Water Dragon questions.

  • We are currently upgrading MFK. thanks! -neo
EricIvins;4417435; said:
8 inches as in how, and Fish Tanks aren't good unless you like your Dragons without a face.........

Basking spot at 130 degrees like any Lizard, and hold your Horses on the sexing thing.......You won't know for awhile........


130 drees like any lizards!? And what lizard needs a basking spot quite so extreme? Even most desert species don't need it that high and water dragons being tropical definitely don't need that kind of heat... a basking spot of 95-98 should be plenty.

don't forget your uva/uvb lighting, VERY important!
Also I would go ahead and invest in an automatic mister or fogger... it is annoyingly difficult to keep your humidity high with basking lights going at the same time.

adult enclosure should be no smaller than 6ft tall, 4ft long and at least 3ft wide. I always try to go bigger than minimums with lizards
 
Sylvias;4417959; said:
130 drees like any lizards!? And what lizard needs a basking spot quite so extreme? Even most desert species don't need it that high and water dragons being tropical definitely don't need that kind of heat... a basking spot of 95-98 should be plenty.

don't forget your uva/uvb lighting, VERY important!
Also I would go ahead and invest in an automatic mister or fogger... it is annoyingly difficult to keep your humidity high with basking lights going at the same time.

adult enclosure should be no smaller than 6ft tall, 4ft long and at least 3ft wide. I always try to go bigger than minimums with lizards

Yes I have a UVA/B bulb already thats still new. I thought that seemed a bit high, its not a bearded dragon. Thats about what I plan on making for it down the road. I will look into the misters fog thing.
 
Chrisplosion;4418016; said:
Yes I have a UVA/B bulb already thats still new. I thought that seemed a bit high, its not a bearded dragon. Thats about what I plan on making for it down the road. I will look into the misters fog thing.

I highly recommend this product, it is amazing and is great to keep the humidity up. All other fogger I had broke within a few months but this one will last you.

http://www.google.com/products/cata...log_result&ct=image&resnum=1&ved=0CC4Q8gIwAA#

I would set it up to a timer and let it run for about 30 minutes during the day and 30 minutes during the night (depending on how big your enclosure is though you may need more or less). That should get the humidity to where it needs to be. just remember that this does not replace misting. I don't know if it is true for water dragons but some reptiles will only drink water if they are sprayed with it...
 
cypress mulch from Lowes or Home Depot. It is cheap and better than 95% of the substrates marketed for reptiles. It will hold just enough moisture, is easy to spot clean. absorbs anything stinky so you don't gag when you open the enclosure after a nice deuce, and it looks pretty.
 
First if you have a water basin which is a must you dont need no fogger, dont forget its much more confy for your lizard to sleep during the nigth with a low humity, do you like sleeping under rain? So does not your lizard, moist if need be in the morning and let it dry as the day goes by. The water basin needs to be heated either by the outside with a head pad or by inside with a aquarium heater, thouse made for turtles are good because they are very resilient. The water basin needs to be cleaned allmost EVERY day and this is very important. Be aware that chinese water dragons are in my experience one of the most rewarding species to keep but at the same time they can be tricky, allot are wild cauth and that means they are starving and full of parasites, if possible get a grown one from a rescue or from someone that cant take care of he´s anymore they are much more hardy then babys. If your going for a baby get a cb one or at least a very alert looking one. Australian water dragons are much hardier and they are allways cb so they are potentially a better choice. Chinese water dragons also need night time heat, a heat pad of good quality like a zoomed´s or ceramic heat bulb gives just that. A ceramic lamp needs a termostat and a ceramic socket to work safely.
Also I recomend that you forget the 55 gallon idea for life but it will become handy however, as it can provide a very good water basin in a larger enclosure. The ideal way to house adult water dragons is in a small wardrobe made enclosure, MUCH BETTER then glass tanks, low budget (you can get one cheap from a junk yard) and your lizard can use its climbing potential. This guys can get BIG allmost iguana size, Ive seen a few males allmost 1m long. If you can choose a male its better for you then a female.
 
Chrisplosion;4418224; said:
How much is and it and how much do you get typically, and does it need to be sanitized? What about the green astrocrap carpet? They say don't use a heating rock, what can I use at nighttime?
No carpet, mulch its better for a grown one. I recomend that you keep a newly adquired one for 2 weeks on news paper, just in case it has mites or another prob and then swich to mulch.
 
Coura brought up a good point. The water basin and heater will definitely keep the humidity up.

As for the mulch, it is under $5 for a 50lbs bag of it at any place that has a garden center. Make sure that it is cypress much though (never use pine or cedar or anything else because they will cause skin issues).
 
If it works for you, great but I have never been able to keep my humidity above 30% if there are lights of any sort without a fogger. When I had my iguana he was in a large screen cage with plexiglass covering the sides and humidity was just a pain in the ass. Had a HUGE water dish in the bottom that took up most of the entire bottom with no luck, the day i picked up a fogger all my problems ended. Simply cut it off at night.
 
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