Tank Set Up-----Substrate Selection-----Tank Objects Tank size-Remember that a bearded dragon needs a tank that is at least double its head to tail length. If purchasing a new tank for your dragon, you want to keep in mind its growth rate, and in turn, may decide to purchase a bigger sized tank so you dont have to replace it. You can always use a divider to section off space if a tank is too large. People use a variety of different tanks, glass tanks, plastic bins, homemade tanks, etc. Its a very good idea to keep a lid on the tank, because if there is a way, the dragon will find it, and you'll probably spend a good amount of time looking for it! Substrates-there are many different substrates that you can use: Paper- For smaller dragons, it is recommended to use no substrate at all, and is common for some kind of paper to be laid on the bottom of the cage for easy cleaning. Printing Paper, Newspaper, Paper towels, etc. Make sure that any food items, such as crickets dont crawl under the paper and hide. You should change the paper daily. This is recommended for dragons up to 9". Reptile Carpet- this is also a good substrate choice. It is usually easily cleaned, and do not have to worry about crickets, etc crawiling underneath it. This must be cleaned daily, and can be a little more involved than using some type of paper. Bark- This is not a good choice for substrate. A dragon can mistakenly eat this, even when just going after a food item. This can lead to impaction, and inevitably death. Sand/English Walnut Shell- This is a cheap alternative substrate that can be used, and makes cleaning ideal. You want to make sure that if you are using this for smaller dragons that you get all of the bigger chunks of sand, or pebbles out before use. A smaller dragon may ingest a pebble, because they run around licking everything, and could cause impaction/death. This is also a good substrate to use because you can sift out their poop from the sand, which makes cleaning much easier. Finely ground english walnut shell is out favored substrate for adults because it produces less dust and does not absorb as much waste from the animal as sand does. After an animal poops in the sand we have noticed it absorbs it and as soon as the dragon runs back through it, it kicks all that dust sand and now bacteria in the air. Tank toys and objects- You may choose to put something in your dragons tank for it to climb under or on. You want to be careful with what you use. There a few things you want to take into consideration when making a decision. Most dragons will like something that they can climb on, such as a log, etc. Cork Bark is a good place for crickets to climb into and hide, so this is not a good idea. Using something as a place for the dragon to hide is not a good idea, because again, crickets can hide there as well and add unwanted stress to your animal, increasing the levels of parasites in the tank. Also, if the dragon is hiding and not eating or basking properly, it will significantly affect its growth rate and possibly health. You also want to make sure that the dragons cage items are secure in place, as to avoid and unnecessary accidents leading to injury or death. Please contact us in regards to any questions you may have with tank setups at contact@dragonfortress.com or 09dragonfortress@gmail.com Thanks Dragonfortress.com CLICK HERE TO GO TO OUR AVAILABLE DRAGONS PAGE Last updated 1/5/2010