Before you bring your Chinese water dragon home, you must prepare its enclosure and set everything up. In this post, you will find everything that you need to know about ideal enclosure size for Chinese water dragons, as well as which tank to buy or how to build an enclosure for a Chinese water dragon. You will also find various DIY Chinese water dragon enclosure ideas.
What is the ideal Chinese water dragon cage size?
A baby Chinese water dragon can live in a small tank of 55-60 gallons until it reaches 10-12 months old. After that, move it to an adult sized tank – which must be minimum 4x3x5 feet (L x D x H), but preferably – 5x4x6. If you have a pair – house them in a minimum 6x4x6 feet tank.
For a baby Chinese water dragon, please have an enclosure that is at least 36-46 inches long, 12-18 inches deep and 24 inches high (91-117 x 30-46 x 61 cm). That will equal to around 55-70 gallons. This tank will last for around 12-16 months, until your dragon is around 12-15 inches (30-38 cm) long.
What Chinese water dragon cage for sale is suitable?
- For a baby Chinese water dragon, you can get a tank like this – large tall Exo Terra 36x18x24 enclosure (67 gallons). Will last for around 12-15 months. You will have to cover 3 sides of the tank with a background or cloth.
Cage orientation for Chinese water dragons
When buying or building a cage for you Chinese water dragon, make sure it is vertical and not horizontal. Chinese water dragons are semi-arboreal and active, and spend most of their time high on branches as well as climbing. Climbing space is crucial for Chinese water dragons.
As a general rule, the cage for a Chinese water dragon must be at least x2 higher and longer than its length from head to tail. At least 40-60% of the bottom space should allow soaking and swimming if possible.
Positioning of Chinese water dragon’s enclosure
Where you put your Chinese water dragon’s cage is also important. The best thing is to put the cage in a well-lit area, such as your bedroom.
However, make sure to position it the place where direct sunlight cannot reach the tank. That’s because the temperatures in the tank will become too high, and your water dragon might overheat and even die. This is especially true in all-glass tanks.
Don’t place the tank in the cold place, such as garage or basement, as keeping the cage warm will be much harder. Also make sure that other pets can’t easily get on top of the cage or even around it. Cats especially are known to knock over lighting equipment (fire hazard).
Cage materials for Chinese water dragons – pros and cons
Glass enclosure for a Chinese water dragon
If you are getting a glass tank for your Chinese water dragon, make sure that 3 sides are covered. To do that, you can use background tile covers for vivariums like this or by hanging a dark cloth from outside the cage. That is true even if a cage is partially made of glass with few open sides.
That’s because Chinese water dragons tend to stress and run into the glass. They do not understand the concept of glass and will damage their snout and jaw permanently. More horizontal space and placing lots of plants around the sides also means less glass banging.
If you decide to get a glass tank, preferably do so only for a baby-juvenile. When you are ready to move your dragon to a new tank, a large wooden cage is the best option (however glass with covered sides can be used too).
To prevent snout rubbing, make sure the bottom of the cage is solid and not transparent. You can achieve this by adding 3-4 inches or tape/ribbon etc. to the bottom of the cage. Add foliage around the sides and cover 3 sides too.
All metal screen enclosure
There are also cages fully made of metal screen material. Only purchase or build such tanks if you live in a humid area, or will be able to add a humidifier and possibly a misting system inside. That’s because in a tank like this, moisture will evaporate rather quickly.
Same goes to heat – don’t choose a screen only tank if you live in a cold area. Otherwise, you will have to heat the enclosure more, and it will be hard to retain that heat.
Metal screen cages also tend to be flimsy and can be wobbly. If you have a large and active lizard (Chinese water dragons are), then it might easily knock it over. That will cause serious injuries, stress and even a fire hazard.
What is more, the bottoms of all metal screen cages tend to be thin and will require an extra tray so that the water doesn’t leak out. Your water dragon will definitely be soaking, and any spilled water needs to be contained.
Wooden enclosure for a Chinese water dragon
A fully wooden, or at least partially wooden tanks seem to be the best option for Chinese water dragons. That’s because Chinese water dragons require rather high heat & humidity. Wood also eliminates running into sides of the tank.
A wooden tank that has been sealed to prevent rotting, with front glass doors is one of the best options. The tank must have a front entrance and a top screen for lights (however can install lights inside). You can have a metal top screen, but that might cause a quick evaporation of moisture and heat.
The better option would be to have a wooden lid with holes for lights. UVB can be installed inside for extra penetration, because screens do block around 30% of UVB. On top of that, the tank would need to have ventilation holes near the bottom and then the top back of the tank for good air exchange.
Building a cage for a Chinese water dragon
If you decide to build an enclosure for your Chinese water dragon, make sure to use only safe materials. The best material for building a cage would be safe wood (such as oak plywood). Avoid cedar or other coniferous trees.
You will also have to coat the wood to avoid rotting by covering it in polyurethane or other non-toxic wood sealant like this water based Seal Once sealer. Make sure to let it off gas for at least 2 weeks, otherwise its fumes are harmful and can even kill your Chinese water dragon.
You would need to include a top metal screen (not plastic – it will melt and produce harmful gases). If you make it out of wood, make sure that it does have holes for your light fixtures. You might skip installing a screen, and fix all the lights inside.
Front glass sliding or opening doors will allow you to enter the tank without putting your hand from top (where the lights will be). Putting your hand from top is also a predatory behavior that might scare your water dragon.
You can also have a glass enclosure for an adult, but you must cover most sides. Glass will better suit those that don’t live in colder climates, as retaining heat in a glass tank is harder (you will have to heat more).
Please don’t use cedar, pine or any other coniferous tree. Please avoid MDF (fiberboard), which is very bad in high humidity settings and contains VOCs – compounds that can become toxic gases, especially in high temperature setting. This will harm your Chinese water dragon.
Make sure that the cage is well supported and secure, because escapes are common with Chinese water dragons. They are very active and can come out if the cage is not strong enough. Even installing a lock on doors is a good idea to prevent escapes.
You can also build a glass cage and paint the 3 sides, as well as cover them with a background etc. Plexiglass is often used to create strong tanks. Also, you can use order custom sized plexiglass to install for front doors in wooden tanks.
Important rules for building a cage for a Chinese water dragon
- The bottom of the cage must accommodate around 4-5 inches of substrate.
- There shouldn’t all transparent sides – Chinese water dragons are known for snout banging on glass. Some even run into solid walls, so add more plants and decorations to prevent that.
- You should leave 40-50% of the bottom area for a water basin/filtered aquatic section.
- More vertical than horizontal space is crucial.
- Ideally, the tank dimensions must be equal to x2 times of your water dragon’s length.
- Always provide sufficient ventilation, to prevent stagnant air, constant high humidity and no fresh air.
Chinese water dragon DIY enclosure ideas
Because it’s hard to find an adult sized enclosure for a Chinese water dragon, you might need to build your own tank or DIY it. Custom built cages for adult Chinese water dragons might cost more than few thousand dollars, and if you cannot afford it, you might need to build or DIY one yourself.
If you don’t particularly know how to build a cage from scratch, you can instead DIY an enclosure for your Chinese water dragon. The idea here is to merge two cages into 1 to make a much bigger and taller tank. You can also convert a cabinet into a cage.
DIY cage idea 1 – Turning a cabinet/wardrobe into a vivarium
If you have a large cabinet or wardrobe that you don’t need, you might convert it into a tank for your Chinese water dragon. The cabinet must be large and tall – 5 feet tall, at least 4 feet long and 3-4 feet deep.
Turning a cabinet into a vivarium will take time and adjustments, but it can be done. But please attempt this if you are good at building/projects. Turning a cabinet into a tank might also be a bit expensive, so think about it before attempting.
The cabinet must be made from safe wood (no pine or other coniferous tree). You might even get a cabinet for cheap from someone who doesn’t need it.
To prepare the cabinet, you must properly seal it to make it withstand high humidity. To seal it, use an oil-based polyurethane, non-toxic marine epoxy or other non-toxic pond or yacht sealant. An example would be this non-toxic Seal Once wood sealer.
Seal everything inside – apply few layers of the product. But even before you seal the tank, you must prepare all the holes for cables and ventilation.
What is more, make sure to seal all sides of the tank with a non-toxic aquarium sealant (silicone) like this. Silicone all the small gaps and seams. Check all the cracks and the pre-drilled holes for shelves, doors – these must also be sealed to prevent bugs from escaping and moisture from building up.
Let it off-gas for at least 2 weeks before you continue.
You must also seal the bottom properly, to avoid leaks as this is where the pond/swimming basin will be. Seal the bottom with pond shield and/or cover with a pond liner like this. You can even create a drainage layer with charcoal inside the liner. Also, you can use a tarp liner that you will need to screw in to the walls to waterproof the bottom.
Then, you would need to remove the front wooden panel and install glass panel which you can screw in (plexiglass is a good option). You can request some glass doors cut to the right size to install to the front on glass runners (and a lock). Burn the hole in the plexiglass before screwing it on the panel to prevent cracking/not aligning.
You also must make sure to create a snug fit between the front doors and that there is a high enough front lip inside the doors.
For the top of the cage, you can cut a small pieces of wood out and install and metal top screen that you will use to rest the lights on. It’s the best idea to install the UVB inside to maximize the exposure. If you make a screen, make sure to screw it in so that your dragon can’t push it out and escape.
Please do not forget about ventilation, which is crucial. The best thing is to cut out the wood and install rectangle or round air vents like this. Install 1-2 on the front bottom, and two on the top back.
You can also install 1 large vent on the right bottom side and another one on top left side (opposite). This way, the air will move from bottom to up and escape from the tank to prevent stagnant air.
To see an example of turning a cabinet into an enclosure, you can watch this video.
DIY cage option 2
The first idea is to get a large Reptibreeze cage like this. It is 18 x 18 x 36 (length x depth x height). You will then put it on top of a glass aquarium, which has the matching depth of 18″.
Then, the length of a glass tank will equal the height of the screen cage, because it will be ‘laid’ on its right or left side. The height of a glass tank doesn’t matter, as it will make the height of a full enclosure (higher the better, however). This will result in a cage that is 36″ L, 18″ D and 36″ H).
DIY cage option 3
If you can, please choose an extra large Reptibreeze cage like this. This cage will be 24 L x 24 D x 48 H. That would then mean that you will need to get a glass tank that is 48″ long and 24″ deep.
An option would be to get a terrarium like this (Carolina custom cage that is 48″ L, 24″ D and 18″ H). This will give you a full enclosure of 48″ L, 24″ D and 18″ + 24″ = 42″ H).
DIY Chinese water dragon cage idea 4
Another thing that you can try is to get a wide and long terrarium (for example 4 feet long and 3 feet wide (48 and 36 inches long). Then, on the right or left corner, you can get a large vertical metal screen cage that you will sit on top of the glass tank. The vertical cage might be 36 or 48 inches long and the same depth as the glass tank.
This combination will create a large with enough floor and climbing space. Both tanks will equal to around 3-4 feet long, 3 feet wide and 4-6 feet high. For this project, you could get a glass tank like this, which is 48 L, 24 D and 18 H. Then for the screen cage, you could use an extra large Reptibreeze like this, which is 24 L, 24 D and 48 H.
During this project, you will need to work with screen tops and make sure that the top cage is stable and properly connected to the bottom cage.
The vertical portion of the tank will be used by your Chinese water dragon for climbing and basking. When your water dragon wants to eat or swim, it can get down and access the glass tank area for swimming, eating and cooling down.
You will also need to use a UVB and basking bulb on the top cage, because your Chinese water dragon will spend most of its time there. On the bottom cage, you will have to think about substrate, food and water bowls, as well as a soaking/bathing area. You can install a pond or just place a large tub for soaking.
For an example of this DIY project, please have a look at this video:
Other DIY enclosure combinations
If you wish to choose other combination of cages, make sure that the height of a metal/mesh screen tank equals the length of a glass tank. The depth of a metal screen tank will have to equal the depth of a glass tank. The length of the metal screen tank and the height of the glass tank will add to the total height of the end enclosure.
Make sure that the top part of the DIY cage is made of metal screen, to ensure proper ventilation. While ideally there should be ventilation holes from the front bottom to top back, a whole upper mesh screen will provide enough ventilation. Always think of ventilation with DIY projects.
It is a good idea to choose a metal screen over mesh, as Chinese water dragons have sharp claws and can tear it apart and escape. There many different options, such as this large Exo Terra screen terrarium.
Step by step instructions to attach Reptibreeze to a glass tank
Step 1
Get all the tanks and assemble if required. Also, prepare all the tools that you will need.
Step 2
On the Reptibreeze or other metal screen type cage you will need to remove one of the sides so that you can later attach it on top of a glass tank. You might be able to remove the side panel by pulling the twine.
If you cannot remove the side panel with other types of cages, you might need to cut the side. However, removing the side panel will give you a choice to put the cage together again in the future if you need to.
It could also be a left side. Right side will be better because the big front door will open downwards rather than upwards (once you lay it down on top of the other cage). That is specifically on Reptibreeze cages, but can be different on other types of mesh/metal screen cages.
Step 3
Once the side of the metal screen cage (such as Reptibreeze) is cut or side panel taken out, you need to lay on top of the glass cage.
This way, the height of the Reptibreeze cage will become the length of the end cage as it will be laid on its side. To attach two cages together, you can use metal brackets.
Step 4
If there is a barrier between the top and bottom cages (top lid of a glass tank), you can make an entrance hole for your Chinese water dragon to enter this aquatic area. On the bottom part, add few inches of substrate to hold humidity and add an aquatic area. This can be a large water basin, cement mixing or bus tub.
It might also be wise to remove any barriers, and instead place large and tall branches to use the whole height of the cage without restrictions. Make sure to use locks on the doors if they are opening easily, to prevent escapes.
Creating a soaking area/pond on the bottom of the cage for a Chinese water dragon
After you build/DIY a cage, you have to think about substrate and many other things. On of the things is a soaking/swimming area for your Chinese water dragon. You must have a soaking area, as Chinese water dragons love soaking, swimming and pooping in water.
When creating a pond/swimming area, always think about preventing water leakage from the tub or pond. Then, you will have to think about heating the water and filtration.
If you wish to create a whole swimming area on the bottom cage or separated area (paludarium), make sure to cover the bottom with waterproof materials. Have a look at this video to see the bottom of the cage covered with a pond liner.
You will need to seal the joints, waterproof the cage and cover the bottom with pond liner/tarp liner like this. You can even create a drainage area with charcoal. Another idea would be to separate the area with plexiglass or lay a large tub to prevent leaks.
Most owners decide to only use a large tub for a swimming area. That’s because while the filters will filter the water, you will still need to change the water in the tank once or twice a week. Some use two filters because Chinese water dragons produce a lot of waste!
So, using a large enough tub will make cleaning much easier. Some ideas for a soaking tub are:
- A restaurant bus tub like this – durable, large and easy to clean
- Cement mixing tub
- Plastic storage bin
- Rubber trough
Make sure that your Chinese water dragon can get out easily from the tub – place something near to help it get out. For a soaking tub, don’t use small aquaria – while the sides of the aquaria are sealed, but constant scratching and moving can still break the seal. Water leakage can cause serious issues in the tank and spill on the floor.
To heat the water in the tub, you can use a submersible water heater like this. Please make sure that water is warm enough, because in cold water, your Chinese water dragon won’t be able to move and might drown! 80-85 F (26-29 C) is optimal water temperature.
Cool water temperatures will cause muscle weakness and your dragon won’t be able to come out. You can also add less water in the tub and add accessories to help it come out. Water can also be heated with lamps in the cage.
What is more, Chinese water dragons love moving water and will swim more if it’s moving. To achieve this, you can should a filter in the swimming area, or even a filter + waterfall feature such as this one. It will help filter the water and create water movement in a waterfall feature. If you decide to create a pond, it’s a good idea to add another water filter.
You can read all about ideal humidity levels and tips on keeping ideal humidity levels in this post.