# Thinking of setting up an enclosure for lizards ,recommendations please.



## 72Fastback (Jan 2, 2013)

Hello 
I have just joined here as title suggests I'm toying with the idea of a lizard setup and would like some advice on suitable occupants. 

First up a bit about me. 
I'm an experienced aquarist but have recently lost interest in the hobby. I mainly kept Central and South American cichlids. I've had numerous setups over the years, my last I constructed my self out of steel with one viewing pane (pics and more info to follow) .
I have also built a pond in the back garden with a custom filtration system. It contains Koi and goldfish along with wild Rudd and Gudgeon. 
I did once keep a couple of bearded dragons when their owner lost interest in them. So am competent with that level of requirement . My brother also had a Yemeni Chameleon and I cared for him from time to time. 

Anyway enough rambling let's cut to the chase .

What I'm thinking of is turning my DIY 200+ gal corner tank into a lizard enclosure. 
I was thinking of still keeping a watery theme to it and have envisioned as scene with rockwork and branches over hanging a water filled base possibly containing some small fish? 
The tank has gas tap controlled outlets at the bottom and inlets at the top of the side walls. This way draining the tank for water changes ,cleaning etc is hassle free. 
The filters on the tank are large and very powerful so I will need to adjust the flow rate as I'm thinking the return should be via a waterfall down the rockwork from one of the inlets. 
Can you see what I'm thinking? 

Now here's where you come in.. 
What type of lizards if any could you see living in such an enclosure? 
The tank is outside in an insulated shed which is built onto the side of the house so while ambient temps are lower than average room temps it's never really cold although winter time heating 200 odd gallons of water for tropical Cichlids did send the meter spinning at times....

Measurements of the tank are approx 6foot wide 4foot front to back and just over 3foot tall .






































What do you reckon then? Any more info just ask. 

Thanks in advance 
Andrew


----------



## tomcannon (Jan 2, 2008)

If there was a way to extend its height then it would be great for water dragons, Chinese or Australian, sailfin (hydrosaurus), basilisk to name a few. With the small height I'm not so sure on what it would suit if you're set on a large water area.


----------



## harry136 (Aug 2, 2012)

You could keep arboreal geckos into, ie, madagascan day geckos.


----------



## 72Fastback (Jan 2, 2013)

Well yes that wouldn't be a problem.. I could extend right up to the ceiling with netting? but then I'd not be able to contain humidity would that be a problem? the depth of water would be easily changed thinking less than a foot deep and with protruding rock and branches so would still be usable space.


----------



## tomcannon (Jan 2, 2008)

They all require high humidity as you'd expect with the water and I'm sure this would be nigh on impossible to maintain with the extension in mesh I'm afraid. I certainly can't think of any lizard that requires/likes high volumes of water and low humidity, can't see it being possible. Sorry I can't be of more help, hopefully someone else can think of a suitable lizard.


----------



## 72Fastback (Jan 2, 2013)

Thanks Harry I'll look into them. 

Tom, so you'd advise dropping the water quantity.. 
That's no problem.


----------



## tomcannon (Jan 2, 2008)

72Fastback said:


> Thanks Harry I'll look into them.
> 
> Tom, so you'd advise dropping the water quantity..
> That's no problem.


No, a foot would be fine, a deep pool is beneficial to the reps I mentioned just they need a good 6ft height so the enclosure would have to be extended and it would have to be something other than mesh to keep humidity in.

Edit: Personally I would build a second steel or sealed wooden frame (the same as the first) without a floor but with a roof and sit it on top of this one. You could then have the foot or so of water as you planned and a good 5ft of air space above this with various branches, ledges, etc. you then have the top section with frontward opening/sliding doors for access.


----------



## 72Fastback (Jan 2, 2013)

tomcannon said:


> No, a foot would be fine, a deep pool is beneficial to the reps I mentioned just they need a good 6ft height so the enclosure would have to be extended and it would have to be something other than mesh to keep humidity in.
> 
> Personally I would build a second steel frame (the same as the first) without a floor but with a roof and sit it on top of this one. You could then have the foot or so of water as you planned and a good 5ft of air space above this with various branches, ledges, etc.


Yes that would be nice but the steel frame along with the water proof paints was neither a quick or cheap build.. Although this second one wouldn't need to be anywhere near as strong as the first I was hoping for a quick switch over to reps. 
I will look into building another frame though as I like your thinking . A floor to ceiling enclosure would be sweet! 

But for now maybe water dragons, basilisks etc are not the way to go... Maybe loosing the water and different a inhabitant .


----------



## tomcannon (Jan 2, 2008)

72Fastback said:


> Yes that would be nice but the steel frame along with the water proof paints was neither a quick or cheap build.. Although this second one wouldn't need to be anywhere near as strong as the first I was hoping for a quick switch over to reps.
> I will look into building another frame though as I like your thinking . A floor to ceiling enclosure would be sweet!
> 
> But for now maybe water dragons, basilisks etc are not the way to go... Maybe loosing the water and different a inhabitant .


Loosing the water would open it up to a whole different variety of suitable reps however a simple wooden frame with glass sliding doors would not be expensive, would look awesome and with a bottom suitable for that sheer volume of water then you want to use it properly. A water dragon, sailfin or basilisk would look the nuts in this. As you said you can have a few small fish at the bottom and they love swimming so would enjoy every minute of it. 

In my eyes a waterless setup would be a waste of what you've got! Build the frame, go on, I dare you! :whistling2:


----------



## 72Fastback (Jan 2, 2013)

tomcannon said:


> Loosing the water would open it up to a whole different variety of suitable reps however a simple wooden frame with glass sliding doors would not be expensive, would look awesome and with a bottom suitable for that sheer volume of water then you want to use it properly. A water dragon, sailfin or basilisk would look the nuts in this. As you said you can have a few small fish at the bottom and they love swimming so would enjoy every minute of it.
> 
> In my eyes a waterless setup would be a waste of what you've got! Build the frame, go on, I dare you! :whistling2:


Ok I hear you I will give it some thought tomorrow..

If I were go this route can you advise of what equipment I need where best to place heat lamps etc.


----------



## tomcannon (Jan 2, 2008)

72Fastback said:


> Ok I hear you I will give it some thought tomorrow..
> 
> If I were go this route can you advise of what equipment I need where best to place heat lamps etc.


I'm not 100% on all of their habitats so its best if you decided on what rep you wanted and then search for its needs but in basic you would need heat and uv. Both would be roof mounted. A UV strip along the top and a standard basking lamp set on a dimming thermostat. As I said though I'm not 100% on these habitats so there may be something I've missed.


----------



## jools (Apr 4, 2009)

Tom is right in what he has said. I certainly wouldn't recommend day geckos in there as another person has suggested.

If you didn't want to extend upwards had you thought about turtles? They would look amazing.


----------



## my_shed (Jan 5, 2011)

Have you thought about doing a large planted viv with anoles or perhaps amphibs? That tank looks like it would lend itself to something of this type with a lid and some slight modification.

Dave


----------



## 72Fastback (Jan 2, 2013)

jools said:


> Tom is right in what he has said. I certainly wouldn't recommend day geckos in there as another person has suggested.
> 
> If you didn't want to extend upwards had you thought about turtles? They would look amazing.


Turtles have crossed my mind before as in a possible addition to a cichlid setup but essentially being just a couple of platforms in a fish tank. Can you give me an example species and setup layout. 
Cheers



tomcannon said:


> I'm not 100% on all of their habitats so its best if you decided on what rep you wanted and then search for its needs but in basic you would need heat and uv. Both would be roof mounted. A UV strip along the top and a standard basking lamp set on a dimming thermostat. As I said though I'm not 100% on these habitats so there may be something I've missed.


Tom I'm really liking the idea of green/plumed basilisks as hail from Central America I could even have relatively biotypically correct setup with the inclusion of a few small cichlids .....
one thing I'm not sure of is the space these lizards need don't they get to around 2.5'? And are quite lively. for housing something of this size I'd expect to see an enclosure 8' cubed ...maybe I've read erroneous info. Please let me know some more of your thoughts ta.



my_shed said:


> Have you thought about doing a large planted viv with anoles or perhaps amphibs? That tank looks like it would lend itself to something of this type with a lid and some slight modification.
> 
> Dave


HI I've never got on with plants in my aquariums before but maybe non aquatic plants would be easier? Would I require any extra lightning other than whats required for the lizards? Reasons being setup and running costs .

I do like anoles though and they've cropped up in my researching a couple of times. Tell me more if you can. Or point me in the direction of some decent care sheets or profiles ta.

Agamas have caught my eye too what sort of setup would suit any of these guys? 

Thanks for all your help so far.


----------



## tomcannon (Jan 2, 2008)

72Fastback said:


> Tom I'm really liking the idea of green/plumed basilisks as hail from Central America I could even have relatively biotypically correct setup with the inclusion of a few small cichlids .....
> one thing I'm not sure of is the space these lizards need don't they get to around 2.5'? And are quite lively. for housing something of this size I'd expect to see an enclosure 8' cubed ...maybe I've read erroneous info. Please let me know some more of your thoughts ta.
> 
> Thanks for all your help so far.


If I'm being quite honest with you I don't actually know. When I suggested those species I was thinking more of a single lizard as apposed to a pair or group and I have very little knowledge of both basilisks and sailfins although I would have thought a 6ft high by 6ft wide enclosure would be ok for a single adult water dragon or similar sized lizard. Best take a look at their specific care sheets and hopefully someone with greater knowledge will be able to help on the subject.


----------



## Meko (Apr 29, 2007)

to be honest, I'd still go for extending the height. You wouldn't need a steel frame for it as the weight of a wooden unit should hold it in place. 
All you'd need to do is build the bottom, the same dimensions as the top of the tank, and lift it in place.


----------



## 72Fastback (Jan 2, 2013)

Meko said:


> to be honest, I'd still go for extending the height. You wouldn't need a steel frame for it as the weight of a wooden unit should hold it in place.
> All you'd need to do is build the bottom, the same dimensions as the top of the tank, and lift it in place.


Thanks Meko, the build doesn't trouble me it's more what to house in it. I ideally didn't want to spend anymore on it. I do have wood possibly steel even to hand so the only cost would be the glass so will be measuring up later this afternoon.
Any ideas for a background on the top section? The bottom has a top layer of rubberized paint designed for sealing ponds so could just continue with that maybe in a green colour. ....
any ideas?


----------



## Meko (Apr 29, 2007)

I used camoflage tarpaulin on the back of my crestie viv. Cheap, waterproof and tree coloured! although you need to leave it a bit baggy to help with gripping it.

CAMOUFLAGE TARPAULIN SHEET 8FT X 10FT 2.4M 3.0M CAMT1A | eBay


----------



## 72Fastback (Jan 2, 2013)

Excellent ! Thankyou


----------



## tomcannon (Jan 2, 2008)

This could be extremely interesting! Keep us informed.


----------



## ScalezandTailz (Sep 22, 2010)

I know it terrestrial but what about ackies? I keep a quad together and ive never owned such entertaining species! They're very tameable and their antics are both interesting and funny. They love tunnelling, climbing, exploring and you'd have a chance of viewing all of that, plus the setup looks deep enough to be able to build a multilevel wood structure. With some fairly strong wire mesh attached to the top in a hinge fashion you could create a lock at the front and simply place some basking lights and a UV tube on top of the enclosure.... Argh! It could look awesome!! You must at least consider the option of being able to see tunnels and nests that the rest of us don't really have the opportunity of doing...
I'll be watching this thread, this could go so many ways it'll be fascinating to see what you do...
Scalez


----------



## 72Fastback (Jan 2, 2013)

ScalezandTailz said:


> I know it terrestrial but what about ackies? I keep a quad together and ive never owned such entertaining species! They're very tameable and their antics are both interesting and funny. They love tunnelling, climbing, exploring and you'd have a chance of viewing all of that, plus the setup looks deep enough to be able to build a multilevel wood structure. With some fairly strong wire mesh attached to the top in a hinge fashion you could create a lock at the front and simply place some basking lights and a UV tube on top of the enclosure.... Argh! It could look awesome!! You must at least consider the option of being able to see tunnels and nests that the rest of us don't really have the opportunity of doing...
> I'll be watching this thread, this could go so many ways it'll be fascinating to see what you do...
> Scalez


Thanks for your input, I'm still entertaining all options and am in no rush. 

Can you give me more info on "ackies" cos I don't have a clue what your talking about... 
Do you have any links to pics of setups so I can get inspired. 

Didn't get round to measuring up this afternoon but I did get the tank drained and fish rehomed back out in the pond.

Ps. I should add that another factor in choosing the ideal species would be colour. Not for my benefit ,some of my fave fish I kept were dull brown things most peeps wouldn't look twice at. But my daughter just coming up to a 1 year old would appreciate the more colourful species.


----------



## ronnyjodes (Apr 29, 2011)

My brother in law has a similar tank and I've been screaming at him for ages about converting it for dart frogs- you could still have a waterfall and an area of water albeit shallow as they're not amazing swimmers. They make incredible displays subjects and re about as colourful as it gets- d.leucomela are ideal for beginner dart keepers and are bright yellow  .
Whatever you decide to keep if it's a tropical/woodland species I'd go for live plants which really are a lot easier to work with than you'd think and will give you something else to look at and work with while the inhabitants aren't out doing their thing.


----------



## my_shed (Jan 5, 2011)

72Fastback said:


> HI I've never got on with plants in my aquariums before but maybe non aquatic plants would be easier? Would I require any extra lightning other than whats required for the lizards? Reasons being setup and running costs .
> 
> I do like anoles though and they've cropped up in my researching a couple of times. Tell me more if you can. Or point me in the direction of some decent care sheets or profiles ta.



For the anoles, search here Lizard Care Sheets - Reptile Forums

For the plants, you need a daylight bulb/tube, this is a bulb that gives out light in the same range as sunlight, which allows the plants to photosynthesise, etc. A 2% exo terra tube, or an arcadia tropical pro is fine. I run a few planted vivs, zero cleaning, easy maintenance of humidity, far more attractive, the benefits are endless! Cannot recommend it enough. 

Darts would be great in here, as said above, and thats the way I was leaning earlier when I suggested amphibs, I think you've got a perfect display viv for them, and it'd be very easy to make suitable for them.

Dave


----------



## 72Fastback (Jan 2, 2013)

ronnyjodes said:


> My brother in law has a similar tank and I've been screaming at him for ages about converting it for dart frogs- you could still have a waterfall and an area of water albeit shallow as they're not amazing swimmers. They make incredible displays subjects and re about as colourful as it gets- d.leucomela are ideal for beginner dart keepers and are bright yellow  .
> Whatever you decide to keep if it's a tropical/woodland species I'd go for live plants which really are a lot easier to work with than you'd think and will give you something else to look at and work with while the inhabitants aren't out doing their thing.


Yep another nice idea, thanks 
First thought though is how many of these guys can you house together? And secondly if a group numerous enough to fill the tank is possible it could cost??? In livestock. Although obviously the relatively huge space would be excellent for the frogs I might not get to see them often. Most of the setups ive seen on here look tiny in comparison.


----------

