What set up do I need for my Bearded Dragon?

What is the correct temperature for Bearded Dragons?

Getting the right temperature is key to keeping your beardie happy and healthy.

At the warmer end of the vivarium you should aim for a hot spot of around 37°C (100°F). The cooler end of the vivarium should be around 26°C (80°F). The best night time temperature for your Bearded Dragon’s vivarium is 21°C (70°F).

As seen, your Bearded Dragon’s vivarium temperature should be at a gradient, with a warmer end and cooler end. This can be measured using a thermometer.

Ensuring your Bearded Dragon’s vivarium is heated correctly is very important.

Although reptiles are described as cold-blooded and are therefore dependent on the warmth of their surroundings in order to be active, their metabolism is such that they should not be kept at a constant temperature.

Bearded Dragons live in an area where the temperature can become very hot during the day, which then falls away at night.

The correct temperature gradient should therefore reflect the arid landscape and changing night time temperature.

Bearded Dragon light and heat

Basking bulbs, also known as spot bulbs, provide an intense source of light and heat for your Beardie, replicating the sun’s heat and light.

You can buy basking lamps from the Northampton Reptile Centre. Don’t forget that it’ll need to be held in a reflector that will concentrate the warmth downwards into your Beardie’s vivarium.

Do Bearded Dragons need heat at night?

Bearded Dragons don’t necessarily need heating at night. According to fellow reptile expert, Pete Hawkins, allowing a drop in temperature at night allows their bodies to thermoregulate.

It gives them a chance to slow down, in preparation for the morning.

It means that by the time their heating comes back on in the morning, they’ve got a reason to get up, bask and do more. It helps ‘kick start’ their day.

Leaving the heating on at night could discourage them from basking during the day, meaning they do less and eat less.

Of course this all depends on how cold your house gets at night – if below 10 degrees, then you’ll probably need to think about putting on your Beardie’s Ceramic Heat Emitter.

You can buy a Ceramic Heat Emitter from the Northampton Reptile Centre. They emit no light, only heat.

Bearded Dragons and UVB light

You should provide full spectrum UVB lighting for your Bearded Dragon. You can buy a range of UVB tubes from Northampton Reptile Centre.

UVB lighting is essential as it mimics the ultraviolet component of sunlight. It’s vital for the manufacture of Vitamin D3 in your Beardie’s skin, which allows calcium to be absorbed into their body.

You should also ensure that there is adequate calcium provided in your Bearded Dragon’s diet as well.

It is now possible to acquire lamps that emit both heat and the beneficial UV rays at the same time, minimising the need for additional expenditure on fitments.

How much time should Bearded Dragons spend in UV?

Your Bearded Dragon should receive around 14 – 16 hours of UV exposure in the summer months, and 10 – 12 in the winter.

How far away should UV light be from my Bearded Dragon?

Your UV light should be placed twelve inches from the floor of the enclosure. If your vivarium is taller than this, then use extra substrate to reduce the distance.

The height of the lamp above the position of the Bearded Dragon is vital, because the effectiveness of the UV output falls as the distance increases.

Having a reflector that will concentrate the UV light downwards is very important, but you also need to bear in mind that any grill – as may be advisable to prevent the possible risk of your pet coming into contact with the lamp and suffering potentially fatal burns – will decrease the UV output.

Never put your UV lamp on the outside of the enclosure as the vital UV rays won’t be able to reach your Beardie.

Be aware – UV output declines over time!

Another very important consideration is that the UV output of these lamps declines over time.

This means that they will need to be replaced typically after 10-12 months of use, even though they are seemingly still working.

It is therefore a good idea to write the date when you started using a lamp in a diary, so you can remember when you need to replace it.

In addition, if you register your purchase online, some manufacturers will email you when the lamp is likely to need replacing.

Specialist reptile shops can also test lamps for you, for their UVB output.

It is often worth having a spare one available though in any event, just in case it blows at a time over Christmas perhaps, when it will be hard to replace.

These lamps also act as a source of UVA which acts as an appetite stimulant.

Do my Bearded Dragons have to have a UVB light?

Absolutely yes.  UVB lighting helps the body to manufacture Vitamin D3.  This vitamin is essential in the absorption of Calcium.  In the absence of sufficient Vitamin D3, a Bearded Dragon will suffer from the effects of what is known as Metabolic Bone Disease (often abbreviated simply to MBD).

In cases of this type, calcium is drawn out of the bones, causing them to become weak.  A Bearded Dragon’s skeleton can become weak, and if their jawbones are affected, then they will have problems with eating.

They will also have difficulty in walking.  MBD is a potentially fatal and yet easily preventable condition.

Dimming and pulse thermostats for Bearded Dragons

A dimming thermostat is most suitable if you use a spot lamp. It works by reducing or increasing steadily the amount of energy being sent to your light, rather than sending it in pulses as a pulse thermostat does.

A pulse thermostat under these circumstances would cause your lighting to ‘pulse’, which could be distracting for not only you but also your Beardie! It’s also not the best for your light, as it could damage it.

The Pulse thermostat is most suitable for a non-light emitting source, such as a ceramic heat emitter or a deep heat projector.

This thermostat sends ‘pulses’ of energy to your heating, as the temperature drops. Reactions to temperature changes are quick, and it’s an efficient way of maintaining the right temperature.

Temperature and thermometers for Bearded Dragons

In order to maintain the correct temperature for your Bearded Dragon, you’ll need a thermometer. It may be a good idea to have a couple, one for each end of the vivarium, in order to ensure that a temperature gradient is maintained.

You can buy thermometers from the Northampton Reptile Centre.

Substrate for Bearded Dragons

Substrate is the surface or material on which your beardie lives.

When it comes to which substrate to use, you have a number of options.

• You can use sand (although you should be aware of the risk of impaction)
• Reptile carpet
• Paper towels
• Ceramic tiles
• Lino
• Newspaper

Your vivarium and sand

Sand is an option some beardie owners choose to use but there are a few things to bear in mind with sand.

It is often not recommended to keep baby Bearded Dragons on sand because of fears that they might swallow particles with their food.

The sand may then accumulate in the lizard’s digestive tract, giving rise to the condition known as impaction.

This condition is especially likely to arise if your pet’s food intake is deficient in key minerals such as calcium, as this may encourage it to eat the sand, swallowing much more as a result.

Be sure that you are using supplements correctly, that the UV light does not need replacing, and that the temperature range across the vivarium is adequate, in order to minimise this risk.

Impaction can ultimately be fatal, blocking the passage of food, and the only way to overcome the obstruction and saving the lizard’s life in this case will probably be by surgery.

The risk of impaction is lower with adult Bearded Dragons, but only use special sand sold for use with reptiles.

Their food should be offered in a large container too, so there is less risk of it being dragged on to the vivarium floor and becoming contaminated with sand.

One advantage of this substrate over paper is that it can be spot cleaned easily with a suitable tool, so there is no need to disrupt the enclosure frequently for cleaning purposes.

However, it may be better to avoid sand altogether simply due to the increased risk that your Bearded Dragon could accidentally eat it.

If you’re worried about impaction, we advise consulting with your vet.

Your vivarium and reptile carpets

Sand creates a relatively natural floor covering in the vivarium, but alternatively, you can use a reptile carpet for example, that can be cut and fitted to the floor area.

The only thing in this case is to ensure that there is no risk of the Bearded Dragon being caught up in this fabric, especially as young Beardies have particularly sharp nails.

Reptile carpets are arguably a more eco-friendly option given that they can be reused but, be aware that floor coverings of this type will need washing to keep them clean.

Your vivarium, lino and ceramic tiles

Lino and ceramic tiles are generally very durable and easy to keep clean. They can also be trimmed to size.

The downside is that your Beardie could slip on them so it may be worth trialling these before committing to this fully as your Beardie’s substrate.

You can buy lino and tiles from shops like B&Q.

Your vivarium, paper towels and newspaper

Paper towels and newspaper are another option you can use. They’re a quick option for your vivarium, and are easy to keep clean. You simply pick them up and throw them away!

Although they seem like a cheap option, over time the cost would begin to mount up. Therefore these may only be a short term option.

In addition to this, even if you’re using recycled options, they’re not as eco-friendly as other options such as reptile carpet or ceramic tiles.

How many times have you wondered why your beardie isn’t eating? Read our article on Loss of Appetite in Reptiles.

Bearded Dragon vivarium decoration

You can provide the following decoration for your Bearded Dragon’s vivarium:

• Rock or slate
• Hide or retreat
• A hammock
• Wooden branches

They offer more than just visual decoration. Getting the right combination of items provides your beardie with somewhere to bask, shelter, somewhere to retreat or relax and exercise options as we explore in the following section.

Rock or slate

It is important to include a dark rock or a piece of slate beneath the heat source, allowing your Bearded Dragon to pick up some radiant warmth here, as well as directly from above.

You will soon notice that your pet develops a set routine, just as they would in the wild.

In the morning when the lights come on, they will bask here for a period, to warm themselves up, and starts to become active.

As diurnal lizards – meaning that they are active during the day – a Bearded Dragon will then begin to seek food, moving around the vivarium once they have warmed up.

Rocks provide a great place to bask

Hides or retreats inside the vivarium

Bearded dragons don’t use bedding in the same sense some other pets do. Instead they favour hides and may occasionally bury in their substrate if it allows for it.

A retreat in the enclosure where the lizard can cool off as required, located away from warmer end, should be provided.

A hammock inside the vivarium

Another piece of decor that you can provide is a hammock, and in some cases, this may also serve as a hide.

Your Bearded Dragon may choose to sleep on the hammock, and may even retreat on occasions beneath it.

What is important is that it is firmly fixed in place. Beware again with a small Beardie in particular that they may become caught up in the material of the hammock by their claws, therefore it’s worth periodically checking on your beardie, especially when first introducing hammocks to ensure they’re ok..

Wooden branches inside the vivarium

Wooden branches provide a great option for your beardie to exercise and further explore their surroundings.

If you decide to include any wooden branches that your pet can climb up, ensure that these are firmly supported in the vivarium and will not tip over as this could seriously injure or even kill your pet.

It is also vital as mentioned previously that there is no risk of your Bearded Dragon being able to reach the heat source and burn itself by clambering up in this way, or from a hammock, so you need to carefully consider placement of branches.

You can get other items such as plastic plants to add to the vivarium, but these objects are really about making the interior more attractive to onlookers rather than benefiting the occupant.

Bearded Dragon insurance

Vet fee cover is usually the main reason that loving pet owners choose to insure their pets. With the introduction of new treatments and diagnostics, vet fees can quickly become eye wateringly high.

Unfortunately, we don’t know when our pets are going to become ill, so ensuring that you’ve got enough money set aside for these bills can at times be difficult. That’s where pet insurance comes in.

ExoticDirect can cover Bearded Dragon’s for up to £1,000 worth of vet fees, death and theft. We also offer a vet fee only policy.

Find out more about Bearded Dragon insurance, or…

Get a quote

Alternatively you can call us on 0345 982 5505

Where should I locate the vivarium?

The positioning of the vivarium is important. Firstly, from a practical standpoint, it needs to be close enough to a power point to ensure that the electrical equipment can be connected here without difficulty. In terms of safety, be sure that you have enough sockets, so as not to have to rely on adaptors.

It is also important to ensure that the vivarium is not located in direct sunlight during the day, as the interior could rapidly heat up to a potentially fatal level for your pet. Choose a location away from draughts or busy areas of the home, and avoid using chemical sprays in the vicinity of the enclosure, as these could be harmful to your pet.

The vivarium itself will need to be supported on a chest or table, rather than being left on the floor, partly because this will help to ensure that you can interact with your pet and attend to their needs more easily. It also affords the Bearded Dragon a greater sense of security. You will have to be careful though to ensure that they’re not able to escape when you have the door open, as they could otherwise tumble to the floor, injuring themselves as a consequence.

Bearded dragon set up cost

The cost to set up your bearded dragon vivarium will vary depending on which options you’re choosing.

Some reptile specialist pet shops offer full set ups with all the equipment a new beardie owner will need for their vivarium.

An example of this is Northampton Reptile Centre who offer 3 set up options ranging from £397.98 to £632.97.

Additional purchases you’d need to make on top of this would be décor including rock or slate, a hammock, hide and branches if you choose to use them.

Alongside this, you’ll need your beardie substrate of choice and food and water bowls.

The prices of décor items above range from around £5 to over £20 for some items dependant on the size and brand you opt for. This is another consideration you’ll need to think about when it comes to price.

Many items mentioned above will be long-wearing and won’t need to be replaced too often. However when thinking about long term cost of owning a beardie, you’ll need to factor in substrate replacement, dependant on what substrate you choose to use.

Can Bearded Dragons be housed together?

Bearded Dragons are best kept separately. This will avoid any aggression or bullying, which is most likely to occur as they become sexually mature. You should also avoid keeping young and old Bearded Dragon’s together.

When considering Bearded Care, it is important to refer back to their behaviour in the wild. When a clutch of eggs hatches, the youngsters head their separate ways and are on their own. Ultimately, they will establish their own territories. Beardies are not social by nature, and are best kept separately.