Building a bearded dragon cage yourself, or having a friend who is handy and willing to help, will be an overall better choice than using an aquarium. You can have the cage built to your specific size, color, and specifications that you desire. If you shop around enough you may even find this to be cheaper than buying a glass tank of the appropriate size. In creating a user and lizard friendly habitat from scratch you will want to use the proper materials, make it easy to maintain and large enough to make your beardie comfortable.
The first thing I recommend is sketching out your design and figuring out the dimensions of your project. You’ll want to keep in mind where you plan on placing the finished enclosure and how much room you have to work with. An adult dragon needs a minimum floor area of 48″ long, and 24″ deep. You will also want a height of at least 18″ to allow room for climbing branches or logs.
Once you have a general idea of the size and shape of your vivarium, you will want to decide what features you would like to include. A sliding door for front-side access is a must-have in my opinion, as this is one of the major drawbacks of a glass aquarium. Having to remove lights and lids every time you need access gets frustrating fast. You will also need to decide on your lighting set-up. I would suggest mounting your lights inside of the enclosure, but at a safe enough distance to avoid burning your pet. Ventilation is another vital aspect to take into consideration. Some people use multiple small holes for airflow and others prefer using 1-2 large vent covers like we have in our homes.
After you have your project all planned out, it is time to decide what material you will use to construct it. You want a material that is waterproof for easy cleaning, well insulated for maintaining temperatures, and something that can handle the high output of your lights without melting or catching fire. For the main construction I suggest using melamine. This material meets all aforementioned requirements and is also white in color, which is great for bringing out the color of your beardie. For the door I would have a piece of glass cut. You can use plexiglass, but it will scratch over time from cleaning and clawing. You will also need a couple runners if you want sliding doors, or hinges if you want it to fold open.
All that is left is the actual construction of your bearded dragon cage. You will want to use glue along with screws for added strength. It is also advised to use a non-toxic silicone sealant along all cracks within the enclosure. Allow all glue and silicone to dry for at least a full 24 hours to ensure there are no harmful fumes present. If you have laid out a solid plan in the beginning, construction should be fairly quick and easy.
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