# Newbie looking for viv set up advice please



## yorkie7480 (Aug 5, 2011)

Hi all, I have purchased a ready made viv with the intention of housing a bearded dragon , my intention is to get it right before i get my new lil friend.

I have a 3 foot viv with all the normal decorative bits i need but the setup I have seems to differ from the norm when i comes to the heating etc.

For heating I have a ceramic heating bulb, no spot, no house bulb just the ceramic attached to a Microclimate B1 magic Eye, I have tried the set up and managed to get a steady gradient throughout 100-105 for basking 85 in the center and 75-80 cool end with a decent 15-20 drop at night, my question is is this ok?? or do I require a differant configuration?

For lighting I have a UVB cannot remember the make but im sure it is a 10?? but it runs along the roof of the viv about 3/4 lengh of the viv, here lies my other question the bulb is behind a sheet of glass is this required?? or is this detrimental to the effects of the bulb?

Like I say im determined to get it right before i get my new mate so any input is welcome, thanks in advance :notworthy:


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## jools (Apr 4, 2009)

Hi and welcome to RFUK!

Kudos for wanting to get things right BEFORE you get your new pal. A ceramic is fine for heating but beardies are attracted to light. Associating light (sun) with heat. Might be a good idea to place an LED or low energy bulb adjacent to the ceramic. Or replace the ceramic with a spot bulb? Are you using a thermostat? - essential piece of kit. The basking temp is a little low if you are getting a baby. 110-115 would be better - try raising the basing spot nearer to the heat source.

What concerns me most is your UV. If it is behind glass then it will be next to useless - glass filters out UVb. You need to have a tube running almost the full length of the viv. The dragon needs to be able to get with about 8 - 12 inches (for a 10%) of it. Running along the back wall of the viv is the best place for this. A reflector would help too.

The other issue is viv size - that viv will be fine for a baby but too small for when it grows into an adult. 4x2x2 is a minimum for a beardie.

Hope this helps.


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## lovemysnakes (Apr 17, 2011)

great advice from jools there  
and brilliant you want it right before you get your little scaled friend! 

i would suggest changing the CHE over to a daylight bulb, any basking bulb will do, maybe a 100w would be best. give it a try? 

what substrate have you got? 
with babies you dont want the night temp dropping too low, what exact night temps are you getting? ideally 70-80f i would suggest. you might want to keep hold of that CHE for night temps when winter comes 

how old is the UV tube? if you didnt buy it then i would strongly suggest you go out and get yourself an arcadia t5 12% tube, controller and reflector. it will do wonders for your 'to be' reptile and you dont want it covered by anything or it wont do its job. certainly not through glass as jools mentioned. 
the tube should be the full lengh of the vivarium. if you want to go all out you can get a 6% tube too and make the 12% a little shorter so you can give the rep a photogradient as well as a thermal, but that can wait. 
what about hides? three is a good number for a 3ft tank, cool, middle and hot end. you want your new guy to feel really secure when you first get him/her. 

3ft will do you just fine for a while. many people keep one adult beardie in a 3ft but i would always say bigger is better so i think its worth investing in a 4ft in the future 

also what type of viv have you got? all glass? or just glass front with wood?

are your pretty clued up about diet? different plants to feed etc?


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## yorkie7480 (Aug 5, 2011)

Wow thanks for the quick replies.

It is a wooden viv with glass sliding doors, the glass covering the uv will proptly be removed along with a new bulb purchase, I have the microclimate regulating things and the night temp was 74ish if memory serves, the temps being taken with a laser gun thingy ma bob.

I have playsand substrate at the mo but as its not in use yet can easily be changed, finally if I put in an LED or low energy spot I am assuming that no control is needed other than on/off??

Have read a lot about feeding etc and have the dusting powders for crickets but like I say any advise is more than welcome, cheers.

thanks again for the warm welome :2thumb:


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## lovemysnakes (Apr 17, 2011)

no problems! 
yeh with a light bulb you will need a dimming thermostat. i would really recommend getting the light because desert species so require a lot of visual light too. 
even with a CHE its better to use a pulse proportional stat but thats not so important. 
you can get any cheap bulb like the pro rep ones but i think the neo film ones may be better. actually a low watt halogen would be best. i use a 75w arcadia halogen and its great colour renditioning for the reptiles vision and shows thier colours up nice. 

a 75 would get your viv too hot so maybe the 45w, i think its a 45 anyway. 

its great that you have a temp gun  very helpful tools and the night time temp seems great. 

if you can go to a small local flooring shop, they might have cut offs of lino that you could use as a substrate. lino is really easy to clean and more pleasing to the eye. 
you can also use tiles but often lizards slide on them because they cant get a good grip with thier claws. 
if you cant get hold of lino to begin with then plain kitchen roll does the job well. 

i know the lighting seems like a big expense but if you go with a halogen youll be saving money because they last longer and cost less on the electricity to run. also the arcadia t5 has a years warranty so you know you wont have to pay out anything for a whole 12 months until it needs replacing and they are top of the range, you cant get better than a arcadia t5 tube. 

habistat are what i use for thermostats, you can get them second hand on ebay and on classfieds on here a lot cheaper than going out buying them new. 

surrey pet supplies are the cheapest for products so id recommend them for the lights, controller, hides etc.


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## lovemysnakes (Apr 17, 2011)

regarding diet heres a few good links 

Bearded Dragon Care Sheet . Org - Proper Bearded Dragon Diet
Bearded dragon food and nutrition - lovebeardies
herbs « grow your lizard food by Iguanagirl

if you have the time and space its great if you can grow your own such as alfalfa
heres a good link to get seeds. as the dragon becomes older this will become more important because the diet needs change from 80% live food : 20% plant matter to 80% plant matter : 20% live food 

Shelled Warriors


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## lovemysnakes (Apr 17, 2011)

have you got feeding/water bowls etc? if not then i would suggest you just get terrocota plant pot saucers which are like 25-50p. they so exactly the same job as the expensive exo terra bowls and youl save a load of money!

theres loads of ways you can save money, reptile keeping is an expensive hobby, but i would spend the money on the lighting because thats what is most important. 

after that theres supplements. nutrobal is a great one because its an all rounder and my herp vet recommends it. he knows the guy that makes it and my herp vet spend years living out in deserts studying desert species. 

as far as cleaning goes f10 is prob the best cleaning product out there and its not too expensive. i use the ready to use mix which is about £7 or something.


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## lovemysnakes (Apr 17, 2011)

it sounds like a lot of hard work but its not really. once its all in place you shouldnt have to worry about a thing for a very long time and your beardy will be soo very happy  then you can just focus on enjoying the reptile


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## yorkie7480 (Aug 5, 2011)

As far as the lighting being expensive I see it as a non issue, my main concern is the welfare of my new mate so I will deff be taking your advise on that.

The more I am reading I am considering buying a whole new set-up and building myself.

Im now thinking that if I try and make the required changes to my current viv it will end up like a Jonny age 3 special, to that end I am ordering a 4 foot viv and the suggested lighting.

Can I still make use of the microclimate magic eye? if not how do i control the night time temps without disturbing my beardie with the light, also how does the dimming thermostat work?

Sorry for sounding dumb and thanks again.


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## lovemysnakes (Apr 17, 2011)

*what i like to hear!*

I am totally loving your attitude! I wish more people thought like you. Ok well if you want to go with the four foot and go all out making it top notch then I would suggest you go with the photogradient too. 
If your willing to spend money then what do you think about getting a MVB? Again arcadia give a years warranty on it and again, well worth it for your beardie. 

Arcadiajohn educated me how to go about making the most ideal set up for a desert species so if your wanting the best then you can replicate what I've done in my five foot with a few adaptations to make it suitable for a four foot. 

And ill tell you something for sure, since changing to this set up I've seen a big difference in my chcukwallas and they are thriving!

If you get this set up you'll be sorted for a year and your beardie will be happy as anything. Plus being that its all reasonably new stuff out and incredibly well tested I doubt anything much better will be coming out for a while! 

Regarding controlling the night temps it all works easy with timers. They are inexpensive and easy to pick up. I have one timer for my uv tubes, one for my MVB's and come winter will have one for my ceramics. I think they are like a pound in b and q and they do the job perfect. I don't know much about the magic eye thing. Sorry. 

Can anyone else give advise on that please? 

Do you want to PM me so I can go through the set up with you? Equipment wise its arcadia t5 6% tube one 12% tube, two reflectors and the double controller. One 100w arcadia MVB and I use the lucky reptile thermo socket and reflector but that's up to you. Arcadia make one so you might want to go with there's? One arcadia halogen, a couple of standard ceramic fittings and a CHE, a good quality power surge protection extension lead and a few timers. 

Position it all right and the thermal and photo gradient is the dogs!


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## lovemysnakes (Apr 17, 2011)

*stats*

Sorry forgot about the stats! 
One habistat dimming thermostat. It basically works by setting a desired temp. When it gets above that heat it will dim the light down or off to make sure the bask site doesn't get too hot and once it dips too low a temp then it will bring itself back on or brighten the light from its dimmed state. 

With the CHE I've been informed pulse proportional stats are best as it keeps a steady heat where as a standard stat will mean dips and spikes in temperature. People do use normal stats successfully though.

This time of year you won't need it but come winter I will be using one. Desert species can cope with low night temps but in the wild they dig burrows deep underground or seed out warm sheltered areas for the night. The temp in burrows has been recorded to be around 85f for many desert dwelling species but I would say a gradient of high 60's /low 70's -85f is ideal. 

If your buying a viv and not making one then I would suggest putting some extra ventilation in the cool end so you can have a water source without raising the humidity. Also this time of the year the cool end of the viv can get a bit too warm as the ambient room temp increases a lot. Having the extra vents will help maintain a better thermal gradient and air exchange is important for both your reptile and the lighting.


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## lovemysnakes (Apr 17, 2011)

*saving money*

I would still suggest buying things like stats second hand. Habistats can last a very long time and you can get them nearly new for half the price or less. I personally feel it makes sense to save money on the things you can, go all out on lighting and viv size and then any extra cash you want to put into the rep can go towards supplements, growing plants, faeacle screens and routine herp vet check ups. 

I like to get a screen done for all my new reptiles and a full parasitology through PALS will cost you about £45. Then you know your mate is in good health and just taking it to an experienced herp vet once you've got the results even if all clear is good because they will give it a full examination like checking heart rate, overall condition etc and they often give good advice which is always reassuring as an animal lover. 

Get your basic decor in there and over time you'll want to change that about anyway. Find out what your mate likes and what's pleasing to the eye. Its good enrichment to have a change of environment every now and again too. Though obviously this is once your beardy is well established and has been with you for a while. 

Really sounds like your going to make an awesome keeper! Love to see this enthusiasm! Makes me want to hug ya! Lol.


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## yorkie7480 (Aug 5, 2011)

All great stuff thanks.

I have sent you a PM with where I am currently at.

Cheers.:2thumb:


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## yorkie7480 (Aug 5, 2011)

*All Sorted thanks*

All sorted hopefully, I have listed my original 3ft viv on eBay and have bought a whole new set-up.

Ordered a vivexotic Vx48, I am giving the photogradient idea a go with Arcadia T5's and using a halogen basking spot along with the ceramic for winter/cold nights.

Special thanks to lovemysnakes for her advice :notworthy:

Any other helpful tips and advice would be greatly received, thanks again.


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## lovemysnakes (Apr 17, 2011)

oh i feel special


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## jools (Apr 4, 2009)

I wouldn't worry too much about night temps. Beardies need a temp drop at night. In their natural habitat it can get close to freezing. If your room doesn't drop below 60F at night you won't need any heating in the viv at night. Once the beardie is over a year old then it should IMO be brumated anyway which means much lower temps 24/7 for a few months.


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## yorkie7480 (Aug 5, 2011)

Will bear that in mind, so am im right in thinking that if i have the ceramic attached to a pulse stat set at say 60f it will not come on unless it drops below 60f? thinking of putting a timer on the ceramic too so it only operates between say 10pm to 5am or is this just over complicating things?


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## lovemysnakes (Apr 17, 2011)

no put a timer on the CHE for all the hours the lights. remember what i said about underground burrows?


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## yorkie7480 (Aug 5, 2011)

So lights off, Ceramic timer on? and set at the lower end temp?

God I must sound dumb lol:bash:


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## lovemysnakes (Apr 17, 2011)

you dont sound dumb, even really experienced keepers wont have a set up as good as yours will be. 
yeh set the CHE at like 85f and that will given the rep a night time gradient too cool the cool end will get much cooler in winter. 
your gna have a brilliant set up!


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