Enclosure
5 × 2 × 2 ftPVC, front-opening
Habitat Specification
Pogona vitticeps · central bearded dragon
A complete, purpose-built enclosure and equipment plan, prepared before adoption. This page is for breeders deciding where their animal will live. Every item below was chosen deliberately; nothing here is placeholder.
Enclosure
5 × 2 × 2 ftPVC, front-opening
UVB target
UVI 4.0–4.5Solarmeter-verified
Heat control
Proportionaldimming thermostat
Basking
~108 °Fmeasured, not guessed
A terrestrial animal, so floor length matters more than volume. Front-opening to avoid the overhead-predator stress of a top-opening tank.
60″ × 24″ × 24″. PVC panels, aluminum frame, glass front sliding doors, full screen top. V3 revision (glass doors, not acrylic).
Sealed, wipeable naturalistic backdrop applied to the rear panel for visual depth and security.
Staged intentionally. A bare, monitorable floor for the settling-in and health-screen window; a heat-retaining hard floor once established; a burrowing option evaluated later against the animal's own behavior.
Bare and fully monitorable during the first weeks, so stool can be collected cleanly for a fecal parasite screen with zero handling.
Loose-laid over the basking end. Retains belly heat, no impaction risk, sanitizes in seconds.
A deep burrowable zone at the cool end is planned as an option at ~12 months, decided by whether the animal actually digs — not installed by default.
A dedicated deep container is ready if the dragon is female — a refused or absent lay site is a direct cause of fatal egg-binding.
Never used
Calcium/vitamin sand, reptile carpet, walnut shell, wood or bark chips, and any loose substrate for a hatchling under six months.
Three separate jobs — UVB, daylight, and heat — grouped over one basking zone so UV and warmth converge where the animal actually sits. All fixtures mount inside the enclosure; screen-mounting would waste a third of the UVB to the mesh.
34″ T5-HO lamp in its matched reflector, mounted inside. Tuned to UVI 4.0–4.5 at the dragon's back and verified with a Solarmeter 6.5. Replaced on a 6–12 month schedule.
6200K, high-CRI daylight bar for the bright, full-spectrum light that drives normal activity, appetite, and color.
Halogen flood delivering heat and IR-A. Sized to run near full output rather than oversized-and-dimmed, keeping the basking light bright.
The physical thermostat is the single safety and control layer. Monitoring electronics are strictly read-only and can never override it.
Proportional dimming control on the halogen, holding the basking surface at a measured target. This is the sole authority over the heat lamp.
General-purpose listed lampholder with a grounded, high-temperature cordset and a dedicated protective-earth bond. GFCI-protected.
All three fixtures mount to a rigid rail inside the enclosure, keeping heat and light grouped and adjustable without contact hazards.
Temperature-gradient sensors, logged UVI, and a low-light hide camera record conditions continuously. Data only — no control authority over heat or UV.
Insect-heavy through the growth year, shifting to a majority-plant adult diet. Supplements dusted at feedings on a measured schedule tied to verified UVB — fat-soluble vitamins are treated as an overdose risk, not a top-up.
Higher protein and lower fat than crickets, can't climb or infest, and hold still on a dish for a methodical eater. Fed from a smooth-sided dish on tile.
Black soldier fly larvae for calcium, hornworms for moisture, superworms as an occasional treat. Crickets available as needed.
Calcium-favorable staples daily. Kale and spinach only occasionally; iceberg, avocado, and wild-caught insects never.
Plain calcium at feedings; calcium-with-D3 and multivitamin on separate, measured days. Schedule adjusted to the Solarmeter-verified UVB the animal actually receives.