im building an mdf enclosure for one of my bearded dragons and am wondering what everyones thoughts on how much ventilation is needed.

size is 1500x600x700.at the moment ive cut out about 70x180 at each end.

i bought vents from bunnings, only put one on each end but will probably put another 2 on the back of enclosure aswell before next summer.

my enclosure is 1400long x 600 deep

vents are 300x150

cheers yea mite go and get a couple more for the back just to be safe

ours have 2 sliding panels at each end 1 3mm ply with insect screen cut into it as a large window

and 1 a sheet of glass, both on sliding track upwards, can alter glass height or remove completely in summer

screen in front of glass to stop them running up and down on it and leavung grubby finger marks

enclosures 2.4 x 80cm x 90cm

I am using two PC 80x80mm 12V fans at the top on the cool side of an enclosure, similar dimensions to the one you are doing, 1800 x 600 X 600. They are on a thermostat so if it gets above 30 deg cel they start up. I put a car stereo speaker cover over the fans to make it less escape proof for bugs (sony xplode 6.5inch). It moves heaps of air and gets rid of the heat pooling at the top.

if you get rid of the heat pooling at the top it will be replaced by the heat below

so what is the temp where the lizards spend most of their time

I am building an enclosure also but from 12mm ply. It will be 1600 x 600 x 1200mm high and divided into two seperate stories. I tried breeding locusts in an old aquarium with an mdf lid and light bulb and had limited success. I suspect that the mdf was giving off formalin with the heat of the bulb so stayed away from it with the terrarium. The locusts are now doing well in an Eko terrarium so it could be formalin or better ventilation (or both). I was planning to put a vent each end for each compartment but haven't worked out the size yet.

i sealed the mdf then 2 coats of polyurethane no problems 3 or 4 years on

has been painted with one coat of mdf primer and 3 coats of poly.lid on my glass enclosure is unpainted mdf and seems ok??

The max temp at the basking site is 105 deg f, I have a min max thermo located at the side of the basking spot which normally indicates 95 to 98 deg f and I get that via a MVB. I set the fans to 12v to remove heat at the cool end, which as you stated is replaced and this is what gives the heat gradient along the lenght of the cage.

For night I use a 60w, Red Bulb and turn the fans down to 7.5v which then keeps the cage at around 20 - 23 deg cel. I am going to create a dry rocky basking site in the middle of the cage , opposed to the jungle and woody looking one I have at the moment.