Fountain in enclosure?

[Guest]

So, I'm thinking I want to either buy or build a waterfall/fountain for the enclosure I have for my tegu. Now, I'm wondering if any of those yard-fountains or anything like that are safe? I've seen some that look really neat, but I don't know if they're safe for my tegu. Any thoughts or ideas? I've seen the exo terra fountains and the zoomed, and they're ok, but I'm looking for something else.

 

[DaveDragon]

Possibly too much humidity resulting in mold.

 

[Pikey]

a small one would be ok or a big one with big vents, but the teug will just kick substrate in it and couml jam up the pump or clog the filter

 

[DMBizeau]

I agree with both above. Would get turned into a big mess very quickly.

 

[Toby_H]

Being more specific with what you are thinking may help us to give more specific advice...

It is inevitable that your Tegu will get substrate in it. So be sure the models you are considering will have some form of filter on it to prevent substrate from harming the pump.

Mold may or may not be an issue. That all depends on what kind of air flow you have. If it's a glass cage with a glass/plexiglas lid then it will likely become an issue. If it's a vented DIY cage or a glass cage with a screen lid it probably will not.

I recently built a 12" x 30" @ 6" deep water tray for my Tegu that has a built in filter. It only passed it's leak test a couple of days ago and just went into the enclosure so I don't yet have results to post. But I'll surely share details as they develop.

 

[Guest]

Anything I get or make, would have an appropriate filter. Basically my concern is finishes on the concrete, or resin, or any of the other numerous materials that fountains/water features are made out of. What is safe to drink out of, or bathe in, in that regard. I'm concerned mainly about chemicals that might harm my lizard. Would concrete be safe to drink out of? What about resin/fiberglass ponds? Alternately, if I made something, I might use grout or concrete, and would need to know what to finish it with, to make it safe.

 

[Guest]

Mt tegu pond is a premade plastic tub with smaller tubs all going into each other with concrete surrounding...my pond is probably about 3-4' deep and maybe 7' across. Reptiles are pretty good when it comes to stuff, just no chemicals that are toxic to you and you should be good. Fiberglass im sure is fine as long as you let it cure completely and cover it well so they dont scratch into the glass...the plastic premade ponds just seemed the most practical to me...

 

[juggernaut]

Post some pics of your pond ^^^

 

[AB^]

I just want to throw out that I had a small fountain in an ameiva enclosure once. They would dig and toss dirt into the water which eventually clogged the pump and it sort of exploded, be careful

 

[Toby_H]

look for a "fish safe" rating on ponds...

Although just about all 'plastics' are safe...

concrete will leach lime for a while, but it will likely be in such low concentrations it will not harm anything. To be safe there are any number of concrete finishing agents you can use to coat it. I've personally used Drylock on a number of animal related projects and love the product. It's meant to coat concrete but I've used it on wood as well as styrofoam (though foam will not stand up to a Tegu).

 

[Guest]

So something sealed with Drylock would be safe to drink out of, and bathe in?

 

[Toby_H]

So something sealed with Drylock would be safe to drink out of, and bathe in?

yes...

The label on Drylok states that it is safe for sealing fish ponds...

I personally know several people who have used Drylok to seal DIY fish tanks...

I, as many others, have used Drylok coat styrofoam in vivariums, terrariums and fish tanks...

My tegus water dish is made of wood and sealed with Drylok...

Once cured, Drylok is safe for potable use (potable use meaning it's safe to hold drinking water meant for human consumption).

 

[Guest]

Fantastic, thank you

I'll start working on projects for the cage soon then, and be sure to post pictures.

 

[Guest]

Keep in mind, though, that the fountain, of course, works by sucking water out of the pond and pumps it back in. So when the tegu craps in the water, that pump is now circulating filthy crap water. And then not only would have to clean the water tub, but also have to completely flush out the pump, all the hosing, and what have you. It's a huge pain in the [ass].

Fountains can really add to the look of an enclosure but they require so much maintenance. They're really not worth it. But, hey, that's just me.

EDIT: And it's from my experience that people that want a fountain really want a fountain until they actually have a fountain.