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Newbie needing help with proper enclosure

heathersb

Bearded Dragon Egg
Messages
2
Hi there! First I want to thank you for such an informative website! It has been very helpful!

So a little backround info:

I have only owned 2 beardies in the past and they were purchased at a pet store in Bellflower, Ca. and were both in poor health. Eventually, due to my pregnancy and having a newborn baby to take care of, my brother-in-law and his wife took them, and today they are thriving. That's the ONLY experience I've had, which doesn't amount to much.

So fast forward 7 years. I have an older gentleman friend who had 2 bearded dragons he could no longer care for, as his health was failing. Because I have 3 kids, (all boys, 7 yrs and under), he asked me if I would take care of them, hoping my boys would enjoy them too. They were brought to me with an overcrowded tank, sand substrate, a giant red light, and "no spinach" is all I got as far as guidance.

I did some research, came across your site and decided to renovate. I emptied the sand, cleaned the wood pieces thoroughly, cleaned the dishes, and then upgraded them to a 150 gallon former aquarium we had that leaked so we couldn't use it as such any longer. I added a UVB bulb, switched the red light to a CHE and added a regular household bulb. I noticed that the female was losing weight, and after observing them it seemed to me like the tank was too big and she wasn't able to eat whatever live food I put in there, (crickets, hornworms, meal worms, etc). So I'd have to take her out and feed her separately, in a small tote.

I figured maybe putting them back into a smaller tank, but bigger than the one they were brought in. So they are now in a 35"L x 24"H x 18"W terrarium that opens in the front. I have a 150W CHE on one side above where I have the branches and bark laid. I have a regular household bulb also on that side. Across the width of the tank I have a Repti-Sun 10.0 UVB. On the other side I have their food dish and water tray. I have no substrate yet but want to add some Repti-Turf.

I look at all the amazing tanks on here and I know mine is all wrong but am having a hard time figuring out how to fix it. The lid to the terrarium is screened and divided with thin plastic into four sections which inhibits me from putting the UVB on it, or any of the other lights for that matter. So I currently have no lid.

I'd appreciate any help with how I can make the enclosure better suited for them and what I can do, add, subtract, or think about.

Thanks so much!
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Heather
 

heathersb

Bearded Dragon Egg
Messages
2
You need to separate the two--------- divide the 150 gallon into two living quarters for them-- they each need their own UVB's -- Reptison 10.0 T 5 or T 8--- NO COILS----- and their own basking bulbs- the female is under stress from the male ---- one will become dominant over the other and the one will fail to thrive--- I would take out alot of the stuff you have in the tank --- they need floor space - its nice to have stuff to climb on but you dont want to over do it! You didnt show your lighting ---- they need to be approx 8-10 inches from a T 8 bulb w/ the cover off the bulb and 10-11 inches for a T 5 bulb --- the T 8 should be in the tank and depending on the screen fine or wide hole the T 5 can sit on top of screen----------the T 5 is a stronger bulb and only needs to be replace once a year the T 8 2 times per year--- I would get some textured non adhesive shelf liner or slated ceramic tile from Home Depot or Lowes etc for the substrate -- both are cheap and easy to clean w/ vinegar/ water 50/50 in a spray bottle-- the tile would need to be cut to tank size-- the lighting in the tank s are crucial to their over all health behavior and digestion --- my guess is the female is totally stressed from the male and if the lighting is incorrect thats going to play a role in the eating etc...............but please separate the 2---- dragons are a territorial animal and should never be housed together
kaylyn

Thank you Kaylyn for your reply!

I guess I should've mentioned that since I've moved them into the smaller tank, they are both eating fine, in fact she's the first I get to the bowl, but he also gets his turn.
I did read that they shouldn't be together but they were brought to me that way and seemed fine so I didn't want to change it up on them. Apparently they've mated and she's laid eggs twice before. I don't even know how old they are, just that they've been housed together at the last owners house for as long as I can remember.
I have 2 t5 bulbs on either side of cage. They are something like 46" I think? (I'm not home right now to check).
I also felt like it was overcrowded with the wood, but wanted enough area for them to both bask, so that's the best I could come up with. Guess I wouldn't make a good beardie interior designer.
Overall they are doing good health wise, but I will definitely separate them if warranted.
 
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