Setting up for your FIRST Bearded Dragon
Ok you have decided you are getting a bearded dragon…so now what? There are SO many things in the pet stores and online, how do you know what you REALLY need and don’t need? Well in this section I will tell you what you need to buy or find to get started on the right track with your first bearded dragon. If something is in bold orange type it will be a link to a store when you can buy it or see what it looks like.

Here is a list of supplies you will need, and then below they will be explained with links to where you can find them, and pictures of many of the products.
1. Cage
2. Heat light
3. UVB light - changed EVERY 6 months!
4. Substrate for bottom of cage
5. Furniture for inside the cage
6. Vitamins – Multivitamin and Calcium
7. Food – Insects, Veggies, Pellets
8. Thermometer
9. Timer for lights

Cages - The enclosure for your bearded dragon is usually the biggest purchase you will need besides your dragon. There are many types of cages out in the market and they all have pros and cons.

Males and females should be kept together ONLY as babies! Once they reach Juvenile age they should be separated. Males should live alone at this point, but females can usually live together. But watch closely for any dominance issues, or one of the dragons hiding too much. If one is doing poorly, then separating them will most likely help. We don't recommend keeping more then 2 females together.

Glass Tanks: These are probably the most popular type of enclosure for a dragon. They are not that expensive and you can usually find one used or free if you look around. They also look nice on a wood aquarium stand. A glass tank is a good tank to start a baby off in. We sell baby at 8 weeks or older. If you are buying a baby we recommend a 20 gallon LONG reptile tank. A long tank will be wider and shorter then a 20 gallon fish tank. Reptile tanks usually cant hold water and they are made of thinner glass then a fish tank since they don’t need to withstand the pressure of the water.
A baby can’t live in a 20 gallon tank for long. They will outgrow it quickly, however its not a good idea to put a small baby in a large tank to start, as it will be very hard for the dragon to catch crickets. You could start in a big tank if you block half off with a board to make a smaller living area until your dragon grows. After your dragon gets too big for a 20 gallon (12 inches or so), they can be moved to a either a 40 gallon reptile tank or larger. We think that the smallest tank a normal size adult dragon can live in is 50 gallons. Some dragons don’t grow as large and may be happy in a 40 gallon, but the more space you can give your dragon the happier it will be. A 50-75 gallon is good for one male, a 75 could house 2 females. Males should live alone after about 6-8 months so know that if you buy a male and female baby they will need to be separated to prevent dominance and early breeding.

The negatives of glass tanks are they are heavy and hard to move, they can crack or break, and glass does not hold heat in very well. We find that although dragons can live in a glass tank just fine, there color is not the best in one.
Background: If you are going to use a glass tank, please get a tank background to put on the back AND SIDES to help your dragon feel more secure like in the tank above!

Melamine: Melamine cages can be bought online or you can build one yourself. They are made out of the melamine board your can buy at Home Depot or Lowe’s. It’s the material that a lot of shelving is made out of. You can buy it in sheets and get it cut to build your own cage. You can also order one from our supplier Sam Craver, on his website INSERT LINK if you live locally. Melamine cages are more expensive then glass ones and VERY heavy, however they offer many benefits. The dragons look awesome in them since the white melamine reflects the light making a very bright living area. The brighter the cage the happier the dragon. Also the heat light and UVB lighting can be mounted and wired inside the cage so you don’t have to see any heat domes and making it much safer for pets and children.
We like a cage that is 3-4 ft long, 18-24 inches deep and 18-24 inches tall. You can always have a baby in one of these and just block off half of the cage with a board until your dragon grows.
With a melamine cage you want to get it with a fixture for a heat light installed on one side of it and the longest florescent fixture you can fit in it for your UVB light. A double fixture is even better. You also want to make sure there are plenty of venting for heat to escape.

PVC: These cages are the newer version to the Melamine cage. Same concept, and a very similar look. The PVC cages are VERY light and weigh almost nothing. They can easily be moved if needed. They also can come in a variety of shapes and colors. They are nicer looking then the melamine cages because the PVC is very thin and streamlined. They are more expensive then the melamine however. With a PVC cage you want to get it with a fixture for a heat light installed on one side of it and the longest florescent fixture you can fit in it for your UVB light. A double fixture is even better.

Here at SunshineDragons we like to use CageCrafters. They make top quality PVC or Melamine cages. The PVC can be shipped, however the melamine are pick-up only. If you dont live near NJ, a quick search online should bring up someone near you that makes cages.

Other Options: There are many other types of cages on the market that you can research, the above are the ones we have used and like. There are also Vision Cages, Acrylic Reptile Cages from BigAppleHerp, and Reptariums which some people have used with success, but that I can’t recommend as I have not tried them.

Heating - Now that you have your cage you need to figure out how you will heat it. The cage you chose will determine what kind of heating you use.

Glass Tank: Usually a dome fixture with a basking light or a normal spot light laying on top of the screen lid will work find. You will need to measure with a thermometer and adjust the wattage of your bulb until the basking site is about 100-105 degrees in the basking spot.
If you have a tall tank 20-24 inches, you could also use a Mercury Vapor bulb. These bulbs are expensive but provide UVB and heat to your dragons. They need to hang straight down and you may want to get a lamp stand like the Repti-Lamp Stand. That way you don’t have to pick it up to get in your tank all the time and risk breaking and expensive bulb.

Melamine and PVC cages: You will have to measure your temps as there are so many variables with these cages. Use can try a regular lightbulb if you cage is low in light, however sometimes it will heat the whole cage and not direct enough heat down. Basking lights and normal household spot lights are normally better. Just make sure your light isn’t getting your basking area REALLY hot. If your cages are 24 inches tall you could use a Mercury Vapor light in them, but any shorter then that, you should use a regular UVB light.
Dimmer Switch: You could add a inline dimmer switch to your heat light plug so you can adjust your temps without changing bulbs all the time. As the seasons change, so do the temps in your house and in your cages and usually your wattage will need to be changed. With the help of a dimmer switch you can just lower or raise the intensity. You should be able to pick one up at your local hardware store for under $20.

Lighting - The brighter a cage, the happier the dragon. A dark cage will make for a very unactive dragon. UVB lighting is very important for your dragon. These bulbs simulate the sun allowing the dragons to produce Vitamin D3 which helps them metabolize the calcium they need to maintain health. Without UVB many reptile get Metabolic Bone Disease. Also the UVB light will stimulate their appetite and your dragon will eat better. These lights NEED to be changed every six months even if they are still working as the UVB runs out. Buying them online will save you A LOT of money, as pet stores charge high prices. Buying more then one at a time will save you in shipping costs.
You can use a UVB light that is a long florescent tube light. These lights do NOT produce much heat and a heat light will need to be used also. You can buy shop light or Florescent light fixtures at Home Depot or Lowe’s for them. In a glass tank you can lay the light right on top the of the screen lid. In a melamine or PVC cage you should have a fixture installed inside the cage when you buy it.
The UVB lights we use are the Reptisun 5.0 or Reptisun 10.0. We get them at BigAppleHerp.com for much cheaper then in a petstore.
MegaRays and other Mercury Vapor – You can also use these lights that make UVB and heat, as described above. We do not use them at SunshineDragons because our cages are too low, however we know of many people that use them with great results. The lights we recommend are Mega-Ray bulbs (EB Series or SB Series) or Power-Sun’s.

Timers - Your lights should be on a cycle of about 10-14 hours on in the summer and 8-10 hours on in the winter. We prefer to keep them as close to what is happening outside. Buy a timer for both your lights. It will make your life easier, and if you are not home, your dragon will still stay on its schedule.

Substrate - There are many options on what to use on the bottom of your cage. All baby dragons should be house on paper towels, shelf liner, or cage carpet until at least 12 inches. Many types of sand, bark, and ground walnut shells, sold at petstores. We do not recommend using any of these as most of them could cause impaction if swallowed. The calcium sands tend to clump inside the animal causing problems. A bark chip or other type of substrate could also get stuck inside them. We recommend the following substrates:

Reptile Carpet: Sold in pet stores and online, it looks like a green carpet for the bottom of your tank. Looks really nice if maintained. Make sure you buy enough to have one extra. Then when you change the cage you can put the new one in and take your time washing and drying the one that was just taken out of the cage. Here is an example of a reptile carpet. This one comes with 2! Perfect! Reptile Carpet You can also buy something that looks similar to reptile carpet, at the home improvement stores. It is an indoor/outdoor carpeting that you buy by the foot. Its very thin and comes in a variety of colors. It is not the plastic indoor/outdoor carpeting.
Washed Screened Play Sand: If you want a sand product we recommend washed screened play sand. You can buy this at a home improvement store for a couple of dollars for a 50 pound bag. You can make the sand as deep as you want in the cage. Use a cup or a Sand sifter to get the poop out of the cage. How often you change the sand depends on the size of the cage and how many dragons are in it. Some people report impaction with play sand also, although we have never had that problem. Don’t put any dragons under 12 inches on sand, and if you notice your dragon is eating a lot of sand when catching his crickets, feed him on a plate or in a separate Rubbermaid tub or tank.
Shelf Liner: You can also use a non-slip non-adhesive shelf liner like Duck's Smooth Top Easy Liner in your cage. This is a kind of liner that you can use to line your drawers. It is not the kind that sticks down. Its easy to wipe poo off of it and to clean it. Once it gets dirty you can switch it with a new piece and then clean the old piece in a sink.
Paper Towel / Paper: You can also use paper towels or newspaper or what we use indented kraft paper that comes on rolls. We buy it at uline.com. One roll will last a long time. These are not the prettiest substrates but are on of the best to prevent diseases. Its easy to change it often, and the cleaner a cage is, the healthier your dragon will be.

Cage Furniture - Be creative with decorating your cage, that’s the fun part! If you have a tall cage make sure you use the space high up with shelves or branches or hammocks. Dragons LOVE TO CLIMB UP! So don’t waste all that space up in the air.
Backgrounds: A background on a glass tank is always a good idea. It creates a more closed environment and causes less stress on the dragon. Covering the back and sides is best.
Hammocks: If you have a glass tank a repti-hammock is an awesome thing! My lizards love them! Although there is plenty of room, all of mine like to sleep in the hammock together. If you ever decide to use a Melamine cage instead you can screw some eye hooks in to a corner, take off the suctions cups, and hang the hammock there. Also these Reptile Rock Ledges offer a similar idea.
Branches: A nice branch is always good to have. Try to get one without a lot of little holes (like Choya wood) for the crickets to hide in. A branch that goes up high is always good to get your dragon close to the UVB light. He has to have somewhere to hang out which is within 12 inches or less of it. The UVB is strongest there.
Hides: its good to give your dragon some place to hind from you, the light, dogs, anything that is bothering him. It will also help when your dragon wants to brumate (a form of hibernation). Half logs, caves, or even some bricks with a board laid across can make good hides. We like these Basking Platforms as hides alot! Also these Hiding Huts are great because they make them now with resin instead of wood and they are much easier to clean and to keep parasite free! Get the biggest size you can as your dragon will outgrow a small one FAST! There are many different types of hides to chose from!
Rocks - not hot rocks: Rocks from outside or paving blocks from your home improvement store can be great to use under a basking light, or to build with. Just make sure if you use sand, that you sink the rocks all the way to the bottom and not just sitting on top of the sand. If your dragon digs under the rock, it could get crushed under it.
Dishes: A nice low dish for veggies is nice to have. There are also special dishes for worms to go in. Paper plates could be used if you want to. Whatever works for you.

Vitamins - Vitamins are VERY important for your dragon. They need a lot of calcium because they grow SO FAST when they are young. We shake up the crickets or other insects in a container with the vitamins.
Calcium: We use Rep-Cal Calcium powder with almost every feeding. Its cheaper to buy the vitamins online.
Multivitamin: We use a multivitamin called Herptivite a couple of times a week dusted on the live food.
Probiotic: We use a probiotic called AcidophiLiz+ after we give any medicine or for any dragon that isn’t growing well. Probiotics have live active cultures like yogurt does and creates good gut bacteria in your dragon that medicines may kill off.