Housing Outdoors Questions

[Weedazon]

I am thinking about buying a 300 gallon rubbermaid stock tank for my tegu. First of all, will this be big enough for an adult male tegu? Right now Zeke is only a few inches over 2 ft, so I want to make sure.

Second, the temperatures here in Missouri can get pretty hot in the summer, sometimes the heat index going in to the 100's. This whole week is supposed to be in the low 90's during the day with high 70's at night. I know they can't stay in the 90s or they will die. The cage will have enough dirt/sand mixture in it so that he can burrow...will this be enough to cool him off? We also have a misting thing installed under our deck, so that could come in some use I think. I wanted to take advantage of the warm weather here and besides that, Zeke's tail has formed some kinks and I think the natural sun will be better for him. I'm planning on having one side of the cage covered so that he can have shade too. It's also humid here in the summer, so that will be great for shedding.

Third, what do you all do during severe weather? I won't be able to bring him inside (there won't be a spare cage, I will be bringing the rubbermaid in with him for the winter). I was thinking I could just lay something solid over the top in attempt to keep rain/hail out.

Thanks a ton

 

[Guest]

i have two b/w tegu hatchlings coming here tomorrow or the next day i have a 30 gal long style tank is that ok for a month or so?

 

[Pikey]

i can be but i'd start on a big cage soon

 

[Guest]

thx alot

 

[Toby_H]

Bangem1, welcome to the forum!

It will work much more smoothly if you start a thread of your own to ask your question. This will allow people to thoroughly respond to you without interrupting the flow of someone else's thread.


Weedazon, I used my 300 gal stock tank to give my guy a way to get some natural sunlight when he was smaller. I only used it as a temporary "cage" and only used it during his first summer when he was less than 18" long.

I set it on an incline in my yard and put some water in it. The incline made the water collect at one end. This was the only time my Tegu has seemed to enjoy water (besides drinking).

Keep in mind the walls of the stock tank are only around 24" high. So by the time you put 6" or so of soil/sand/mulch in it the walls will only be 18" high. Then consider as he digs substrate will be thicker in some places and thinner in others. Inevitably there will be some thick places at the walls making the wall slightly less than 18" (above the substrate).

This will not be a problem for your 2' Tegu, but I suspect by the end of summer that 2' Tegu will be a 3' Tegu. It may even work out then, but next year as he reaches 4' I do not think that will be enough to hold him in. Even later this year it will be risky.

Protecting ti from weather may prove to be a challenge also. While it shouldn't be too difficult to cover it to keep rain out, I'm sure there will be several storms that pop up on you when you are not around to do so.

Be cautious covering it completely (such as to keep out rain) when the sin is out as this will trap in excessive heat.

Anytime we use an open top container outdoors we need to keep predators in mind. Especially birds of prey. You know your area better than any of us would so you decide if that's cause for concern in your area.


All in all, in my opinion, a 300 gal stock tank is a great temporary daytime outdoor cage for a Tegu, but as a full time home it has too many associated risks. That is not to say "it won't work", but is only to say I wouldn't want to endure the challenge of making it work.

 

[Guest]

sorry bout that i didnt mean to interrupt no one