heating for ten gallon tank

Question
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Followup To
Question -
Hi my question isnt about snakes but I thought I'd ask anyway...

I am setting up for a bearded dragon, I will be getting him in about a month, I have a ten gallon tank with an under tank heater stuck to it & a cover so I am going to put him in the ten gallon for two weeks until I can get his 33/40 gallon set up, I know he needs uvb lighting and a heat lamp but my question is how high a wattage does the heat bulb need to be? also can a normal household bulb be used instead of the reptile ones for heat?
Answer -
Hi,

Actually, I should mention that you don't need to rush to buy the 40 gal...a baby beardie can live at least a year in the 10.
Also, an under tank heater actually isn't necessary...light 14 hrs/day is fine( its okay if they cool to room temperature during the night...they are desert animals, so they could live in near freezing conditions every night)

As for the wattage of the heat bulb, 100 should be good for the 10 gallon, but you will probably need a 150 when you get the 40, as it will probably be about 1-2 feet taller. (and yes, an ordinary household bulb will do fine.)

However, 100w is just a guess, and you should buy 2 tank thermometers that you can stick in each end of the cage(one for basking temp, the other for air temp.) Remember, basking should be anywhere from 90-100F, and air temp should be 80-85.

I suggest you buy a book on bearded dragon keeping and read it cover to cover before you purchase your beardie, as they are filled with much valuable information, such as feeding, housing, breeding, knowing how to pick out a breadie, etc.

If you have any further questions feel free to ask.




Hello again

I was looking around the web and saw sevral sites saying that beardies only live between 4-7 years, it this true?  

Answer
Yes, I have heard this too. As I have only had my beardie for about 4 years, I cannot verify this from personal experience.

Just remember, the better you take care of him, the longer he will live. If he is given the proper nutrition, heating/lighting, environment, is free of stress, etc., then he should live a long and full life, which, on average, is around 7 years.