50 to 60 Gallon Bearded Dragon Tank

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A 50 gallon bearded dragon tank is a common starter size. Whether it is good enough depends on which published minimum you use. It also depends on the dragon’s age.

Washington State University’s Veterinary Teaching Hospital lists 75 to 120 gallons as the adult minimum. That is at least 48 by 24 by 18 inches for one adult. New South Wales Department of Education gives a formula instead, citing Taronga Zoo keeper guidance.

Adults need no less than 120 by 60 centimeters of floor space, per that formula. Juveniles need the same floor space as adults, not a smaller starter tank, the same source states. NC State’s veterinary hospital and the BGSU Herpetarium care sheet both list 20 to 40 gallons as a starting range.

Neither gives a separate adult upgrade figure. That gap between sources is the reason this range needs an honest look before you buy.

Is a 50 Gallon Tank Good for a Bearded Dragon?

A 50 gallon bearded dragon tank clears the NC State and BGSU range of 20 to 40 gallons. It can house a baby or juvenile comfortably. It does not clear the WSU adult minimum of 75 to 120 gallons.

Its typical floor footprint also falls short of the NSW adult minimum. By WSU’s figures, a 50 gallon tank can only be a stage on the way to a larger enclosure, not a permanent adult home.

NC State and BGSU do not object to 50 gallons for an adult outright. Neither gives a dedicated adult figure above 40 gallons, though. A 50 gallon tank sits in territory none of the four sources fully endorses for a full grown dragon.

The honest verdict is simple. It works fine as a juvenile tank. It is borderline at best for an adult.

Dimensions of 50, 55, and 60 Gallon Tanks

Gallon capacity tells you volume, not floor space. Floor space is what a bearded dragon actually walks on. Manufacturers vary the shape of each size.

Treat the figures below as typical, not universal. Always check the exact listing before buying.

Notice that the 55 gallon tank has less floor space than the 50 gallon. It holds more water. But it is taller and narrower.

A 60 gallon breeder tank is built low and wide. It gives the most usable floor space of the three. This is why gallon size alone is a poor proxy for enclosure quality.

The 55 Gallon Height and Narrowness Problem

A 55 gallon bearded dragon tank is built as a display aquarium first. It runs roughly 48 by 13 by 21 inches. That extra height and narrow depth work against a basking lizard.

Merck’s reptile husbandry chapter recommends positioning heat sources toward one end of an enclosure. This creates a thermal gradient. A shallow, narrow floor makes that gradient much harder to hold.

The warm and cool ends sit close together. Tall glass walls pull heat upward, away from the basking surface. A narrow 55 gallon setup also limits how far apart the basking area and cool hide can sit.

That matters because WSU lists a basking target of 95 to 110 degrees Fahrenheit. The cool zone target sits at 75 to 80 degrees. Fitting both ends inside a 13 inch depth is tight.

A 55 gallon aquarium can still work as a juvenile home. Expect to manage the gradient more carefully than in a wider tank.

Which Ages a 50 to 60 Gallon Tank Suits

Sourced guidance disagrees on which age group a 50 to 60 gallon bearded dragon tank suits. That disagreement is worth showing plainly.

• NSW Department of Education: juveniles need the same floor space as adults; the adult minimum is 120 by 60 centimeters, a figure a 50 or 55 gallon tank does not reach.
• WSU Veterinary Teaching Hospital: a single adult needs 75 to 120 gallons, or at least 48 by 24 by 18 inches; a 50 to 60 gallon tank reads as a juvenile or subadult stage.
• NC State College of Veterinary Medicine: a 20 to 40 gallon glass terrarium as a starting minimum, with a rule of four times the dragon’s length and width; no separate adult figure is given.
• BGSU Herpetarium care sheet: 20 gallons minimum, larger is better, with a 40 gallon breeder tank for a housed pair.

Put together, a 50 to 60 gallon tank works well for a young dragon leaving its first enclosure. Two of the four sources allow it as an adult home in the wide, low shape. Under WSU and NSW, treat it as a stepping stone instead.

The NSW formula lets you put a number on it. It calls for floor space of no less than 4L squared, laid out as 2L by 2L, with no side shorter than 0.75L, where L is the dragon’s snout to tail length.

Those figures are our arithmetic applied to the NSW formula, using the typical tank dimensions above. An adult central bearded dragon grows well past 37 cm, so all three tanks fail the NSW rule for adults. They pass it only for hatchlings and younger juveniles, and NSW adds that juveniles do not need a smaller enclosure than adults.

50 Gallon Bearded Dragon Tank Setup

Setting up a 50 gallon bearded dragon tank, or its 55 or 60 gallon relatives, starts with a basking and cool side split. Place the heat source at one end only, per Merck’s guidance. Never center it over the whole floor.

WSU lists a basking target of 95 to 110 degrees Fahrenheit. Its cool zone target is 75 to 80 degrees. NC State lists a slightly lower basking range of 88 to 100 degrees.

NC State’s ambient daytime range runs 75 to 85 degrees. Both sources agree the cool end should sit well below the basking spot. A gap of 15 to 20 degrees is typical.

A thermostat is not optional. Merck states that reptile heat sources should be thermostat controlled and screened from the animal. UC Davis recommends thermostats to prevent dangerous swings and reduce burn risk.

A dimming or pulse proportional thermostat built for basking bulbs and ceramic heat emitters holds the set temperature more precisely than a simple on and off unit. That precision is worth the cost. The warm and cool ends sit closer together in this tank size.

For daytime basking, a halogen flood bulb sized to the tank’s basking distance reaches WSU’s higher basking range more reliably than a standard bulb. UVB matters just as much as heat.

UC Davis calls for a bulb rated no less than 5 percent UVB output. Position it no more than 12 inches from the basking spot. Run it on a 12 to 14 hour daily cycle.

Nothing should sit between the bulb and the dragon, not glass, not plastic, not fine mesh.

Bearded dragon 50 gallon tank lighting needs a UVB tube long enough to cover most of the basking end. A short compact bulb lights only a narrow strip. A full length T5 HO UVB tube paired with a reflective fixture covers a 36 to 48 inch tank far better.

WSU recommends replacing the tube every 6 to 8 months for a juvenile. An adult tube can run 12 months. UVB output fades before the tube stops producing visible light.

For a replacement, a desert rated T5 HO UVB replacement tube in a reflector fixture fits a 50 to 60 gallon setup without oversizing it.

Finish the full setup with a substrate that will not cause impaction. Add a water dish large enough to soak in, per WSU and NC State. Add hides at both the warm and cool ends.

Glass, PVC, and Front Opening Enclosures

Most 50, 55, and 60 gallon tanks sold for bearded dragons are glass aquariums with a screen top. That is the shape most of the figures above assume. Merck’s husbandry chapter notes a real drawback of glass.

Glass is a poor insulator. Room temperature swings translate directly into the enclosure. Merck lists wood, plastic, and fiberglass builds as more stable alternatives.

PVC and melamine enclosures in this volume range hold heat and humidity more evenly than glass. Most open from the front rather than the top. That helps when handling a defensive or food motivated dragon.

A front opening design also keeps warm air inside the enclosure when you open it. A top screen vents heat every time you access the tank. The tradeoff is upfront cost, and in some PVC builds, less viewing area.

Whichever material you choose, a top screen is still required for UVB to reach the dragon. UC Davis and NC State both note that UV output cannot pass through glass or plastic. A PVC enclosure needs its own UVB access panel or mesh section.

A plain solid top defeats the entire point of the light.

When to Upgrade From a 50 to 60 Gallon Tank

Move up once the dragon’s total length passes the NSW limit in the table above: about 32 cm (12.7 in) for a 50 or 55 gallon tank, about 37 cm (14.7 in) for a 60 gallon breeder. NC State’s rule of an enclosure four times the lizard’s length and width points the same way. A 36 inch tank is four times the length of a 9 inch dragon, and a 48 inch tank four times a 12 inch dragon.

A dragon nearing 18 to 20 inches has outgrown every tank in this range by both formulas. The practical marker most keepers can watch is behavior, not only a measuring tape.

A dragon that can no longer stretch out fully at the basking spot is past the point where this range works. So is one that presses against the glass repeatedly. So is one with reduced appetite tied to a cramped enclosure.

At that stage, a 75 gallon tank matches the adult minimums more closely.

Further along, a 100 gallon enclosure matches them better still.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is a 50 gallon tank good for a bearded dragon?

It works well for a baby or juvenile and clears the 20 to 40 gallon starting range that NC State and BGSU publish. It falls short of the 75 to 120 gallon adult minimum WSU lists. Treat it as a stage, not a forever home for a full grown dragon.

Is a 55 gallon tank good for a bearded dragon?

A 55 gallon tank actually has less floor space than a 50 gallon tank because it is built tall and narrow. It can house a juvenile. The shape makes holding a proper heat gradient harder than in a wider enclosure.

What size UVB tube does a 50 gallon bearded dragon tank need?

A full length T5 HO tube sized to cover most of the basking end works better than a short compact bulb. UC Davis calls for the bulb to sit no more than 12 inches from the basking spot. WSU recommends replacing it every 6 to 8 months for a juvenile, or 12 months for an adult.

How do I set up a 55 gallon bearded dragon tank?

Place the basking bulb and UVB tube at one end only. Target a basking surface of roughly 88 to 110 degrees Fahrenheit, depending on the source. Keep the opposite end at 75 to 80 degrees and check both ends with separate thermometers.

Can an adult bearded dragon live in a 60 gallon tank?

Under NC State and BGSU’s lower range it is workable. WSU and NSW both describe adult minimums that a 60 gallon breeder tank only partly meets. A wide, low breeder shape gets closer to those figures than a tall display tank of the same volume.

What is the difference between a 50 gallon and a 60 gallon breeder tank?

A standard 50 gallon tank runs about 36 by 18 by 19 inches. A 60 gallon breeder runs closer to 48 by 18 by 16 inches, trading height for floor space. The breeder shape gives roughly a third more usable floor area.