# chineese water dragon info



## grovehead (Feb 10, 2010)

im getting a chineese water dragon next week and i was wondering if any water dragon owners can give me any useful advice ... its a baby that im getting


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## Rthompson (Feb 19, 2011)

Certainly can, Chinese Water Dragons are exactly what it says, Water dragons, they like humidity in their homes with plenty of plants to hide and climb in.

As per usual daytime reptiles you will need a UVB Tube (5.0) for a terrarium and a basking spot light of around 100 Watts.

For good digestion they require a basking area of around 90 - 95 degrees and a general tank temperature of 80+

Be sure to supply a large bowl of water for the dragon to swim / bath in and that it is big enough for him to curl up his entire body into, this will need changing regularly as they tend to use it as the toilet aswell.

Give him a big enough Hide at either end of the tank so he has something to climb on and into to get away.

As for food, they are not big veg eaters however this should be supplied, just your standard romaine lettuce and sliced carrot pieces (but nothing too big or fancy).

They will generally prefer Worms over Locusts and Crickets so I mix mine up, at full size it eats 2-3 Morio worms per day and perhaps 1 - 2 Locusts every other day, be sure to suppliment all food with Calcium and vitamins as per usual.

one of the biggest issues with Water Dragons is nose rub, they figure that because they can see through it they can move through it, so glass is frequently rubbed against causing sores and scabbing across the snout, often leading to infection.

You cannot prevent it, but you can do your best to minimize it, Ensure its a wooden vivarium with just the front glass panels, along the front of the vivarium plant thick plants that stop it seeing it's reflection and the outside world through the bottom 30% of the front windows, be sure not to make it strong plants so he cannot climb them.

Attached are a couple of images of my Setup so you can get an idea of what you are looking for.


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## grovehead (Feb 10, 2010)

cheers pal thats really helpful . i have a 4x2x2 viv for it to go in and i was thinking of putting a cat litter tray in 1 end with water in to bath etc . i was going to use bark ion the floor and branches to climb etc so looking at your viv pics i have got it right.

as for the food when you say worm do you mean meal worms & wax worms etc ?


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## Gemmatony10 (Oct 13, 2010)

Great advice from Rthomson :2thumb:

As stated, water is so important for them, although they may not always recognise it (weird I know) unless it is running water. I dont recommend a waterfall, as the water goes stagnent in a few days, and they can really only sit with there tummy against it, then the water runs down there body/tail flooding the floor of your viv. 

If you are using a wooden viv, make sure it is 100% sealed, as the edges on ours swolen up, and had to be thrown out :bash:

We converted a huge fish tank, adding a cement background with shelves (basking point) etc. A turtle filter to the left, that draws up the water into a tube that we have cable tied onto a plant and tricking down onto there log. Works perfect and keeps our water spotless, theres no risk of substrate impaction, is cheaper and is easy to clean out.

We have alot more braches in ours now, and are working on a wooden topper, but I would defo recommend doing this for your baby if you can get a big enough tank, it should do it a while.

Heres a short vid of jessie laying under the little waterfall and Bo swimming YouTube - gemmatony10's Channel


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## balmybaldwin (Mar 17, 2010)

Have a look at Tricia's Chinese Water Dragon, Reptile and Amphibian Care Page (Water Dragon care, Reptile care, Amphibian care)

Pretty much covers all you need to know...

I Take it you are aware that a 4x2x2 is no where near big enough for adults? (fine for a baby for a few months tho)


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## grovehead (Feb 10, 2010)

yeah i know it not big enough but i also have a 4ft tall 3 wide 2 deep viv that i had my iguana in before he moved into another viv 

oh that video was brill i love the idea of all the water in the bottom


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## Rthompson (Feb 19, 2011)

Yup a cat litter tray will be fine, don't fill it to the brim and account for the dragon getting in it, they don't splash around to much but if it is too full then just getting in may make it flow over, and as stated in a wooden Viv you may have a problem. that being said you can put waterproof materials underneath the substrate or seal off the edges.

Bark chips are fine for them they won't eat them 

a 4x2x2 will be sufficient for a long time, at 2 years old mine hasn't out grown it


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## Rthompson (Feb 19, 2011)

and I apologise I missed your other question

At full size mine eats Morio Worms (The Big Ass Meal Worm Style Things) and eats 2 or 3 of those a day with dusting

With yours it depends on it's physical size, if it's anything less than a year old stick to Locust if it will eat them or small amounts of meal worms each day 

Remember ofcourse the rule, don't feed it anything bigger than the space across its eyes


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## grovehead (Feb 10, 2010)

cheers buddy .. ive added you as a friend hope you dont mind its just so if i need to ask you anything i know who you are lol


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## Rthompson (Feb 19, 2011)

No problems mate


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## grovehead (Feb 10, 2010)

1 more question is it better to have the heat light over the water or on the other side of the viv ????


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## Rthompson (Feb 19, 2011)

It would usually be best to have the basking lamp somewhere he can sit out of the water


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## masivemike (Jan 18, 2010)

Water dragons prefer Hightower as they are aborial lizard and like to climb! And spend alot of time in trees! Mine was in a 4x4x2 and I wish I could of given him more space to climb and run! Brilliant lizards just neem a massive viv


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## grovehead (Feb 10, 2010)

cool enough said lol when i have its viv set up is it ok to message you a picture and you can then tell me if its ok ...


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## grovehead (Feb 10, 2010)

masivemike said:


> Water dragons prefer Hightower as they are aborial lizard and like to climb! And spend alot of time in trees! Mine was in a 4x4x2 and I wish I could of given him more space to climb and run! Brilliant lizards just neem a massive viv


 
i have got a 4 foot tall x 3 foot wide x 2 foot deep viv that my iggy was in before he got a bigger viv so when it out grows this 4x2x2 viv it can go in there


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## Rthompson (Feb 19, 2011)

Ofcourse, always willing to help someone trying to give a pet a happy home 

and Masivemike aye you can only do so much give them as much to climb as possible

When I move into my own house and maybe have a job, I pretty much plan on giving the guy a double viv with a swimming pool as the bottom layer  haha


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## grovehead (Feb 10, 2010)

cheers buddy :2thumb:


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## ryuk (Apr 23, 2010)

I've got 2 CWDs currently in a 4x2x2 .

I run a Zoo Med Habba Mist , have a large cat litter tray in for the water AND a Large Exo terra fountain. 

I keep mine on Zoo Med Reptile Carpet as one of them took to eating the Orchid bark for fun and it caused a prolapse! She's fine now and gone on to lay 2 clutches of eggs ( infertile ).

I'm picking up my 5x2x3.5 custom viv for them on Thursday so they have enough space to rock around in. I'm also looking potentially for a male as well for them.

I intend to put a fish tank in and get either a turtle filter or something similar to scrub the water as currently I have to change the cat litter tray every day and it's an ACHE! 

I'll edit this post with some photos when I get them uploaded.

basking spot , part of the water bowl and habba mist running . Theres a dig box I've left in as well.









This waffle









Yoshi and Waffle , water bowl , mister running , can't see the fountain . 









Yoshi and Waffle









Yoshi and Waffle , water bowl , fountain , habba mist , logs etc 









They really need the new space and I was hoping to get the new viv about 3 months ago but it's just taken a while to get it all sorted. I've got a 250W ceramic to go in on a pulse proportionate to heat the damn thing but should be enough for them to have space and fun to rock around in.


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## grovehead (Feb 10, 2010)

right im at the point were i need to get the temps done so what basking temp do i need and what temp in the middle/cool end do i need 

cheers in advance


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## winaldo (Dec 8, 2010)

nice photos off dragons there .
hi just thought would describe my set up as well as like reading about others .
i have young male water dragon which i bought as was being mistreated and kept in fish tank 2ft big 
so now he is in 
5ft high 3ft long 2.5ft deep viv built myself 
have understorage bed tub thing for a pool its filtered 
have various branches ramps ect 
i have 100w bulb above water 
also have another 2 100w bulbs at top off viv 
also have his uv bulb 
and at bottom i bought a baby humidifer to putt out a mist keep my humidity up as had problems keeping thatup but dont now


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## Rthompson (Feb 19, 2011)

Temperatures your looking at around 90 degrees in the basking area and around 80 in general


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## grovehead (Feb 10, 2010)

the nearest i can get it is 93f in basking area and 78 in the middle is this ok


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## Rthompson (Feb 19, 2011)

That will do him just fine


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## grovehead (Feb 10, 2010)

thats great im so looking forward to getting it im gunna call him yoshi lol and ive been told that hes around 10iches long so what age do you think he is roughly of course


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## Rthompson (Feb 19, 2011)

Providing that 10 inches includes his tail, he will only be about 3 months old, when fully grown your looking at 2 - 3 feet (including the tail which makes up over half their length)

since he's so small, feed him daily with small locust and meal worms, make sure he has a good supply of calcium, he will grow fast and will need it


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## grovehead (Feb 10, 2010)

nice one fella when i get him ill pm you a link to some photos 

cheers buddy you've been a great help


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## Rthompson (Feb 19, 2011)

Anytime, I look forward to seeing the little guy


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## grovehead (Feb 10, 2010)

this is a rough layout , im getting bark for substrate and a cat litter tray for a bath , im also going to put down a water proof sheet first










let me know what you think


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## Rthompson (Feb 19, 2011)

It's not bad to start off with, however I would make a point to get some form of plant in there to fill space and make him feel more at home, get some vines and thick rope around it so he can climb at all ends of the Viv


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## grovehead (Feb 10, 2010)

lol i forgot to put that i was getting some fake plants lol atleast im on the right track


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## Rthompson (Feb 19, 2011)

haha aye it's definately a good start, be sure to keep us updated when it's all working


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## grovehead (Feb 10, 2010)

will do pal , ill upload some more pics tomorrow when its got bark plants and bath in etc


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## _Jay_ (Dec 14, 2008)

Congrats mate, You'll find that if he's handable it's one of the coolest pets to have, as you'll find all your maintenance work so rewarding when your mates go WOW!
You've already had the best advice but one thing I would seriously consider is having a taller viv, they are a climbing lizard, they find comfort in hiding places and the fact they feel much more secure at height (vulnerable on the ground) means it's better to have a slimmer and taller viv rather than a wide short one..

you'll find they'll sit in the tallest part of the viv they can as they have very good eyesight to find prey on the deck.

The equipment you have in your viv can all be transferred into a tall viv and you'll find you have much happier dragons...


Good luck with it looks like he's in great hands.. :2thumb:


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## Salazare Slytherin (Oct 21, 2009)

Would just like to say I have never owned water dragons but my intention is obtaing a few this year. I have been reading alot on them so far and can honestly say that some of the information in this thread is Fantastic! I also learnt a few things myself Thankyou:2thumb:


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## Rthompson (Feb 19, 2011)

They are definately a rewarding pet to have, with the right handling they can be tamed really well, they are definately one of the more.. unique lizards to own


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## Salazare Slytherin (Oct 21, 2009)

Rthompson said:


> They are definately a rewarding pet to have, with the right handling they can be tamed really well, they are definately one of the more.. unique lizards to own


indeed I have looked after them before in places I have worked in e.t.c but never owned them.
would really enjoy a few I think, I have kept iguanas before still have one now comming up to 7 years so I am hoping I can keep up with these interesting little guys. (I should be able too lol) 
Just been researching them a hell of alot more for the moment.
I think I could manage with some.


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## grovehead (Feb 10, 2010)

ive got an iggy and hes lovely hes 6 now and really tame but he dont like my mrs lol ..


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## grovehead (Feb 10, 2010)

read the earlier posts mate and u will see i have a big tall viv that my iggy use be in lol


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## Salazare Slytherin (Oct 21, 2009)

grovehead said:


> read the earlier posts mate and u will see i have a big tall viv that my iggy use be in lol


nice dude  they rent the easiest but if I am honest I have found some lizard types easier than others and for me I find iguanas easier for myself too, I like most things that are green basilisks, water dragons, anoles and most forest dwelling such as horned dragons (although havent located many at my end just yet.) used to keep them though.
I wouldnt mind a basilisk either but its the space requirements too. 
either way water dragons are on my list for this year at some point.: victory:


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## Gemmatony10 (Oct 13, 2010)

In the wild, Water dragons mostly hang out on branches suspended just above the water, so they can dive in and hide when they feel insecure. Hence the reason that I have set up the fish tank with the 6 inches of water. It realy does make a lovely taking point of any room, and is wonderfull to watch them doing big belly floppers into the water, especialy at feeding time. 

heres another short vid, of Bo holding her breath under water and blowing bubbles. YouTube - gemmatony10's Channel They look so stunning when they are underwater too, wish I had a better camera to capture this 

Dont be worried if you find your dragon in the water on its back, looking like its not breathing.....there just playing dead....I almost had a stroke when I seen mine do it for the 1st time lol.

Jessie playing dead, and Bo wondering what the hell she is doing









And Bo, just after we got her










and our little jessie again


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## G.R/Trooper (Feb 20, 2011)

On the other hand you could grab a small aquarium and buy a cheap pump & filter to go in it. I got my aquarium free and the pump/filter was only £14.95 so it was a good bargain and saves a lot of water change time. Obviously it still needs changing, but not as often. Heres a pic of my new setup including the aquarium, just to give you idea's.


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## grovehead (Feb 10, 2010)

right ive finished my viv please have a look and let me know what you think 

please dont slate it as im proper happy with it


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## Salazare Slytherin (Oct 21, 2009)

That actually looks quite good? post it in the habitat section you may inspire other people to do something similar... dunno if its just me though cant see a uv light but that is all:no1:


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## Gemmatony10 (Oct 13, 2010)

Looks fantastic, great Job, maybe add a few more climbing branches though, like the bendy wire type : victory: there great


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## grovehead (Feb 10, 2010)

Salazare Slytherin said:


> That actually looks quite good? post it in the habitat section you may inspire other people to do something similar... dunno if its just me though cant see a uv light but that is all:no1:


 
its at the top lol


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## Salazare Slytherin (Oct 21, 2009)

Gemmatony10 said:


> Looks fantastic, great Job, maybe add a few more climbing branches though, like the bendy wire type : victory: there great


 
draped in junglevine thats what I love about setting up enclosures endless things you can do and try:2thumb:


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## Salazare Slytherin (Oct 21, 2009)

grovehead said:


> its at the top lol


basking bulb uv bulb or both?


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## grovehead (Feb 10, 2010)

Salazare Slytherin said:


> basking bulb uv bulb or both?


 
heat lamp plus 3foot uv tube


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## Salazare Slytherin (Oct 21, 2009)

grovehead said:


> heat lamp plus 3foot uv tube


 

:no1::no1::no1: Awesome just a few more climbing things would be appreciated other than that tis fine:2thumb:


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## grovehead (Feb 10, 2010)

gunna leave as it is coz he can climb all over the back , up under his heat light , over his water bath so he has loads of climbing room anymore and he wont be able to move


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## Salazare Slytherin (Oct 21, 2009)

grovehead said:


> gunna leave as it is coz he can climb all over the back , up under his heat light , over his water bath so he has loads of climbing room anymore and he wont be able to move


 
tis fine :2thumb:


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## Rthompson (Feb 19, 2011)

I'm afraid.. 

That your going to have to continue to be very happy with that, you've done a great job and he will be as happy as a pig in shit in that thing  very good job mate.


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## grovehead (Feb 10, 2010)

well chuffed!!! lol im happy with it . think ill do 1 like that for my bearded dragon , sod the iggy though last time i did his viv he wrecked it in a few days


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## grovehead (Feb 10, 2010)

well i have her and shes lovely here is a few pics of her


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## Rthompson (Feb 19, 2011)

Ahh so she was about 10 inches without the tail  I retract my earlier estimation and reckon she's around the 7 or 8 month old mark 

she looks lovely


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## grovehead (Feb 10, 2010)

shes about 12inch mate i think its the way the photo makes her look


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## ryuk (Apr 23, 2010)

Hey dude has she ever injured her knee joint ? You're giving her enough calcium etc and she's got UVB access obviously? Her right knee joint looks swollen in those photos. 

You're using something like Nutrabol or Nekton-MSA/Nekton-Rep. Has she ever dropped a clutch of eggs?


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## grovehead (Feb 10, 2010)

only had her an hour ffs lol .. i did notice her knee yes my reptile shop that i use said it was like that when they had her .. she gets around lovely so ill just keep my eye on her


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## ryuk (Apr 23, 2010)

HAHA sorry I didn't realize! Obviously joints etc make you think MDB straight away make sure she's getting a lot of calcium etc. Might be worth getting her into a vet for a check up if you get concerned. X-Ray would confirm bone probs. She might need a calcium injection to give her a boost. Dust the shit out of everything you feed her for a couple of weeks.


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## grovehead (Feb 10, 2010)

will do ... her knee is rock hard anyway so if it has been injured is healed up ..


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## ryuk (Apr 23, 2010)

could be calcified from a previous injury , got a beardie with a similar thing . He injured his leg and the resulting trauma eventually calcified around the joint. Couldn't operate on it because it was in a akward position and we weren't sure if it was a hematoma (sp?) or an abscess , if it'd been a bleeder he could have had a lot more problems opening him up. 

He's left leg is a little lumpy but he flys round his viv like a ninja! 

She seems like she's in good hands mate!


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## grovehead (Feb 10, 2010)

shes reat mate she runs round her viv like a headless chicken and happy and really likes being handled without any agresstion at all ... i just need a name for her now 

any ideas people


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## Rthompson (Feb 19, 2011)

Don't worry about that knee join, as long as she is fully mobile it won't matter, Water Dragons have a habit of jumping around quite viciously and landing awkwardly.

Mine has a surgically repaired from knee.. they are... idiot animals lmao

is she about 12 inches head to tail tip?


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## grovehead (Feb 10, 2010)

roughly mate give or take an inch ... im not worried about her knee shes very active and it dont bother her


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## Rthompson (Feb 19, 2011)

Ahhh right then yes, shes only a baby


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## grovehead (Feb 10, 2010)

was told a few months old


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## Rthompson (Feb 19, 2011)

sounds about right, at that length I wouldn't say anything older than 4 / 5 months


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## grovehead (Feb 10, 2010)

whats MBD???


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## Rthompson (Feb 19, 2011)

MBD is Metabolic Bone Disease, there is a thread on it stickied in this forum


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## grovehead (Feb 10, 2010)

it seems this knee problem is worse than i thought .....she can move her leg and it seems to be dead ... ive spoke to the shop owner (who is a friend) and she said to take her back in the morning to check her out 

im proper pee'd off now 

what do you guys think


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## Salazare Slytherin (Oct 21, 2009)

grovehead said:


> it seems this knee problem is worse than i thought .....she can move her leg and it seems to be dead ... ive spoke to the shop owner (who is a friend) and she said to take her back in the morning to check her out
> 
> im proper pee'd off now
> 
> what do you guys think


hmmmmm dunno it could be anything? I would get a second opinion definately but my motto is if in any doubt pick up the phone and phone your vet!: victory:


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## Rthompson (Feb 19, 2011)

could just be your basic joint injury like mine suffered, take her back see what they say about it, maybe a trip to the vet (that they should organise)


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## grovehead (Feb 10, 2010)

shes doing my head in now the little bugger , she can use it but it dont seem as strong as the other 1 .. i will take her back down to the place i got her but i want her back coz shes lovely 

is it usual for them to be so tame at that age because she lets you pick her up no problems and will sit in my hand and on my chest . i thought id have a big of a battle as i did with my iggy ?


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## Rthompson (Feb 19, 2011)

It's a big trust thing I guess.. usually water dragons can take significant handling in order to tame, so I guess she's just one that settles in easy enough, if your supporting her entire body when holding her they will sit quite comfortably without a problem, mine sits there for hours... I usually have to keep a towel underneath as he tends to not even want to move to go to the toilet -.-... eww right? ha

Well if shes moving about its probably fine, take her back for a check anyway, but it could just be your thinking its worse than it is out of concern, I'm, exactly the same, when he comes out and sits with the injured leg wonky or what looks like an awkward angle I'm constantly repositioning out of fear of snapping it or something


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## grovehead (Feb 10, 2010)

if i hang her from her front legs off my finger the good leg will tuck up but she just dangles the bad 1 .. but like i said before when she walks she does use it but it dont seem as strong as the other .. 

ill keep you all posted on whats been said at my mates shop were i got her ..


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## grovehead (Feb 10, 2010)

just found this on another site and it looks like the same problem 

Swollen Knee Injury - Reptile Forums | Herp Center


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## M reptile (Jan 29, 2011)

you need a big big water bowl so if the humidity is not perfect they can hydrate in it and swim to but if its a baby make sure it cant get out and what ever you do (don't ever use cocoanut husk) trust me bad idea

sorry know help with other question 

hope this help


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## grovehead (Feb 10, 2010)

i got a cat litter tray full of water in there


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## M reptile (Jan 29, 2011)

grovehead said:


> i got a cat litter tray full of water in there


good plan: victory:


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## ryuk (Apr 23, 2010)

I had a large exo terra water bowl in when they were little then moved to a cat litter tray that I change daily.

I'd say the knee looks more like an injury than MDB but I'm no vet , take her to the shop and all that but honestly I think she needs an x-ray to confirm any damage. Don't stress the joint too much in trying to see what the rotation is in it as you could end up aggravating it if it's healing or still injured.

My females leg went limp after a prolapse and for a long time she dragged it around but she's A1 now , just took time for the nerves to sort themselves out after the initial problem.

Hope she's ok and you end up keeping her regardless. I'd hate to think she went back to the shop and they just moved her on without taking proper care of her.


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## M reptile (Jan 29, 2011)

Rthompson said:


> It's not bad to start off with, however I would make a point to get some form of plant in there to fill space and make him feel more at home, get some vines and thick rope around it so he can climb at all ends of the Viv


X 2 also some young ones believe it or not love having a hide or two


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## lee b (Nov 5, 2008)

Rthompson said:


> a 4x2x2 will be sufficient for a long time, at 2 years old mine hasn't out grown it


 Looking at the pics of your male i would say he's more than ready for a higher viv,he would need at least a 4x3x2 at that size.:whistling2:


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## grovehead (Feb 10, 2010)

UPDATE!!! shes fine i took her down and its juat a knock from were shes been legging it round the viv . ive also noticed that shes using it loads more today which is good .. 

im so glad shes ok i cant get over how tame she is already shes sat on my left hand as im typing this lol 

still need a name though ???


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## Rthompson (Feb 19, 2011)

lee b said:


> Looking at the pics of your male i would say he's more than ready for a higher viv,he would need at least a 4x3x2 at that size.:whistling2:


Oh I have plans for a significantly larger viv in the near future for my little guy 

And I'm glad to see she has already tamed down, makes it alot more fun  as for a name... I was a nerd and based mine out of a game


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## grovehead (Feb 10, 2010)

lol im really struggling for a name its doing my head in a bit ,,, i cant call her no name forever


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## Salazare Slytherin (Oct 21, 2009)

grovehead said:


> lol im really struggling for a name its doing my head in a bit ,,, i cant call her no name forever


zombazilla
godric
zilla
Jasmine
Naz
narcissa 
e.t.c there is lots :no1:


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## kez30 (Jun 15, 2008)

Rthompson said:


> Certainly can, Chinese Water Dragons are exactly what it says, Water dragons, they like humidity in their homes with plenty of plants to hide and climb in.
> 
> As per usual daytime reptiles you will need a UVB Tube (5.0) for a terrarium and a basking spot light of around 100 Watts.
> 
> ...


Sorry but if you're not getting a bigger viv soon then you at least need to add some higher branches. That's not a good set up at all.


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## waterdragon555 (Nov 27, 2010)

I have 1 chineese water dragon he is called fash.He is only young i got him last year.They like mealworms and some eat salad.:2thumb:


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## Rthompson (Feb 19, 2011)

Someone should clearly read the amount of times I have stated... A new viv is in the works


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## kez30 (Jun 15, 2008)

Rthompson said:


> Someone should clearly read the amount of times I have stated... A new viv is in the works


Further back you mentioned having a double viv when you got your own house and job. Sorry if i've taken that the wrong way and that's another upgrade on top of the one you're doing soon. 

Perhaps if you post pics of your set up you should also point out that it isn't ideal, it's not a good idea to post that a 4 x 2 x 2 will be suitable for a long time either. Don't mean to be rude but if you ended up posting that in a thread that no one else answered, someone may take what you say to be right.


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## grovehead (Feb 10, 2010)

leave the bloke alone


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## Juzza12 (Jun 12, 2008)

grovehead said:


> leave the bloke alone


Like i said i'm not having a go but if i see questionable wrong/advice being given out i will say something. Thought we were all here to share/get advice because we want the best for our animals? 

ETA: OHs account wasn't logged out


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## Rthompson (Feb 19, 2011)

It's fine  your only doing what I would do if I saw something wrong, just understand that any advice I give is relevant to the specific case, Groveheads dragon is only very small and thus the setup I have for mine at the moment is suitable, and the one he has created is great.

If you see my other posts on the Other CWD threads where the dragons are far older I have made recommendations to suit the larger ones


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## ryuk (Apr 23, 2010)

@Grovehead :- Good to know she's ok. Just keep an eye on her . Hope you find a name for her soon  . Our animals have daft ass names. 

As for viv sizes I think it's fair to say everyone knows they need more space than a 4ftx18"x18" , or a 4ftx2ftx2ft. However in a lot of cases you've got to get a custom viv built! Mine started off in a 4ftx18"x18" then to a 4ftx2ftx2ft and finally will be a 5ftx2ftx3.5ft. I'm no cabinet maker or joiner and it took me a long time to find a reputable viv builder to make mine which I'll pick up this week.


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## grovehead (Feb 10, 2010)

like thompson has said i think my viv 4x2x2 is plenty big enough as my cwd is on a baby i have another viv which i housed my iggy in before he moved into his massive 1 and when my cwd out grows the 4x2x2 one ill move her into that 1 but not until that time comes ...

can i just say and i dont mean this to upset anyone but .. i think this is a good site with plenty of decent people willing to help eachother out .. but i reckon some people are way to eager to slate people and be quite over the top , theres a member on here that i talk to via pm who came on the other day to ask advice about her bearded dragon and people were slating her for this and that when she wasnt really doing anything wrong , when i first got my 1st bearded dragon i had it in a 3x1.5x1.5 viv and i got called all sorts of names for it . what im trying to say is some people on this site just need to tone it down a little and not bollock people or i can see new members getting really offended and not bother coming on the site again like the member i was talking about above that will only pm me for advice now and not post new treads


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## ryuk (Apr 23, 2010)

Theres some keyboard warriors on thats for sure! My attitude is to try to educate not denigrate. Also always have a good bullshit filter and a jackass blocker. 

I've seen nothing in this thread that makes me think anyone is "doing it wrong".


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## Salazare Slytherin (Oct 21, 2009)

I have actually enjoyed reading this thread, aint it great how peoples opinions vary according to husbandry and how things are interpretated.
:no1: good read.


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## Rthompson (Feb 19, 2011)

ryuk said:


> @Grovehead :- Good to know she's ok. Just keep an eye on her . Hope you find a name for her soon  . Our animals have daft ass names.
> 
> As for viv sizes I think it's fair to say everyone knows they need more space than a 4ftx18"x18" , or a 4ftx2ftx2ft. However in a lot of cases you've got to get a custom viv built! Mine started off in a 4ftx18"x18" then to a 4ftx2ftx2ft and finally will be a 5ftx2ftx3.5ft. I'm no cabinet maker or joiner and it took me a long time to find a reputable viv builder to make mine which I'll pick up this week.


you should check out Vivexotic.. not too expensive and do some great sizes 

and grovehead.. I couldn't agree more.. everyone needs advice, noone has it perfect.. but gotta keep it all in good spirit


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## ryuk (Apr 23, 2010)

got a viv exotic in my living room mate with my youngest beardie in it  they are very good. I was looking at one of their stacks before but it wasn't going to work for me. I had to go custom to fit the space and requirements I've got to work with.


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## Rthompson (Feb 19, 2011)

ahh thats a shame, I love their stackable designs, on do I ever plan on a wall of reptiles haha


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## *michael* (Jan 14, 2011)

I have a female Chinese Water Dragon. 
She was kind of a half rescue, whilst looking for a new reptile I saw her being kept in a small 3' viv with 3 of her larger clutch mates and a larger iguana, she had a burn on one leg bad shed and was under sized. I've had her for a year now and she's in full health, maybe a little undersized still!
When I first got her we kept her in a viv much like yours, but she was soon moved into the 4'tall3.5'long2'wide viv she is in now and again is getting upgraded into a 4'-4'-3' within the next two months.
In regards to feeding mine will only eat what moves so crickets locust roaches are fine but she'll hardly ever take worms, 

Your tank looks Ok for now, but personally I'd move her into a bigger setup already  mine loved the space! 

P.S when a C.W.D lays on its back it is not playing dead! it can kill them, their rib cage pushes into their lungs stopping them from breathing and makes them faint.


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## ryuk (Apr 23, 2010)

Got my turtle cliff coming tomorrow that has the F350 Exo Terra water filter in it so I can filter the water tank/pond/custom fish tank whatever i end up putting in there!

Also my 250W Ceramic will becoming at the same time so I can start to build this viv!

I'll post some pics when I start getting somewhere with this thing! 

Going to have to get a lot of stuff for it!!!


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## kayandjustin2010 (Oct 29, 2010)

just wanted to say good luck, i ended up converting a flat packed walldrobe with a few adjustments it works fine got on swimming pool and all, will upload pic morrow, one thing though how much does every ones eats mine seem not to eat much at allbut are still fat looking to me but to what i can see not grown in size but that could just be me.


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## grovehead (Feb 10, 2010)

how long do you reckon it will take for her to start eating proper ???


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## ryuk (Apr 23, 2010)

Heres the Large Exo Terra Turtle Cliff I ordered for their paddling pool . Modeled by waffle .

cliff









pump









it's a nice size looks good .

had to get a close up . Excuse the shed in process.









The pump is housed inside the cliff.


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## Rthompson (Feb 19, 2011)

haha, well I have to say someone looks very happy on their cliff  I have a 50 gallon I'm gonna put in the new viv when I get it ^_^ may have to look into a cliff too


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## grovehead (Feb 10, 2010)

we should turn this tread into the offical chinese water dragon thread


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## Rthompson (Feb 19, 2011)

I think we may already be there ^_^


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## ryuk (Apr 23, 2010)

picked it up for £35! surrey pet supplies is exceptional.


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## Rthompson (Feb 19, 2011)

I shall have to check my local pet stores, surrey is a good distance for me without a car


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## ryuk (Apr 23, 2010)

I'm in Yorkshire mate...they have this thing called the internet     
*sorry*


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## Rthompson (Feb 19, 2011)

didn't even realise they had a site ^_^


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## ryuk (Apr 23, 2010)

Reptile Food, livefoods, reptile supplies, online reptile shop, Exo Terra, Zoo Med, Pet Supplies, Hills, Royal Canin, James Wellbeloved,

they do a lot of decent kit at almost unbeatable prices! 

I recommend them, used them lots of late.


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## Rthompson (Feb 19, 2011)

Ahh, cheers for the heads up, will give it a check and keep it in mind


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## ryuk (Apr 23, 2010)

new viv came yesterday ! Only photo I have of it so far has our lass inside it  so I'll have to get a better one and I'll post it .

Need to varnish the back as the guy didn't have time to do it and I said I didn't mind. Got a hell of a lot to do before I can swap them over though :O.

Going to be at least 1 week before they can move over as I'm going to need to get a bigger UVB bulb to mount diagonally across the back of the viv. Probably going to use a 10% instead of a 5% as well just to be on the safe side.

Going to use my ceramic with pulse proportionate habistat but I've still got to work out where the best place to mount it is going to be! Also need to work out a basking spot , where I'm going to put the water trough etc and by a shit load of branches , plants and other stuff to keep them occupied!

I'll get some photos up in due course


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## G.R/Trooper (Feb 20, 2011)

Stick with the 5% dude not 10%. Most arboreals actually need to be able to avoid it at certain periods. I always place mine on the top of the viv rather than at the side. It always works out better for me although it is a struggle fitting and changing when the vivs already kitted out.


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## ryuk (Apr 23, 2010)

I've got a 5ftx2ftx3.5ft to light , I could just mount it over the top and allow for the floor area to not cast the UV.

If i mount it diagonally it'll the strongest points will be in the middle of the viv so there'll be areas where they can avoid it. I was going for the 10% just for the strength in certain spots. 

I appreciate you point though , I've still got time to change it  so I'll have a think on .


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## Rthompson (Feb 19, 2011)

Stick to the diagonal idea but keep to a 5% UVB, 10% is a bit much for them and 5% will do the trick with no problems


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## chris in ipswich (Dec 10, 2009)

Rthompson said:


> and I apologise I missed your other question
> 
> At full size mine eats Morio Worms (The Big Ass Meal Worm Style Things) and eats 2 or 3 of those a day with dusting
> 
> ...


 

uve got to be kidding me thats not much mine eats 8 crickets and 2 morios a day every day and he is about 2 yrs old


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## Juzza12 (Jun 12, 2008)

When i first got my CWDs i too thought they should only have a 5% but the UV tubes are actually pretty weak so a 10 or 12% is in fact fine. A couple of people on here have tested UV tubes and even an Arcadia 12% is only the equivilant of a cloudy day in the UK. Ideally a set up would have foliage where the dragon can hide if they want to regardless of the bulb you have, but there is no danger at all of using a stronger tube.

ET: Just came across one of the threads with regards to UV, anyone that thinks a 10 or 12% tube is too much have a read of this http://www.reptileforums.co.uk/forums/lizards/337116-brief-uvb-experiment-i-did.html


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## Rthompson (Feb 19, 2011)

chris in ipswich said:


> uve got to be kidding me thats not much mine eats 8 crickets and 2 morios a day every day and he is about 2 yrs old


It's all he chooses to eat within the space of a few minutes feeding session, his choice


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## Juzza12 (Jun 12, 2008)

Rthompson said:


> It's all he chooses to eat within the space of a few minutes feeding session, his choice


Won't he eat crickets or locusts? Have you tried roaches? My male can be a funny bugger with eating, sometimes he'll eat every day, sometimes every other and sometimes will go a few days without. He always makes up for it though.


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## Rthompson (Feb 19, 2011)

Nah he pays them no notice, I do leave a couple of 4th and 5th Locusts in there with him and every now and then he will chomp one down, but generally he ignores them and just loves his worms, every now and then he will chomp down more worms but usually just a couple.


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## ryuk (Apr 23, 2010)

10% will be fine for them and wont cause them any sickness , make them shed more than usual etc. I've used a 10% before for them when I needed to swap out a UVB. 

It'll be on a angle so it wont cast everywhere in the first place so the stronger the better.

I've considered actually putting 2 UVBs in there and getting the arcadia dual starter and running 2x 5%s but I'll see how it goes.


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## grovehead (Feb 10, 2010)

just a little update to let you all know how emerald is getting on . ive been feeding her on medium locust and wax worms and meal worms but she wouldnt touch the locusts at all (even though the shop said this is what shes been feed on) so today i thought id put some large crickets in and wow she went mad for them . so im well chuffed now hehe 

oh and her knee is doing great the swelling is going down a little and she uses it all the time so all is good there too


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## ryuk (Apr 23, 2010)

Been a while since I checked on this thread. Glad to her emerald is settling in and the knees not a problem.

I've had a mare getting my build done took them some time to get around to building my viv and then they built the bloody thing wrong! It's out but 3 inch in the depth which is quite a bit when you get into square inch on the space I've lost. Nothing can be done now and I can't afford to have it rebuilt at this stage :/. Approached 3 different people to build me a fish tank for the viv , all of them let me down so I sacked it off and went for a completely different solution.

What I've done now is get a storage box that almost matches the dimensions of the tank I needed, lined it with large pebbles and sat the turtle cliff ( with the F350 ) in their to filter the water. 

Yoshi on the turtle cliff.









It's a bit murky still due to all the silt not coming off the pebbles so I'm going to pressure wash the crap out of them until they are 100% safe to use.










I've got a pulse proportionate habistat to go in which will run my 250W Ceramic and a 4ft 5% uvb that I'm going to mount on an angle. I'm using a clamp lamp for ceramic so It's caged and easy to angle. 

Hopefully with a bit of luck I'll have it in place this weekend so I'll post some photos when it's done!


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## Rthompson (Feb 19, 2011)

Aye thats exactly the solution I came too for my water Dragon's swimming pool, Viv I got was just too short for the Glass tank I was going to use, so a giant Rub works great .. really need to get a filter in there though.. Yoshi looks happy as pie right there though!


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## ryuk (Apr 23, 2010)

Great minds and all that , wish I'd asked around earlier as I'd have done this solution from the get go! I'll let you know how the F350 holds up but from what I've seen of it so far it's a good solution for turtles and water dragons.

She was happier to be sat on the cliff shes not too use to having depth in her water so she freaked a couple of times bless her. She'll get use to it!


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## Rthompson (Feb 19, 2011)

Ayee Levi and Roxy were the same, as you may have saw earlier on the tank Levi came with had nothing more than a metal dish with enough room to curl up in, and Roxy had a shallow litter tray.. now they can properly swim around they seem a bit.. woah.. where the heck did that come from


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## ryuk (Apr 23, 2010)

Yeah I feel a bit bad as they've only ever had a deep cat litter tray and baths, so they've never had a large body of water to adapt to for long periods :/ 

Hopefully I'll have this viv completed with them inside it by Sunday with a bit of luck. Just need to find a source of large logs! Lots of shops charge a fortune for ones less than 4ft! I need some big ones so they've got a lot of places to go climb!


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## dazza1 (Jul 10, 2009)

Gemmatony10 said:


> In the wild, Water dragons mostly hang out on branches suspended just above the water, so they can dive in and hide when they feel insecure. Hence the reason that I have set up the fish tank with the 6 inches of water. It realy does make a lovely taking point of any room, and is wonderfull to watch them doing big belly floppers into the water, especialy at feeding time.
> 
> heres another short vid, of Bo holding her breath under water and blowing bubbles. YouTube - gemmatony10's Channel They look so stunning when they are underwater too, wish I had a better camera to capture this
> 
> ...


Hi there Gemmatony10 i was just wondering what gravel you have at the bottom of your pool??


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## Rthompson (Feb 19, 2011)

ryuk said:


> Yeah I feel a bit bad as they've only ever had a deep cat litter tray and baths, so they've never had a large body of water to adapt to for long periods :/
> 
> Hopefully I'll have this viv completed with them inside it by Sunday with a bit of luck. Just need to find a source of large logs! Lots of shops charge a fortune for ones less than 4ft! I need some big ones so they've got a lot of places to go climb!


I'd take a trip down the beach and rivers, see if you can find some Driftwood.. also down your local parks.. broken off branches work wonders for these guys.. as they tend not to eat plants you have alot of freedom in what you can use.. but the stuff will ofcourse need boiling and cleaning before being put in.


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## ryuk (Apr 23, 2010)

Isn't there some UK wood you're not supposed to use, I'm sure someone once told me you can't use "X" type of bark/branch . I live near 3 or 4 woods I can always go drag some stuff from them .

I always steep the wood/bark I get even if it's from shops , I don't trust anything .


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## Rthompson (Feb 19, 2011)

There may well be the odd sort you can't use... I would recommend confirming that as I too am unsure, but with our forests theres usually a decent variation ^_^


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## ryuk (Apr 23, 2010)

dazza1 said:


> Hi there Gemmatony10 i was just wondering what gravel you have at the bottom of your pool??


If it helps I'm using BnQ's own "white pebbles" they are nice and large so there's no chance of them getting digested or anything. You could use "Scotch pebbles" they are decent size too and are about £7 a bag, one bag of "white pebbles" did a decent coverage of the floor of my water pond thingy .


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## ryuk (Apr 23, 2010)

Rthompson said:


> There may well be the odd sort you can't use... I would recommend confirming that as I too am unsure, but with our forests theres usually a decent variation ^_^


Sounds like I'll be running around with the missus on the weekend trying to convince here we really need to put half the wood into the car .


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## Rthompson (Feb 19, 2011)

No Harm in that!


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## dazza1 (Jul 10, 2009)

ryuk said:


> 10% will be fine for them and wont cause them any sickness , make them shed more than usual etc. I've used a 10% before for them when I needed to swap out a UVB.
> 
> It'll be on a angle so it wont cast everywhere in the first place so the stronger the better.
> 
> I've considered actually putting 2 UVBs in there and getting the arcadia dual starter and running 2x 5%s but I'll see how it goes.


Funny you should say that ryuk, i am building my own viv for a cwd it is 6x4x2.5 and i have just bought the new arcadia dual starter, i payed a visit to scales and fangs on sunday and the owner advised i put 2 uvb bulbs in because of the hieght of my viv!!:2thumb:


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## Rthompson (Feb 19, 2011)

Use Reflectors and get some extra distance!


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## dazza1 (Jul 10, 2009)

ryuk said:


> Yeah I feel a bit bad as they've only ever had a deep cat litter tray and baths, so they've never had a large body of water to adapt to for long periods :/
> 
> Hopefully I'll have this viv completed with them inside it by Sunday with a bit of luck. Just need to find a source of large logs! Lots of shops charge a fortune for ones less than 4ft! I need some big ones so they've got a lot of places to go climb!


found this beauty in my local woods Did not cost a penny!!:2thumb:


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## dazza1 (Jul 10, 2009)

Rthompson said:


> Use Reflectors and get some extra distance!


Yeah he recommended that too:lol2:


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## ryuk (Apr 23, 2010)

BONUS! Thought about it a few times before but as I said before I've always been put off by the concern I'd end up using something I shouldn't!


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## ryuk (Apr 23, 2010)

dazza1 said:


> Funny you should say that ryuk, i am building my own viv for a cwd it is 6x4x2.5 and i have just bought the new arcadia dual starter, i payed a visit to scales and fangs on sunday and the owner advised i put 2 uvb bulbs in because of the hieght of my viv!!:2thumb:


There's an arcida dual starter you can get , I've managed to get away with using 1 4ft bulb mounted on an angle but I think you're going to need 2 with that beast .


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## dazza1 (Jul 10, 2009)

ryuk said:


> There's an arcida dual starter you can get , I've managed to get away with using 1 4ft bulb mounted on an angle but I think you're going to need 2 with that beast .


I got my dual starter from aquacadabra via ebay and was one of the cheapest i could find< was 39.50!!


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## ryuk (Apr 23, 2010)

It's cherry tree wood you're not supposed to use, I just checked my old notes on my laptop and it's in there!

Whatever I get'll need weighting down in the bath over night to make sure anything inside is dead!


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## Rthompson (Feb 19, 2011)

I'd just recommend jam packing your bath with it... soo much that it's lodged and can't float  ahaha


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## ryuk (Apr 23, 2010)

tie bricks around it and sink the stuff that's what I've done before...

That or I could buy a wet suit and a snorkle and sleep ontop of it over night.......:mf_dribble:


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## dazza1 (Jul 10, 2009)

The guy in scales n fangs told me to spray all the cracks and gnots that have all the nasties in with a spray bottle filled with hot water and bleach, and then wash it all out by pouring a boiled kettle all over it!


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## ryuk (Apr 23, 2010)

Yeah that's what I've always done with store bought stuff from the get go just because I'm paranoid . Boiling water and Beaphar clean has always done the trick for me.


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## ryuk (Apr 23, 2010)

Well had an emergency trip to the Vets today with Waffle! Finally got confirmation that Waffle is female so I have 2 girls ( which I've thought for a while ). She's had a bit of a bad day bless her , had to be knocked out and have her sinuses cleared because she'd got them gunked up from digging so much in the dig box. X-Ray proved she was a girl as she's full of eggs which is what I though. 

Up shot is I should be in the market for a male now .


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## Rthompson (Feb 19, 2011)

With 2 Females you can set yourself a lovely breeding Trio then!

I assume Waffles is feeling better now?


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## ryuk (Apr 23, 2010)

Still a picky eater and off the food at the minute but that's mainly down to the fact she's carrying eggs . Vets seen both my CWDs and they are a healthy weight ( if not a little be too loved  ). 

Got some photos of the poor dopey bugger in the vets today bless her 










She wasn't best pleased when she woke up  seems 100% better now though since we flushed her sinuses and gave her a calcium injection to help move these eggs along .


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## corbin.james (Mar 24, 2011)

Hey i have 2 CWD 1 male 1 female both in a 3x3x2 i was going to custom make a bigger viv and i wanted to put some sort of built in pool any ideas ??


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## Rthompson (Feb 19, 2011)

Depends on the size of the Viv your making tbh, I'm using a Large Rub which I will add a filter too, but the bigger the better, I will eventually be upgrading to an Aquarium Tank that is the length of the base ^_^


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## Rthompson (Feb 19, 2011)

ryuk said:


> Still a picky eater and off the food at the minute but that's mainly down to the fact she's carrying eggs . Vets seen both my CWDs and they are a healthy weight ( if not a little be too loved  ).
> 
> Got some photos of the poor dopey bugger in the vets today bless her
> 
> ...


I have to admit.. as out of it as she probably is there... it does look surprisingly comfortable...


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## corbin.james (Mar 24, 2011)

i was looking at about 5x4x4. I had an idea of putting my male in the bath and chucking a few goldfish in and letting him go at them are there any reasons not to or better fish to put in ??


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## Rthompson (Feb 19, 2011)

you can feed them small fish but I wouldn't say rely on that as the entire diet.
Small Guppies that sort of thing may be fine


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## corbin.james (Mar 24, 2011)

i was just going to do it as a treat every now and then. im feeding them large locust dusted with nurabol. i haven't seen them eat yet but locust keep disappearing but i dont know if my female is eating she just never comes out.


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## Rthompson (Feb 19, 2011)

They can be very secretive and picky eaters, if they are going missing and your seeing poop, they are being eaten


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## grovehead (Feb 10, 2010)

my tread lives on i see lol :mf_dribble:


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## Rthompson (Feb 19, 2011)

Well, this is the biggest thread around


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## grovehead (Feb 10, 2010)

ill try and get some updated pics on later .. emerald is doing great growing fast too


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## ryuk (Apr 23, 2010)

Rthompson said:


> I have to admit.. as out of it as she probably is there... it does look surprisingly comfortable...


She's fine , digging like a bloody eeeeedddjiiiiittttttt at minute! 

I've been on a wood gathering binge today and snaffled a few good logs. Just in the process of stripping the bark of them and getting them cleaned up. Going to get the pressure washer on them tomorrow and then I'm going to treat them before they go anywhere near the viv.

I've got a fecking nigh on 7ft log to clean up! hahaha! Should be moving the viv tomorrow with a bit of luck so it needs to be done by then!!!

Going to get the Turtleheater to put inside the Turtle Cliff so it'll have the 

F350 and this bad boy Exo Terra : Turtle Heater / Automatic Aquatic Heater

Should be pretty wick'!


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## Rthompson (Feb 19, 2011)

Sounds like those Dragons are about to become even happier!


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## stevens_1987 (Mar 1, 2011)

iv got the turtle cliff but in medium its a pretty good bit of kit also purchesd from surry pets i payed £32 deleverd got some vines today an getting more wood tomorrow im having trouble with photo bucket atm it keeps loading the mobile photo bucket :S is there any other way to up load them...? also i have water in there now an the other side is filled in with repti bark the tank is 100cm(L)100cm(H)48cm(W) iv got 2 cwd going in there.. heres a couple pics until i find out how to upload some more newer ones..

this is lois










new tank


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## Rthompson (Feb 19, 2011)

If you can, I would make the Water area deeper, although minimum requirements is half of their height, they enjoy sitting completely submerged and swimming if the room is given, they also like to dive in rather hastily.

As for the rest of it I won't comment, the central tree is a good start but as you are evidently aware you will need significantly more, so will wait for pictures of the new wood and vines 

I would also say that a 3x3x1.5 is a little cramped for 2 CWD's, they look quite young based on the pictures and seem quite small (if you could confirm their sizes that would be great) and it will do them for now, but Ideally for 2 CWD's you will want significantly more space, 4ft Wide x 5ft High at minimum and higher when possible.


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## stevens_1987 (Mar 1, 2011)

I would also say that a 3x3x1.5 is a little cramped for 2 CWD's, they look quite young based on the pictures and seem quite small (if you could confirm their sizes that would be great) and it will do them for now, but Ideally for 2 CWD's you will want significantly more space, 4ft Wide x 5ft High at minimum and higher when possible.[/QUOTE]


i dont mean to be nasty or rude or how ever an u can honistly take this as u wish..but... my viv is probs twice the size of urs an uv had ur cwd in there for 2 years i beleve u said in a earlya post so in theory acording to what u said i should be able to house 2 cwd's in my tank for atleast 2 years before upgrading to somthing bigger....? also im aware i need more funiture for it hence its a project build..(honistly im not bein funny its just the way its al worded) just think of me like marmite 

P.S.. not aware of there sizes as not measured them... however they are bred from my local store so i wil find out when they were hached for u tommrow..


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## Rthompson (Feb 19, 2011)

You are correct to bring up my previous posting and I will attempt to explain 

My Male CWD I took in a couple of months ago at 2 years of age, the tank I posted is what he was supplied with by the previous owner, although highly inadequate for him at his size and age, the 4x2x2 was suitable for the young juvenile Grovehead was taking in (based on rough size an age) and would have been for a little while. Obviously the only reason I brought this to the table is that 4x2x2 is easy to come across where as preparing the viv's of the correct size for adult CWD's takes time to aquire.

The Viv My two CWD's now reside in is a 4x5x2 (4x3x2 with a 4x2x2 Ontop)

You do not come across as rude to me, it is a fair point you bring up, I just thought I would explain the difference in scenario to prevent confusion.

To return to your dragons, definately be sure to find out hatch dates and measure them STV & STL, it will give you an idea of what size enclosure is suitable for them and when you may have to start thinking about a larger one.


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## ryuk (Apr 23, 2010)

Due to size constraints I'm running a 5x2x3.5 so far it's got MORE than enough space for my two ladies. Finally moved everyone over today!!! Took a HELL of a lot of work to get it all sorted but when it came to it through everything went together pretty quickly

I've still got A LOT of wood to get in there but that's enough for today!










There's 2 CWDs in there and the reflection of Beverly Hills Cop 2 in the glass hahahaha. If you look closely on the right you'll see yoshi on a log and on the left you'll see waffles tail behind the reflection of B.H.C.2 

I'll get some video shot of everything and get some better photos up in due course. Just to jiggered to do it today!


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## ryuk (Apr 23, 2010)

they seem to be settling in to the new gaff now, although waffle has taken to living in the top left hand corner most of the time!

waffle & water trough









yoshi on her perch 









Yoshi close up









lot of reflection but most of the woods now in


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## Rthompson (Feb 19, 2011)

Looking good, Nice work mate!


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## Rthompson (Feb 19, 2011)

Okay, so heres an update on my guys, I took the 4x2x2 off the top for the time being whilst I strengthen it from water damage and wire in a secondary Basking / UVB setup within the section.

So for now they are in the 4x3x2 Base (a little small) for two adult CWD's but I have ensured they have plenty to climb and plenty of room to swim and hide.

Lets start with a couple of photos of the happy couple.

















Here are a couple of the bottom part of the setup, When the top is returned there is a large branch fixed from just above the Rub and into the top half via a hole cut out in both. (This is not present as I don't particularly want them being able to reach the hole.. even if it is covered)


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## ryuk (Apr 23, 2010)

Love IT .

Those are two lovely looking dragons! :no1:


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## Rthompson (Feb 19, 2011)

Aye I was rather happy to get to take these guys in over the past couple of months


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## corbin.james (Mar 24, 2011)

My male CWD has just starting being very skittish he started off so bold and didn't mind being handled but now i never see him basking or out from his hiding place. is there anything i can do? i tried covering the viv and they make an appearance but as soon as anyone walks past they shit them self's and hide again. I have had them about 2 weeks and want to get them use to being handled but god dam they are fast when they want to be any tips ?


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## Rthompson (Feb 19, 2011)

You've only had him 2 weeks, give him time to settle in, if you have continuously tried to handle him then he may well be quite stressed, I'd say give him a few days to calm down with minimal contact (Just feeding) and see how it goes, then it will be a case of just letting him free roam the room with you and get use to you.

As for forcing a CWD to come out and sit happy? You can't.. if they don't want to they are strong and the tail whips can be nasty, patience is your only weapon here.


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## corbin.james (Mar 24, 2011)

Thats what ive been doing with my female but up until 2 days ago my male used to sit on my shoulder and when i picked him up he never got off my hand. oh well i cant wait until they get bigger :2thumb:


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## Rthompson (Feb 19, 2011)

How old are they? you may find that the male is picking up on the female a bit more, they become active rather young.. could easily make him a bit more jittery if he thinks hes near a goal!


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## corbin.james (Mar 24, 2011)

Both are 8 months i got them both from the same pet shop i dont know how long they have been together i was told they are not related.


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## Rthompson (Feb 19, 2011)

8 Months is about right, he will have hit puberty by now and that won't be helping matters, continue to be patient as he won't always be like it, but you can't easily overpower them like you can with beardies and smaller lizards and their claws do hurt, so if he's having a 'moment' your best to leave him to it


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## Rthompson (Feb 19, 2011)

Revival bump!


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## xxx-dztini-xxx (May 12, 2009)

heres my set up for my 7 week old cwd that im getting in 2 weeks time, its a 3x2x2 and a starter viv, will upgrade as and when needed, what du'all think?









































he/she is going to be called Aeryn :2thumb:


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## alex_snake_gunit (Oct 15, 2010)

looks nice : victory:

great topic here and awesome info..
i also have cwd ,i will post photos soon


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## ryuk (Apr 23, 2010)

Just completely stripped down and put my CWDs vivarium back together again.
Only took 2hrs , last time it took 6hrs detailing the pond! Happier with the layout now as they've got more places to hang out at the top of the viv.




















top left you can see Yoshi and Waffle sat on their shelf in a mork because their viv got moved around , cleaned out and their pile of dirt got cleaned up ;D










p.s revival bump


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## alex_snake_gunit (Oct 15, 2010)

hy there
nice viv 
i have a question for cwd owners 
how often do you feed your adult dragons??
2-3 times/week..every day?etccc


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## ryuk (Apr 23, 2010)

I offer my two food daily , they don't always take it but what I offer is small ammounts of food rather than shed loads. It's really dependant on the reptile itself. One of my CWDs is greedy the other isnt so I offer one more than the other. This is the same with my beardies one I feed daily the other every 2 /3 days. Find what works best for you. It's often easier to reduce feeding than it is to get them to eat when they are being that way out.


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## kirsten (Jan 13, 2008)

my CWD viv is for sale, fully kitted out, if anyone is after an upgrade, it's 4ft wide, 6ft tall and 2ft deep, i house a single male in there, but a pair or trio could live in there happily.

there are pictures in my CWD album and on the sale thread


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## kirsten (Jan 13, 2008)

Rthompson said:


> Certainly can, Chinese Water Dragons are exactly what it says, Water dragons, they like humidity in their homes with plenty of plants to hide and climb in.
> 
> As per usual daytime reptiles you will need a UVB Tube (5.0) for a terrarium and a basking spot light of around 100 Watts.
> 
> ...


i'm sorry but that viv is terreble! it looks great but are you aware of their natural habbitat? they need HEIGHT above anything else, my LONE male lives in a 4x6x2. and he uses all of that space. they live in trees above rivers so they can escape into the water if a predator tries to attack. a flat long viv is NEVER the right viv for a CWD.


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## alex_snake_gunit (Oct 15, 2010)

ryuk said:


> I offer my two food daily , they don't always take it but what I offer is small ammounts of food rather than shed loads. It's really dependant on the reptile itself. One of my CWDs is greedy the other isnt so I offer one more than the other. This is the same with my beardies one I feed daily the other every 2 /3 days. Find what works best for you. It's often easier to reduce feeding than it is to get them to eat when they are being that way out.


hy 
thanks alot for your answer 
i feed my dragons every 2-3 days 
my female eats 2-3-4-5 super worms but my male will eat alot 
im not sure how to feed him 
i think...i will feed her every day(because she layed eggs a month ago and is a little bit skiny)
the male isn`t skiny and i think i will continue to feed him every 2-3 days
what do you think?
it is ok ?

ohh and sorry for my english,,,,...
thanks


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## xxx-dztini-xxx (May 12, 2009)

top quality thread :no1:


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## ryuk (Apr 23, 2010)

If you're interested in the swimming pool area stuff as your other thread.

Check out the Exo Terra Turtle cliff Large with the F350 filter. If you search this thread you should find it in here. If not check this out

Exo Terra : Turtle Cliff / Aquatic Terrarium Filter + Rock

I then used a large office storage box for the pool and put some aggregate down for them. Works a charm they love it! Although you need to keep cleaning it every 4 weeks or so as they are POOP machines!


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## xxx-dztini-xxx (May 12, 2009)

i use the turtle cliff in my terrapin tank, with the amount my cwd poops i dont think it will handle all the waste, specially all the floaty bits :whip:


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## ryuk (Apr 23, 2010)

I have two CWDs and one large cliff with the F350 in it , it does a good job but I do have to fish out the "floaters" on a daily basis with a net .


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