Chinese Water Dragon Tips:

• These are SOLITARY animals, they do not get lonely.  Only ONE animal per enclosure.  Chinese Water Dragons can brumate so don’t be worried if they start to slow down on eating through colder months.
• Female Chinese Water Dragons have been observed to be Parthenogenic meaning they can reproduce by themselves without a male. While this is technically possible, it is rare and would be highly unlikely.
  

Enclosure Assembly

When the enclosure changes, the heating, lighting, and UVB/A requirements change.

Enclosure Type : 

Housing:  Chinese Water Dragons have some rather unique housing needs that unfortunately are not commercially easy to source. As such, you will likely be creating a custom enclosure. 

This complicates being able to provide our typical setup requirements as they will change based upon the enclosure.  We will consult with you to help determine what you need.

General habitat requirements: 

Chinese water dragons are going to need a large water feature which generally requires a pump filter, in addition to terrestrial land, and also large branches to climb and bask above the water. Special Care should be taken when building a custom enclosure of this type to allow easy maintenance like draining and replacing the water, access to the interior of the enclosure for spot cleaning, And of course access for maintenance and replacement of the heating and lighting.

Grow Tent enclosures: This is the preferred enclosure for an adult chinese water dragon. Cost is a fraction of PVC or custom enclosure.  They are soft walled yet secure, well insulated, interior is highly reflective which improves uva/uvb lighting, have vetillation capabilities, have provisions to mount lighting/heating, and handing the high humidity very well. Many also include temperature/humidity monitoring as well as soft plastic windows to view in.

Pvc style enclosures: At the size needed to support an adult chinese water dragon, this can get expensive quickly. Expect the cost to be $1500 or more. While the majority of the enclosure works well, glass or plexiglass front panels are confusing to chines water dragons and they tend to run into them frequently which damages their face.

UVB Fixture/Bulb: 

(Lighting Option)

Approved 48” T5 Fixtures that require an additional bulb

Approved 46” T5 bulbs for 48” Fixtures

Heat Fixture:

            Zoo Med Combo Large Deep Dome Dual Lamp Fixture https://amzn.to/49MR5Kd (Amazon – click ‘See all buying options’)

            With a Dimmer Switch - https://amzn.to/3SHX4K6 (Amazon

Heat Daytime:

            Exo Terra Sun-Glo Daylight Halogen Lamp, 150-Watt - https://www.amazon.com/Exo-Terra-Sun-Glo-Daylight-150-Watt/dp/B00101GDC2

Heat Nighttime:

                      Zoo Med Infrared Projector for Reptiles - 150 watt    https://www.amazon.com/Zoo-Med-ReptiCare-Infrared-Projector/dp/B0B3PWRBVY

Heating, Lighting, & UVB Set-up & Management

Ideal temperatures for a Chinese Water Dragon range from 72-78°F on the cool side, and 80-86°F on the warm side. Provide an 94-96°F basking area on the warm side.  Humidity should be between 70-100%.  Night temps should be between 70-80°F.  The UVB Ferguson Zone is 3.

The UVB and top daytime heat fixtures are plugged into the timer and set to be on for 12 hours and off for 12 hours.

Timer: 24-Hour Mechanical Timer Outlet with multiple Grounded Outlets. Daytime units will plug into the timer side, night time units will plug into the continuous side - https://amzn.to/3w0aBnk (Amazon)

Thermostat: ReptiZoo dimmable thermostatic controller - https://amzn.to/3UcgWGq (Amazon) - the nighttime heat source will be plugged into this unit.

If you chose top heat the sensor for the controller will be secured either at ground level in the projected heat path of the deep heat projector with zip ties or screws immovable objects - https://amzn.to/47JZ2Of (Amazon)

It is HIGHLY RECOMMENDED to get a Solarmeter Model 6.5 UV Index Meter - https://amzn.to/3S7qvUd (Amazon).  This is to not only measure the Ferguson Zone for the UVB but it tells you when the UVB has been burned off from the bulb.

While the bulbs that we recommend generally need to be replaced every 10 - 11 months, some can be defective and burn out sooner.  UVB lights can stop emitting UVB but still illuminate.  Always save the bulb box and receipt if you need to exchange it due to this.  The meter can help to prove your case.

Alternatively, many of these bulbs live longer than expected.  If you check the health of your UVB bulb once a month, you may find that it is viable for many months longer than expected, thus saving you money in the long run.

Remember, the Ferguson Zone you want for your water dragon to be in is 3.  The meter will help you to learn where that is in your enclosure.   It needs to reach the highest point that your water dragon can climb to.  This will remain an unknown without the meter.  Be Aware!  Cheaper means unreliable or measures the wrong thing.

TIP!!! - Never throw away your UVB light box or receipt in case you need to return it for burning out too soon.

To manage your gradient temperatures, you need the Etekcity Infrared Thermometer Laser Temperature Gun - https://amzn.to/42pQawp (Amazon).  Knowing the temps is helpful if your animal is not acting or behaving in a normal way. You can even use it to test your animal's temp as well as the water!

Décor, Hints & Tips:

We do not recommend using anything that has suction cups because they become weak over time and can cause a hazard for your water dragon. 

Everything needs to be reptile safe so when looking for things like wood or rocks it is recommended you purchase these items new from a reptile retailer. 

If possible, it’s preferred to use items that are not porous or made of wood for a healthy and easy-to-clean environment.

If you want to use items from outside you MUST scrub them with Dawn Wildlife Safe Dish Soap - https://amzn.to/428GOoo (Amazon) followed by a wipe down or spray of 99% Isopropyl Alcohol - https://amzn.to/3Hv2txG (Amazon). 

If it is wood that is from either outside or is second hand you MUST do the above THEN bake it in an oven at 250 degrees for 2 hours – set your timer to check on it every 15 minutes to make sure it does not catch on fire.

Substrate – The best choice of substrate for your water dragon is one that can hold moisture and provide an elevated humidity and will not mold.  Its also good to have a soft substrate that can reduce impact should your dragon jump or fall from high up.  You may need a soil/sand based substrate in a lay box if you have a female dragon so they can lay eggs.

Coco Chips

ReptiChip Reptile Substrate Coconut Chip Bedding 72 Quart Compressed Organic Coco Husk Block for Snake Habitat - https://amzn.to/3vJerRS - (Amazon)

Hides and Climbs – Water Dragons like to bask on sunny outcroppings or logs over water which allows them to dive in for safety. They also like to explore so some clutter along the back and sides of the enclosure would be good while leaving open space in the center for your main basking log and front for you to see and interact with your water dragon for easy accessibility.    This also gives them enrichment. 

Dishes and Suppliants:

Water Pool: This will be placed on the bottom cool side and should be big enough for your chinese water dragon to swim in.  We reccomend pond features as a means to help supply this as they also allow plumbing for a filter.

• MacCourt Pre Formed Pond Liner - There are quite a few companies that make preformed pond liners that can jump start your project. 

Water Filter: 

• Polar Aurora 3 Stage Aquarium Canister Filter - We use these on our big lizards in hte rescue and they work quite well. The ports are large enough to pass large debris without clogging and they have no leak disconnects to allow cleaning without making a mess.

Chlorine remover: Tap water is healthy for your animals because of the minerals in it but you will need to remove the chlorine from it with Zoomed ReptiSafe Water Conditioner for Reptiles - https://amzn.to/480MCBM  (Amazon).  This is to be used in drinking water, soaking water, and the water to spray the substrate for humidity.

*Please Note - bottled water is not recommended and distilled is dangerous for reptiles.

Feeding Tongs:  Zoo Med Soft Tip Angled Stainless Steel Feeding Tongs, 10" - https://amzn.to/4b67OJk (Amazon)

Travel Kit – There are 3 pieces needed to safely transport a snake.

·         A secured carrier with handles that can be buckled into a car seat for safe transport.