Housing
A large dessert terrarium for one bearded dragon should be 100x50x50cm (lxwxh). For a couple or trio 150x50x50cm. Place thick branches and little tree trunks in the terrarium so they can bask under the lamp. You can also use flagstones; these will warm when put under a lamp. Bark chips and sand is often seen as soil in terrariums, this often leads to a lot of problems. When the bark is kept too moist it will start to mould. The most natural soil for bearded dragons is sand. It retains warmth very well. There are several kinds of sand. When you choose to use sand ass the soil for your bearded dragons terrarium the best choice would be sand that’s used for sandpits on playgrounds (playing sand). By sifting the sand fine sand remains. This finer sand will not cause constipation that easily. A soil that causes no problems is artificial-grass. It is easy to clean, will not mould. The only disadvantage is that you should clean your terrarium more often. Artificial grass does not take the moist out of the droppings. When the bearded dragon walks through it they’ll soon become dirty.
Temperature
In the daytime the temperature should be 32 to 35 °C on the warm-side en 24 °C on the cooler-side of the terrarium. The temperature underneath the lamp can even be e bit higher than 41 °C. At night the temperature should drop to 17-18 °C. If possible you should have a basking spot for each animal but still there should be a cooler place for when they get to hot. To create a basking spot I use Spottone made by ZooMed. You should also use a special TL-lamp for the UV-radiation (see feeding). This one is very important for the optimal growth of your bearded dragon. Heat-rocks aren’t that good for bearded dragons. They like to sit on them, and because the can’t feel the warmth from beneath, they tend to burn themselves on the heat-rock.
Never place 2 adult male bearded dragons together. This is important to prevent stress and fighting. Two males can damage each other severally. Also try not to place to many juveniles in one terrarium. Incase of a lake of space they might mutilate each other, by biting of tails and toes.
A terrarium with artificial-grass
