hopefully getting a 4ft tank w/stand, what to put in it etc.

[SLACkra]

hi all, getting a reptile has sortof become easier. some ones selling a 4fter and i am thinking of getting either a bluey or a shingleback(their so cool).

got some questions about the shinglebacks:

1. in the care sheet it says to clean up their poo. my question is do they pee, as they are a desert dweller my guess is no. am i right?

2. I would really love to have red sand as the substrate, it just looks cool. is it hard to get and is it expensive? what other sutiable substrates are there, i don't really want kitty litter.

3. it says that shinglebacks can eat dog food are we talking hard or soft? would a bit of iams be ok now and then along with: fruits veggies and the ocational flower(to my moms horror ). what flowers are sutiable?

4. what level of UV and UVB light will it need how many watts do you recomend. i have a 4-6month old 18" 15watt repti-glow 8.0 is that sutiable?

5. what about heating. it says basking light but then i was thinking about having one end of the tank have a heating pad under the sand so if it gets cold it can snuggle up in the warm sand. or is a heat lamp preferable?

6. wasn't thinking of too much decorations. i was thinking of building some pvc caves( buy a 12" section of 8-10" diameter pvc, cut it in half, paint on some silicone(clear) then roll in red sand, let it sit) anything i should put in there to make it seem to the shingle that its living in a castle?

7. what level of license do i need for shinglebacks

8. how much are baby shingle backs?

9. other than removing thier waste is there any regular cleaning i should do?

cheers

sorry for the long post!

andrew

 

[Dicco]

1. They do pee, but it will soak into the substrate, that's one of the resons for full substrate cleaning/disposal.

2. Red sand is readily available, but the proper stuff is pricey,you could also use leaf litter, news paper, or ordinary sand(washed but dry).

3. You can give them both dry and moist stuff, but I personally don't reccommend it as a staple diet, feed them more fruit & veg than meat, and dandilion flowers are a good food flower(those yellow flowered weeds that come up in your lawn)

4. Once UV bulbs are 6 months old their pretty much useless as they run out of suitable UV levels. I reccomend you go that bit extra and get and Oz Brite heat and UV light.

5. As reccomended above, get an Oz Brite, they will also warm up the sand underneath, and heat pads only provide heat from underneath, and IMO heat from above is better, but you could always provide both.

6. As long as you give him places to hide he shouldn't be fussed about the look of the enclosure, appearence is up to you.

7. The basic licence for your state is all that is needed, they're an easy to keep animal.

8. They usually cost bout $100, sometimes more, sometimes less, be in for a surprise, newborns are massive! And I mean it, they're born one third the size of an adult.

9. The amount of cleaning depends on the size of the enclosure and the number of animals, but generally you shouls spot clean, and do a big clean every week or two.

Good luck with your future herping mate.

 

[SLACkra]

i think i will go with a very shallow amount of red sand(less to clean) maybe only 1/4 of an inch. so once or twice a week remove all the substrate and wash it with some water? what should i do with the reptile while cleaning and while the sand dries(box, free run?). if i was only to keep 1 of them in the 4fter could i clean 1/2 the tanks gravel once every 2 weeks along with removing his waste when it happens.

will i need a lid to the tank? or open top?

also where do i go to get a licence, i read some where in nsw you can print off the application sheet and just send it in with the cheque is there such a thing for victoria? was reading through some of the rules about keeping reptiles a while ago, lost the link though. said you need to keep a documentation of the animal. where you got it from and when, when it sheds, when it dies, weight length ect. what do you record?

also where do you recomend i purchase everything and the reptile? the only rept shop i know of is the reptile shop near bundoora. on one of the main roads with trams running by it.

cheers

andrew

 

[trader]

so once or twice a week remove all the substrate and wash it with some water? what should i do with the reptile while cleaning and while the sand dries

Hi SLACkra, I believe what Dicco meant by 'or ordinary sand(washed but dry).' is you buy washed sand, available at Bunnings... :wink:

I could be wrong, but you really only need to scoop out the poop, and not wash the sand, but maybe change it every few months or so??

Buying from a breeder is usually cheaper than a pet shop and there are reptile supplies available on line through different 'Herpy' suppliers. Two of which are sponsors of this site See the top of this page

I know this has not answered all your questions, have you read any books on the reptile you wish to own and their care?

Cheers, your fellow Canadian Judy (aka HerpTrader)

 

[ether]

Keep the humidity down as much as possible, between like 30-40%. If humidity it too high then they will develop respitory infections.

To keep it down do not put a water bowl in there. Give them water once a week for only a few mins. They get most of there mositure from there food. Don't leave un eaten food in the enclosure and clean up there crap as soon as you find it.

This should keep the humidity down.

 

[SLACkra]

but maybe change it every few months or so??

and buy new sand? can't i just wash it? also i want to get the red desert sand looks cool.

Keep the humidity down as much as possible, between like 30-40%. If humidity it too high then they will develop respitory infections.

would it be advisable to have a hydrometer? Also being in melbourne we have a bit of rain now and then, so the humidity probably gets over that. are there any issues to do with taking them out of the tank when the humidity is higher than 40%?

I know this has not answered all your questions, have you read any books on the reptile you wish to own and their care?

i have read a couple care sheets because i don't even know if i have got the tank yet and if i haven't i won't go ahead with getting a retpile just yet. will probably see if the local librarie has any good books if i get the tank.

andrew

 

[instar]

Short peroids of higher humidity dont pose a problem, like when takin them out, but in the longer term its tank should be quite dry. ventilation heating for a shingle in a fish tank might be tricky, pegboard top perhaps?
Timbre enclosure would probly be easier to control heat/humidity than a glass tank.
You've got the right idea, read up first. Not difficult to keep shingles healthy n happy in the right enviroment. Happy herping.

P.s yes a hygrometer certainly wont hurt, provided you dont have excess ventilation, the humidity of the room itself wont be a problem.

 

[herptrader]

There is a wealth of information out there on these guys:

http://www.reptileforums.com/care_sheets/lizards/bluetongeskink.htm
http://www.bluetongueskinks.com/
http://www.wnyherp.org/care-sheets/Lizards/blue-tongue-skink.html
http://www.wnyherp.org/care-sheets/lizards/blue-tongue-skink.php
http://www.repticzone.com/forums/Skinks/index.html
http://www.pollywog.co.uk/blackspinedcaresheet.html
http://herpetology.com/webdata.hts?showcat+liz
http://bluetongueskinks.net/care.htm
http://www.pondturtle.com/periodicals.html
http://www.herpshop.com.au/ht/HerpTraderLizards.html
http://www.kingsnake.com/australia/australia.htm
http://www.mark.org.au/pages/blue_tongue.htm
http://www.reptileranch.co.uk/repti...5_advertid_4_sel_7_flatsite_yes_CurPage_1.htm
http://www.anapsid.org/bluetong.html
http://www.projectlinks.org/bearded/
http://www.centralfloridazoo.org/adopt_animal.htm
http://www.acclaimimages.com/_gallery/_pages/index.html
http://www.artistwd.com/joyzine/australia/strine/search.php?ser=b
http://www.reptileranch.co.uk/repti...6_kwd_2_mainkeyword_Pet_Shop_flatsite_yes.htm
http://www.currumbin-sanctuary.org.au/mainsite/wildlife-child/index.php
http://www.jlawrance.com/Lizardref.html
http://www.hrsheart.org/2005/hrswsha_itemtitles.asp?Table=C
http://www.bluetongueskinks.net/
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/australianherps/message/31780
http://www.heyne.com.au/gardencentre/factsheets/factsheet.php/Lizards.htm
http://lizardlounge.bravehost.com/Blueys.html
http://freshwater.canberra.edu.au/Site-Narran/downloads/scoping1.pdf
http://www.calm.wa.gov.au/plants_animals/reptiles/advice/bluetongues_bobtails.html

 

[SLACkra]

I reccomend you go that bit extra and get and Oz Brite heat and UV light.

i was looking at those. the only issue i can see is that i want to have my uva/uv source separate from my heat source simply because i want to have my heat lamp hooked up to a thermostat. would a 24"(18-20watt) uv/uvb floro be ok or would it be advisable to take him outside in the sun? i had sarah(my veiled chameleon) in a 100cmx100cmx100cm wire cage with only a 18" 15watt repti glow 8.0 (high uv/uvb output for desert animals) and she grew up very healthy!

also i have been doing some readin about how they sometimes have issues with shedding. and that bathing them for a couple hours in warmish water should help. it says to replace the water if the shingle deficates and to remove the single to a clean encosure with paper bottom if it has diorea. your thoughts?

also anybody have any opinions on whether so just remove the waste, remove the waste and clean the substrate(if so how often?)

thanks for all the links i will atempt to look at a couple this weekend unless my dad cracks it at me for not studying

andrew

 

[africancichlidau]

Hey Slackra, I trhink I still have a pine & wire top around here somewhere for a std 4 footer, you are welcome to it if you need it mate. Let me know and I'll see if I can find it

 

[SLACkra]

thanks mate . very kind of ya. hopefully i will get the tank but the guy hasn't emailed me back yet. hopefully some one will answer my other questions too :wink:

cheers

andrew