nilrem

anybody keep them? i am seriously wanting a lizzard or gecko... looking around the web and several forums, it looks like leopard gecko's are the easiest to keep!

where can i get the heat pads, controlled my a thermostat form?

how much am i looking a to setup an aquarim with one in? can get the aquarium for about £30 and the gecko for £50odd from a reputable place...

also anyone know a decent pet store that i can get it all from in the derby/nottingham area?

thanks!

gal_racer666

i have a baby bearded dragon and a crested gecko. they all are quite easy to keep and look after. gecko's dont do much, dragons get quite big and eat carrots and stuff like that.

but it all depends how much you got to spend. if you go to a reptile shop, tell them how much you got and they will sort everything you need for it!!

im on livefood forum and and another. quite handy.

Neil@FastFord

Leopard gecko's rule! Had one for years, top pet!

She popped her clogs recently though, shame.

My mum was gutted as she had been looking after her since i have been down south.

My old queen had a mini-funeral for her too


Gecko's are quality! Golden Gecko's are mad but a total nightmare, i got rid of one of those.

Cawood

get a bearded dragon over a gecko

better pet, easy to look after and you can handle them fine, just let em loose in your living room n they will climb all over you n the room

they're pretty cool

i've just sold both of mine tho

im lazy i couldn't be arsed anymore,

if you dont clean the tank out all the time it smells

n you get bored of them after a few years lol

nilrem

fair enuf! i have just wanted one ever since i was a little kid... and it only recently dawned on me that i could probablyu afford to get one!

how big to bearded dragons get then? i dont really have the room for a large vivarium...

Cawood

about 30/40 cm inc tail

i'd say you want a 4ft in lenth viv for when its fully grown

but you dont have to make a long one if you dont have the room

you could always have it about 3ft n build it up, ie have a different level or lots of climbing stuff for them

or just keep it in a std 3ft x 2ft x2ft but make sure you let it out in your room every other night so it gets some exercise/movement

nilrem

cool! will look into it... was looking at leopard gecko's because i can only really get a 3-4 ft viv in at the moment... prolly gonna be an aquarium to begin with tbh, with one inlet fan at the top and an out let the other side to keep ventilation up???

Cawood

i didn't have fans in my viv, just have 2 air vent's

nilrem

one at the bottom and one at the top?

Cawood

yeah in opposite corners

whosyadaddy

do it m8 you wont regret it they are fantastic pets he gives us hours of fun

nilrem

what kinda lamps do you need? heat lamps? or will a heat pad work? how much we talking about for a set up? plus what substrate do you use? and where can iget it from... the closest pet store that sells exotic stuff is bull sh*t... they are all droopy eyed and look really ill...

whosyadaddy

if your thinking of keeping a beardy the i suggest you use a normal 100w spotlamp bulb during the day with a heatmat at the top or the back of the viv for secondary / nighttime warmth, substrate either calcisand or barkchippins astroturf/ carpet even newspaper i i prefer calcisand it's down to personal preference.

for substrates ect give this place a try i can recommend them as we use the regularly, http://www.cornishcrispa.com/
as for a reliable shop im a rite in thinking you are in derby?

nilrem

yeh... only a stones throw away!

whosyadaddy

you have pm

COMEDY DAN

I have a Mombassa Starburst Tarantula.

I got it for christmas last year, its gorgeous, orange and black with stripes stripes.

I keep it in a 2x2 ft plastic cage with a half cage heat mat and the old girl eats 2 crickets a week, nice and easy.



Goliath Bird Eater coming this christmas.

nilrem

nice... i dont like tarantulas though... dunno why they just give me the creeps... could be to do with seeing "arachniphobia" when i was about 6...

Cawood

neil

this is how my viv was set up

*edit* soz i've only got shit pics on me works PC



i had the the heat matt below the basking lamp on the right side of the tank (the side you see in the pic)

then used the other side of the viv for the 'cool side' which had a water bowl n veg bowl, then had that wood thing just on the edge of the heat matt so they could bask under the heat light

also had the UV light which you can see

the UV light & basking light was on a time so it went off at night to replicate day/night

but left the heat matt on all the time


these are my 2 beardies, gone now

PT

Cawood they look really cool, I wouldnt mind something like that

Comedy Dan fuck that lol I am scared shitless of spiders, let alone ones that look like they could eat my head

nilrem

mint! i love lizards and reptiles! gotta say though... the spiders called a bird eater for a reason... and im guessing ladybirds dont come from where they do!

pa_sjo

Here's my old leopard geckos.. richard & judy....



and my ex's salmon-pink bird-eating tarantula... (now 12" across!)




Reptiles are cool.... but do require a fair amount of attention, especially daily cleaning, fresh water etc... Best to go to a reptile shop and have a chat with them and find out the deal and what ones you like..

GARETH T

i dont agree with that,,, most reptile shops ive been to dont know enough about the reptiles! buy a book and reading the internet is the best option

BTW i gotta a giant green iggy

pa_sjo

I did consider what I said.. and should have added "but avoid any that just seem to be flogging you stuff"... my local reptile shop is VERY good. Of course quality differs. Don't go to 'petsmart' or anywhere!

nilrem

SAQMASTER, where abouts you from then? im on Reptile Forum UK at the moment, and have read some of the posts... but could do with a local shop... as i mentioned above, the closest one has what looks like ill lizards... plus its a bit dodgy as it buys and sells guns/Knifes... so i dont want to get anything from there unless i have to...

Tony Turbo

Can you post some pictures of your Iguana please Gareth?

I got one in October, he is only 16 months old. He's a little scatty and shit himself when I to get him out or even go near his Viv. The little bastard has started giving me open mouth threats already. I got to knock that on the head straight away.

Great lizards though

Fiddy

had my bearded dragon for just over a month

gal_racer666

here's my baby. had him/her bout 2weeks now.

starting to grow now





must admit. they are so much fun.

GARETH T

hows that tony shes a girl,,,and shes so well behaved!

what you feeding yours on? what temps/humidity does it live in?

nilrem

im guessing you dont mean her on the left... sorry i will get my coat...


your iggy looks well cool... i wouldnt have the space for one though, which is well gutting... do they need humidity control?

GARETH T

they do like it very very humid,, but sometimes its hard to get it high enough! i use a humidifer to get it as high as i can

Tony Turbo

At last, a proper lizard on this thread, not like a poxy Breadie

She is stunning mate. And the fact that she is well behaved is a bonus. Does she free roam?

Dutch eats mostly, Kale, Spring Greens, cucumber, pea, sweetcorn, cress etc. He is a fussy eater. He doesn't like any fruit except Banana. he loves chicken but I only give him a tiny amount every couple of weeks.

Some days he doesn't even eat.

His basking temp is 92F during the day and 75F at night, stat controlled. The humidy varies around the Viv. At the basking spot it is hard to keep it over 55%, but down the bottom and in the cooler area it is around 70 - 80%.

I also use a 10.0 and a 2.0 UV. The 10.0 is at the back closest to him and the 2.0 is at the front for natural light.

What do you keep yours at?



I just got a rain machine, it's great for keeping the humidy up.


I can talk about Iggy's all day long.

GARETH T

shes normally locked up but she can roam when someone is home

she has got a 4 foot by 7 foot by 4 foot high viv

temps are about the same as bonnie and the diet, but bonnie LOVES watercrest and i mean love! she eats well everyday aswell

your just going to have to spend loads of time with the iggy! but honestly you wouldnt believe how relaxed bonnie is

jameswrx

I've got a pair of leopard gecko's... boring feckers

I'd love to get rid of them but the mrs. won't have any of it

My favourite is the chinese water dragon (male) think they are awesome characters and look great too. I did buy a baby one but it died