Before taking a bearded dragon home, we have to find which terrarium is the most suitable for our reptile. In the case of a young bearded dragon, it has been determined that the ideal size is a 40-gallon reptile tank. Up here comes the simple part. Once we start looking for which 40-gallon terrarium to buy, we find more than a dozen offers. But how do you know which of these terrariums is the best option for your reptile and your budget?
40-Gallon Reptile Tank Comparison table.
Factors to consider before buying a terrarium
- Size and shape: These must be adapted to the needs of each reptile, making their accommodation comfortable, easy cleaning, and maintenance in addition to bringing beauty to the decoration of our home.
- Durability: the terrarium must be resistant and durable, making our purchase profitable and keeping our pet safe.
- Safety: It must have ventilation systems that guarantee an adequate environment and systems that prevent the escape of your pet or live food.
- Affordable price: Quality always comes at a high price, and in the long run, higher quality saves money. But we must make sure that the money we are paying is worth it.
40-Gallon Reptile Tank Best Choice for a Young Bearded Dragon: REPTI ZOO 36″ x 18″ x 18″ Reptile Terrarium.
The best choice for a 40-gallon bearded dragon tank is this premium creation brought to us by REPTI ZOO, the REPTI ZOO 36″ x 18″ x 18″ Reptile Glass Terrarium. This great reptile habitat is perfect for all kinds of animals due to its exquisite design. With an easy assembly, dual front doors with a security lock, a raised base, and all over the glass walls, allowing 360 degrees see-through. Perfect to emulate an animal’s natural habitat.
This beautiful creation provides great built not only in physical appeal but as well for great quality, long-lasting, and durable purpose. It is composed of a steel foundation for tough built and sturdiness matched by the superb quality glass that can support any reptile and provide security for your reptile whenever he’s inside the beautiful and realistic habitat. The rectangular, spacious terrarium is perfect for medium-sized animals like juvenile bearded dragons.
This excellent 40-gallon tank from REPTIZOO is capable of delivering high performance in terms of durability and endurance. You can also expect excellent comfort for your pet due to the great ventilation design on the top and side of the cage.
The amazing creation from REPTIZOO offers many benefits for the future owners of this premium terrarium. It also has a waterproof base, allowing easy cleaning. The elevated bottom frame permits the easy connection of a substrate heater for an extra heating source, increasing your reptile’s comfort. The cage also has front door openings which can provide quick feeding and a secure enclosure. The awesome purchase is also easy to install a piece that can be ready for use after a 10-minute assembly time. This will also provide better lighting and ventilation with the side windows for your pet’s viewing and health
REPTI ZOO 36″ x 18″ x 18″ Reptile Terrarium Pros and Cons.
Pros
- The upper metal screen provides ventilation, UV, and infrared rays penetration.
- The raised bottom frame allows the installation of a substrate heater.
- The front doors can be opened separately, making it easy to feed your pet and prevent it from escaping.
- The side window improves ventilation inside the bearded dragon cage.
- Lockable inlets for wires and tubes on the top and right sides.
- Waterproof bottom up to door heights.
- Easy to install or dismantle in less than 10 minutes.
Cons
- The rear of the tank consists of two glass sheets, which reduces the resistance of the tank.
Exo Terra 40-Gallon AllGlass Terrarium.
Another great option for a reptile terrarium is the stunning 40-gallon Exo Terra Allglass Terrarium. This reptile terrarium has a unique style. This is a perfect ornament with a great function to give style while sheltering your little companion. The beautiful creation has a rocky 3-D background that adds a natural touch to the terrarium.
This functional piece is made up of the best quality glass that can keep your reptile safe and secured inside without risks of escapade. The steel foundation also delivers trusted performance in keeping your pet’s shelter stable and secured amidst the long-term use and passage of time.
The premium creation is perfect for durable use due to its top-quality materials that give the premium performance you can enjoy for more years to come. No need to worry about repairs and maintenance costs as this terrarium is sturdy enough to face all possible challenges that may come it’s way! This cage is also equipped with escape-proof, dual door locks that will eliminate the risks of an escapade for your reptile. The comfortable aspect of this piece is the well-ventilated windows up on the front for convenient and healthy air circulation inside the artificial habitat.
There is nothing you could ask for from this premium-made piece delivered to us by Exo Terra. The reptile terrarium is made not only for reptiles but as well as amphibians. The resilient piece is also made and designed to have a raised bottom frame to permit you to slide a substrate heater during cold days. The waterproof bottom relieves you of the struggles of cleaning the cage. There are also inlets equipped in this cage to allow wires and tubing management.
Exo Terra 40-Gallon AllGlass Terrarium Pros and Cons.
Pros
- Front window ventilation.
- Natural-Looking Rock Background included.
- Dual doors escape free access.
- Waterproof bottom
- Stainless steel mesh cover
- Closable inlets for wires and/or tubing
- Hight-class materials, resistant and durable.
- A reliable lock prevents unwanted or accidental opening.
- Advanced design (ventilation holes) facilitates the exchange of temperature and humidity.
Cons
- Its price. It’s the most expensive of the 40-gallon bearded dragon tank.
- It should not be used to house snakes.
Best Value for Money in 40-Gallon reptile Tanks: Carolina Custom Cages 40-Gallon Terrarium.
The magnificent piece features great materials that can be relied upon in performing long-term functions due to the excellent grade and tough quality they possess. The steel foundation used as the base and skeleton for this prestigious piece is of high durability and capacity to consistently support the entire furniture without decline.
One of the best advantages of this great creation feature is the durable build that is perfect for all households. No matter what reptile your pet is, you can enjoy premium performance that ensures you get the best results in serving a good shelter for your pet. The secured entrance is also perfect for keeping your pet safe inside at all times without the risk of it breaking free without you knowing it. The spacious fixture is also perfect for you to get creative—you can add plants and fixtures to emulate your pet’s habitat or spice up his home.
There are so many things to love about this premium creation brought to us by Southern Enterprises. The creation is made to fit all home designs due to its exquisite build and color. Due to the spacious area that doubles as a table, you have the autonomy to design it with endless choices—add pebbles, figurines, plants, and other items that may fit your style to make this awesome piece becomes more beautiful and homey for your little companion
Carolina Custom Cages 40-Gallon Terrarium Pros and Cons.
Pros
- Easy assembly.
- High quality, resistant and durable materials.
- System of double folding doors with a security lock.
- Same quality and lower price than the 40-gallon Exo Terra all-glass terrarium.
Cons
- Double front doors only remain closed by locking with the key.
- There are no door handles to open the glass doors.
Setting up a 40-Gallon Reptile Tank to Host a Bearded Dragon?
Bearded Dragon Temperature and Heat Sources
Like many reptiles, bearded dragons need to thrive in a tank that recreates their natural habitat. To do this we will distribute heating elements and other decorations to create a cold zone at 68-77ºF and another hot zone at 95-104ºF. At night the temperature should not fall below 64-66 ºF. To achieve this temperature we can choose:
- Infrared lights.
- Ceramic lamps.
- Mercury vapor lamp.
As a backup heat source, you can choose under tank heat mat
Bearded Dragon Lighting
Although there are nocturnal reptiles that are not very demanding in terms of lighting, the bearded dragon is NOT one of them.
Bearded dragons require solar radiation ( UVA and UVB), alternating with periods of darkness. It is recommended that these dark light cycles last 12 hours each.
To make this operation easy the best option is to connect a timer to the lamp so that when the time comes this is turned off or on as needed.
40-Gallon Reptile Tank Substate
The baby bearded dragons and even the juveniles tend to make their depositions all over the terrarium, making the cleaning a titanic task.
At this stage of their life, we could use a newspaper or kitchen paper but we should change it daily. An easy and economical solution to this problem would be to use two ceramic tiles if they are corrugated and with a naturalistic design, much better.
For an adult, animals could be used as another type of substrate such as peat or coconut bed. I have always been an enemy of using sand in my terrariums because of the risk of ingestion in the case of calcium deficiency.
Humidity and water source
It is necessary for a relative humidity of 30-40% and the availability of water to drink in suitable containers. Beware of babies that live together because stacking can cause the drowning of an animal. It is also possible in these cases to spray the terrarium with water several times a day.
Terrarium furnishings
The animals must be as comfortable as possible in their new home. That is why we must offer them different options to achieve it:
- Shelters so that they can hide (caves, cabins, etc.).
- Trunks (not too high) for them to climb
- Rocks,
- Natural (non-toxic if ingested) or artificial plants.
It is very important to have a thermometer and a hygrometer to control the temperature and humidity respectively. This will ensure that the terrarium conditions are adequate.
The basic set-up of a 40-Gallon bearded dragon tank
