Bearded Dragon Habitat & Tank Setup

Temperature and lighting do the heavy lifting after that. A bearded dragon needs a basking surface of 100 to 110 F, a cooler side of 78 to 82 F, and UVB lighting running 10 to 12 hours a day from a quality T5 fixture. Zoo Med's Reptisun and Arcadia's ProT5 are two of the most trusted names in reptile UVB, and either should be replaced every 6 to 12 months, since output fades before the bulb looks any different. Skip UVB or run an old bulb, and calcium from the diet stops absorbing properly, no matter how well you're feeding.

Beardie saysA bearded dragon needs a basking surface of 100 to 110 F.

Substrate is the most argued-over piece of gear in the hobby, and for good reason. Loose sand and calcium sand carry real impaction risk for younger dragons especially, while tile, reptile carpet, or paper towel-lined setups cost less and carry zero risk. Most experienced keepers land on tile for exactly that reason.

This hub is still growing. Below are the setup and equipment guides live right now, covering tank setup, lighting schedules, and substrate choices in detail, with more habitat guides on temperature gradients, hides, and enclosure decor coming as the library expands.