The Perfect Bearded Dragon Enclosure Setup for ANY Budget!
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- Опубликовано: 29 янв 2025
- Setting up an enclosure for your Bearded Dragon doesn't have to be expensive, stressful or time consuming. Here is how to set up your Beardie on any budget in 2023!
#beardeddragon #enclosure #dragon
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how do you setup your beardie?
I cave, 2 lamps (one for light and one for heat), heat pad, reptile carpet, a massive water bowl, and 2 small food bowls. We’ve had the setup for 3-4 years but the beardie did pull out one of his nails which is sad T-T edit: we did get everything from PetCo and MiniCritters
120 zen habitat. Zen Mat flooring (switching to bio active soon) halogen and ceramic heat. 48 inch uvb. Lots of branches to roam and climb. A hide on both sides of the enclosure
Shhhhhh, don't tell the others, but my beardie Frankie is my favorite. I love her so much!
Puff's zen, has zen mat, has two caves bumped together, three huge logs, one crisscrossed over the other and the 3rd on the warm side back. A long gallon food storage container filled with play sand. She has two basking spots, the main is a 100w halogen and the second one is a 80w deep heat projector. Her uvb is a 36" T5 12% arcadia, so her cool side is uvb free. She hates salad so she has all fake greens/vines from door to door going around the back. Oh yeah, a salad bowl too.
Peaches has a 40b double door terrarium that is fully bioactive. Her cool side is planted with foraging veggies and flowers to microgreen carpet. She has two large logs and a half log cave thingy( very rough) to rub on. She has two basking spots, 50w halogen and the second is a 80w deep heat projector. The warm side is more sand, leaves, bark over soil and stays about 30% humidity or a bit more. The plant side stays in the 80's to 99% if I just did a heavy watering. Her clean up crew is powdered oranges, dwarf whites, mealworms and beetles.
Cleaning is my only concern with this type of substrate but I want to try it so bad
Thank you for continuing to make beardie-centric videos on occasion. So many channels either joke about them or just dismiss poor beardies. Just because they are everywhere doesn't mean they don't deserve a lot of love and content.
I'm a veterinary receptionist and adopting an adult beardie with MBD that was abandoned in a shoebox at PetCo. Fell in love with her when she came into my vet hospital. She's going into a custom 5x2x2 that I've had empty for a while.. thanks so much for the budget recommendations on setting her up! Love your videos.
“I buy these at the Dollar Store where everything now is $4 for some reason” 😂 6:50
It’s like that in the US too! EVERYTHING has went up!
sure, but you have gas under $7 a gallon and houses under a million dollars...
@@WickensWickedReptileshe has been real quiet since you responded
@@WickensWickedReptiles depends on the state. California you'll see $7 for gas. Oregon is like $4ish.. redneck states are like $3.
Same goes for homes. A $700,000 house in Oregon goes for $300k in the Midwest or cheaper.
@ pretty sure your average she’s on a square of sidewalk costs about 700k here, it’s wild.
FYI for those wondering the Kages 4x2x2 is almost $600 bare bones, about 630 with shipping.
If your dragon lives to be 16 years old, that equates to $42 a year. The upfront cost might seem like allot, but in the long run it’s what’s really worth it. Buying multiple tanks for a growing dragon doesn’t make sense, seeing as no matter the size enclosure/style, they are expensive. Do the math of how much it would cost to set up a 40g breeder with the coat of the tank. The price to start that setup, would be the cost of the enclosure in his video. I understand not everyone can just go out and buy everything all at once, but IMO, the tank size should be its forever home. If you have a smaller dragon, just make more hide for it to run to when/if it gets scared.
@@krisgordon8199 But: you can do a lot, lot better than $600 for 1 4x2x2, and for that price it better clean itself after every poop and do the dishes and laundry
i got mine thats maybe slightly bigger but is all glass and made it bioactive and got it fot 90€
Just got a bearded dragon it’s currently in a small tank because my local pet stores didn’t have 120 gallon tank enclosures, I came to this video to see what I needed to buy for a proper environment definitely helped.
Here in Australia, I paid $700 for the enclosure (4x2x2, included 2x light fittings + UV batten - both wired into a thermostat), $150 for the Artisan UV Globe with batten, $20 for a nice-looking water dish, $20 for a bag of mini wood chip substrate. We haven't even gotten to the other decor + live insects. Not a cheap pet to get started!
Same
Thank you for this video, one of my teens has expressed interest in having a beardie and showed me this video.
One of the things she was asked before we get her one is to research what she will need for one and the costs.
It's a bonus that you are Canadian as well. :D
I have a super similar set up for my Rankins Dragon (except half the enclosure size since she will only grow half the size of a beardie). Awesome budget build! Looks great!
Rankins are so cool!
A couple of cheap upgrades my beardie seemed to really like are a smart LED bulb that can dim on and off and using two lower wattage halogen bulbs to expand the area that reaches the target basking zone temperature. The LED bulb was about $12 and makes for a less stressful sunrise since you can set it to gradually light up the enclosure before the other lights turn on (which I also have on smart plugs that turn on sequentially starting with the halogens since they are dimmest).
Also, if you have anywhere nearby where you can get rocks, do so! Try to get ones that aren't very porous if you can, since it's hard to get the poop off/out of them. But I've got a bunch I grabbed in the mountains, and she loves them, and she doesn't need her nails clipped anymore since they get filed down well by the rocks. She actually prefers sleeping on rocks over branches.
very cool!
what fixtures do you use for your bulbs, and do you mount them to the top of an enclosure like this one?
I really like this idea! Thank you for sharing it. 😃💜
@@foolgazer Good questions! Ever find your answers?
@@foolgazer I thought I responded, but it doesn't look like my comment actually posted! Or maybe it got spam filtered because it had a link? Anyway - Arcadia Reptile makes the "Arcadia Ceramic Lamp Holder Bracket Pro" that you can get from Pangea Reptile if you are in the US. It is made to be mounted with screws to solid topped enclosures like this one. I have also wired my own using a porcelain keyless ceiling lampholder, a 4" metal ceiling pan to hold the wiring (both are easily available at any hardware store), and a lamp cord replacement with plug (I like GE brand, which was only available online for me). It costs about $10-$15 less to go that route.
I just recently lost my baby and have gone over everything that I’ve done for the last 7 years with him trying to see what I could have done better. I bought a 120 gallon enclosure for 250 at dubiaroaches and I am so excited to get the chance to give my next beardie the best available space
Curious how all the lighting is securely attached inside the enclosure
screws :)
I have a bearded dragon and I am upgrading her to a 120 4x2x2 for a little Christmas gift I hope she loves it
this is so great!
A thermostat is a must have for any reptile. You can use a dimming thermostat or a pulse stat depending on what type of bulb u use
Hey Adam, I started watching you ages ago when I wanted a frog and now in a few months I will be adopting a bearded dragon, I appreciate all the help that you provide it has made my life a lot easier when doing all the necessary research. Also if you have the time a whites tree frog cafe guide would be very helpful. Best wishes
hey thanks so much for the positive feedback!
I just switched to natural substrate today and my leopard gecko loves it
Nice touch regarding rough surfaces for their claws and femoral pore care. Not a lot of mentions about that.
Wow, looks great! Gives me some good ideas for my beardie upgrade I'm planning for next year. I agree with the lack of real plants - mine refuses to eat any vegetables but she'll happily eat the succulents I put in there (non toxic of course).
Mine too, he's wild!
nahh the fact u just posted this when i was thinking about getting one… maybe it’s a sign
I can read minds
5:31 you start to see it slowly spider in the cork round
that's Diamond's pet
Love how Diamond dives straight in after you add the substrate xD
he's a wild man !
Love the new Diamond Digs! Sweet crib dude!
thanks man!
Saw u posted a video and I knew i hade to watch it before sleep haha. Nah honestly ur my favorite RUclipsr mate
Wow, thanks!
@@WickensWickedReptiles u definitely helped me upgrade my reptiles enclosures and care!
Just recently purchased a dragon and really impressed with how esthetically pleasing your lighting is displayed. I purchased a 4x2x2 PVC mesh top enclosure and I’d like for my basking light to be placed inside the tank. How are u able to hang your fixtures and what fixtures are you using?
My friend is going to convert my TV stand into a bearded dragon enclosure and plans to extend it by adding two walls on each side and I've already purchased air vents. Zeus is still the size of my hand and I'm still looking for light fixtures because he suggested three. My second bearded shaka already has an enclosure but my friend says he's going to extended by a few more inches and replace the pull out draws with plywood.
What about airflow?
Could you show us how you put your lights on the tank
Diamond ❤️ He makes me want a bearded dragon, he's so chill
I was already struggling to find and adequate play sand, knowing it couldn’t be construction type sand… then I go searching organic play sand and I think I broke my google search😅🤣🤣! The internet has no clue what I am seeking at this point! Too many options online, and everyone boasting a clean product at 30 dollars per 2 pounds then I see play sand by 10-50 pounds at the local hardware stores for 3-8$. It’s conflicting when making the transition to loose substrate with so many varying opinions on the topic… In the end it’s almost defeating bc I don’t want to do a single thing to harm my beardie, but want her to have more enrichment. Your videos are epic and gave me the courage to really look into loose substrate. Those of us with no prior knowledge who are actually looking to start the switch, it’s difficult with out name brands to compare to…. Or I’m really the blonde I was born and am over thinking this too much😂😂 undecided.
I love your videos wicked wickens reptile have a awesome day have a nice day have a absolutely wonderful day great work wicked wickens reptile
Thank you kindly!!
Where did you get the cork logs from?
my local reptile shop
Your dragon loves you🌹🌹ive adopted a juvenile bearded dragon.. Thank you for this 🌹
My pleasure 😊
When you said “The dollar store, in Canada everything is $4”. I feel this so much being in Alaska! Our $1 stores are like $3+.
I really liked this video. Very easy setup and great breakdown of cost. I have watched a lot of videos for the bearded dragons about basking temperatures and I think you should talk about the basking spot material. If you heat up a stick like you have to 115F it is quite a bit different ambient temperature than it would be to heat up a 15 pound rock. I think the radiant heat that simulates them basking in the sun is more important than the temperature they lay on. My bearded dragon much more enjoys that it's back becomes 115-120F while basking. It doesn't seem to want anything to do with basking on big rocks that are 115F because who would, it's back must be 140F at that point, and the stone is burning it's less tough scales because the large stone will dump a ton more heat into it's soft underside than a stick. The basking temperature spot is way too generalized. I like your videos.
Of course it’s on a budget if they give the 600 dollar tank to you for free
I have a friend who makes custom terrariums he makes them from 100 dollars
@@bowfriendshow can i buy ?
@@bowfriendshow big ? are the tanks
it sure is low budget when they send you the cage for free, that cage is $590 now
Yeah this is why I’m learning how to build one from scratch with wood and I can make a bigger size
Really? On Zen Habitats they have close to the same enclosure that’s only like $330 and since it’s on sale, $230🤷♂️ like his is a little mor fancy but not an extra $200-$300 fancy💀
He said that you could get a cheaper one used
@@lamantonyshyn1019get reptile habitat cages instead. It is from Dubia roaches
Exactly 😒
where do u find those so perfectly placed peices of wood that just fit perfectly
you’re asking the real questions! i’m curious as well.
3:27 love that he calls his personal house a property but calls his parents house his home.
accurate
Where does he find the play sand and coco husk? New beardie owner looking for this 😅
both at the hardware store
where do you get the cork bark at for 20 bucks that big ? i have seen any where that sells them that big for that price
Most of my enclosures were $100-$200 that I found on Kijiji!
I know im late. But a year ago i found an ad for a female hypo boa constrictor, with her 4x2x2ft enclosure (+ decor and heating) for £100 which is around 170 canadian $. Shes now outgrown it, so im getting her a 6ft and researching beardies
Will you make a video of how to properly bathe your bearded dragon? Also is shed-ease safe to use?
where did you get that piece of wood i want something like that for my bearded dragon
Where do you get all the soils needed for the terrarium?
How much substrate per gallon? Also where do you get your coconut coir so cheap?
I have no idea, this is supposed to be fun, I'm not measuring that type of thing. I get it ad hardware stores
I’m upgrading my hypo zero beardie this week (todays the one year anniversary of my first beardies passing) I wanted something cool looking but not crazy expensive
Can you use substrate for young beardies without the fear of impaction
I wouldn't
Hello, Where did you get the Halogen bulb and light fixture and how did you install them to the top of the enclosure including the UVB strip?
My beardie tries eating the fake plants. Cuz her diet is leafy greens, crickets, and sometimes fruit. So it confuses her. Makes me wonder how others don’t have this issue
They do. They are usually the same people saying "My beardie won't eat greens!", as thy teach them that green leafy stuff is not edible. I will not use fake plants in my dragon cages.
Hello i just ran into your show today as i was trying to learn some new tricks on taking care of my new beardie Dragula. Before the commenters roast me i just want everyone to know that i love my dragon. Absolutely adore her and we have a really great relationship. I worry though that i am not giving her what she needs to stay healthy. Although i do what i can.
My bearded dragon showed up in my driveway one afternoon and would not leave. After about 4 hours I finally picked her up and took her inside. I put up flyers figuring someone would be looking for her and I'd have to give her up. No one ever called. The first night i RUclipsd some info and did what i could for her. I went and bought her a basking lamp and bubba's well as some crickets. She was hungry that's for sure. Then i was finally able to afford the calcium powder and a uvb bulb for her. I bought her a basking bridge and made her some hammocks to lounge on although she doesn't seem to like them. Okay so here's the thing. I don't keep her in a terrarium. I let her have run of my very small three room home. And she actually sleeps in the bed next to my side to make sure she stays warm at night. I try to feed her the leafy greens that i know she needs but she eats so very little of it. Now crickets? She understands that word and actually gets excited when she hears me say let's go get some crickets. I also take her with me everywhere i go. And she stays either on my shoulder or my forearm and I've had no problems with her trying to run. I do notice that in the morning when i open the door and turn on her lights that she gets very active. And then around 6 pm shes ready to call it a day. Her bathroom usage is normal. And she no longer smells bad as she did when i first found her. And yes commenters i realize i probably should give her to someone who can afford to buy her the things she needs ie.. terrarium but i refuse. She is now my girl and i will take care of her to the beat of my ability. Which is why I have come to this channel to beg anyone who may have extra supplies for my beardie who can afford to gone them up. They would be so greatly appreciated.
I really love your videos
thank you so much!
I know I am a couple years late, @WickensWickedReptiles for the 50/50 mix, how many bags of sand and how many bricks of coconut coir did you use for the 120 gallon set up?
As some one named Dally, every time I hear the phrase “dilly dally” I’m like ‘What?’ As he said in the intro
What if you lay a reptile carpet down then reptile sand?
There wouldn’t really be any point in doing that, just a waste of money.
@@Blits1e Thanks
A soil/sand or soil/sand/clay mix is best. Half textured tile half loose is good as well.
I love Kages. My bearded dragon is in the same 4x2x2. I personally use special substrate mixes from BioDude but that is my personal preference. Cork tubes are the way to go. Loki sleeps in his every night.
Love the vids
thank you!
How do you clean cork rounds if they poop on it
What kind of substrate do you use?
Sounds like cork rounds and light bulbs are much cheaper in Canada which isn’t the norm as someone who’s married to a Canadian and spends a lot of time in Canada. Usually things cost more there. Well at least in Canadian currency they do. Cool enclosure. I’ve been so tempted to get a white one but they told me they turn yellow/brown over time. Please let us know if that happens to yours. Thanks for all the tips!!
I don’t see where you link to your halogen bulb.
Where did you get your heat light ? I looked in the description below and I didn’t see it listed, please help me out 😊
Is it the same kind of sand from a play ground?
Great video Adam.
Any chance of you making a video on Bredl's Pythons? I think they are a super under-rated snake that deserve more attention. ( a care guide would be awesome , but anything about them would be fun to watch!)
Water dish a must?
Merry Christmas!
I was already in a market for a Bearded dragon then today when my mom was coming back with my cat from the vet my cat sadly had a heart attack so im pretty broken right now but as i was looking through ksl in my town theres a year old bearded dragon in a 40 gal tank with horrible conditions no basking spot theres the reptile carpet and nothing really there for to climb for 250 i probably could get it down to 200 but im definitely getting it due to my cat being a rescue and i was looking for a baby bearded dragon but i have to adopt it and rescue
Is soft washed play sand ok too??
How the heck did you get white? I got the same kage but black was the only option.
They sent me one? Not sure
@@WickensWickedReptiles dang. That’s awesome. The white looks really good.
Blackbox Cages makes a similar one with a white option. The only downside is acrylic doors instead of glass
What about juveniles? Maybe a 29gallon at first and upgrade for when they get bigger. And about how long can i wait to give them an upgrade
will they not try to eat the plant plants??
I'm a new dragon keeper, Puff is about 6 months old and I'm trying to make her hab more comfortable for her. I've been told to stay away from all substrates with the exception of slate. Is this just personal preference? I've been told that sand or coconut husk will make her impacted. I'd like to eventually make her hab a vivarium for her, I just put an aloe vera plant in there for her. Any ideas?
I've read a lot and everything says not to use sand or play sand for beardies is that just if it's on its own
Contrary to popular belief, impaction is caused by improper husbandry and/or underlying health issues, not sand. As long as their husbandry is correct (temps/heating, hydration, etc.), a healthy animal will be able to pass sand no problem. They live on sandy terrain in the wild, they’ve evolved to be able to handle it. I recommend using a soil/sand/clay mix.
What type of light fixture and bulb do I need for 120 gallon terrium
An Arcadia T5 12-14% UVB bulb (or Zoo med T5 10.0), and a halogen flood bulb. Finding the best wattage for the halogen may take some trial and error, although you’ll likely need a high wattage bulb.
That looks awesome
thank you!
What are your thoughts on walnut shell?
My bearded dragon likes ti burrow in the substrate can he burrow in the mix you use. he doesn’t make giant tunnels he just digs a snow fort for reference
sure can!
@@WickensWickedReptiles
Thank you I was gonna go for that Terra Sahara stuff but it’s extremely expensive I’m glad there’s a good substitute
How do you recommend lowering the humidity?
Very cool! Thanks! But where in the world do you get all that cork for $20???? I gotta go there! Lol
hahaha my local shop takes care of me
@@WickensWickedReptiles clearly. 😁
Hey another great video , I have a question though, I had bought the zoo med dual deep dome light and I was wondering instead of returning it because of the low uvb , can I just take off the uvb bulb it came with and add another heatlamp so it can be just a basking light ? Or do you think it will be too much heat for my beardie ? The basking bulb it came with is 100 w and the other one I want to add is 125 w heating bulb
I wanted to set up a budget BT Skink enclosure, but I wasn't sure where to start.
what morph is diamond? thanks
he's a normal
I thought this was a budget video and now you’re making me get a bearded dragon😅
hahhaha
Love your videos. Always great. And I enjoy learning lots about reptiles 🦎 I don't own any myself. But I do love them.
Awesome! Thank you!
Thanks for the video! It is super helpful. We just got our first Beardie a few weeks ago... he was supposed to be a class pet for my wife (she teaches 7th and 8th grade science) but I have claimed him as my own. Ha. With a setup like this, how often do you have to remove all the substrate to clean it out... and how do you go about doing so? ShopVac? Thanks again!
Do you use a heating mat underneath your enclosure?
where do i order the organic washed playsand i live in america
I have a 75gal tank my beardie Blu has the green carpet can you tell me step by step for his proper tank set up
Upgrade to a 4x2x2’ enclosure minimum (ideally larger) and get rid of the carpet. A suitable loose substrate such as a soil/sand/clay mix is ideal (assuming you’re confident your care is correct).
Hope you saw the spider in that big cork round it was massive brother just a heads up
bearded dragons are great
I agree!
I had tried using this mixture for substrate and it got all dry and dusty...I also tried the Biodudes sarahara stuff and that got really dry and dusty as well...I ended up taking it out and putting tile. (which is do not like)
Must be nice being sent such a substantial tank 👍
amass a large enough audience to be an effective marketing tool and they will send you one too. :)
can you tell me where i can buy yours tank.pls
Im allergic to coconut and i dont know what substraight to use i know i want to do a mix/bioactive and he is a baby on non adhesive shelf liner until i figure out what to do and i tried the coco fiber and got hives?
Try organic topsoil… that’s what a lot of people use in the group I’m in. Mix with the play sand.
top soil works, organic
I'm looking to revamp my beardies and kingsnakes enclosures. Beardie needs a larger one, then king will move into beardies old enclosure. However, we might be building the 4x2x2. I've seen on another channel that water dishes shouldn't be in their enclosure due to humidity? How true is this?
nah, you can keep water with them for sure
Can you make a chameleon build guide that covers everything such as care/build set up that's equivalent to this exact video and your bearded dragon care 2023 video for chameleons?
sure can!
Can you use this substrate mixture for a bio active tank
This video is a godsend thank you 🙏
Does anyone know a good tank size for a Pygmy bearded dragon? I can’t find any good videos on it
Built my own tank with a sliding glass front for $150. Plexiglass for the win. I built it in a wood frame so each side can come off and fold flat for easy transport.