EdibleKittens Posted February 20, 2014 Report Share Posted February 20, 2014 Hey everyone I have been looking into getting a Beardie for a while now. I've kept tropical fish before and looking for something a bit different. I have a few questions, first of all I'm from Dunedin and I was a little worried about the temperature, seeing as this will be an outdoor enclosure. Will it be ok to keep a Beardie in an outdoor enclosure all the way down here? Also our backyard backs onto a relatively busy road, will the noise from traffic (mainly morning and evening when people are going to and from work) be too much? Also can anyone point me in the right direction for running power to the enclosure, it will be about 1200x800x600 as I will probably bring it inside when we move to a bigger place at the end of the year. Does anyone know of a breeder who will ship to Dunedin as I would prefer to use a breeder over a pet store. Cheers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alanmin4304 Posted February 20, 2014 Report Share Posted February 20, 2014 Most bearded dragon breeders would courier to Dunedin. I would not keep my bearded dragons outside all year in Christchurch unless I had extra heating for the winter. The same would apply to Dunedin I would think. They are from the Australian desert. Generally kept at 25-30 degrees C or brumated at no less than 10-12 degrees C. A coastal might be OK but I have had no experience with them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EdibleKittens Posted February 21, 2014 Author Report Share Posted February 21, 2014 With extra heating he would be fine through the winter? What would be a good option for extra heating? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kinnadian Posted February 21, 2014 Report Share Posted February 21, 2014 I wouldn't keep a beardie outside in Dunedin, it is far too cold. If you want to keep him outside through the winter you will need a fully insulated enclosure (not wire mesh like most outdoor enclosures) and a couple ceramic heating elements hooked up to thermostats. It is really much more work than it is worth, though. Beardies can get spooked from noises and such. Also waterproofing the enclosure and the lights etc would be a nightmare. Most breeders will ship anywhere, check TradeMe regularly. I would recommend buying a standard 200L fish tank and making up a mesh lid and just using that indoors for this year, until you move into your bigger house and have space for a good 2 metre enclosure. If you do this you NEED the wire mesh lid for ventilation, and you NEED a thermostat to prevent overheating (easy in a glass enclosure). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EdibleKittens Posted February 21, 2014 Author Report Share Posted February 21, 2014 If I was too build a smaller enclosure, that it could fit inside for now, say 1000x60x60 would that do until he is closer to fully grown? And I could rework it to be bigger next year? I'm leaning towards building my own anyway and I would prefer to have him inside. Mdf for the sides with a glass front and a vented roof would be what's required? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EdibleKittens Posted February 21, 2014 Author Report Share Posted February 21, 2014 Decided to hold off until later in the year, will work on enclosure and what not until then. Cheers Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caryl Posted February 21, 2014 Report Share Posted February 21, 2014 Are you hoping they are edible? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aotealotl Posted February 21, 2014 Report Share Posted February 21, 2014 Are you hoping they are edible? they have four legs and are not made of wood - yes they are edible Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EdibleKittens Posted February 21, 2014 Author Report Share Posted February 21, 2014 Haha no I don't wish to eat one. What would you guys recommend in the way of heat lamps, lighting and heating tiles. Looking to set up a good enclosure over a few months to get a Beardie near the end of winter. Will be making an indoor enclosure about 1200x80x60 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alanmin4304 Posted February 21, 2014 Report Share Posted February 21, 2014 I use ceramic heaters on a thermostat. Put them at one end with the uv light and that allows for a warm and a cooler end. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EdibleKittens Posted February 21, 2014 Author Report Share Posted February 21, 2014 I'm going over to the states in September, any idea of a good brand of light/lamp. Would it be good to buy one over there and bring it back? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alanmin4304 Posted February 21, 2014 Report Share Posted February 21, 2014 Wrong voltage. They are available on Ebay. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kinnadian Posted February 22, 2014 Report Share Posted February 22, 2014 Mdf for your enclosure isn't good, it can absorb odours and moisture and become warped and unsanitary. Melamine is the recommended wood to use for a DIY enclosure, with sliding glass front and vents. You've also missed the boat on hatchlings, the season has pretty much come to an end so you will really struggle to find one anyway (although there is one or two adults on Trademe). Heat lamp, just use a ceramic heating element and thermostat. These can be had from ebay for like $30 shipped total. Don't use heating tiles, beardies can't really detect heat beneath them so they can overheat. Black ceramic tiles are good for a base of your enclosure, though. I personally use the ceramic heater + thermostat on the "cold" end (to maintain ~28 degC) and a Philips brand floodlight (100w) on the "hot" end, along with an energy saving bulb and the fluorescent UV bulb. Use the floodlight on a dimmer to play around with the basking temperature to get it right, but the floodlight is a warm white and not a cold white (and I've found mine prefers the cold white). Quite a few lights in there but I think it is optimal. If you are going to the states, the only thing I would recommend getting would be some good cheap florescent bulbs. Arcadia are one of the better ones, also Reptisun. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Insect Direct Posted February 22, 2014 Report Share Posted February 22, 2014 melamine will absorb too id imagine if not sealed correctly around edges ... can get laminate strips to iron? on edges but may need more than that. mdf is fine but must seal with non toxic sealer of some sort. melamine either laminated mdf or chipboard anyway .. she be right if built right what ever you use. they can feel heat from below .. what do you think they do when come across a warm rock in dr desert ... cook them selves, unlikely. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alanmin4304 Posted February 22, 2014 Report Share Posted February 22, 2014 I built a double story 1600 x 600 x 600mm enclosure from untreated ply and it has been great. I also have some aquariums with mdf lids and they are OK also. The bonding agen in both is urea formaldehyde which gives off formalin if it gets too hot but is OK if you keep your heaters away from it. I don't use lights as a source of heat, only ceramics on a thermostat and uv lights. Make sure you have good ventilation. I use sand on the base of adult enclosures and astro turf for hatchlings and geckoes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kinnadian Posted February 23, 2014 Report Share Posted February 23, 2014 melamine will absorb too id imagine if not sealed correctly around edges ... Depends entirely how you build it, if all edges face outwards from the enclosure then you can't really. I built it this way and also sealed the corners with 100% silicone just for easy cleaning, but it wasn't entirely necessary. Certainly a few edges is better than 100% uncovered surface area with unsealed mdf. I built a double story 1600 x 600 x 600mm enclosure from untreated ply and it has been great. I also have some aquariums with mdf lids and they are OK also. The bonding agen in both is urea formaldehyde which gives off formalin if it gets too hot but is OK if you keep your heaters away from it. I don't use lights as a source of heat, only ceramics on a thermostat and uv lights. Make sure you have good ventilation. I use sand on the base of adult enclosures and astro turf for hatchlings and geckoes. You could always try unsealed mdf like alan says, but in my opinion do something once and do it right. The potential is there for something to go wrong, so why go through all the effort and expense of building an enclosure with the potential for something to go wrong? Not worth it in my opinion. I tried an aquarium once with MDF, it warped badly within 6 months and started dropping bits of mdf (and hence mdf glue) into my tank, would never do it again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alanmin4304 Posted February 23, 2014 Report Share Posted February 23, 2014 I had a 4 ft aqarium cabinet for many years built from mdf but the joints were sealed with marine epoxy glue and the inside was painted with lots of coats of white car two pot paint. It took the earthquakes to get to it but before that not a problem. The aquarium was completely enclosed except the front so it looked like a living tv set. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LeopardGeckoManiac777 Posted May 7, 2014 Report Share Posted May 7, 2014 So then would you be able to keep a Inland Beardie outside in Auckland all year round? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LeopardGeckoManiac777 Posted May 7, 2014 Report Share Posted May 7, 2014 So would I be able to keep an Inland Beardie outside in Auckland all year round, and what age can I start keeping them outside Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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