# shinisaurus crocodilurus Housing



## Nikolaj (Apr 16, 2013)

Hello

i recently aquired an aquarium as housing for my, soon to be, new reptile. 
The aquarium is 120cm (width) x 45cm (depth) x 70cm (height).
I have a few questions regarding this enclosure, which i am hoping you guys will be able to help me with. 

First, the lighting for the creature. I have read that people have had bad experiences using UVB 10.0, and in a few caresheets ive read that 5.0 is the way to go.
However, i am a bit unsure about what basking bulb to go with. Seeing that the reptile doesnt need much heat, around 23 degrees celsius, i thought of going with a low watt basking bulb.

the substrate in the enclosure is going to be some kind of moss on the land areas. This is where i could need some help again, the substrate in the water parts of the aquarium, i thought about going with some sort of gravel, however i am worried it might swallow pieces of it. Is sand a possibility ?

Since the aquarium is that tall, i plan on having a water level of about 20cm, but would that make the water temperature a bit too chilly?
Should i perhaps buy a water heater?

Lastly, the filtering of the water. I know that its nearly impossible not having any algae Growth, in fact a bit of algae indicates clean water and also can give a nice look to the enclosure. 
I planned on buying an Exo Terra Turtle Cliff (large), which has a filter + pump in it. Anyone got experiences with those ? 

Thanks


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## damien1010 (Feb 16, 2009)

i would say get a water heater and set it low, youll want a constant (all be it slightly cooler) temp.

also, i am 100% jelous your getting this species !


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## Joeym (Mar 11, 2012)

Hey,
I use Solar Raptor 35 watt or 70 watt for my 1.1 Shinisaurus Crocodilurus.
Besides the uv-lighting, I use halogen spots (for 1 tank I use 50 watt and for the other tank I use 100 watt). The temperature under the halogen spots is +- 35. The temperature in the rest of the enclosures is less. They use these higher temperatures regularly.
I don't use any substrate in my tanks. The whole floor is full with water (15cm). I use cork, branches and plants to create land.

You should not never warm the water. 19-20 degrees Celcius is ok.
I use Eheim 2213 as filters.
If you search 'Joey Markx' on facebook you can see pictures of my animals and enclosures.


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