babys new home help

[Oddball]

I'm getting a baby tegu soon and I was wondering, should i house it in a 20 gallon long tank, or a 40 gallon?

i can afford either, but im just wondering if a 40 gallon may scare the little guy or if a 20 gallon may be too small

ive seen baby tegus in 20L, but would a 40g be better?

 

[DaRealJoker]

Go with the forty. You'll have get a longer use out of it, and will give you a lil time to make a larger cage. It won't bother the tegu. I've heard Argentine tegus grow an inch a month till they're fully grown to around 4'1/2" in length. Then they just get "fatter".

 

[DaveDragon]

Go with a 30G breeder, same floor dimensions as 40G except 4" lower. It gets the lights closer (less wattage required) and they don't use the extra height. AND you can put another snake in it when he grows out of it!!! Gotta think ahead! Empty Tank Syndrome (ETS) will get you!!

 

[DaRealJoker]

Go with a 30G breeder, same floor dimensions as 40G except 4" lower. It gets the lights closer (less wattage required) and they don't use the extra height. AND you can put another snake in it when he grows out of it!!! Gotta think ahead! Empty Tank Syndrome (ETS) will get you!!

ETS??? LOL Been there haha Now I know the term for that hahahah Tnx Dave

 

[DaveDragon]

The key to ETS is to get them out of your sight! We have a few 10G's and a 55g in the attic, just in case. NEVER leave a tank empty around the house!!!! It WILL get filled!!!

 

[PuffDragon]

Get a 40 Breeder. Baby tegu's will utilize all the space

 

[Oddball]

ETS has gotten me a lot. Thats where my female adult beardie, female red saharan uromastyx, and my boyfriends savannah monitor came from, lol.

I've personally never seen a 30g here in Los Angeles, but there should be websites to order one from, right?

If I can't get a 30g, a 40g customized should be ok. My dad and boyfriends can do a dual dad project to lower a tank top so the uvb wont be an issue. or i can raise the basking spot and put a good amount of substrate at a gradual elevation at least.

 

[DaveDragon]

It would cost alot to ship it if you could find one. Here's a great reference for tank sizes. http://www.alysta.com/books/fishtank.htm

We had a young Tegu in a 75G tank when it was 6 months old and I added pavers to the bottom before adding substrate & rocks that raised the height a bit.

I only use 2X the thickness of the Tegu for substrate. All they need to do is burrow to feel safe. Losing your 2 month old Tegu in 5 cubic feet of substrate can't be fun.