Enclosure

[dudemanbacon]

Hello!

I have a 10 month old Columbian Gold and she's currently in a 20 gallon long (temp). I was going to purchase a 48x24x24 PVC enclosure, but I just happen to have an empty Animal Plastics 48x24x12 PVC enclosure that I bought brand new from a guy on Craigslist that I haven't used yet. I wish it was taller, but Tegu's don't really like to climb anyway, so I think it'll work. The questions I have are around heat/lighting.

Typically, you would have heat lights, but this enclosure does not have any pre-cut holes for lights AND it is maybe too low to have a heat light anyway, though I could use a dimmer switch w/ a thermostat I suppose. Anyway, what is the best way to provide the heat that I need for my Tegu in this enclosure? Should I get a RHP (radiant heat panel) or would heat tape work better? I have a UVB light mounted inside, so that'll take care of the UVB requirements. Another option would be to reach out to Animal Plastics and see if they can ship me a new top for the cage which has holes cut for heat lights, if that is really the BEST way to go.

Also, what substrate is everyone using? I am currently using a mixture of Repti-Bark, Forest Floor and coco-fiber, but seeing a lot of pictures with what appears to be black dirt in enclosures. Is that better?

Thanks,
Nick

 

[Walter1]

I can't get past the 48" enclosure.

 

[dudemanbacon]

I can't get past the 48" enclosure.

What do you mean by that?

 

[Walter1]

Too small an enclosure for any tegu species.

 

[dudemanbacon]

OK, thank you. I know for sure that a 4 foot enclosure is better than the 2 foot tank that she's in now. This won't be a permanent enclosure

With that said, don't Columbians need smaller enclosures than Argentines? Or have I read some bad information

 

[Walter1]

With Argies, 8' somehow stuck as a standard and it's not bad. Certainly no smaller, and bigger is better.

For Colombians, 6' is probably a safe minimum, with bigger being better, but I'd defer to members here who succesfully keep them.

At 10 mo. old, expect that by the end of this calendar year your tegu to be at full body length. They grow very quickly. Be sure to be generous with calcium powder in its food for rapidly developing skeleton.

 

[AlphaAlpha]

Hi...... I have a male Colombian.... he's just over 3' long and around 2 years old... I have him in a custom built enclosure (old wardrobe) that is 4' x 5' and just under 2' high that gives him 20 foot square floor space.

most people with Colombians stick to the minimum of 6' x 3' that gives them 18 foot square.

 

[dudemanbacon]

Hi...... I have a male Colombian.... he's just over 3' long and around 2 years old... I have him in a custom built enclosure (old wardrobe) that is 4' x 5' and just under 2' high that gives him 20 foot square floor space.

most people with Colombians stick to the minimum of 6' x 3' that gives them 18 foot square.

Thank you very much!! I'll look into a 6 foot enclosure. I also have been watching some videos on using a grow tent. They are inexpensive and have a lot of options for installing lighting and running the electrical. It's a possibility.

 

[AlphaAlpha]

Yes ive seen people use them and heard they work quite well too

 

[Teguixin.22]

A female gold would fit comfortably in a 4 x 2 x 2, mine is nearly two years old and moves comfortably in hers. They really aren't the biggest of lizards, but still have decent size on them.

 

[AlphaAlpha]

A female gold would fit comfortably in a 4 x 2 x 2, mine is nearly two years old and moves comfortably in hers. They really aren't the biggest of lizards, but still have decent size on them.

I'd agree with this as long as they get plenty of time out to roam.

 

[Bram040]

Isnt the rule of thumb, at least 2x the lizards length?
So a lizzard that gets 3-4 ft, you would need AT LEAST 6-8 ft
And then i think it would be safe to say that the with of the enclosure should be half of the lenght, so 3-4ft this is verry minimum and bigger will be better.

 

[mdeford09]

Isnt the rule of thumb, at least 2x the lizards length?
So a lizzard that gets 3-4 ft, you would need AT LEAST 6-8 ft
And then i think it would be safe to say that the with of the enclosure should be half of the lenght, so 3-4ft this is verry minimum and bigger will be better.

You're definitely right.

Gold Tegu's seem to get a lot bigger than many think. They're smaller than the Argentine B&Ws most of the time but, many male golds have reached 4ft long and some females can reach 3.5 feet long. A 4ft x 2ft x 2ft enclosure would only be usable for the first year of it's life. After that, it would be extremely cramped. Lots of time out would relieve that but, it would be a pretty boring day each time he/she had to be left put up all day. I wouldn't go with anything less than 6' x 3' for a Gold.

 

[Debita]

I can't believe the difference in my Tegus personalities after giving them more than they require. It's a tough requirement sometimes, but worth it for the animal. No one will regret giving more, after they observe their response. If you never give it though, you'll never know.

I think Alpha Alpha is right in thinking about it in terms of square footage!