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 #1840063


Ladypicies
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 A little about me and my Uro...

Hello..my name is Desirea..I have a mali uromastyx named Cyrax. I’ve had him for about 6 months or so now, and though I was given great advice on the other forum I’m a part of they are more about snakes then lizards (I currently have 4 corn snakes as well)..So I joined here to hopefully learn even more about Uros...Here’s a little info about Cyrax...

I’m guessing he must be about 7 months old or so...but he’s still very small. He lives in a 20L tank (by Critter Cage) with millet as bedding. He has one large basking stone the elevates him closer to the light so he can get good light..The light I have for him is this large mercury vapor llight that is on a daylight timer..it turns on at around 8am and off around 9pm..So he gets plenty of light time..Also in his tank on the cool side is a small cave he can hide in along with some fake cactus decor and a food and tiny water bowl..

The food I usually feed him is the "Spring Mix" salad bags that you get at any pathmark..I know it has lettuce, raddichio (spelling?) and Escarole in it..On occasion I was giving him like 2 circkets every other week but now I hear that’s bad so I’m going to stop that..I was also told that I could use juvenile bearded dragon fruit pellets as a substitute food..but he doesn’t eat it really unless I sprinkle it over his greens..which I’ve stopped doing cause it said to not add vitamin powder with the pellets and I do dust his greens with a vitamin/calcium suppliement...I also got these Uromastyx pellets (which are huge!!) that I literally have to smash into a powder and put over his food..I stopped doing that cause he never even really touched it..but if you guys think it’s good then I could keep doing so..my only issue is that everytime I buy him the veggie bag from the market..over half the bag spoils before he manages to finish it...I might just have to start eatting some of the salad just so it doesn’t go to waste..

My only concern is that I do have a thermometer with 2 probes so it can measure the temp on the warm end and cool end..the warm end used to get very warm like 110 or so..but as of late it’s only been going up to 98 or so..but I don’t want to lower the light and raise the heat because the probe is on the rock flat surface, but Cyrax climbs the tip of it to get even closer to the light so I’m sure it must be much warmer where he goes and I don’t want him going there and me lowering the light would make it wayyy to hot for him..also another concern of mine is he just doesn’t seem to be growing at all...I mean I have noticed a slight color change and maybe a tiny bit of growth..but he’s still pretty small...Is this normal? Maybe I’m just used to the quick growth due to my snakes growing so fast :0)

A little bit about his past: I got him for free at a reptile show cause he was very small, boney, and seemed to have an injured leg so the guy just gave him to me..Since then he has grown a little, his leg is fully recovered and he is definitely not boney anymore :0)

I was glad I could save him but now I would like to know exactly what I need to do to make sure he gets the best life he can..Oh and the night temps never really go lower then 74...
08/23/08  02:18am

 #1840108


Morgs71
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   Message To: Ladypicies   In reference to Message Id: 1840063


 A little about me and my Uro...

hey and welcome,i dunno wot the dimensions are of a 20L but even when babies they need a big tank. if it not all ready get him into a cage measuring 48x24x20(lxdxh) thts a minimum. also raise the baskin temp upto 120-135. lettuce isnt good for them, contains no nutrients and can cause diarrhea, i found. i cant be 100% sure but i think i read sumwhere radicchio is bad for them???? double check it. yeah crickets are bad, to much protein, can lead to kidney failure. dunno bout pellets (both of them)??? uro’s dont grow particularly fast. they dnt fully grow till about 3 5 years old. if he smaller than 7" he needs to be on paper towels or newspaper, if he over tht then millet or washed playsand is good.


Ryan



08/23/08  05:06am

 #1840123


Skullkeeper
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   Message To: Ladypicies   In reference to Message Id: 1840063


 A little about me and my Uro...

Welcome Don’t take this wrong but you are going to end up cooking your Uro alive with a Mercury Vapor Bulb in a 20 gallon tank. You need a much larger tank asap. You can buy a large Rubbermaid tub very cheep to use as a temporary enclosure until you can get a larger tank . You can not get a temp. gradient in that small of an enclosure .

If he is not 7 inches or longer he should be on paper towels so that there is less chance that he gets impacted .

The best thing you can do is get a larger enclosure right away .
08/23/08  07:48am

 #1840264


RodanThunderLizard
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   Message To: Skullkeeper   In reference to Message Id: 1840123


 A little about me and my Uro...

Cyrax is very lucky you came along! You’ve probably already done this, but look through past posts & you’ll get more information than you knew you needed! Occassionally things on this forum get a smidge tense ;-), but it is just out of concern for our uro friends. They have certainly helped me and Rodan get on the right track!
08/23/08  12:09pm

 #1841121


Rtl402
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   Message To: RodanThunderLizard   In reference to Message Id: 1840264


 A little about me and my Uro...

also, Uro’s need very low humidity, and dont drink water unless severely dehydrated. Taking out the water dish will definitely help, plus if he was to spill water on the millet it can mold, which you definitely dont want to happen.
08/24/08  11:55am

 #1841207


Ladypicies
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   Message To: Rtl402   In reference to Message Id: 1841121


 A little about me and my Uro...

Well thank you for the welcome everyone :0) Even though from what you guys have been telling me it sounds like I’ve been doing a lot of mistakes for Cyrax..I haven’t meant to..it’s just what I was provided with..I mean a member from the cornsnakes forum (that I never even met or knew) when she heard that I had brought the uro home and didn’t really have much for it except a small dinky uva light and a 10 gallon tank, she went out and ordered all the stuff I currently have for him..including those special pellets and the vitamin suppliments..the only thing I needed to get was the rocks and stuff in the tank..I’m very thankful to her..

Someone said that you can’t really get a good temp gradiant in a 20L..I kind of disagree..He’s been in this tank for at least about 5 or 6 months now and the cool side is always in the 80’s and the warm side is always in the high 90’s to 100’s..so there is a reasonable gradient..Now about his food..I guess I won’t buy him the spring mix bags anymore and I’ll try and start getting the veggies he needs..which I’m going to start a small list of what is good for him and what’s not..Also I’m getting mixed info that I’m suppsed to soak him like every 2 weeks so he gets the water he needs..but then I get told that he gets the water he needs from the veggies he eats (plus I squirt his veggies with some water beforehand to make sure he gets hydrated)..am I okay in doing this or do I really need to soak him?

Well for now he seems to be doing okay..though I am going to change his food to the things he needs..but as far as his tank and substrate goes..I’m not really seeing any problems right now so I’m going to try and save up to make the changes he needs..I do thank everyone for their advice and will keep everyone updated on how he does :0)
08/24/08  02:19pm

 #1841220


Rtl402
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   Message To: Ladypicies   In reference to Message Id: 1841207


 A little about me and my Uro...

soaking is not a good idea either, because if any moisture gets left in the tail whorls they can cause rot, which is bad. All the water they need they will get from the proper veggies (endive, escarole, chickory, etc)
The temp gradient is not possible in a 20L. As much as it seems to be correct, the key term is ’gradient’
They need a big enough area in which the temps range from approx. 95-100F down to around 85F. Keep in mind the area in which these temps exist need to be as big if not larger then the Uro is itself. They need to be able to regulate their entire body temperature, not just the 1 corner of the tank thats 85 so they can breathe some cooler air. The ’gradient’ is why such a large enclosure is necessary.

Hope that clarifies things a bit :)

Also, check online for sites that sell large enclosure that are not fish tanks (fish tanks are MUCH more expensive to buy in the stores) or check on craigslist in you rarea for people selling large tanks for cheap. You may even find something like a 75g (48"x18"x18") for a reasonable price, at that will be much better size then the 20L is.
08/24/08  02:39pm

 #1841221


Jbreddawg
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   Message To: Ladypicies   In reference to Message Id: 1841207


 A little about me and my Uro...

Quote:

Someone said that you can’t really get a good temp gradiant in a 20L..I kind of disagree..He’s been in this tank for at least about 5 or 6 months now and the cool side is always in the 80’s and the warm side is always in the high 90’s to 100’s..so there is a reasonable gradient..



The basking spot needs to be in the 120-130 range for them to properly digest their food. Uros will die a very slow death with improper temps. Just because you dont think he’s having problems does not mean he’s not. There is NO way to get the CORRECT temps in a 20 gallon. If you get basking spot up to where it SHOULD be the rest of the tank will be WAY too hot.

And please dont soak him .. I dont really know where that info comes from but desert lizards do not need to be soaked. And in fact can very easily aspirate water . Soaking can be VERY dangerous .
08/24/08  02:40pm

 #1841240


Skullkeeper
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   Message To: Ladypicies   In reference to Message Id: 1841207


 A little about me and my Uro...

Do not believe every thing you hear . You will find most everyone here especially the breeders will agree that you should not soak your Uro . He will get all the water he needs from his veggies . Just rinse them under cold water , shake the excess off and feed .I would not squirt them with water . You do not need to saturate them. You also do not want the humidity level to go to high. Soaking him on a regular basis is a very bad idea . It can cause respiratory infections , he could aspirate , it could cause tail rot and at the very least it causes undue stress on him .
You can not get a good temp. gradient in a 20 long aquarium . Not for a Uro. You need to have a basking area of 120-130* , and ambient (air ) temp of 1008 and a cool end of 80* . He needs to be able to move from one temp to the other gradually . They also need a lot of floor space .

He may survive in this tank for awhile but I guarantee you he will develop health problems , stop eating and could eventually die . You can disregard this advice even after other members tell you the same thing but like many other people that have done the same thing you will end up with a sick and dying Uro. Then it maybe to late .
08/24/08  03:17pm

 #1841242


Skullkeeper
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   Message To: Skullkeeper   In reference to Message Id: 1841240


 A little about me and my Uro...

So far I count 4 people telling you you need a much larger cage asap.
08/24/08  03:20pm

 #1841552


Ladypicies
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   Message To: Skullkeeper   In reference to Message Id: 1841242


 A little about me and my Uro...

Okay I have sent out a few messages on craigslist for a 55 gallon tank..I’m hoping that will hold me over for the time being. I hope someone responds soon. Thank you for your help..I’m sorry if I’ve sounded stubborn it’s just very hard for me financially to just get up and buy a large tank for my lizard on such a quick notice..I was told this 20L would last him a year or so..now I’m being told that I shouldn’t have gotten it in the first place. But I guess in the long run it’s not so bad..Since Cyrax would be put in a bigger tank, I would put one of my young snakes in the 20L..she has been outgrowing her enclosure pretty fast..so in the long run this could turn out to be a good thing. Well I will keep everyone updated on how things go..and I will try and get pics of Cyrax up soon..so that you guys can see him :0)
08/24/08  09:10pm

 #1841828


Skullkeeper
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   Message To: Ladypicies   In reference to Message Id: 1841552


 A little about me and my Uro...

We all understand . I can not count the number of people that have bought a Uro with the pet store telling them a 10 or 20 gallon aquarium is okay . Most are out to get your money and do not know the first thing about how to care for a Uro. I am on a set income and I know it can be frustrating and difficult to get every thing set up properly .I had to save for 6 months to have enough money for my set up. But once you do there will not be much expense . Plus look at this way, you will be saving money in the long run , not having to pay costly vet bills or losing your Uro. You might call the local pet shops . Many times they have tanks that will not hold water that they sell cheep. They wont tell you unless you ask because they would like to have you buy a more expensive new tank. I got a 48"x24"x24" tank for $48.Then I had to pay someone to carry it up two flights of steps . Just make sure you disinfect any used tank .Try to get one that size so you don’t have to buy another one . I do not know the measurements of a 55 gallon. Since gallons could mean a higher tank it really does not tell me if it is large enough .



08/25/08  07:39am

 #1841863


Rtl402
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   Message To: Skullkeeper   In reference to Message Id: 1841828


 A little about me and my Uro...

55gallon is ususally 48"x13"x18" (lxwxh). Its better to find a 75 gallon (48x18x18) for the larger footprint, but at least temps will be more stable and safer for the Uro then the 20L :)

you should be able to find something on craigslist... while tanks turn over really fast here in NY, there are new ones posted like every day or every other day, so I’m sure you will find something really soon.
08/25/08  08:59am

 #1842263


Jbreddawg
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   Message To: Skullkeeper   In reference to Message Id: 1841828


 A little about me and my Uro...

Quote:

I can not count the number of people that have bought a Uro with the pet store telling them a 10 or 20 gallon aquarium is okay .



I agree !!
I think it comes down to this.
Petstore says , here, we will sell you this really cute lizard for 50 bucks and this great enclosure "20L "for another 30 and lights and everything you will need for less then a hundred bucks ! He will be fine for a year or more in this tank !! He’s so tiny it will be plenty of room . And this night bulb will keep him nice and warm .
Or. ....
Here , we will sell you this really cute lizard for 50 bucks and you MUST have this 350.00 tank and 150.00 lights if you want him to be healthy and thrive ., so I can completely set you up for a tad under 600.00 !!
We obviously know which one sells better .

I really wish people coming on here would realize petstores are just out to sell !
08/25/08  05:30pm

 #1842606


Ladypicies
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   Message To: Jbreddawg   In reference to Message Id: 1842263


 A little about me and my Uro...

Trust me I don’t listen to pet stores anymore at all ever since I got my first corn and when I joined the cornsnake forum I was quickly corrected and told that I had bought nearly all the wrong things..but in the case of my uro..everything that I’m using now that was sent to me was sent by a friend who said that a uromastyx breeder helped her choose these things for me..so the breeder was the one that suggested the 20L..Though I don’t have a problem getting a bigger tank I just wish I would have been told in the beginning that the 20L wasn’t enough.. :0(
08/25/08  09:45pm

 #1842639


Jbreddawg
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   Message To: Ladypicies   In reference to Message Id: 1842606


 A little about me and my Uro...

Quote:

so the breeder was the one that suggested the 20L



I wouldnt trust that breeder as far as I could throw him lol !!
08/25/08  10:14pm

 #1843800


Ladypicies
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   Message To: Jbreddawg   In reference to Message Id: 1842639


 A little about me and my Uro...

Great news everyone!! In my journey to find a bigger tank for Cyrax..I have come along a steal!!! I’m getting a 75 gallon for Cyrax and in the process I’m also getting a 45 Kritter Kage...which I’m going to either move my largest corn into and then move my smaller corns into Striker’s previous cage..or I might just get another lizard like a beardie or something..lol...Not sure yet..but the good thing is I’m getting a really really nice big tank for my Uro! :0) Now..I have the large dome light with the mercury vapor bulb..I know that’s going to be set up on the 75 gallon..but what other lights do I need or how would I go about making sure the whole tank stays at a good temperature??

Also here is link to a pic of Cyrax and a pic of his current tank..

Pic of Cyrax

Cyrax current tank
08/27/08  01:30am

 #1844020


Gnuby
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   Message To: Ladypicies   In reference to Message Id: 1843800


 A little about me and my Uro...

Yay on the 75g!! That should be a LOT better. Along with my 100w Mega Ray MVB, I have to use another 150w ’reptile basking light’ to get my basking spot hot enough. Sometimes that makes the ambient a little high when we have a heat wave, so I will switch it out with a 100w ’reptile basking light’. Plus, it is always good to have a spare on hand. But, you’re going to have to fiddle with different light combinations, your home’s room temperature, substrate, basking surface, and other factors will contribute to how well your tank heats and holds heat. I’d suggest picking up or ordering a few different wattage bulbs, or using some extras from the other critters you have. We have a whole box of different wattage and types of bulbs since we have so many critters. One time my soon to be mother-in-law ’borrowed’ a light bulb from there for her desk lamp, not knowing, and I wondered why I couldn’t find one of our exo-terra sun glow bulbs...



08/27/08  11:11am

 #1844246


Ladypicies
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   Message To: Gnuby   In reference to Message Id: 1844020


 A little about me and my Uro...

Also today I went food shopping and got some more better foods for Cyrax..so now he is chomping down on Endive, Collard greens, yellow squash, and for today a small treat of strawberries :0)

Hope I’m doing better with these choices for foods...
08/27/08  03:48pm

 #1844275


Skullkeeper
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   Message To: Ladypicies   In reference to Message Id: 1844246


 A little about me and my Uro...

That’s great news !He looks good . Very sweet face. You will have to try out different bulbs . I use 4 lights in my enclosure . A 65 heat light, a 10.0 UVB light , a 25 watt household bulb and during the winter another 6o watt household bulb. It will depend on your room temp and cage . It will take up to two hours for the cage to full heat up so keep a close eye on it till you get it regulated . some people cover a portion of the top screen to help hold in the heat . Just watch that any heat light is not to close to the plastic side , it will melt it .
08/27/08  04:12pm

 #1847445


Ladypicies
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   Message To: Skullkeeper   In reference to Message Id: 1844275


 A little about me and my Uro...

Alright in preparation for his new tank (I’m just waiting for the person to call me on a day that is okay for them to meet up with me so I can pick up the tank)..I managed to go to Toys R Us and bought a 50 pound bag of playsand..I heard that washed playsand is okay to use as a substrate..I’m not sure if the sand I bought is already washed though..so how would I go about washing a 50 pound bag of play sand? I bought it only for 6.99 since it’s autumn they had pulled it off the shelves already and basiclly were just going to keep it in the back until next srping..lol...So I got a pretty good deal...

Also Cyrax loves his new diet of food..He loves Squash (more then I do..I tried it for the first time and have to admit I’m not big on the taste..lol)..But I’m glad I’m doing this turn around for him.. :0)
08/30/08  10:41pm

 #1849275


Ladypicies
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   Message To: Ladypicies   In reference to Message Id: 1847445


 A little about me and my Uro...

Can anyone offer any advice on my last question?
09/02/08  02:19am

 #1849283


Gnuby
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   Message To: Ladypicies   In reference to Message Id: 1849275


 A little about me and my Uro...

The play sand washing? The bag should say it somewhere on it, it should be washed already. I haven’t gotten the toys-r-us brand in a while, I like to sift the play sand anyway because some brands have large pebbles that may look appetizing to a uro. I have a metal strainer from the dollar store kitchen section and I sit there and scoop a cupful into the sifter and sift the sand right into the tank. Mind you, it is time consuming, and can get a bit dusty. You should probably also move your uro into a shoebox or something to protect him from the dust while you’re sifting. I only use about a half a bag, so we have a plastic storage bin to hold the rest until the next big change.
09/02/08  02:30am

 #1849301


Ladypicies
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   Message To: Gnuby   In reference to Message Id: 1849283


 A little about me and my Uro...

Thank you :0) I thought I was gonna have to make my tub all muddy and wash the sand..lol...I don’t mind sifting it..I’m gonna take a look at it first though..if it appears soft enough then it should be okay without sifting but that you for letting me know to check for it :0)
09/02/08  03:13am

 #1849487


Buru-beri
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   Message To: Ladypicies   In reference to Message Id: 1849301


 A little about me and my Uro...

I’ve actually tried baking sand at approximately 400 in the oven for 20 minutes and that worked out pretty well. Especially if you end up with a bag that is moist. You end up drying it completely and killing any bacteria that may have formed through the hydration.



09/02/08  01:22pm


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