# New dragon owner.



## ATOJAR (Aug 5, 2012)

Hey guys, Basically ive just bought the below viv from somebody for like £100 ... Ive been after a setup for years but the missus wouldn't let me spend the £300+ some of the pet shops where asking, When this one cam up for just £100 i snapped it straight up. Now ive just got the viv tonight and have a couple of questions i hope some of the long time keepers can help me with, Ive spend the last 3 hours looking on you tube and browsing the web trying to take in as much info as i can about keeping my dragons fit, Healthy and happy, This is no1 priority for me.

Everything im about to say ive read over the past few hours, Please correct me if im wrong.

I plan on getting two digital thermometers for each end of the viv soon too.

Ok at the min the viv has a ceramic heating bulb in and a long UV bulb, Now i know my beardies need a night/day cycle & need to cool down at night too so on a night i turn both off, At the minute the nite temp is fine ... Its summer here but for the winter i plan on buying a Habistat Dimmer Thermostat, I plan on moving the ceramic bulb to the back left of the viv and covering with a heat bulb guard and only using the ceramic bulb in the winter so i can turn the heat bulb off but keep the viv warm but dark, I plan on buying a heat bulb for day usage as ive read they like not only the heat but to bask in the direct light that the ceramic bulb does not give off.

My question is this, Can i use a Habistat Dimmer Thermostat with both a ceramic & heat bulb? This way i can use the ceramic bulb at night in the winter and the heat bulb during the day and not have to spend money on a Habistat Pulse-proportional as well as the Habistat dimmer, Ive read i can but would like to hear it fist hand.

My other question is this, Are my two beardies ok for that viv size?(3ft in length)

Any tips or advice for a new dragon keeper would be much appreciated.

Thanks in advance. 

http://i.imgur.com/PfjdL.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/1mP52.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/ppoOx.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/7WdsU.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/6YYJ8.jpg


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## dickvansheepcake (Jul 8, 2009)

The minimum recommended size vivarium for one bearded dragon is 4x2ft (8 square feet of floor space). For two beardies you'll want to add one or two feet. So for two you really want a 5/6x2/3ft vivarium. Preferably with multiple basking spots so the dragons can get away from each other if they want and will hopefully be less likely to fight over the heat source. They should also be fed separately so both are getting enough without fighting/one being bullied. Beardies are naturally solitary and can often not do well living together, so every precaution should be taken if you want them to do well, be healthy and not get injured.
As for night heating, I believe a ceramic can be run on a dimmer stat. I have never used any form of night heating for mine though. Temps can drop to 60f with no real adverse effect, other than the beardie taking longer to get active in the morning, so I've never needed it.


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## ATOJAR (Aug 5, 2012)

What even in the winter you use no heat source? 

I'm aware the viv is too small for two, I'm gonna see if I can maybe sell one or give one to a pet shop. 

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## silvermaneuk (Jul 21, 2012)

Your viv size would be ok for one Juvenile Dragon, but as they can grow to 2ft you really do need a min of 4 x 2 x 2. I plan on an enormous upgrade for my boy as he LOVES to climb! So were going for a 6 x 2 x 2 in the next 6 months. 

I don't use heat source at night at all for my boy. In the wild they can get enormous drops in temperature at night. 

He currently has a 75W exo terra basking light and a 3ft UV strip light, he gets a lovely gradient of heat with that. 

When we upgrade he will be having a ceramic emitter, with basking spot and UV bulb (on a dimming thermostat), as obviously we will have a bigger space to heat. 

Just my opinion but you could easily get away with a basking spot and UV strip in the size of tank you have, no heat at night.


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## dickvansheepcake (Jul 8, 2009)

ATOJAR said:


> What even in the winter you use no heat source?
> 
> I'm aware the viv is too small for two, I'm gonna see if I can maybe sell one or give one to a pet shop.
> 
> Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2


Nope, never used any kind of heating over night with any of my beardies. Honestly, unless you live in a fridge the house temp shouldn't drop low enough to do any harm. You will feel the cold before they do! If you're really worried then by all means have a ceramic set up on a stat set at 65/70f, so if it does drop that low the heater will kick in, but I've never ever needed it!


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## silvermaneuk (Jul 21, 2012)

TBH hun that viv is too small for 'one' adult beardie, the min they recommend is 4 x 2 x 2

Like dicky up there said unless your house is freezing you dont have to worry, I have my central heating set to come on if it drops below a certain temp at night, 60C. In the wild they would cope with those temperatures and sometimes even cooler.

I fretted as well, they seem so fragile, but their quite hardy little boogers lol


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## Vermillon (Jan 9, 2010)

Just a warning some people will tell you that you must separate your beardies, mate if they are getting along fine just ignore those comments. My 2 beardies lived very happily together with out any issues.


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## solid tegs (Apr 30, 2012)

It all depends on what temp the room drops too in the winter really as mine drop to around 65 atm which they have been happy with so any lower than that they would need some sort of heat over night


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## ATOJAR (Aug 5, 2012)

Vermillon said:


> Just a warning some people will tell you that you must separate your beardies, mate if they are getting along fine just ignore those comments. My 2 beardies lived very happily together with out any issues.


Well they do seem to get on fine, Ive seen no aggression from either yet but i just don't have the space in my living room to house a viv large enough for 2 adult beardies, A mate of mine has just bought a 4ft full setup viv so im selling one too him at the end of the week, In about a month or so time im gonna be getting a 4x2x2 viv for my beardie so she should be happy, Shes not even a foot long yet so she should be OK in a 3ft viv just for now, I do have her out quite a bit too. 

I have both the UV light and the ceramic heat lamp both on a timer to automatically turn on at 10AM and off at 10PM, When i checked the temp of my viv this morning when i got up at 6am for work it was at 21c/69F.

Thank for the info/tips so far guys, Really helpful. : victory:


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## ATOJAR (Aug 5, 2012)

Guys I recently bought a microclimate model B1(not the magic eye) I didn't get one with the setup, where's the best place to put the sensor? 

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## ATOJAR (Aug 5, 2012)

I recently bought a microclimate model B1, it only goes up too 92f.... Ive read the sensor is supposed to go at the cool end to stop overheating, is this correct? 

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## sammyp (Jun 8, 2012)

No you use them to make sure the basking temp doesnt go too high, the censor should go on the basking spot, however mine only goes up to 92 and so i put the censor in the hot end turn the dial up to max and watch it for a while with a digital themometer probe on the basking spot, i moved the thermostat probe around until the basking spot read 106.


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## x_Living_Dead_Girl_x (Feb 16, 2009)

Vermillon said:


> Just a warning some people will tell you that you must separate your beardies, mate if they are getting along fine just ignore those comments. My 2 beardies lived very happily together with out any issues.


Telling him to ignore people's advice on that subject is a rather silly thing to say. Some beardies do get on ok for a while, or even for their whole lives, but there are also A LOT of cases where the beardies end up stressed and/or fight without warning - they are primarily solitary animals. You may have had luck with yours but not everyone does/will.


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## ATOJAR (Aug 5, 2012)

Well i gave one of the dragons to the local pet shop, I kept the smaller one of the two. I gave my friend the microclimate model B1 back i bought from him as i think it was faulty, Replaced it with a brand new Habistat Pulse-proportional 600w Thermostat(i have a ceramic heater), I have a two senor digital thermometer to keep track of both the basking and cooling down areas of the viv.

Ive also swapped the sand for two grey stone slabs that fit the viv almost perfectly, Similar too this > B&Q - Bradstone Derbyshire Paving Terracotta (W)450 x (L)450 x (D)32mm customer reviews - product reviews - read top consumer ratings ... Wanted it ground to look somewhat natural.

Now when she poops i pick it straight up, A quick spray & wipe with disinfectant i bought especially designed for vivs/reptiles, No messing, No smell.

She seems a lot happier now, Shes in a much better environment now than when i got her.

Next on my list is a 4x2x2 viv for her ... Should be in a couple of weeks.


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## ATOJAR (Aug 5, 2012)

What are peoples feelings on using lino/vinyl flooring here? ... Ive seen it used by people here and there, Looks pretty tidy & hygienic.


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## ATOJAR (Aug 5, 2012)

Well im guessing shes never been in a batch tub before, I just put some lukewarm water in the tub, Tested with my elbow lol.

Made it just deep enough so she could stand comfortably. 

At first she just stood there & was like







... After maybe 10 mins she slowly started to move, Not really swim just move around.

Then wow ... She did the BIGGEST poop EVAR! ... Must have been like 4 - 5 poops all in one go!

Wonder if was was constipated or there was something wrong with her stomach? ... Maybe the lukewarm help/made her poop easier.

She normally only does one poop but man about 4 - 5 cam out at one that time.


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## MCEE (Aug 8, 2011)

sammyp said:


> No you use them to make sure the basking temp doesnt go too high, the censor should go on the basking spot, however mine only goes up to 92 and so i put the censor in the hot end turn the dial up to max and watch it for a while with a digital themometer probe on the basking spot, i moved the thermostat probe around until the basking spot read 106.



There is a reason why it only goes to 92F. It is not meant to measure basking temperatures.

The sensor goes at the cool end to make sure the cool end is not too warm. The lizard needs somewhere to go if it gets too hot. If there is no cool area to which the lizard can retreat it will be unable to thermoregulate and it could die. Therefore, it can be more dangerous for a lizard to overheat than if the lizard was too cool where, if it cannot bask to warm up, it will just slow down and get lethargic. Using a thermostat is all about safety and making sure a vivarium does not overheat, not to make sure the basking temperature is correct.

If you need to adjust the basking temp you do so by changing the distance from lamp to basking platform and/or by size/wattage of lamp.


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