I have an old 10 gallon fish tank on a nice stand taking up space in my living room and instead of throwing it out I want to get a new pet besides fish.
I was looking up some info on iguanas but read that they can get really huge and are sometimes dangerous when full grown. I have kids so I had to scratch that one off the list. But I definitely want something that can be handled not just stared at through the glass.
#37525, "RE: Needed Some Suggestions for a New Pet" In response to Reply # 0 Dec-21-08 05:00 PM by slowmitsu
Originally posted by DanKid I have an old 10 gallon fish tank on a nice stand taking up space in my living room and instead of throwing it out I want to get a new pet besides fish. I was looking up some info on iguanas but read that they can get really huge and are sometimes dangerous when full grown. I have kids so I had to scratch that one off the list. But I definitely want something that can be handled not just stared at through the glass. Any suggestions??
Iguanas are the cow of the lizard world. Mean, incredibly stupid and they can get huge. I would suggest a bearded dragon. They only get to be between 1 to 3 feet from snout to the tip of the tail so they can be handled. 95% of them are very mild mannered and upkeep on them is a breeze.
Edit:
Here is Spike:
Here is Scooter:
I'm a bigger fan of male beardies in pairs (from the same hatch). They interact well together and tend to be more social with humans than a single beardie brought up by itself. They do neat things like arm waving and head bobbing. Once in great while you can induce a tiny bit of stress to them by showing them a mirror and they will puff up their beard and release a small hiss. Single females more often than not tend to be rather anti-social from my own personal experiences. But they aren't any types of dangerous. They don't really have teeth per say so they can't bite the kiddos. If they don't have things to climb on in their tank their nails can get a little long and sharp but nothing horrible but you can clip them easily as their nail quicks are easily visible. About the biggest safety precaution would be to make sure you hands are clean before and after handling ANY lizard.
Scooter and Spike were obtained separately while in adult hood so I have to keep them separate.
Edit 2: I just noticed you said a 10 gallon tank.....that isn't going to be large enough for bearded dragons. That's probably only going to be large enough small lizards they the vast majority of those are not to be handled.
#37526, "RE: Needed Some Suggestions for a New Pet" In response to Reply # 1
Originally posted by slowmitsu
Here is Spike: Here is Scooter:
Thanks for the pics. Those look really cool. I'm gonna start doing some research on them. How big of a tank do you think I would need? I wouldn't mind spending some cash to have a nice looking pet like that. How are they maintenance wise? Do you have a lot of misc. bills with them like grooming, regular vet visits, etc...
#37527, "RE: Needed Some Suggestions for a New Pet" In response to Reply # 2 Dec-21-08 05:12 PM by slowmitsu
Originally posted by DanKid Thanks for the pics. Those look really cool. I'm gonna start doing some research on them. How big of a tank do you think I would need? I wouldn't mind spending some cash to have a nice looking pet like that. How are they maintenance wise? Do you have a lot of misc. bills with them like grooming, regular vet visits, etc...
I would suggest something in the 50 gallon range. My main tank at home is probably 3'x1.5'x1.5'. I picked it up on Craigslist for 20 bucks.
Maintenance is a breeze. Fresh water every day which they will rarely touch. They have a specific range of greens they will eat and you will find readily available at any grocery store. They will also eat about a couple dozen crickets ($3) about every 2-3 days (but that depends on how many greens they eat which they should be eating more of and less crickets as they age). I change the substrate about once a month. They defecate MAYBE twice a week and it's one simple scoop.
No real bills other than food and the last time I looked it up I spent about 30 bucks in food for one beardie in a month and I still had loads of extra greens. I've rarely had one get sick on me but most will pull through with some extra care. That being said I've never taken one to a vet. If you have to that will be expensive. Not many vets specialize in lizard care but with the internet at your disposal there is plenty of good info. Personally, I don't think lizard vets would be worth the cost. As cold hearted as it is to say, they are cost effectively replaceable unlike the family dog.
#37528, "RE: Needed Some Suggestions for a New Pet" In response to Reply # 3 Dec-21-08 06:12 PM by DanKid
Originally posted by slowmitsu I would suggest something in the 50 gallon range. My main tank at home is probably 3'x1.5'x1.5'. I picked it up on Craigslist for 20 bucks. Maintenance is a breeze. Fresh water every day which they will rarely touch. They have a specific range of greens they will eat and you will find readily available at any grocery store. They will also eat about a couple dozen crickets ($3) about every 2-3 days (but that depends on how many greens they eat which they should be eating more of and less crickets as they age). I change the substrate about once a month. They defecate MAYBE twice a week and it's one simple scoop. No real bills other than food and the last time I looked it up I spent about 30 bucks in food for one beardie in a month and I still had loads of extra greens. I've rarely had one get sick on me but most will pull through with some extra care. That being said I've never taken one to a vet. If you have to that will be expensive. Not many vets specialize in lizard care but with the internet at your disposal there is plenty of good info. Personally, I don't think lizard vets would be worth the cost. As cold hearted as it is to say, they are cost effectively replaceable unlike the family dog.
Thanks for the reply man. I will definitely pick one up as soon as I get a nice size tank and any other supplies that it will need. It's pretty cold in my living room so I'm gonna also be picking up something to keep the tank warm. I will post up some pics once I pick one up. Thanks again.
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That's probably only going to be large enough small lizards they the vast majority of those are not to be handled.