Reddit mentions: The best reptile terrariums

First off, congrats on the tort!

Secondly, warning! Wall of text incoming!

Tank size:

That depends on how large she is. For the average female Russian's (I'm estimating about 7 or 8 inches in length), you should give her about a 3 by 4 feet tank. I have heard of people keeping their smaller torts (i.e. Russian, Hermann's, and Greeks) in the Zoo Med Tortoise House most of the time, but really, it's too small for the tort full time. These people take their torts out of the tank a bunch of the time to roam around the room.

If you have an aquarium tank right now, the caution is that tortoises sometimes will decide to go through the glass and not understand that that's a bad idea because they can see through it. In this scenario, you can wrap the outside of the tank in some paper. It doesn't need to be decorative as long as the tort can't see out.

My follow up question to you is: whereabouts do you live? This will determine if you will require an indoor habitat or if an outdoor one will be sufficient. Outdoor tanks should also be fairly large, as tortoises really like to wander around. If you choose to keep your tort outdoors, make sure that it's caged up really well so that predators cannot get in.

That being said, there are some great care sheets around. One of the ones I used when I first got started was this: http://www.reptilesmagazine.com/Care-Sheets/Russian-Tortoise/ Be sure to play close attention to the temperature gradient that she needs. You'll need some thermometers. One of the temp guns would be highly recommended so you can spot check all over the tank. You could also go to your local hardware store and get a laser temp gun, which will probably be better than this for a bunch more money, but you don't need one better than this, really.

For a low budget tank, I've seen a lot of DIY tutortials around. One of the most common is to get an old Ikea bookshelf, lay it on its back, take the shelves out, and stick a solid tarp down in it so that it's waterproof. Then put soil, forest bark, moss, etc in for the flooring and put your tort in that. The trouble with this is that you really have to make sure that it's safe for your tort down on the floor. I have cats in the house, and while they're cute and loving, they're also assholes when it comes to other animals, so I have to have an actual table up higher with a lid so my cats can't get in.

Water dish:

Anything that's large enough for her to sit in comfortably is good. Make sure that it's not too deep (the water should never be deeper that chin-level), and that it's not too small for her to bathe in. She will want to climb around in it and move around a bit as well. She will drink from it if she needs hydration, and also just sit there if she's too hot. Make sure that this water is clean daily so that she doesn't drink from her own urine/poop water. Also make sure that she's able to climb in and out of the dish by herself. They make special water dishes for this. BUT, as you're trying to budget down, you can actually just use whatever you have around that fits the requirements. I'm using a small terracotta plate for planting pots that I found at my local dollar store because my tortoise is still just a baby.

White discharge is called urates. All reptiles do this; it's nothing to worry about at all, unless it's grainy like sand (signs of dehydration), or solid. It should have the rough consistency of toothpaste. Mine's look more like egg-whites floating in water.

Food:

The spring mix should be fine. Tortoises will eat roughly their shell size in salad in a day. Having a good mix will make sure her internal flora is healthier. Absolutely no spinach should be fed. Where I live, I can't get a lot of good weeds, so I feed a lot of kale, parsley, romaine lettuce, dandelion leaves, etc. I keep a list of "staples", and a list of "occasional supplements" that I rotate through on a weekly basis. If you're lucky enough to live in an area where you can go for walks and pick up a bunch of greens from from wilds, it will be cheaper for you. This website has the best plant database that I've come across so far and will be able to help you in identifying what's safe and what's not.

I supplement every meal I give my tort with Repashy's Superveggie to make sure that she/he is getting all the nutrients that she/he needs. (I have no idea if my tort is male or female right now because she/he is still way too young; maybe in a year or two I'll be able to sex him/her.)

I also have a calcium bone for him/her to nom on whenever he/she wants on the side. It also helps them file down the beak. I have an Exo Terra Sepia Bone for him/her. I just cut off about 1/3rd of a piece to put in the tank (again, because my tort is just a baby).

For special treats, I like to give my tort a singular raspberry, or whatever fruit I have around. So far, she/he's shown a love for raspberries, and cherries, and not so much love for strawberries. To encourage my tort use the calcium bone, I sometimes rub the raspberry all over the calcium bone to make it tastier. Sometimes, I will break off a little piece and sprinkle it into the salad for the day as well.

How much to feed:

Tortoises are not stupid animals, and won't really overeat unless you're feeding all the wrong foods. Assuming you have a high fiber diet, your tort will stop eating when she's done. Again, generally you feed about their shell size amounts of salad in a day. If she eats more or less, that might tell you how she feels about what you're feeding her. Some people will say that the 15-20 minute limit is what you should do, but there's really not a lot of evidence that that's the rule. I've heard it about 50/50 depending on the keeper's style.

Finally, here are some signs that will tell you your tortoise isn't happy/general stress signs:

• some common diseases - http://www.tortoisetrust.org/articles/commondisease.html
  
• clawing at glass - wrap tank so the sides don’t freak the tortoise out
  
• not eating
  
• unclear eyes
  
• wet, unclear nostrils - look for runny nose syndrome and/or respiratory problems
  
• poop on the tail
  
• weird marking/ scratches on the shell
  
• poop is not solid/regular
  
• urates not runny (or toothpaste-like) - look for solids - sign of dehydration
  
• lethargy/over-active/agitation
  
• ramming into things
  
• muscle weakness
  
• reddish-brown spots around mouth, eyes, or ears (mites)
  
• vomit - If you see this, go to a vet!!
  
  If you have any other questions, don't hesitate to ask! This sub is sadly quieter than I'd like, so I thought I'd offer some help with what limited experience I currently have.
  
  Good luck!
  
  
  [Edit: formatting and such]
  
  

I've kept chameleons for almost 10 years, and I think I can give you at least a jumping off point to get started.

In my opinion, the biggest thing to put time and money into is the setup for the little guy. Having the proper enclosure, UVB lighting, heating, hydration, and positioning (in your home) is the single most important thing to have in place before you even start looking for the chameleon you want to buy. Panthers, in my experience, are somewhat more environmentally demanding than other generally "beginner friendly" chameleons like Veileds.

This shouldn't scare you at all. I want to make that clear. This is not a reply that is meant to discourage you from getting a chameleon, but rather to make sure that you have thought your way through the commitment you want to make. These are fairly demanding pets, and the last thing I want to happen is for you to spend 200+$ on a living work of art and then get into a losing battle trying to keep it healthy. I just went through that battle with a rescued veiled chameleon, and believe me it's not fun.

So long as you have prepared your chameleon's environment, you should have a nice and easy time keeping it hale and hearty.

A brief overview of what to expect when owning a panther can be found here

More in-depth details about setting yourself up can be found here

To give you a better idea about what I think you should look into, I'll give you a rundown of my personal setup for my female veiled chameleon. I've gone a bit above and beyond what the minimum is, but I cobbled all of this stuff together over about 3 years so that I could have a really nice enclosure and setup I can reuse over and over. I'll give you costs for my final setup and a few options you can use to save some money at the end here.

My personal setup for my current chameleon, a female veiled, is a screen-walled cage that is 2ftx2ftx5ft. It's difficult to find large cages that are at all economical to buy, so I built mine myself. I placed wooden dowels throughout the cage to provide a basic vertical structure, and a hanging ivy plant provides cover and extra structure as it grows throughout the enclosure.

I've placed the enclosure near a window that gets sun all morning, so I open the window to let the natural sun provide a nice basking area and plenty of ventilation during the day and close it at night when it gets cold.

On top of the cage, I have two halogen basking bulbs (incandescent filament bulbs die on me constantly, so this works better). One weaker bulb provides a concentrated basking spot at about 90^o on a dedicated basking "branch", and a stronger bulb provides a cage-wide gradient from about 78-85^o at the top down to about 65^o at the bottom. In addition to those, I have an Arcadia 12% UVB High Output T5 bulb and hood to give her the UVB she can't get past the morning.

I invested in a rainfall system by Exo-Terra to make sure hydration wasn't an issue.

With those points hit, I think my cage is a very solid environment for Pasquale to wander about in.

Here's the price breakdown on everything I have put into the enclosure:

Cage itself

• Building materials for the structure (wood, screws, glue, hinges, varnish, latch, screen) - 100$
  
• Internal structure - 10$
  
• Foliage - 20$ for the hanging plant
  
• Time - Priceless
  
  Heating
  
  
• Light hoods for the halogen bulbs - 50$
  
• Halogen bulbs (1x50W, 1x75W) - 15$
  
  Hydration
  
  
• Monsoon Rainfall System - 100$ (Christmas gift)
  
• Tubing to extend the range of the system - 3$
  
  UVB - MOST IMPORTANT
  
  
• Arcadia 12% UVB T5HO - 30$
  
• T5HO hood - 15$
  
  Total price for above and beyond cage setup ~ 320$
  
  You can save quite a bit of money on the lighting and hydration. Use 2$ 100W food heating bulbs ( USE CAUTION IF YOU DECIDE TO DO THIS make sure you cant catch anything on fire and make damn well sure that your chameleon has plenty of room to get out of the heat) or 8$ incandescent (non-reflector type are cheaper, reflected spotlight-type are usually 12-15$) pet basking bulbs, buy a 2$ spray bottle from walmart to hand-mist your enclosure or set up a drip system that constantly drips water through the screen onto your plant.
  
  The one thing I would say you MUST have above all else named above is a good UVB source. UVB lets reptiles synthesize vitamin D3. D3 is marginally responsible for mood stability and neurological health, but more importantly it enables the absorption of calcium into their bones. Chameleons cannot easily make use of ingested D3 from supplements or gut-loaded insects, so they must make their own using the UVB they are exposed to. Without a good source of UVB, they will develop what is essentially rickets. Their bones will become brittle and malleable, bending, fracturing, and then eventually freezing that way when they begin to get what they need. It's an awful condition that is very simple to avoid.
  
  The generally available/recommended Reptisun 5.0 or 10.0 bulbs are beyond awful. I make it a habit to get my lights tested by my vet before I install them to make sure they're outputting useful UVB, and without fail every Reptisun bulb I've tried has produced about as much UVB at 3" as standing in the middle of a dense forest on a very overcast day. The Arcadia bulbs are wonderful, often producing more UVB than a bright summer day at about 12-18" and are very much worth the 10$ (+shipping) higher price tag. They're quite difficult to find, and not available in any pet shop I have yet visited, so you'll have to get them online. I sourced my bulbs and my T5HO hood from here. Make sure you match your bulb to the hood size. I believe that reptile basics' 24" hood fits only the 22" bulbs, not the 24" ones.
  
  OK. So. There's your enclosure setup needs explained. Everything from here on is easy as pie.
  
  You will need to keep 3 basic things on hand at pretty much all times: food, supplements, and gut-load. All of them cost less than 10$ each.
  
  Choose a couple kinds of feeder insects (crickets, calciworms, mealworms, superworms, wax worms, butterworms etc) and keep a supply of them on hand at all times.
  
  
• Crickets need to be gut loaded a couple hours before you feed them and they tend to die off quickly, so they're gonna be the ones you buy quite often. Biggest advantage of these is that they're cheap and large ones only cost about 10-12c apiece at the very most.
  
  
• Mealworms and superworms can be kept on hand as an "oh shit I forgot to buy/can't afford food" food as well as a general mix food because they don't really require much maintenance. Prices range from $2.50 for 100 small ones to $6.00 for maybe 50 giants. Superworms especially can be a little more expensive than crickets, but they're still fairly cheap (at least at the shop I get them from) at around 15c/ea. Biggest advantage is that you can buy a zillion of them without having to worry about them dying. If they pupate, you can feed the pupae and even the beetles without issue. If they grow into beetles, there's even a chance they'll lay eggs. That just happened to me recently. Free food is nice.
  
  
• Calciworms are my current staple feeder of choice. They have, as the name implies, a lot of calcium in them. They turn into soldier flies (big-ass scary looking flies, but harmless), which Pasquale LOVES to eat.
  
  
• Wax worms and butterworms are usually pretty fast to pupate, turning into small moths that you can let flutter around the enclosure to be eaten at the chameleon's leisure. I personally find that annoying because they die soon after hatching from the pupa, so I don't often buy them.
  
  
• Hornworms are EXPENSIVE at $2.50-3 EACH!!!!, but are nice for when you want to give your chameleon a treat. Christmas/Thanksgiving dinner or a birthday present, for example.
  
  All in all, expect to spend about 10$ on food a month.
  
  Supplements are important to have around because they make up for the deficiencies of the food you'll bee giving your chameleon. They'll have calcium, phosphorus, vitamins, proteins, and other minerals your chameleon needs that it may or may not get from its food. If you're a master of gut-loading, you may eventually decide to just formulate a diet that covers everything they contain, but it's almost universally a good idea for a beginner to have supplements around. I currently use Zoo Med's Reptivite as my dusting supplement, and I quite like it. Be aware that it has a very very high phosphorus content and can be somewhat hazardous to overuse.

That's a lot of questions so I'll edit this post over the next little while trying to answer them all. While I do that, please take some time to read up on the side bar and get yourself some basic information. The more research you do the better. A lot of people hurt their chams by getting them before doing their research. Rule number one, obey Flip.

Edit 1: Veiled vs Panther: Veiled are sturdier and so generally considered better for starters. They also get larger. They can also be more territorial, which is why I chose a panther, but there are no guarantees any species of chameleon is going to let you hand train them. So if letting them out to play with you is important you may want to look into another reptile. However, assuming that's not a deal breaker for you, as it wasn't for me, the other main difference is price and looks. Veiled chams are much cheaper than panthers, go for 50-150. While my panther was 350 (with shipping). Some pet stores sell them cheaper, but do not buy from any chain store as they take poor care of their reptiles and you're likely to get an unhealthy one.

Edit 2: Enclosure: screen enclosures are a must, no matter how many holes it has, don't buy a glass tank. Depending on the age you get your chameleon at you can either start with a full sized cage (4'...assuming you want a male, males are prettier and healthier) an intermediate cage (this was mine, it catches a bit when I try to close to door, but it's a simple problem for the price), or if you get a young one, which is not suggested you will need a baby cham setup. As far as what is the best adult cage, I'm sure people can debate for days about it, I for one am about to order this setup. I seems like a nicer product than the popular brands, and I like having the shelves (it's hard to hang things against the wire cage without tearing the cage, and it looks a lot better than having coated wire going from support to support to avoid holes in the screen. I know you can buy supplies and make the cages or have them made for you as well, I'm just too lazy.

Edit 3: accessories: For starters, this is a picture of my amazon order I used when I first got my cage. DO NOT get the deep dome light fixture I had in that picture, I ended up going with zoomed 8 1/2" dome. The brand isn't really important, and you can probably find cheaper at home depot, but deep dome focuses the light too much and chams burn easily. I no longer use the little dripper, it didn't really help my cham find his drinking glass, check the side bar to learn how to set up a drinking glass. I would suggest everything else, unless Flip tells you otherwise. You're also going to want a live plant, make sure you get one that isn't bad for the cham, as some chams will chew on the leaves. I would suggest a pothos, lots of vines, big leaves to hide behind, easy to keep healthy. As for light bulbs, find an incandescent bulb (or a variety at different watts) and adjust them until the basking spot (no closer than 8" to the bulb, and not directly under the bulb) is a good temperature around 100 degrees should be fine. You may need to change out the bulbs as it gets hotter and colder where you're keeping your cham. You may also want an auto timer so that you can keep the lights on a schedule. Don't forget about a cage for your feeder insects, I would highly suggest a model with tubes if you have the crickets, the crickets climb into the tubes and you can just shake them out, couldn't be easier. Dubia roaches are the best feeder bugs, and you can start a colony and never have to pay for more if you have a 10 gallon aquarium to set up. You will also need gut load food and water crystals. I'm probably forgetting something here, so please ask if you think I forgot something.

Edit 4: Humidity: You don't really need to worry much about humidity if you don't get a baby. This is part of where this subreddit differs from the rest of the chameleon world. As long as you can keep the humidity to around 30 percent your cham should be fine. Chameleons come from humid areas, but as adults they climb up into the trees where the air is much less humid. This keeps your cham healthier as they don't have to worry as much about the infections from humid air. Water can be a breeding ground for bacteria, and respiratory infections are common and life threatening for chameleons. I still mist just for the sake of letting my cham drink from leaves because I didn't set up my cage well for a drinking glass, I thought I did, but I was wrong. I'll set mine up better when I switch to an adult cage in a week or 2. I may spray a little bit if he is having a hard time shedding but aside from that I hope to be able to put the spray bottle away for good soon. If you want one, you can find cheap misters at any place with a garden department cheap.

Edit 5: diet: As I said earlier the best thing to feed a cham is dubia roaches. Until it's big enough for dubias crickets are the next best thing. If you end up with a baby chameleon you can use flightless fruit flies, but you should not be getting a baby. Don't feed your cham something longer than the head of your cham is wide, to keep your cham from choking. As far as how much to eat your cham, that depends on the age. I assume you will be getting 4-5 month old, which means it will be in it's rapid growth phase. At this point I like to fill up the bottom of a dixie cup (not a see through one) and hold it out under him for 5 minutes. I've seen other people build a settup for their feeding cup into their cage so that they don't have to hold the cup...I prefer doing it by hand to try to get my cham more comfortable with me. Sometimes he doesn't want to eat and I shake some out for him to hunt throughout the day, just don't give him too many as the cricket may try to eat off your cham at night. Once they leave their full grown you're going to want to cut back, I'm not sure to how much just yet, I assume every cham is different in this regard, but I know they can over eat, still you probably don't have to worry about that for some time. I like to give my cham some meal worms by hand every now and then. Chams love them, but it's not the healthiest option for them, they are high in fat. Give them too many and the cham will start ignoring it's other food and hold out for meal worms.

I think that's about it, if you have any more questions feel free to ask.

I've never heard of this comparison between chameleons and cresteds, but I guess I'm not that familiar with chameleon temps/humidities. For a crested gecko, their ideal temperature is right around 75, and as far as humidity goes, you want to mist them in the evening to about 90% humidity and then it let it drop to the 50s. 18x18x24 is a perfect size for an adult crested gecko. This is the one I recommend, but you can probably shop around a little bit to find a slightly better price: http://www.amazon.com/Exo-Terra-Glass-Terrarium-24-Inch/dp/B000OAYXTK/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1453260720&sr=8-1&keywords=exo+terra+18x18x24 . Live plants I'm not familiar with, so I hope someone else here can you help with that. I highly recommend getting cork bark, I keep a flat and a round in each of my terrariums (http://imgur.com/tduiDxb this is how all of my terrariums are set up right now, Luci, the very grumpy gecko toward the bottom right, is sitting on the round), but I find the round is their favorite, they like using it to get all of their shed off, the big flat they more or less just use for climbing higher when they don't want to just walk on the glass. Food wise, you want to use pangea food. Some people prefer repashy, that's fine too, but I personally found when I switched my geckos from repashy to pangea, they ate 1000x better and looked 1000x healthier (they weren't unhealthy, they just seemed to take better to the pangea). http://www.pangeareptile.com/store/pangea-fruit-mix-banana-apricot-complete-gecko-diet.html This is my geckos' favorite one, but they also eat the watermelon/mango, and my youngest one also loves the insect one, but I couldn't get it to take with the geckos who just won't eat insects anymore. When they're babies, that's the best time to make sure you're supplementing with insects, that protein will help them grow.
What you put in the bottom of the terrarium is probably going to be dependent on live plants, so I'll leave that to the live plant experts on this thread.

I use this terrarium once they're larger but I invested because I raise mantids as pets quite often.

For a twig, I use this

And for foliage I use this with the suction cup plonked near the top and the leaves hanging down that I found in the reptile section.

The fish and reptile sections at your local pet store are going to be your favorite aisles from now on.

For substrate a lot of people here prefer dirt (NEVER from outside, there are all kinds of parasites and mites in outside dirt!) But I prefer coconut fiber as my substrate because it's naturally antibiotic and will hinder fungal and bacterial growth, and smell nicer too.

You'll really come to love these little guys, and here's why. Mantids, unlike most "bugs" hunt via sight, not vibration. This means they move and act much more mammalian than other insects. They don't skitter, they don't make sudden scary movements or bite or attack on sight (well some do, they all have their own distinct personalities), and they're VERY smart.

Mantids have been known to be receptive to operant conditioning, AKA they can be trained like a dog would. You should try to handle them (gently and with clean hands) as they grow up, every couple of days, and by the time they're adults they'll readily calmly hang out with you whenever you want. You can plop them on your arm as you do computer stuff or whatever. They're very docile creatures most of the time and make great pets. Just be careful because they're fragile.

As others said, keep humidity around 50% and if they're Tenodera Sinesis then temperature should hover around 70F at night and 80F during the day, which means you'll want a dome reptile lamp and you'll need to figure our the appropriate distance from the top of the cage to place it. Don't place it right on top, the mantids love to hang out on top upside down and a lamp right there would fry them. Make sure there's at least 1 cool spot for them to cool off.

As for food and water, once they're a little bigger the crickets at the pet store should work fine. If they're super picky there are lots of online mantis stores that sell larger flies. and whet a sponge or paper towel in there to help with the humidity.

Yeah I'd say it really depends on the species but also your environment. I live in a really, really dry place so keeping any tropical species (or even most "normal" species) requires extra attention to moisture. I definitely need glass containers and to keep the substrate pretty damp everyday. When I travel to the other side of my state I don't need that level of daily care to maintain the moisture levels. I'm sure you'll figure it out with time, based on the species and where you live. Personally, I really like these tanks for most species except maybe the super dry species (or like wondering violins that need better grip than glass). It's a little bit big for nymphs but a good middle of the road size. I've kept Ghost's all the way up through full sized female Malaysian Dead Leaf's in one of these tanks. Good luck! 🙂🤙

https://www.amazon.com/Exo-Terra-Glass-Natural-Terrarium/dp/B0041P5PBE/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?keywords=exo+terra+terrarium&qid=1567954987&s=gateway&sprefix=exo+&sr=8-1

MALE VEILED!! Those are the best to start with. Veileds are incredibly hearty for chameleons and they can be forgiving with new owners as you're learning about chameleon care/husbandry. Female Veileds are going to need to lay eggs, that is the one difference in regards to the different sex.

Here is a link to the FAQ's...

https://www.reddit.com/r/ChameleonsFAQ/

ASK QUESTIONS!, read through the side bar ------>

Make sure you get the basics down:

• Proper enclosure
  
  
• Proper lighting, you'll want to make sure you get a 5.0 UVB and a 60W incandescent bulb
  
  
• You'll need live plants, NOT FAKE ONES, and here is a list from FLchams.com, the most popular used are Umbrella, Hibiscus and Pothos. They're cheap and easy to care for, having live plants helps with holding humidity.
  
  
• Proper supplements, I like Repashy
  
  A WARNING... ~ There is tons of bad information out there regarding chameleon care/husbandry. A lot of what I find is incredibly outdated. This sub is one of the best places you can be, I've learned a lot by coming here years ago and I was doing too many things wrong based on what I "researched" on the www.
  
  Lastly, please don't let anyone tell you that Veileds are nasty, I've owned several, I currently have one and a Panther. With proper handling (which is pretty universal with all reptiles), they will learn to trust you and they can be pretty cool little buddies to hang with.
  
  I found one more thing regarding set-ups that I think would be helpful for you as well. Check out this link, it's in the FAQ section, but wanted to make sure you get a visual, and as well, there are notes in there regarding lighting as well.
  
  https://www.reddit.com/r/ChameleonsFAQ/comments/4lo0xk/pictures_of_sample_enclosures/
  
  Good luck, and again, if you have any questions, please do! :)

There are obviously tons of different options for basically everything, but I'll make a list of what I bought. In no particular order.

Tank - Any 40+ gallon long (36" by 18" floor space) tank works, or many people build 4' by 2' by 2' enclosures themselves from wood. This is what I have: http://www.petsmart.com/reptile/supplies/habitats-and-decor/terrariums/national-geographicandtrade-sanctuary-reptile-terrarium-5210603.html.

UVB light - By far the most used and best options are either Reptisun 10.0 or Arcadia 12% fluorescent tubes, 1/2 - 2/3 the length of the enclosure. Arcadia is hard to get in the US, so I have Reptisun. t5 is stronger so it doesn't have to be as close to the basking spot, has to be replaced every year rather than 6 months for the t8, and is generally better. Here's a link: https://www.amazon.com/Zoo-Med-26061-Reptisun-Fluorescent/dp/B00AQU8HAO.

UVB fixture - With t5 you don't need a reflector, t8 you do. Any normal fixture will work, but with the t8 it needs to be below the screen top. This is a good one for the t5 that can be hung and comes with a reflector: https://www.amazon.com/Sunblaster-904296-NanoTech-Fixture-Reflector/dp/B00AKKUBDQ/ref=sr_1_5?s=lawn-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1492359012&sr=1-5&keywords=sunblaster.

Heat lamp - Any large reptile heat lamp will be able to handle more watts and will have more balance than the smaller ones, but get whatever you need to get the correct temps.

Heat bulb - You don't need a reptile specific bulb, it just needs to heat well. I use halogen flood lights that give off lots of heat and can be dimmed with a lamp dimmer to adjust based on how hot the room is.

Substrate - Stay away from sand and other loose substrate, it can cause impaction and grow bacteria. Reptile carpets are fine but are hard to clean. You can use paper towels, but many people use either tile (my favorite, you can pick out textured tile and have a hardware store cut it for ~$10) or non-adhesive shelf liner.

Accesories - Any large flat object that absorbs heat works well as a basking spot. Water bowls raise humidity and are usually not used, so you don't need one. Many people get a hammock like this: https://www.amazon.com/Zoo-Med-Reptile-Hammock-17-5-Inch/dp/B0002AQDKO/ref=sr_1_1?s=pet-supplies&ie=UTF8&qid=1492359509&sr=1-1&keywords=reptile+hammock. For them to climb on.

Thermometers - The analog ones are terribly inaccurate, a digital one with a probe works well, I like temp guns though. This works well for me: https://www.amazon.com/Etekcity-Lasergrip-774-Non-contact-Thermometer/dp/B00837ZGRY/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1492359802&sr=8-4&keywords=temperature+gun.

Food - You'll need calcium and vitamin powder. Rep-cal works well.
Calcium: https://www.amazon.com/Rep-Cal-SRP00200-Phosphorous-Free-Ultrafine-Supplement/dp/B00BS96G1E.
Vitamins: https://www.amazon.com/HERPTIVITE-Multivitamin-reptiles-amphibians-Bottle/dp/B00076HT3S/ref=pd_bxgy_199_img_2?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B00076HT3S&pd_rd_r=V9S5NZ2T4FCBQZMDQX40&pd_rd_w=a2CFC&pd_rd_wg=axaiO&psc=1&refRID=V9S5NZ2T4FCBQZMDQX40.

Extra - Lamp dimmer if you have a light that works with it. Plug in timer so the lights stay on a consistent schedule.

Let me know if I forgot anything or if you have any more questions.

Thanks! It's a lizard lounger: https://www.amazon.com/Penn-Plax-REP701-Seagrass-Triangular/dp/B013T6XPVC

I knew it would be way too big, but the material was perfect for climbing and had great structure, so I used some creative folding to turn it into a hut. The suction cups are attached with tied leather cord, so you can easily remove them and place only as needed. I'm just using one to anchor against the wall and the cord from another one to tie it together so it doesn't flop around.

Mentioned the reptile hammock in the post, but, admittedly, it's a novel so I don't think anyone read it :) Any ideas on the questions I had? I'm gonna clean it up a little...

I think $150 is a little low of an expectation for startup costs. I spent about $300 getting my guy set up, and part of that was experimenting with getting the drainage right. Later on I also spent $130 on a misting system, which broke about 2 months later. But I digress.

As for first time species, I think a male veiled would be a good choice. They are more forgiving of mistakes in husbandry (care and keeping) than other chameleons. They are also less expensive. The cons are that they often have a less friendly temperament than other species and don't have the crazy colors like panthers do.

I say male because then you don't have to deal with laying eggs, which females will do even without a male around.

Here is what I would consider a pretty comprehensive list of things you'll need:

1. Screen cage -- 18"x 18" x 36" (I got mine here http://www.amazon.com/Zoo-Med-ReptiBreeze-Screen-36-Inches/dp/B0027J0VZ6/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1369116670&sr=8-1&keywords=screen+cage)
   
   
2. thermometer and hydrometer gauges
   
   
3. Heat lamp fixture
   
   
4. Heat bulb -- believe it or not, a normal incandescent bulb you buy from walmart will do fine, as long as it's getting up to the right temperature. The "special" heat bulbs you buy at pet store chains are the exact same thing marked up. You may have to experiment with wattage. Do NOT go above 100 watts. I use 100 watts for my male veiled because I live in a basement and it is cold down here. Most people need 60-75 watts. For an adult veiled, the basking spot (directly under the light) should hit 90-95 fahrenheit, while the rest of the cage should gradually drop in heat from there to 70ish degrees at the bottom. Typically, a single basking spot that hits 90-95 will make the rest of the cage the appropriate temperature.
   
   
5. UVB bulb -- Absolutely necessary. Use a 5.0, not a 10.0. 10.0 is for desert animals. Here's more info on the UVB and why it's so important. http://www.chameleonforums.com/care/lighting/
   
   
6. Hood for the UVB bulb
   
   
7. dripper -- chameleons drink from dripping water only.
   
   
8. Mister -- hand mister or automatic mister if you can afford it. I use this one mister
   Some people have had them break easily but mine's never had a problem. A little spray bottle just won't cut it.
   
   
9. Vines and branches. You have a few options. Cheapest is to get your own branches and sterilize them. Next cheapest is dowels from a hardware store. The prettiest option is to get various vines and fake plants and branches from pet stores or online. Make sure to provide a lot of horizontal climbing space as well as vertical.
   
   
10. Plants. I highly recommend live plants vs fake because live plants hold water droplets and humidity better. I use Arboricola schefflera, other common ones are Ficus benjamina and Pothos. They are inexpensive and easy to find at the local hardware store :)
    
    
11. Supplements -- Calcium WITHOUT D3, Calcium with d3, and a reptile vitamin.
    
    
12. Cricket holder
    
    
    THINGS YOU SHOULD NOT BUY
    
    
13. No night heat bulbs! Chameleons can handle the drop in temperature at night and light at night interrupts their sleep cycle.
    
    
14. No substrate! It is too risky and has caused the death of many chameleons who have accidently ingested it. The only one that might be safe is the reptile carpet stuff.
    
    
15. No water bowls or waterfalls. Chameleons like to poop in them and also it's a risk of drowning. They won't drink from them.
    
    
    Basically, I am an insane chameleon mom and I know this might be overwhelming, but I just want to help. I have a lot more information about how to use supplements, feeding, water, and light schedules if you want it. Hope this helped and good luck with getting a chameleon!
    

Cresties are a great starter pet! They are quite easy to keep. They are arboreal and do require a vertical enclosure with plenty of vines/ branches/ plants to climb on. They thrive in temps from 78F-65F. Don't allow the enclosure to go over 80 or under 65 though. Start with an enclosure this size and move up to something like this once the gecko reaches about 15-20 grams.

Cresties do very well on a powdered diet (mixed with water of course) such as Pangea or Repashy. My 3 year old girl really prefers the Pangea though. I definitely recommend it!

Cresties come in a variety of colors and patterns. If you want something basic you could buy one at your local pet store, but reptile expos are a much better place to buy live animals. Better colors, better breeding, and better prices! So do your research, and visit the next expo in your area.

Cresties should generally be house individually. Females can live together on occasion, but fighting can be a common occurrence. Please do not breed unless you have done lots of research, have high quality breeding stock, and feel that you can better the crested community with your offspring.

Start getting more leafy greens into his diet. Romaine is an easy one (don't use iceberg). If he doesn't want to eat greens, then try putting a pinch of dust from the pellet container on them.

Good work with getting rid of the substrate. I'd also try filling the tank higher with water. Ideally you want twice the shell length in depth, but do what you can until you get a bigger tank (probably 65 gallons based on his current size). That rock that is currently his basking platform won't work with a higher water level, so you'll want something else. I've had good luck with this style - but there are a number of them that float and/or suction cup to the wall at an adjustable level. I left the rock you have in his tank (underwater) so he can scratch his shell on it and hide from things if he wants.

Also check the sidebar links to make sure you've got heat and UVB lamps.

Finally, save that 20 gallon tank when you upgrade - it'll work great for when you need to clean his tank.

https://www.amazon.ca/gp/aw/d/B013T6XPVC/ref=pd_aw_sim_199_1?ie=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=WN09HY4YKXBJV845X4XM&dpPl=1&dpID=91UzoohAF3L
Spike has one of these and loves it! I'll 100% recommend it to anyone and everyone. It also comes in a few other shapes and sizes to fit your needs.

As for falling down....don't worry. Beardies are squishy and bounce back up; their only real defence from predators is to run away so they're made for it. Spike's taken a few jumps off the back of the couch (3-4ft) that have damn near given me a heart attack but she just keeps skittering on like nothing happened. She also dive bombs crickets in her cage which is hilarious to watch :) You getting a new beardie is making me all excited; you're going to have lots of fun, OP!

1. Some species are pretty docile, pretty much across the board, like most grammostolas (G. pulchripes, G. rosea, etc.). Some species are docile right up until they get hungry, at which point they can be very aggressive (most of the pamphobeteus that I have kept). There is some variation within individuals.
   
   
2. The first time around, I'd recommend an adult, unless going with something that tolerates broad environmental conditions- again, the Chilean rose hair (G. rosea) tolerates everything but wet conditions. So long as you, the owner, is comfortable, the rosie is probably comfortable with the environment in terms of humidity and temperature.
   
   
3. My Ts range from free (Craigslist giveaway) to $200+. Typical would be a $30 rosie, a $25 Exo Terra Faunarium, a block of coir ($5-10, enough for at least a year). Add a plastic plant or two, a "hide" (half a clay pot, or a chunk of cork), and a plastic lid for water, and you're good.

I would recommend a 20 gal tank. A ten gallon would probably be fine while they are baby’s, but you’ll have to upgrade eventually so I would recommend just starting with the 20. If money really is no object then you may want to look into one of these: https://www.amazon.com/Exo-Terra-Glass-Terrarium-18-Inch/dp/B000I1QYLK or https://www.amazon.com/Exo-Terra-Glass-Terrarium-18-Inch/dp/B000OAYXTK?th=1&psc=1
This will give you more options for decorations, easier access to your frogs, an area designed for the water absorbing part of your substrate, and a tank that’ll be big enough for them as adults. If done right, all you’ll have to do is drain the water occasionally. I highly recommend watching https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCUlxEsBwkrS02wkRMVheyyQ this guys channel. He’s a bit dry, but will give you all the info you need for setting up a tank for the first time. Hope it helps and enjoy your darts = D

Thanks! Yeah they love that thing. Its actually just a flat board. its cork bark. Not only do they climb on it, they also eat and pick at it. It has tannins which is another important part of their diet. I think the piece i have was about $20 off Amazon. I silicone'd it right to the tank glass, lol.

You can also get the cork bark in log form and i have seen where they love to hide and hang out inside of it. https://www.amazon.com/Zoo-Med-Natural-Round-Extra/dp/B001F9ANVG

as others have mentioned relocation stress is a thing. they sometimes don't eat for the first few days you have them. but getting them comfortable will speed up your time table a little bit.

​

I highly recommend you live feed them some feeder insects https://dubiaroaches.com/collections/bearded-dragons you can get the baby bearded dragon variety pack and it seems to be a pretty balanced diet for baby beardies. it has baby Dubai roaches and nutriworms or soldier fly larva whatever you want to call them.

​

Here are my recommended reads from the sidebar for new dragon tamers

• basic cheat sheet https://imgur.com/a/CrvIE
  
• to determine if food is good or bad for your dragon check out this link http://www.beautifuldragons.com/Nutrition.html
  
• Guide on Bearded dragons https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B4-LK25H4wfvMFJTVXJZaUExT3M/edit
  
  i think pet smart calls dubia roaches spotted roaches if I remember right. they are expensive there though thats why I linked the site. the problem with shipping roaches is they might die when it is to cold out so you have to get them inside asap I use a cricket container to hold them since they can't fly they tend to climb into the tubes it makes it easier to feed them. I like to have 2 containers so that between shipments i can clean out the containers without having to deal with them.
  
  ​
  
  Hope this helps :D

I haven't used that particular hide, but have you tried partially burying it in the substrate? I have a lighter weight hide that I've pretty much turned into a hobbit hole and it hasn't gone anywhere.

I also have this water/hide combo and its weight plus the weight of the water makes it pretty stable https://www.amazon.com/Flukers-Castle-Reptile-Basking-Platform/dp/B003T0GIT0

edited with a better link

the good news is there are many 2.5 gal (minimum size for betta) available for under $20.00 at walmart petsmart etc. there are 5 gal for under $30 at the same places. :) and if you cant do this then look into something like this http://www.amazon.com/Exo-Terra-PT2265-Faunarium-Large/dp/B00025YVUI/ref=sr_1_26?ie=UTF8&qid=1377370767&sr=8-26&keywords=terrarium

5 gallons and you can put a filter and heater in there easy. i use them for bettas quite successfully and much cheaper than a regular glass aquarium

I found it at my local reptile store, but amazon has it too

One minor issue I have is the suction cups, but I have newer, stronger ones coming in the mail to be more secure. As you can see, I put it on top of his warm hide and he handles it safely.

Thank you for responding! I really want to know what I can do to help my snake, as I've been worried something is wrong..... I made a list with the exact things that I have bought!

I have this terrarium

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B008N9LRCK/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o08_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

and this heating mat on one half (covers around 40% of the tank)

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07X8WLYD8/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o07_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

with this thermometer that controls the heat (max is 93 F) and cool side is 75-80

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01I15S6OM/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o07_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1

and i made a humidity box (as shown by Youtube account SnakeEncounters) with this moss that I spray to make humid- I have seen my snake in there twice now, she likes to sleep there for a couple hours and leave.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07CX5QB82/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

and I use this hide (one on cool side, one on warm side)

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07MVKJ3B1/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o06_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

and this bedding

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0009KJ0A2/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o04_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

and I use these vines to make the enclosure feel more covered and less "open"

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0009YEB70/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o04_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1

For the love Pete.

1. She shouldn’t be in a box. She needs to be a screened enclosure, something like this:
   https://www.amazon.com/Zoo-Med-ReptiBreeze-Screen-48-Inches/dp/B001PHABI8/ref=mp_s_a_1_2?keywords=reptibreeze&qid=1564186636&s=gateway&sr=8-2
   
2. If you’re actually giving her supplements like you say you are - you’re over dosing her on D3. You should have 2 kinds of calcium to dust with. One with D3 and one without. The one WITHOUT you should dust lightly with when you feed her every other day (if she’s an adult, which it looks like she is). You could probably do every other feeding. The one WITH D3 you should dust lightly with maybe twice a month, so bi weekly.
   
3. If you can’t at least making these changes and make them quickly, along with a visit to an exotic vet, give her to someone who can.

I don't have one for my axie, (no room, and it would totally throw off my aesthetic! :P), but I've seen people use reptile hammocks like this in their tanks and axies love them. One thing to keep in mind when shopping around is you don't want one with any metal attachments as it will rust in the tank.

Thanks for all the advice so far. It's been difficult not knowing where to look for guidance as newbies. However, my girlfriend and I are really committed to giving him a great home. It's sad we haven't been the best chameleon parents yet.
Financially, I cannot afford to spend a couple hundred tomorrow, but i can within the next week or so for sure. I would appreciate any tips about how to prioritize. What are your thoughts on this cage?https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B001PHABI8/ref=mp_s_a_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1484552202&sr=8-4&keywords=reptile+cage&dpPl=1&dpID=51%2BD-HmI2eL&ref=plSrch
I would like to get it tomorrow as i think a new habitat is the biggest priority right?
Also, since the new UVb bulb will be very hot at first, should I just keep his red light on him constantly for the next few days? Or should i introduce the incandescent bulb tomorrow and wait on the UVb still? I just want to do everything I can to prevent his eye getting worse while making sure he is warm enough. We keep him in a finished basement that rarely dips below 70.

Sounds like she's bored. A 50-gallon tank, believe it or not, is painfully small for a fully grown Russian tortoise. A 50-gallon tank is only about 3x1.5 feet. Even a tortoise house is 3x2, and are available and Petsmart and Petco. There's also these sexy things, though I don't really like the glass front for a tortoise.

Alternatively, you could go buy some wood and build her a tortoise table yourself. If she's active with clear eyes and a dry nose, and is eating and pooping, she's probably healthy. Take the money you'd give to a vet and upgrade her enclosure.

Sure, it's an Exo Terra terrarium much like this one:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B008N9LYJ6/ref=mp_s_a_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1497901312&sr=8-4&keywords=exo+terra+terrarium

Ours is a bit larger than that one, although I can't seem to find the exact one we have on Amazon at the moment. It's made for reptiles but works great for hamsters too. It's easily accessible, you can see your hamster from any direction cause it's all glass, and your hamster never escapes like they sometimes can from the wire cages.

I'd recommend a couple hammocks! I got mine off Amazon and my beardie LOVES IT

Penn Plax REP701 Lizard Lounger, 100% Natural Seagrass Fibers For Anoles, Bearded Dragons, Geckos, Iguanas, and Hermit Crabs Triangular 14 x 14 Inches Large https://www.amazon.com/dp/B013T6XPVC/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_M2y4CbHSRS7K3

I have that same hammock for both of my beardies. They both love theirs! I got it at a reptile show, but I'm pretty sure this is it: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00XWWW4FC/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_xYFlzbSYWWE9E

I'm in the process of redoing my tanks, but I'd recommend getting some items that provide additional "levels" to the tank. I use a Zoo Med floating turtle log, and I've also ordered a Repti hammock for my second tank! Other options are ordinary soap holders with suction cups that provide nice little seats for your lotls.

>With the appropriate plant life and maybe other animals is it possible to build a self sustaining ecosystem?

It's not as easy as it is with fish (and even then you need to replace water occasionally to add new minerals to the water). I keep mine on sand, with loads of plants. They still make a big mess, even though I've got good filtration. I clean twice per week and test the water once per week.


Definitely don't mix axolotls with other animals (they can choke on snails), but you could keep small shrimp with them temporarily (they will eat them eventually, though)!

Hi, thanks for watching out for us! He's got these lights as well as living in this [cage] (http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0027J0VZ6/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?qid=1419894029&sr=8-1&pi=AC_SY200_QL40). I'll try to get pics for y'all! Anything else we need for this guy? Thanks!

Edit: I'll let you know the light strength when my gf gets home.

I built one with my friend. It went really well! Essential just a box with a glass side, you make make it a slide out door or whatever you like. If you have the money though then go with so etching like this https://www.amazon.com/dp/B077QHSYWX/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_awdb_t1_DPNUCb48V60AW.

You can also have someone custom build it. If you are in or around Georgia I am happy to build it for you, you pay for materials and no work charge.

I really like this one by Oasis. It's really sturdy and doesn't sink, plus my huge girl loves to dive off of the diving board. She's a RES and is probably 9 inches around. We have had to replace the suction cups, but it's worth it. I'm thinking about getting one for the other end of my tank as well.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0006L12HS/ref=ox_sc_sfl_title_11?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER

Penn Plax REP701 Lizard Lounger, 100% Natural Seagrass Fibers For Anoles, Bearded Dragons, Geckos, Iguanas, and Hermit Crabs Triangular 14 x 14 Inches Large https://www.amazon.com/dp/B013T6XPVC/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_6jHVCbTCA1HQF

I bought this one for mine, it has adjustable suction cups so you can put it anywhere. It really adds a new dimension to their hide and I think mine love it cause it covers a good portion of their tank so they feel even more hidden when outside of their hides

Yes, I've heard kingsnakes are phenomenal escape artists! I have been looking at a faunarium someone recommended:
https://www.amazon.com/Exo-Terra-Faunarium-Flat-Large/dp/B0002AR48Y
It seems pretty secure, but I don't know how I'd heat it. You mean no heat, not even belly heat?

I also really like the look of these with the pivoting doors, but they're cubes.. they have 12 and 18in cubes, do you think an 18in cube would be too big? https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000OQYGQ4/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_aV.WBbQVQWX0Q

I can't see the animal clearly but I suspect it's not healthy. I would be leery.

Edit: Oh and those lights aren't the best for the cham's health. The tube bulbs are honestly the way to go. The cage looks to be a proper size for a veiled, they only really use the top 1/3 of the cage.


As to the value of the offer. Reptibreeze cage 24" x 24" x 48" is only $95 USD on Amazon. Proper lighting is about $30-40 from a hardware store and the T8 5.0 UVB bulbs are about $20.

Tank
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B008N9LRCK/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_awdb_2Z3IzbXNKXXCD

Thermometer
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00837ZGRY/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_awdb_M13IzbSNVACSY

Moist Hide
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000BNZTAC/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_awdb_G23Izb27S2F7M

Heater
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0002AQCLO/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_awdb_f33Izb1KJACXG

The warm and cool hides are from petsmart

The food/water cactus dish is also from petsmart

The tiles are from Lowes


Hope that helps!

https://www.amazon.com/Exo-Terra-Cricket-Pen-Size/dp/B0073KOGOG/ref=br_lf_m_ww83k73y62454pn_ttl?_encoding=UTF8&s=pet-supplies is my favorite of the 2 I use. They only say for 100 but we have done a bit over 250 and almost none died they just crawl like 40-50 in each of 4 tubes and then rest at bottom. You wouldn't be able to keep 250 all the time but we buy them that many and after a day or 2 it's down to more manageable numbers

10 gallons is a bit small for a leo! I recommend going 15 gal or more
Here's a good front opening tank! https://www.amazon.com/dp/B008N9LYJ6/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_tai_x15vDbH5RE9Z2

I bought mine off of Amazon. They're really nice and would recommend getting one. Sorry for the long link, I'm on mobile and don't know how to format.

Link: Penn-Plax 14x14" Lizard Lounger, Large https://www.amazon.com/dp/B013T6XPVC/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apap_lkTRL1zlGFkik

He's a veiled. Male. Here are some pictures of him and his set up.
Diggit 1
Diggit 2
Diggit 3
Diggit 4
About 2 weeks ago
Setup

His cage is a Reptibreeze
(http://www.amazon.com/Zoo-Med-ReptiBreeze-Screen-36-Inches/dp/B0027J0VZ6/ref=pd_sim_petsupplies_8)

Have been feeding him crickets from the local PetSmart
I'm aware that his lighting is with a Reptisun bulb, unsure of wattage.
Live in an apartment in Maryland so actual sunlight isn't the easiest to provide as a college student and part time employee. He has been outside before and seemed to enjoy it.
We have used Reptivite to dust his crickets before, just haven't recently. The vet just called saying that they haven't been able to get blood work or fecal samples yet, as he's somewhat dehydrated. But so far he has low bone density.

At this point, I need to do everything that I can to provide the best for him. Any ideas on what to do? Also to ensure that our other one, whom we purchased this past weekend, won't end up like this.

Thank you so much. This has all been so helpful.

I think it was from a garage sale but this is the most common brand. It’s an “Exo”. They come in all sizes as well.

Exo Terra Glass Natural Terrarium Nano/Tall - 8 x 8 x 12 Inches https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0041P5PBE/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_f9D1Bb3CEG7J4

No problem. I don't want to scare you out of getting him a T (far from it!), I just was alarmed by your post. I think in this case it's best to err on the side of caution.

I thought of another blue one that can be easy to care for: Avicularia metallica. They are arboreal, so they will require a smallish vertical tank (like this ), a small amount of substrate (like Eco Earth), some cork bark positioned vertically for webbing, and a water dish.

i got this hammock last week, its pretty big

I like it alot. Heres a reddit post of my setup

I'm pretty sure that it's the same one I have. Here it is : Penn-Plax Reptology Lizard Lounger, X-Large https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00XWWW4FC/ref=cm_sw_r_other_apa_3YkqybV8C5CM5

I haven't had a single cricket escape from the cricket cage I bought (at least I haven't found or heard any...).

My SO likes it because you don't have to touch any crickets or even open the cage to feed, when I am away.

The only good to come out of the “cage” is for young babies. And even then this doesn’t have much ventilation. A screened cage is what you’ll need.


a cage like this is what you’ll need

Edit: link

Looks like it might be something like this? https://www.amazon.com/Penn-Plax-Lounger-Seagrass-Rectangular/dp/B00XWWW4FC/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1497648865&sr=8-5&keywords=reptile+hammock

Oh, he's the one that's been bombarding me for years with all of the reptile facts and care information on the planet. Even knows the best local reputable breeders. The terrarium I picked out is an ExoTerra 20 gallon and the branches I put on the list are a formable sort of branch that you can position. I read that they don't need a heated rock (I had an iguana when I was young that did require this) but that you can use bulbs in a reflector light fixture at one end/side.

Exo Terra makes some nice ones, I bought their cricket keeper & it holds up well. (lid stays on tight while holding the handle)

Their faunarium doesn't appear to have handles tho.

I know. Its tough to find a good one. Here you are m8 https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B077QHSYWX/ref=ppx_yo_mob_b_track_package_o1_img?ie=UTF8&psc=1

This is the only one I can find on Amazon lol check on Craigslist too though, sometimes they have hidden jams.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00167S5EY/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_cB..zb7NZN64V

I got mine in a petshop here in Ireland but they're also on Amazon, Link here. My corn is over 5 feet and the large is fine for him.

I see, the one you were likely looking at was the led deluxe. Zoo Med ReptiBreeze Open Air Screen Cage, Extra Large, 24 x 24 x 48-Inches https://www.amazon.com/dp/B001PHABI8/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_7RScBb7XZY2HD
That ones $100, pretty much the cheapest you'll find unless you build one

With a tank that opens up top, I've found this hammock works well since I can reach around it conveniently.

Carolina Custom Cages Terrarium, Extra-Long, 48Lx18Dx18H, Easy Assembly https://www.amazon.com/dp/B077QHSYWX/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_tj9XCb2YXXN20 my planned upgrade when my paycheck allows

It's a hammock lol. Here's my dragon using it and here it is sold on amazon

I would use this setup until he is a little older. A good adult cage for a veiled might be this.

Honestly, I would not use any hides that you cannot access the snake if needed. If something happened or you needed to check him over medically for some reason, you may not be able to do it and it could be a big problem.

Hides that can be lifted off/have no bottom, or have a top that can lift off of the bottom are the best for that reason.

You might be able to lure him out with food, catch him roaming at night, or just replace all the other hides with different types and see if he will try the new one(s) then remove whichever he is using now. No guarantees, but eventually he will come out.

Removable top type:
https://www.amazon.com/Exo-Terra-Snake-Cave-Large/dp/B000HHLQJU/ref=mp_s_a_1_4?keywords=snake+hides&qid=1556554098&s=gateway&sr=8-4

Lift-off type, basic plastic:
http://www.reptilebasics.com/hide-boxes

These [ExoTerra tall] (http://www.amazon.com/Exo-Terra-Glass-Natural-Terrarium/dp/B0041P5PBE/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1426604104&sr=8-1&keywords=exoterra+tall) reptile habitats make great mantis vivaria, too. The one I linked is the Nano, but I use the Small; it's 18x18x24.

/u/organicfanatic

Update: thanks for the advice.

He is eating dandelion greens right now. After he has time to sit around and relax for a few hours I plan to change his substrate, reorganize his hutch a bit (water in shaded area rather than under his heat lamp) and give him a soak. I am looking into getting a hutch that is larger, but it is a tough space issue for me in my apartment. A DIY hutch sounds like a very stressful project to me and I prefer to just buy. He is currently in this one: Zoo Med Wood Tortoise House https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00167S5EY/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_K4mDzbAK5E7Y6

I could potentially expand it with a second one, but that is expensive and I do not have the space for it....

The pices I work with looks like this https://www.amazon.com/Zoo-Med-Natural-Round-Extra/dp/B001F9ANVG I bridge them together with epvc and then fill in the gaps with paperclay.

Exo Terra Glass Natural Terrarium Nano/Tall - 8 x 8 x 12 Inches https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0041P5PBE/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_ociTAb97ASA23

Is this what you’re talking about

These are terrible. For snakes, you want to ditch the coloured bulbs & go for ceramic emitters (http://www.amazon.com/BYB-Ceramic-Infrared-Emitter-Brooder/dp/B00HFNZ59Q) in a porcelain clamp lamp such as http://www.amazon.com/Zoo-Med-Deluxe-Porcelain-8-5-Inch/dp/B0002AQCXM/ attached to a stand such as http://www.amazon.com/Zoo-Med-Reptile-Stand-Economy/dp/B000HG76B8 (highly recommended as ceramic emitters are a large fire hazard, reaching over 700f) . Exo terra terraniums such as http://www.amazon.com/Exo-Terra-Short-Terrarium-12-Inch/dp/B008N9LYJ6 are great for beginner snakes which don't have unusually high humidity requirements (mesh tops found on glass tanks let out lots of humidity compared to e.g. plastic tubs with air holes melted via soldering iron). While the ceramic emitter will raise the ambient temperature, your snake will also want a very warm spot to go to for belly heat to aid digestion, so a heat mat such as http://www.amazon.com/Zoo-Med-ReptiTherm®-Heater-Medium/dp/B0002AQCL4/ attached to a thermostat such as http://www.amazon.com/MTPRTC-ETL-Certified-Thermostat-Germination-Reptiles/dp/B000NZZG3S/ is highly recommended. The thermostat is not optional as heat mat's reach over 105f which can be fatal. As for supplementary light in e.g. winter, snakes have no special requirements as compared to other reptiles for uva/uvb, so any desk lamp or room lighting would suffice. As for decoration, snakes don't care. Hides can be made out of cereal boxes, butter containers etc, substrate can be newspapers, shredded tissue paper (not shredded paper as it causes cuts), or you can research more professional substrate for your specific snake (beware the earthy substrate which can cause impactation/death if ingested, also wood chips can harbour mites - simple paper is often better!). As for monitoring humidity/temperature within the tank, the analogue ones suck. I would recommend a digital one such as http://www.amazon.com/Avianweb-Digital-Thermo-Hygrometer-Black/dp/B00U2S6JSC/ - even if 10% out as per reviews, they are better than analogues which are 20-30%+ out and get more inaccurate over time. Finally, not required, but useful is an ir gun such as http://www.amazon.com/Etekcity-Lasergrip-774-Non-contact-Thermometer/dp/B00837ZGRY/ so that you can get a sense of the surface temperatures around the tank that your snake is crawling across, and to ensure your hot hide is within parameters and not lethally exceeding 105f.

Try getting a repti-hammock to expand vertically. This is the large size and takes up about 1/3 of my 40 gal breeder, it should be big enough for your guy. I haven't had any real issues with the suction cups coming off either, and they're replaceable if you do.

Okay I sort of figured they might need something else.

Do you think this would work okay for several dozen if I give them some layers of egg crate to hide in?

This is the best one I have gotten. They have smaller sizes if you don't need one this big. My Vinny is a growing girl. I got tired of buying one every couple of months when they would stop being able to hold her weight. I bought this one over a year ago. It's sturdy, very well made. I know it's a little pricy, but it's the last one you'll have to buy for a long time.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0006L12HS/ref=mp_s_a_1_7?ie=UTF8&qid=1517461329&sr=8-7&keywords=turtle+basking+platform&dpPl=1&dpID=41vPk45-qeL&ref=plSrch

What a nice enclosure! You should be able to fit several snug hides in there, more than the minimum 2. It’s always good to offer hides throughout the temperature gradient. I would also fill the other empty space with fake plants and branches. BPs don’t like a lot of empty space where they feel exposed. You could also do an elevated hide attached to the ceiling. Reptile basics has this kit that works with their large hide boxes. My BPs enjoy their snake cave hides, which I use as a supplementary middle hide.

Fluker's Castle Crib Reptile Basking Platform, Large, Assorted colors https://www.amazon.com/dp/B003T0GIT0/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_lNXYDbYZD49V3 found petco selling it on amazon for you if it’s not on their own site!

I own a gargoyle and a crested, and 20 gal is roughly the biggest I'd need for each of them. That said, it's better if the tank is taller so I have this for my bigger gargoyle gecko and this for my younger, smaller crested.

I can answer any questions you have about these two species via DM if need be but I don't have much experience with other species.

Amazon sells reptibreeze. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B001PHABI8/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_awdb_t1_2FcaBbD2VJHJ2

Local reptile shop near me, this is is the product:
http://www.amazon.com/Zoo-Med-Reptile-Hammock-17-Inch/dp/B0002AQDKO

http://www.amazon.com/Exo-Terra-Glass-Natural-Terrarium/dp/B0041P5PBE

https://www.amazon.com/Zoo-Med-Reptile-Hammock-17-5-Inch/dp/B0002AQDKO/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1485410801&sr=8-1&keywords=reptile+hammock

Zoo Med Mesh Reptile Hammock, 17.5-Inch https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0002AQDKO/ref=cm_sw_r_sms_c_api_1LZ4yb5DWJ438

For ten gallon tank

Nope I ordered it from amazon

https://www.amazon.com/Penn-Plax-14x14-Lizard-Lounger-Large/dp/B013T6XPVC/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&qid=1486446596&sr=8-6&keywords=reptile+hammock

Here you are.


The pricing is dependant on the size you choose.

Judging by the single door, they look like Exo Terra Nano Tall Terrarium. They're 8"x8"x12". I use the mini tall that are 12"x12"x18" for my arboreals.

Edit: I would like to add, if you're considering buying one (or some) of these cages, I don't recommend ordering them online. I bought 2 from Amazon. One showed up fine, but the other one (according to the FedEx tracking site) made it to the FedEx facility nearest me, was marked "damaged" and returned to the seller. They issued me a refund, and I ordered a replacement. When it arrived at my house, one of the glass walls was broken. So, of the 3 I ordered, only 1 made it intact. I got another refund on the 3rd one and went to Pet Smart to buy one.

The problem with shipping them is when they're packaged, the glass doors aren't installed, they're just taped together and loose inside the terrarium. So you're basically shipping a large glass box with 2 panes of glass rattling around inside. And neither of the sellers I ordered from on Amazon even marked the boxes "fragile" or "glass".

I got mine off amazon, ill get you a link

Edit: Heres the link https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B001OVGPN0/ref=psdcmw_2975518011_t2_B0002AQDKO

I really need a new enclosure for my chameleon. He is getting big very quickly and is outgrowing his current enclosure. I don't have a job, otherwise I would have gotten this a while ago. Poor little guy paces his cage all day.

I have this one, no escapes yet! I did remove the foam in the back, since my noodle is small enough to get behind it, and I also jammed the holes in the top for cords closed with a broken chop-stick.

If that is a mesh cage they are hard to see through and cleaning them are a pain. I'd suggest:
http://www.amazon.com/Zoo-Med-ReptiBreeze-Screen-48-Inches/dp/B001PHABI8/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1373590853&sr=8-1&keywords=reptibreeze+24x24x48

I really need this because my tarantula is outgrowing her current housing and has hardly any moving room for her legs. I know a lot of people here hate spiders,but she is a living creature and she deserves a home that can accommodate her needs. I feel really bad even asking since it's a little on the pricy side, but I haven't had a paycheck in months because of some holdup with my office's policy.

Pet terrarium

Im not entirely sure but i believe it was dehydration. My mother thinks its her fault because she hasn't been spraying down her cage while im at school. As for what I use-

I just changed her heat bulb to a 75 watt reptile heat one

Humidity has been hard for the past few days, but i manage to get it past 60 atleast, and when im home i make sure to spray her enclosure down a lot.

As for the cage, its the X-large reptile screen cage from zoomed, https://www.amazon.com/Zoo-Med-ReptiBreeze-Screen-48-Inches/dp/B001PHABI8/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1541196742&sr=8-1&keywords=extra+large+reptile+screen+cage

She eats both dubias and crickets, she refuses to eat vegetables or fruit that i try to give her.

Her food is dusted with Repti-calcium WITH D3 from zoomed.

I currently cannot take her to a vet since its 6 pm for me right now, my mother and I don't believe she'll make it until tomorrow. Ill see if i can get to an emergency one. She's also slightly moving around more and more and has opened her right eye a few times.

Will post pics soon.