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Bri1993   JackAsp   Bri1993   Bri1993  
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 #2092007


Bri1993
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 Which Lizard?

Hi i have been wanting a lizard for a while now and have been doing reasearch and stuff. i have narrowed it down to 2 lizards: a Chinease water dragon or a bearded dragon.
This would be my first lizard so i just wanted to get your opinion on which would be best.
I am 16 years old and i am a full time student. I am home for about an hour or two after school and then i go out. I am usually home between 8:30 and 10:00. Normally i am in bed between 11 and 12. I would like a lizard that can be handled that would just sit on my shoulder or lap or something while i do my homework.
Right now i have a 55 galleon tank and about $150 to spend on supplies.
Again i am only asking your opinion on which one you think is best i am not here to be lectured.
11/04/09  05:17pm

 #2092079


JackAsp
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   Message To: Bri1993   In reference to Message Id: 2092007


 Which Lizard?

Both will probably outgrow the tank. 55s are built to look huge from the front, for displaying large schools of small fish. But to the animal inside them, they’re only thirteen inches wide. Water dragons get over two feet long and are very, very active. Even beardies can hit two feet. 55s are proportioned well for housing a pair or trio of one-foot arboreal lizards, but not an individual larger lizard.

A female bearded dragon comes closest to what you’re after, but I would say hock the 55 and get something wider. A used 75 would be great, but if you can’t manage that then believe it or not even a 40 breeder is better than a 55. 4.5 square feet of floor space instead of 4 square feet. Eighteen inches of turnaround space. It’s still three feet long and 18 inches high, so all three dimesnsions are suitable for her to live in comfortably. I know, it seems like you’re somehow screwing the animal out of 15 gallons, but it just doesn’t work out that way. Even brand-new, 40s are often less than a hundred bucks, with sliding screen included. The trade-in value on the 55 would be enough to get the tank set up very, very nicely.

Also, beardies are usually a better "sit still on the shoulder" lizard than water dragons. Less prone to jump and wander and run.

As far as the scheduling issues go, a light timer will take a lot of the pressure off you. As long as you’re there in the morning for food and water, you can occasionally miss the animal’s "curfew" and its sleep cycle will not be interrupted by you wanting to do human stuff that evening.
11/04/09  08:04pm

 #2092112


Bri1993
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   Message To: JackAsp   In reference to Message Id: 2092079


 Which Lizard?

thanks for all the info, and i was just planing on starting in the 55 galleon untill i have enough money to either build or buy a bigger one.
11/04/09  09:49pm

 #2092962


Bri1993
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   Message To: Bri1993   In reference to Message Id: 2092112


 Which Lizard?

anyone else?
11/07/09  11:09am


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