Reptile enclosure size

[chris123]

I'm planning to build a reptile enclosure into a corner of my house
The size I have to work with is approximately 3m wide 1m deep and 2m high including storage space at the bottom
What would be the best choice one large high long enclosure or two shorter long enclosures?
I'm thinking it would be easier to provide correct heating and light for two shorter enclosures rather then one large enclosure.
What benifits would a 2m high enclosure have over a 1m high enclosure for water dragons?

[MrBredli]

What benifits would a 2m high enclosure have over a 1m high enclosure for water dragons?

None unless you wanted to have a very deep pond in there. Welcome to the site Chris.

[chris123]

Thanx, I have a wood block project to finish before starting this enclosure

I have one friend that has several bearded dragons and blue tongue lizards and another freind's dad who works with glass
Considering the size and height of the enclosure what would be an decent depth for the pond?
At themoment the pond will be a glass tank built inside the enclosure taking about half the width with a slopped edge and be about 400mm deep

[MrBredli]

The size is really up to you, it depends how you intend to set it up. Probably the most important thing to bear in mind however is filtration and drainage. You will need to have a good filtration system to keep the water clean. You will also need to be able to drain the water completely so you can give it a good scrub out every now and then. All things to keep in mind when you're drawing up the plans.

[chris123]

Yeah thats what part of the space is for under the enclosure. The plan is to filter the water out one end, through an apropriate sized filter and feed it back in the other end via a rock feature "waterfall". Drainage will go through the floor and out to the front of my house.

[MrBredli]

Sounds impressive... and expensive!

[chris123]

that doesnt worry me, I'm more concered will It be possible to heat and light the enclosure corretly
Water dragons are semi-arborial but how much do they like to climb? I'm assuimg a decent amount meainng the enclosure should have basking spots high and low. Not wanting to have a fixed lay out I'm guessing a heatmat under the dry side and in the upper corners adjustable spot lights for heating and basking under? will the distance between the spot lights and basking places be too great 1-2m ?
For adaquate UV coverage, technically UV tubes have a limited distance at which they work efectively 450mm, I dont want UV tubes everywhere and am going to place then vertically up and down the front corners and another horizontal or vertical row on the back wall. The distance between the corners and the center of the back wall is about 1.8m

[MrBredli]

I'd definately be using mercury vapour globes in your cage. They produce more UV than the tubes and also produce enough heat to provide a basking spot. I'd have at least 3 basking spots in that size cage. Water Dragons love to climb. I'd definately have alot of large logs/branches throughout the cage and especially over the water. Try to have the lamps above these branches. You can hang light fittings from the roof, which will make it easier to get the lamps close enough to where you want them. Have a look at this link if you're not sure what i mean: http://www.ultimatereptiles.com.au/html/warehouse.html , it's pretty easy to suspend light fittings from the roof. I don't think a heat pad is really required for Water Dragons, they'd much prefer to bask under a radiant heat source.

[PogonaLady]

Just a quick note that I have had experience with...
The Mercury Vapour Bulbs are only effective when they are on..They do provide excellent heat and UV...
BUT
In Summer when the heat is always high the bulbs don;t turn on and therfore your UV doesn't as well...
Just what I have experienced...
If you made the large enclosure you could have 2 platforms that you could make into the basking areas...
Pond size I think half of the enscloure would be plenty..
W-Dragons only need to be able to submerge their body...so you wouldn;t need it too too deep...
I would say maybe 20-40cms deep would be sufficient...
Hope this helps...
On our site here if you go into the forum section and type in enclosure into the search section you should get heaps of pics of enclosures to help you decide...
Chow

[MrBredli]

They wouldn't turn on?? Do you mean you don't turn them on or that they don't work?

[chris123]

3 basking spots, 3 MV bulbs
Will the cage be large enough for a decent heat gradient? or will it need to be controlled?
If there was a low hanging spot light and branches above, would the water dragon be smart enough to not climb down the chain suspending the spot light?

[MrBredli]

You don't need a heat gradient. If they want to warm up they will bask under the lights. If they want to cool down they'll move away from the light or into the water.

I don't think they would be able to grip the chain, but you would need to use a dome so that they can't fall directly onto the light, and the underpart of the dome should be covered with wire mesh so that they can't jump up into the light (and burn themselves).

How many do you intend to keep in this cage?

[chris123]

1 male and 1-2 females
The water doesnt need to be heated, it can stay at room temperature?

[MrBredli]

Yep it sure can.

[chris123]

The basking spots wont be too hot in the summer?
Will they need to be thermostaticaly controlled? If so the wont receive as much UV light....
Does an enclosuer this size require forced ventilation or will convection be enough?