How to Set up your bearded dragon!
Just how important is the setup of a bearded dragon’s enclosure?
Some of you who have been around for a while may be familiar with my bearded dragon, Q. Q came to us with an array of problems that go beyond malnourishment and dehydration: he has a neurological disorder. There’s some speculation about how this came to be. I’ve had some vets say that it was due to his morph, but I’ve had other vets (who I am more inclined to agree with) say that it is because he did not have the proper environment in his very formative time. This is why it is especially important that his enclosure and his husbandry are correct at all times as they play a huge part in controlling his symptoms. Despite the fact that he is healthy, well-fed, active, and very much loved, he does have lingering symptoms and those symptoms manifest in the form of a constant tremor. If you’ve seen him in any of our videos, you may have noticed the way his head wobbles quite a bit.
And if his enclosure husbandry slips even a little, we notice the difference right away in his behavior. This is why we take such special care to ensure that his husbandry is always, always on point. It’s also one of the reasons why we did not feel comfortable adopting him out after taking him in as we want to ensure that he is set up for success in an environment where he will be well cared for.
This is only one example of why enclosure set up for bearded dragons is so important which is what we will be covering today. Of course, the correct set up for any reptile (or any pet, for that matter) is crucial but today, our little dragons take the spotlight.
But first, a quick disclaimer: I want you to be aware that I am sharing what’s worked for me in the past and in my experience. There are others who have different experiences and that does not make their experiences any less valid. For the sake of this post, I’m not going to be sharing anything about *0bioactivity because I want to focus on discussing the most basic approach to bearded dragon care. If you decide you want to implement bioactivity into your enclosures, awesome! Bioactivity is great, and there are plenty of resources out there that will help you out with that.
And remember, what do I always say? Do your research! These are my own personal experiences and the results may be different for you. And there are always many other options to choose from.
So, let’s dig in!
Are You Getting a Baby or an Adult?
The first thing to consider is the age of the bearded dragon that you are adopting. If you are adopting a juvenile or a hatchling, you’re going to go with a smaller enclosure size versus an adult. A baby or juvenile bearded dragon can get away with a 40 gallon breeder.
I know some people start their hatchlings in a 20 gallon long enclosure, which is about 30 inches wide x 12 inches deep, but I always recommend a 40 gallon breeder, which is 36 inches wide x 18 inches deep. It gives the baby beardie more room to run around and explore and have enrichment while also creating a proper temperature gradient, an important detail we’ll cover more of in a little bit.
If you have an adult or even juvenile bearded dragon, you’ll be able to put them in their forever enclosure and that’s going to be much, much larger. I believe the minimum US industry standard for a beardie is still a 40 gallon breeder, and as a reptile rescue owner, that can work in a pinch.
But long-term, it’s not a great solution.
Bearded dragons are active animals and unless you have an environment where you can have your dragon out at all times—something I do not recommend because they need to have specific, regulated temperatures—a 40 gallon breeder is not enough room even for enrichment.
I’ve heard some people say that the new minimum requirement is a 75 gallon aquarium and while this is better, my personal preference is a 4‘ x 2‘ x 2‘ enclosure. These will provide plenty of room for enrichment and activity while also giving them a proper temperature gradient.
These enclosures can be very pricey; we’re looking at $300+, unless you’re handy and are able to build the enclosure yourself. If you’re interested in seeing a video on how to build a 4 x 2 x 2 enclosure, leave me a comment below. I would love to even if my husband may not show you!
Proper Lighting
Think of bearded dragons as little desert dwellers. Essentially, they are! They may no longer be out in the wild, but they do enjoy and require a lot of heat, so you’ll be needing a basking bulb in your enclosure. Additionally, you will require a linear UVB bulb.
These are non-negotiable items.
You may be thinking, “Okay, I’ll just take those and put them on top of the enclosure.”
You can probably get away with that with the basking bulb. I know many of the enclosures nowadays have a screen lid and you can do this if you have a mesh lid, but you cannot put your UVB on top of the screen. The linear UVB has to be mounted right within the enclosure because the screen filters out the important rays and reduces how much your bearded dragon gets. Your bearded dragon absolutely needs UVB in order to be healthy. This helps them with their calcium levels and prevents things like metabolic bone disease—a painful disease with no cure. But luckily, it’s something that can be easily avoided when providing the proper care.
So remember: UVB has to be inside.
You may also want to have an additional lightbulb on the opposite side to make sure the enclosure is evenly lit, but this is a personal preference.
Ceramic Heat Emitters
Depending on the temperature of your house, you may need to have an additional boost of heat in the enclosure to maintain temperatures. Ceramic heat emitters are the way to go because they provide heat without providing additional light.
What temperatures should you be reaching?
For the basking surface, you’re going to want the temperature right around 105°F on the surface. You’ll be able to measure this with an IR thermometer.
On the cool side of the enclosure, you are aiming for the surface to be between 77° - 85°F.
The ambient temperature throughout the enclosure will be between 78° - 95°F.
There’s some wiggle room in the ambient temperature, and I tend to er on the side of somewhere in the middle around the 80s. Again, though, you'll want to do your research and figure out what works for you. I’ve seen different people—and even different vets—recommend varying temperatures. This is what I found works well for my bearded dragons in my environment and keeps them happy, active, and healthy.
But what about at night when the basking light and the UVB light goes off, what will the temperature be? Luckily, at night, a temperature drop is not only normal but super important for bearded dragons. I like to keep my nighttime temperature around 70°. Some people like to go a bit cooler, but for me, 70° has been super effective.
UVB Should Cover ⅔ of the Enclosure
Now that we’ve discussed just how important UVB lighting is, we need to make sure we are utilizing it properly. Your UVB has to cover ⅔ of the enclosure. You also want to make sure that the basking bulb is sitting in a place where your bearded dragon can bask. Your ceramic heater meter can go somewhere in the middle or off to the other side wherever it will help to get that temperature gradient you need.
Substrate
I mentioned I will not be digging into bio activity and loose substrate today, but one of the things I will say that I’ve loved using is a Zen mat. Zen Habitats creates incredible enclosures. I’m not an affiliate or anything of the sorts, but for my bearded dragon enclosures, I use their *4Zen Mat which is a black roll up mat that helps retain heat and create a warm environment. Not to mention, it’s very easy for them to walk on because it’s textured. And, drum roll—it's washable, a small detail that you’ll be thankful for, believe me.
Another option is tiles, something people have had great success with.
And if you’re in a quarantine phase (no, not COVID quarantine but keeping a reptile separate from other reptiles for a limited amount of time), you can use something easy to clean like paper towels. Paper towels can be plucked from their cage in an instant.
Are there options you should avoid? Yes! You want to avoid using materials that could cause problems like impaction, things like calci sand. If you prefer to go with a loose substrate, you need to make sure that your husbandry is on point everywhere else, and you’ll want to look to a different source for that information because we will not be discussing loose substrate here today.
Thermometer
Thermometers help to monitor and track the ambient temperatures in the enclosure to ensure they are correct at all times, especially during seasonal changes. You will find that you have to adjust your lighting and/or heat source in the summer and winter. When it starts to get cold around here, I have to boost things up; during the hotter months, I can lower the temperatures a bit. Having a thermometer helps you to keep track of these numbers.
Decorating
Now that all of the hard stuff is out-of-the-way, it’s time for the fun part: decorating!
Bearded dragons are so much fun to decorate for. I have my bearded dragon condos decorated like little apartments with tiny couches, little fake plants, even wall decor.
What suits your taste? If a miniature apartment doesn’t sound like your cup of tea, there are plenty of options available on the market to create a more “natural” bearded dragon enclosure.
There are some things to keep in mind, though. You want to avoid decorations that are going to heat up and risk a burn hazard. I was once gifted a decoration piece that had a small metal bit on it and under the light, it got so hot that it burned my skin. I’m still glad that I tested it first before giving it to my dragons.
Also, if you will be using any wall backing or anything of the sorts to decorate the back of the enclosure, be sure it will not emit any fumes, so avoid things with strong adhesive. We tend to recommend non-adhesive papers.
You also want to avoid things that can be eaten or pose a choking hazard. And they will eat it if they have the chance. I've seen my beardies go after things that I wonder why they would even care to try.
The key here is that you want to provide for them places to climb like a hammock or climbing area. A basking area would also be ideal. A place should also be made available for them to hide or get away from the heat if needed. It’s also great to provide things for them to explore and get involved in. I like to change things out of my enclosures often and offer different exploration opportunities. Adding things like driftwood and cork bark add variety as well.
However, in addition to having things to explore inside the cage, my dragons also get a lot of time outside of the enclosure to get enrichment in ways they simply couldn’t find within their home. If your dragons will be in their enclosures more than they are going to be out, then you will want to put more time into providing them with a lot of variety of enrichment within their enclosure. Find what works for you, your family, and your dragon!
The important thing is, whatever you’re using for decor, you want to make sure:
it’s reptile-friendly
it will be able to handle the heat of the enclosure (the heat will get pretty intense inside so avoid placing bulbs directly over any fabrics you may add like the tiny couches in my enclosures)
the decor you choose is able to be easily cleaned (like throwing it into the washing machine or using disinfectant)
As you can see, setting up a bearded dragon’s home is a lot of work and can be pretty expensive, but it’s something that’s so important to your reptile’s health— both physically and emotionally.
But the process can be fun whenever you get involved and add variety and change things up to make the enclosure uniquely yours.
Need a bit of inspiration? Check out Pinterest! Join bearded dragon forums! There is a whole bearded dragon community out there that is dying to share their enclosures and inspiration with you.
So, did we answer your questions? Is there anything we didn’t cover? Leave us a comment below and let’s talk! I always love to talk all things reptile ;)
