# Any bearded dragon parents out there?



## Koda (Jul 31, 2012)

I'm considering getting one sometime and was wondering about how you decorate their terrariums. I found a 45 gallon aquarium on CL that I may buy, and then slowly build it up to be suitable for my future beardie.
I like to completely plan out my dream set-up before I start buying anything, so what do your tanks look like?

I kind of like the idea of making my tank look as natural as possible. I had a leapard gecko a few years ago. I had taken him in from a step-brother which included his tank. I had always hated what his tank looked like, but never really found anything to replace his decor with.


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## thekinetic (May 22, 2012)

Not myself but a friend of the family had one when he lived here for a time. He kept it in a 75g it mas mostly sand but it had a cave, a pool, a feeding dish, a piece of drift wood, and some large rocks for basking.

It was a neat creature, didn't like me as it tried to tail whip me twice. ^_^


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## Koda (Jul 31, 2012)

75 gallons wow. I wish I could get so something that big to spoil my future dragon, but there simply is no place to fit a tank that big in my bedroom without getting rid of other essential furniture....like my bookshelf haha. Even a 55 gallon would be pushing it, I plan to keep the terrarium on my dresser and a 55 would hang over its edges :/ a 45 however would fit perfectly and the minimum is supposedly 40 for an adult.

As far as the substrate, I really love the look of sand, but apparently it's pretty hard to keep up and will get flung everywhere (including into the water) and you'll risk harming the dragon because of ingestion.
I may just go with ceramic tile....maybe I can find some that mimics The look of rock/sand.

As for the tail whipping, I read somewhere that it was a sign of being ready/willing to mate so maybe it _did_ like you


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## purplemuffin (Aug 12, 2010)

Sand is cool looking, but it does bring a risk of impaction. Some people like to give their beardies a 'sand box' to dig in(especially females with a chance of wanting to lay eggs) but other people still say that's an impaction risk. I'd say you might have to watch your own animal and see if they ingest the sand or not. I still would never give sand to a baby or fill an entire enclosure with it. 

Tile and slate rocks are cool and easy to clean. I'd say go for it.

40 gallon breeders are minimum but 55s can work. But it's all about the floorspace.

Beardies are awesome. 

Babies usually eat 80% protein and 20% green, juvies eat 50/50, adults eat 80% greens and 20% protein!


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## Koda (Jul 31, 2012)

I'll be aiming for a juvenile or adult as I'll be watching CL and petfinder for my future beardie. And actually I just found a 55 on CL that's $20 cheaper than the 45 I was looking at.....I could just empty out the shelf/table in my closet and it should fit there. All I need is a response from the seller 
Oh....and access to a bigger car to go pick it up (I drive a tiny hatchback).


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## purplemuffin (Aug 12, 2010)

Whenever you get your beardie, be sure to take a fecal sample to the vet! Lots of sick reptiles are sold on craigslist, even the ones who look somewhat healthy can often have a pretty rough history. 

They are awesome animals, totally the 'bros' of the reptile world. Love them. Good luck with yours!


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## Koda (Jul 31, 2012)

Thanks, will do.

Also, I got a response from the CL aqarium ^.^ it's all mine in the morning, I can't wait.


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## ThePearlFish (Mar 31, 2009)

I have a beardie 

Currently my tank looks like this:










I am going to stick a small "pool" in the tank again like this:










One thing to remember (which you probably found out during your research) is that they live as a long as a dog does and vet bills are expensive because they are exotics. 

Where in VA are you? I might have some vet's I know for exotics, and are especially good for reptiles, depending on that. I don't know if you already have other exotic animals and already have a vet.


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## Koda (Jul 31, 2012)

I'm in northern VA (Manassas/Woodbridge) and I actually work at a vet clinic. We only do cats and dogs but we have a few we recommend for reptiles.
And no, I don't currently have any exotics.

It may still be a while before I actually get the dragon, I'm thinking of starting a roach colony and growing a few plants to save money on it's food. I thought it would be a good idea to get that up and running before getting the beardie 
Also, I still have to talk my parents into it....they don't even know I have the aquarium yet haha. I don't think it would take much though...my room isn't completely a part of the house (its in a room off the garage) and I had gerbils not long ago that they had no problem with, plus my bettas now.


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## Koda (Jul 31, 2012)

Also, I kind of like your hide/backing rock. Did you make that yourself or buy it somewhere?
I had a lot of trouble finding one that would be big enough for a full grown beardie, so I decided to make my own using styrofoam and grout .


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## ThePearlFish (Mar 31, 2009)

Koda said:


> I'm in northern VA (Manassas/Woodbridge) and I actually work at a vet clinic. We only do cats and dogs but we have a few we recommend for reptiles.
> And no, I don't currently have any exotics.
> 
> It may still be a while before I actually get the dragon, I'm thinking of starting a roach colony and growing a few plants to save money on it's food. I thought it would be a good idea to get that up and running before getting the beardie
> Also, I still have to talk my parents into it....they don't even know I have the aquarium yet haha. I don't think it would take much though...my room isn't completely a part of the house (its in a room off the garage) and I had gerbils not long ago that they had no problem with, plus my bettas now.


Hey! I live there too! And used to work at a vet there too, have we met??? :mrgreen: 

BTW- I know Ridgelake Vet does exotics, but I normally drive to Pender in Chantilly, I know they are further out, but they are so much more better with the reptiles.


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## ThePearlFish (Mar 31, 2009)

Oh! I forgot, I DID make my basking rock  With styrofoam, grout and textured spray paint. I have slate tiles in my cage. I love them, because they hold heat, but they are also cool for summer.


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## Koda (Jul 31, 2012)

Really? Wow, small world, maybe we have met haha.
Pender is the place the receptionists at work told me to check out, but I may try Ridgelake first and see how competent they seem. I like working at a vet, it gives me an upper hand in judging a good clinic, its like I have the inside information 

And I'm beginning to think the home made rocks are the way to go. They look so much more realistic than the plastic crap at Petsmart/co which don't come in big enough sizes anyways.


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## ThePearlFish (Mar 31, 2009)

I made mine when I got my Beardie several 5ish years ago and it is still going strong. I recently scraped off some of the top and redid it because it was getting disgusting from him pooping on it, but otherwise it is in pretty good shape.


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## Koda (Jul 31, 2012)

Wouldn't spraying it with a kind of sealant help with that? Like the method I'm following for my rocks said to cover it with a few coats of a water based Polycrylic satin sealer. It gives it a little bit of a glossy look, but it would prevent any liquids or icky stuff from getting into the pores in the grout.


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## Koda (Jul 31, 2012)

Like this is my rocks. The bigger one still needs one more coat of the sealant, but it's all pretty much done. (excuse the crappy phone photo, there is more contrast in there I swear)

I wanted to offer hides in both the basking side and the warm side. The side with the bigger rock will be the basking side, I just need to get lights and everything will be ready in the tank....I'm thinking of re-doing the background too, I painted that before making the rocks and most of the better parts are now hidden :/
I'm not sure if I want to leave the middle empty or get some drift wood for more climbing.


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## ThePearlFish (Mar 31, 2009)

I used a sealant on my thing too. But sometimes he would go to the bathroom on it and I wouldn't know till I got home or something. So, over time it got kinda groady on top.


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## Koda (Jul 31, 2012)

Oh really? I guess I'll try giving it a good scrub whenever I find it's been used as a toilet. I'd hate to have to scrape off and re-grout because I had done a little painting on the rocks to add some more demmention and it'd be hard to get it all to match again.


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