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Vanglow View Profile |
Newbie...need help!
I am an avid Aquarium keeper and have over 400 gallons of tanks running at the present time, but I’ve been wanting to get a reptile for awhile now... and after my 5 yo son came back from kindergarten with a book on lizards, I have to get one now to keep peace in the house..lol after alot of research I think the uro’s are my best bet as I really don’t want to keep crickets in the house. and from what I read the uros seem to be a good starter pet. now for my questions... substrate...has anyone used 3M colorquartz sand? It’s common for fish tanks and is a sand like substrate that is actually Ceramic Coated Crystals...but the same size as a grain of sand...just heavier so it doesn’t get sucked up into filters and powerheads. I have a few 50lb bags left in black that would look awesome but not sure if its safe? Lighting.... the 65g talk I am going to use has a full custom made hood with a total of 200 w of CFL lighting...are there any particular CFL bulbs I should get to replace the 10,000k plant grow bulbs I have in the hood now? I have 4 total cfl bulbs under the hood and one 48" tube setup on three switches (one switch for two cfl’s in the center of hood, one switch for a cfl at either end of hood and one for the 48" that runs the entire width of the hood) help me get what I need for the proper lighting /heat setup please!! this is the tank I am going to convert into my uro’s home...the black sand in there is the colorquarts sand I mentioned earlier.
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| 11/02/09 03:00pm |
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Jbreddawg View Profile |
Message To: Vanglow In reference to Message Id: 2091100 Newbie...need help!
The 65 gallon is borderline too small but should suffice. They need lots of ground space. Common recommended size is 4x2x2 . Your close but i would recommend up sizing in the future. Lights, you will have to have a dedicated reptile UVB bulb. You can use fluorescent or a megaray Mercury vapor bulb . The MV bulbs are the best as you will have to replace the fluorescent every 6 months just like in aquariums . The MV’s are good for a year or more . Temps are majorly important with uro’s They NEED a basking spot of 120-130 , a warm side of 90-100 and a cool side in the low 80’s. Do not use heat rocks or pads. Uro’s get their heat from above. A heat emitter might be needed if the temps drop below 75 at night. Here’s a good caresheet Uro’s should not be handled very much if at all. If your looking for a pet for your 5 yo a bearded dragon would be a much better choice. Uro’s are great lizards but do have very specific requirements to keep them healthy. |
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| 11/02/09 03:37pm |
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Vanglow View Profile |
Message To: Jbreddawg In reference to Message Id: 2091119 Newbie...need help!
My kid REALLY wanted a dragon...and I was close to getting one, but was told they NEED to eat live crickets and other insects...yea...that didn’t go over too well with the wife... the woman puts up with ALOT from me and my hobbies so I can’t push too much further or I’ll be sleeping in the tank with him ;) after talking her into 4 dogs, 5 cats, and fish tanks in almost every room of the house I think she’s near her break point..lol |
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| 11/02/09 03:51pm |
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Jbreddawg View Profile |
Message To: Vanglow In reference to Message Id: 2091129 Newbie...need help!
Dragons are really cool also but do require some insects. As they get older they can have less and less though and more and more veggies but still need some insects for protein. Uro’s get it all from veggies. The 65 will be ok for awhile , get it set up before purchasing the uro. That way you can work on the temps without him in their. I ran a 90 gallon reef tank with a 30 gallon refugium underneath for almost a decade so I know your pain ! Honestly, if you can run fish tanks then uro’s should be a breeze. Just study up plenty in advance . Do yourself a HUGE favor and do not buy a uro from a petstore . Find a reputable breeder . The cost difference is not huge but the health difference is. |
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| 11/02/09 04:02pm |
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Vanglow View Profile |
Message To: Jbreddawg In reference to Message Id: 2091134 Newbie...need help!
I don’t think getting a uro would be fair to the animal as my boys will want to pick him up. I made one MAJOR mistake when I got into fishkeeping... I stated off tropical freshwater and bought a few things my kids picked at the LFS... mollies, platys and swordtails...all Livebearers....MISTAKE!!! I n ow have over 1500 freakin fish with new fry found every freakin day!!! I’m starting to HATE FISH!!!!!! anyone want a few hundred mollies?!?!?!?! lol |
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| 11/02/09 04:13pm |
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Jbreddawg View Profile |
Message To: Vanglow In reference to Message Id: 2091142 Newbie...need help!
I can give you one tip though, dont breed super worms !!! I figured I would breed my own ,oh it would be sooo cool lol !! Well, they started off slow and I didn’t think it was working so I let more worms turn into beetles. Well, next thing you know I have hundreds,maybe thousands of stupid worms !!! They eat more then all my lizards combined !! I was giving them to the local reptile store by the hundreds lol !!! Sub adult or adult is fine, just make sure to have the husbandry very correct. Beardies grow so fast they can get metabolic bone disease VERY easy. They make EXCELLENT first lizards . |
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| 11/02/09 04:26pm |
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Vanglow View Profile |
Message To: Jbreddawg In reference to Message Id: 2091151 Newbie...need help!
this is why I drive a conversion van...it has a BED!!! ;) Getting lots of conflicting answers to the frozen cricket question...after doing some research I think it’ll be ok, as long as I don’t get a baby I did get this response from a lizard breeder though: Q: can I feed an adult bearded dragon frozen crickets on top of the normal greens? A: Yes, they are healthier than most crickets people feed their reptiles without gut-loading because most of the frozen ones are gut-loaded. You might want to put the frozen crickets on a tray and move teh tray to cause motion that will attract the dragon. no idea what that means but I’ll try it I guess!! thanks again for the help...and your cage is awesome BTW..I found pics of your build thread |
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| 11/02/09 05:00pm |
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Jbreddawg View Profile |
Message To: Vanglow In reference to Message Id: 2091162 Newbie...need help!
Moving the tray would be the equivalent of the zombie rat dance we do for our snakes lol We feed frozen/thawed and some of our snakes we have to (pretend) the rats are alive lol |
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| 11/02/09 05:40pm |
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Sahells Mom View Profile |
Message To: Vanglow In reference to Message Id: 2091129 Newbie...need help!
what about a blue tongued skink? They are low maintenance, super sweet and love being held, love to sit on your lap in a blanket, etc. They eat greens and really good cat food (like Wellness or Merrick). They are a bit "snakey" looking, but super sweet reptiles. Really great for a young kid. Check them out. We have enjoyed ours immensely. And it is a lizard they can take out and play with, take outside and let in the grass (he has short legs and can’t run too fast!! A uro will disappear in about 1/4 second!). |
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| 11/02/09 09:53pm |
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Mauis Mom View Profile |
Message To: Sahells Mom In reference to Message Id: 2091288 Newbie...need help!
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| 11/03/09 07:45am |
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Obi Carl Kenobi View Profile |
Message To: Mauis Mom In reference to Message Id: 2091382 Newbie...need help!
Quote: I now have crickets in my cupboard, worms in my fridge and rats in my freezer, what more could I ask for, lol.
LOL im in a very similar situation, but im now made to keep everything in my "reptile house" upstairs as my girlfriend dosent like locust at all |
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| 11/03/09 09:21am |
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Vanglow View Profile |
Message To: Obi Carl Kenobi In reference to Message Id: 2091418 Newbie...need help!
she helped me skin and salt a deer hide last buck season but the thought of an insect in the house almost made her puke...oh well...I tried. as for the skinks...I looked at them but they are wayyyy too snakey looking and, no offence to anyone here, but I hate snakes! I got bit by a big sucker when I was a child my stupid friends father had it in a cage with no lock on the top and we were alone and about 12 years old... I ran home two blocks dragging that 4 foot long slimy basterd still locked onto my armpit...my dad shot it and it loosened its grip...then he shot it 5 more times. Since then I’m terrified of anything snake looking. |
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| 11/03/09 10:10am |
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Mauis Mom View Profile |
Message To: Vanglow In reference to Message Id: 2091431 Newbie...need help!
Im not fond of the crickets either, I let my hubby do that task. I should have stated, crickets are for the chameleon, geckos, beardies and tarantula, worms- geckos, rats and chicks are for the monitor. Five of the 10 herps we have are my sons, all but my 3 uros eat animal protein.... The tarantula is a new addition, "spiderman" belongs to my 3 yr old grand daughter, she squealed with delight when her daddy let her pick it out for halloween. As they were walking through the store to pay for her purchase she kept telling everyone and anyone to look in the box at her spider, I thought one woman was going to have a heart attack. ---- the things we parents will put up for our kids is unreal. I hope your wife reconsiders... |
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| 11/03/09 11:19am |
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Obi Carl Kenobi View Profile |
Message To: Mauis Mom In reference to Message Id: 2091445 Newbie...need help!
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| 11/03/09 01:33pm |
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Mauis Mom View Profile |
Message To: Obi Carl Kenobi In reference to Message Id: 2091494 Newbie...need help!
She woke daddy at 4 am on sunday to let him know that "spider" was drinking from his bowl, she was estatic, daddy not so much, lol. **sorry for going off topic** |
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| 11/03/09 03:05pm |
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Obi Carl Kenobi View Profile |
Message To: Mauis Mom In reference to Message Id: 2091529 Newbie...need help!
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| 11/03/09 05:04pm |
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Deenosmom View Profile |
Message To: Obi Carl Kenobi In reference to Message Id: 2091569 Newbie...need help!
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| 11/11/09 07:52pm |
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Skullkeeper View Profile |
Message To: Mauis Mom In reference to Message Id: 2091529 Newbie...need help!
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| 11/18/09 09:24pm |
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