Might be getting a beardie I am going to use a 36x18x18 enclosure (yes it’s small I know) any tips on what I should put inside? please note it’s a temporary enclosure going to be bare bones and it’s meant to be functional and simple but still having enrichment.
Are you asking what decorations you should put in the enclosure (like hides, branches, etc.)?
1 Like
Yup! Things like that
Are you planning to get a baby/juvenile or an adult? The enclosure is much, much smaller than it should be. The bare minimum enclosure size for an adult is 4x2x2’, which is more than double the size that you have. If you’re going to get a young beardie and you’re only planning to have that enclosure for a couple of months that’s fine. But if you’re planning to get an adult to put in there, you should wait until you can give it the proper care. No matter what age you get, you need to get at least a 4x2x2 enclosure for it when it becomes a sub-adult.
No matter what enclosure you have the setup is going to be about the same. You can either use substrate (but only a few kinds, I don’t know enough about it to give you advice on that) or paper towels. Substrate is better for the adults and for the permanent enclosure, but for babies and/or a temporary enclosure, paper towels are fine. If you use substrate, research a lot to find the best types. I think this article is accurate but I don’t know if sand is suitable or not for them. You’re going to need at least 3 hides for it. One hide on the cool side and one on the warm side. They should be small, dark, and have one entrance. Half logs or skull hides don’t count as a hide, but you can still use them as decorations, just not in place of a hide. The third hide you can use as an extra hide somewhere for more security, or as a humid hide. Do research to see if you think a humid hide is necessary (I don’t know if it is or not). You should also provide many climbing opportunities and branches. Bearded dragons climb a lot and it is very beneficial. You can use different types of wood at a pet store, or use things that you found outside as long as you sterilize it (by putting it in the oven for a while, how long depends on the thickness of the wood). Be sure the wood is wide enough that the dragon can climb on it, and make a dedicated basking area under the heat bulb. Make sure that the dragon can’t get any closer to the heat than the basking spot to avoid burns. Be sure to add lots of cover to the enclosure. Decorations and fake plants work well. You can use live plants but be very careful that they aren’t poisonous.
3 Likes
It’s going to be a 6 ish month old bearded dragon (I don’t think that qualifies for a sub-adult) and I plan to ditch it as soon as possible, it’s mainly spmeant to be simple (It’s a first pet). Edit: I personally am NEVER doing only sand due to the high risk of impaction and there are other substrate options safe
(Also there are better substrates out there)
1 Like
For a first reptile pet bearded dragons are very high maintenance and expensive. I am not trying to persuade you not to get one, I just want to make sure you know and are prepared for their care requirements. For the age I think that size enclosure is probably fine for at least 6 months.
Thanks noted and my plan is to get **everything ** set up
1 Like