EXO terra

[Angelwolf]

Screen wasn't enough to keep debris from clogging the pump, even fine mesh. I wound up using fabric. It's the same type that you would use in a garden to prevent weeds, but I'm not sure what it's called. A reservoir cleaning system is a great idea, but the volume of water in the tank that the pump actually removes is smaller than you would think because so much is absorbed into the soil, it works like a wick. I ran the tank planted and populated with cleaning crew for a month changing the water a few times a week hoping that the reason that the water wasn't staying clear was just the color leaching from to coco fiber layer and eventually it would be rinsed out but it never did. I can put clean water in right now, and by morning it's yellow. Keeping up with it is a chore, I'm considering removing it after months of building and tweaking. The strange thing is that I have a 55 long viv with a waterfall and several inch deep pond and I can keep the water in it crystal clear with the same substrate and cleaners. I think that the waterfall is basically rinsing the dirt constantly because of the circular nature of the cycle. This is the 55-
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What do you house in there??

 

[ZacharyLeesWife]

What do you house in there??

I have one very lovely red eye tree frog. He seems very happy so far but he just came home on Saturday, so he's still being watched pretty closely.

 

[Angelwolf]

In that ginormous 55 tank?! Can I come move in, too?

 

[ZacharyLeesWife]

In that ginormous 55 tank?! Can I come move in, too?

He's a test froggie, lol. That sounds terrible to say out loud... I should clarify that I have a tank to move him to should he not thrive. But if he thrives, we plan to get a few more. And possibly a red eyed crocodile skink. I keep telling my husband that multiple species tanks are evil based on my research but he won't listen. You are welcome to live with the frog, there's plenty of space! If the humidity gets to you, I have a spare room...

 

[Angelwolf]

He's a test froggie, lol. That sounds terrible to say out loud... I should clarify that I have a tank to move him to should he not thrive. But if he thrives, we plan to get a few more. And possibly a red eyed crocodile skink. I keep telling my husband that multiple species tanks are evil based on my research but he won't listen. You are welcome to live with the frog, there's plenty of space! If the humidity gets to you, I have a spare room...

Deal! *Packs bags and books a flight*

 

[ZacharyLeesWife]

Deal! *Packs bags and books a flight*

You'd better be bringing that pretty boy!

 

[Angelwolf]

Lol! Ok. He likes to chill on my head, so the airline would never notice!

 

[ZacharyLeesWife]

Lol! Ok. He likes to chill on my head, so the airline would never notice!

My scaley son loves my head... I built him a lizard perch on my headboard so we could still watch Netflix together without me having to extract his spock feet from my hair constantly and that seems to have worked. When I went out of town me and my husband brainstormed for days about how to smuggle the lizards! Did you know that no commercial airline allows reptiles in the cabin? It's discrimination. We should form a class action suit.

 

[Angelwolf]

Ya we should!

 

[Decadancin]

He likes to chill on my head, so the airline would never notice!

Now that would be funny to watch through airport security...

 

[ZacharyLeesWife]

@RcManChild this is 72 hours old, there's no smell or anything but I still don't want my lizards drinking it. It could possibly still be tannins from the coco fiber still but this is after 5+ weeks. My crested is tiny, I can't imagine this being manageable with the bioload of a panther.

 

[Chris Anderson]

I think the cage size is too small for a panther

36 wide x 18 deep x 36 tall??? isnt big enough for a panther?

No it should be 24x24x48

Why do you say that?

It's in the caresheets.

There really is nothing definitive to suggest that male panther chameleons *need* a 4ft tall enclosure, or specifically a 24"x24"x48" enclosure. That has become the standard, but that is only because it is a standard size for screen enclosures, not because there is anything magic about that height or those dimensions. The 36"x18"x36" Exo Terra is very similar to the size, internal space wise, of the standard 2'x2'x4' screen enclosures (as @RcManChild showed), and should be quite adequate as long as the husbandry is correct. I would not recommend a fountain though.

Chris

 

[OpTu]

Can somebody help me? I need to know what kind of lighting is needed for a red-eyed croc skink. Some forum said that uvb is'nt needed while some says that it is.

 

[Goose502]

Can somebody help me? I need to know what kind of lighting is needed for a red-eyed croc skink. Some forum said that uvb is'nt needed while some says that it is.

UVB is always needed. Those who say it isn't are misinformed. Just because the animal can survive without it, doesn't mean it shouldn't have it. All reptiles require UVB (some less than others) to properly digest and convert many vitamins and minerals properly. Your caging goals should always be to replicate their natural environment as best you can. As far as red-eyed croc skinks, not sure of their requirments, you are in a chameleon forum.

 

[RcManChild]

I am going to setup and run for a week before and animal gets anywhere close to this tank so we shall see.. I will be posting videos on how I built it...
If worst comes to worst I will be just shutting off the waterfall pump

 

[Goose502]

Also, I recommend at least 3 months of grow out and run time. Sounds like overkill, but it would be a huge pain to relocate a new animal while you try to remedy any issues with filtration, pump, flora, etc. Basically a good systems check.

 

[ZacharyLeesWife]

I recently decided to pull the water feature from the cage because even with constant water changes, I couldn't keep up with water. The tubing was so full of black mold. The tank ran fine, aside from the cloudy water but please reconsider putting the cham in with a waterfall. I have to do a ground up rebuild for it to be safe for even the tiny little Crested gecko.

 

[RcManChild]

Were you using a micron filter sock or a UV sterilizer to remove and kill bacteria?

 

[ZacharyLeesWife]

No, I tried to run a pretty straight bio filter and it seems to be holding up the plants and substrate well. But the pump and tubing turns into a mold fest. I am replacing the water feature with a fully planted tank,the plants are thriving.

 

[RcManChild]

the pump should not turn into a mold fest with what i'm trying to do... the tubing may... I will keep an eye on it