Recommended Tank Decor & Accessories

Bearded Dragons spend a large amount of their time in their tanks so it’s vital that you try and create a habitat that is as close to the one they would experience in the wild.

So many times I see owners that keep their Dragons in a terrarium with a plastic tub placed upside down for a basking rock and a small carton for a water bowl and that’s it!

It’s important to take the time to create something for your Dragon with lots of hides, plants, rocks and a real basking area that will keep them stimulated and happy.

Here are some great items from Amazon that you can grab to create an amazing terrarium for your Bearded Dragon:

• Real Basking Rock (This One on Amazon)
• Branch (This One on Amazon)
• Plants (This One on Amazon)
• Tunnel (This One on Amazon)
• Hide (This One on Amazon)
• Hammock (This One on Amazon)

Basking Rock

Providing your Bearded Dragon with a basking rock in the tank is essential. The basking rock will allow your Dragon to get close enough to the basking lamp and therefore absorb more heat and get to its optimal temperature to perform tanks such as digestion.

It’s worth noting that some cheap basking rocks depending on that material can get very warm under the lamp and therefore aren’t a good option in my opinion.

Using a natural rock rather than ceramic tile or slate will provide your Bearded Dragon with an authentic basking rock as well as giving you peace of mind that they aren’t getting too hot while basking.

You can go out and find rocks yourself, depending on where you live they may be easy or difficult to come by.

You do have the option to purchase them too, Carolina Custom Cages actually source basking rocks from the natural habitat of Bearded Dragons so the rocks basically don’t get any more authentic than that.

These are the ones that i like to use, they cost a little more than a cheap plastic one but you know you are giving your Dragon the best basking experience they can get in captivity and seeing as that’s how they will spend most of their time i think it’s money well spent.

You can find the natural basking rocks here on Amazon. I’m sure you will see that for something that your Bearded Dragon will use for so many hours each day it’s worth giving them something authentic of real quality from their natural habitat.

Branches

Branches are great for allowing your Bearded Dragon to bask, chill or take a little nap.

When you add a branch into the tank there’s a couple of things you need to make it safe. First, purchase a branch that is long enough to for your Bearded Dragon to be able to lay on. It’s actually a simple mistake that I’ve made in the past and not checked the size of the branch before purchase and then when I unpackaged it I realised it was too small for my Dragon.

Its always better to invest in a real wood, natural branch rather than a cheap plastic alternative.

Remember, when purchasing natural branches the supplier can’t guarantee you an exact size, only an approximate size so just try and make sure you would still be able to fit the branch in the tank if its a little bigger than expected.

You also need to be aware that if you have a baby or juvenile Bearded Dragon you will more than likely need to upgrade to a larger branch at some point as they enter full adulthood so just keep this in mind as they grow.

The second thing you need to do is make sure the branch is securely fixed to the tank. Using excavator clay as a substrate is the best way to do this in my opinion.

There’s a lot of different options out there for branches. The one I recommend is this one from Amazon.

Remember when purchasing branches it’s very hard to predict the specific size but I’ve found this supplier to provide good quality grape wood branches that are as accurate as you’re going to get.

Plants

Plants are another important element of your Bearded Dragons tank. They help to make the tank look and feel like the Bearded Dragons natural habitat.

Your Dragon will love having different kinds of plants and vines to navigate around and they will also help to keep your Dragon stimulated.

I would be wary of adding real plants to the tank though, as they can add need a lot of maintenance such as watering. Your Bearded Dragon may also decide to have a little nibble at them from time to time if they are slightly peckish.

For this reason, I would recommend kitting your Dragons tank out with some artificial plants. It’s much easier, low maintenance and they’re easy to clean.

To be honest there’s an almost endless range of plants to choose from so you can choose something that suits the kind of tank habitat you are trying to create. I personally like these ones as i think they look pretty real and cover a large surface area and i also think that cactus plants like this look really good too.

Hides

Adding hides into my Bearded Dragons tank is one of the first things I do, that’s how important it is!

Bearded Dragons can get frightened and intimidated very easily by all sorts of everyday things around the house.

Other pets in the home, new surroundings and even things like a child’s toy that your Dragon mistakes for a predator can all cause short term stress or panic and the need to hide for a while.

Without the ability to hide somewhere in the tank your Bearded Dragon would feel exposed and this can cause unwanted and unnecessary stress and over a long period, this can be harmful to their health.

Providing your Dragon with hides is a great way to allow them to escape an unwanted situation and feel safe. You really can get some awesome hides if you want to kit out the terrarium with some cool looking decor.

I would recommend going for something like this on Amazon as it will allow your Dragon to hide its full body inside. Some hides are good for babies but once your Dragon reaches adulthood they will struggle to hide themselves.

The main thing is to have a look around and find something that you like and will fit the size of your Bearded Dragon. If you really want to create a special look then a would recommend taking a look at this skull hide on Amazon and this croc skull on Amazon. They’re actually really cheap and they look awesome in a terrarium when they are accompanied by plants and other decors to finish off the look.

Tunnels

Tunnels are basically the same as hides, they provide a great place for your Bearded Dragon to escape and feel safe then ever they need to plus you can make some awesome terrarium landscapes with bark tunnels.

The main thing again is to make sure that your Dragon can actually fit inside of the tunnel with ease.

This tunnel On Amazon by Zoo Med is a good choice because you can actually cut it down and make it fit certain areas of your terrarium. Tunnels aren’t a necessity to for the tank so don’t think that you must go out and buy one but they do help to create that natural habitat feel and as we mentioned before they will add another place for your Dragon to hide if needed.

Hammocks

Another item I love to add to my Bearded Dragon terrarium is a hammock. Again, this isn’t something that your Dragon needs but it is something that they will find fun.

Hammocks really do help to keep your Dragon stimulated and I find that they really do enjoy chilling on them.

If you can spare an extra few dollars in your budget then I would definitely consider kitting your Bearded Dragons tank out with a hammock.

One thing that’s worth noting is that small tanks that are around 20-40 gallons may be a little small for a hammock but if you have a tank that’s around 75-120 gallons then this is a great opportunity to give your Dragon a little toy.

The one I recommend is the Penn Plax Reptology Lizard Lounger because of its high quality and made from seagrass fibre.

The good thing about a hammock is that it allows your Dragon to get the stimulation it needs in the tank without having to seek your attention all the time.