till i found a set.. they were way cheaper than i thought $7.50 for 48" of 1/4" panel.

link to the exact stuff i got, sadly only comes in tan :
hxxp://www.doitbest.com/Sliding+door+hardware-Knape+and+Vogt+Mfg+Co-model-P2417TAN48-doitbest-sku-224037.dib <-tell me if the link dont work, admins remove if not allowed plz.

 

[Pat B]

Thank you so much. That is exactly what I was looking for. I am 'thinking' about building my own tank so I can customize it.

 

[blazedragon]

I fully enjoyed making my encloseure and believe itll provide a wonderfull home for our beardie. The hardest part is cutting the melamine with minimal chipping

 

[Germ]

Cover your cut line (Both sides) with Masking Tape prior to cutting, you will find that it makes a world of difference. Always make sure that your good side is the side that the blade enters & exits the side that doesn't show. Circular saw = good side facing down, table saw = Good side facing up ...

 

[blazedragon]

the only chipping i had is hardly noticeable at all. You would have to be really looking for it. i did not use tape as germ suggested. the blade i used was: www.menards.com/main/tools-hardware/power-tool-accessories/circular-saw-blades-accessories/7-1-4-x-40-circular-saw-blade/p-1872465-c-10082.htm and did a good job.

 

[blazedragon]

got the slate cut today. kinda broke a tile in 1/2 accidently but i think it looks good all together.

 

[blazedragon]

went and got some minmax polycrylic protective finish clear satin the label says for indoor use would this stuff be ok for sealer or do i need something else

 

[Germ]

Sealer for what ?

 

[blazedragon]

doh forgot to say =P was late. i have 1x2 wood im using on the screen top also for any custom building we make.

 

[blazedragon]

finally got some spare time to do a little bit more on my enclosure. also testing basking spot heights. got both fixture

s mocked in. and plexi glass cut and installed =).

 

[blazedragon]

got some more done. cage is basically complete. now working on the basking spot.
pics are of baskingspot x2, view of top, view of were we plummed our wires front and back
.

 

[Pat B]

Very nice....I like how you built the top with all the lights....etc. Very clever!