New tegu owner

[Tinybonesx]

Hi everyone.

I’m about to buy a hatching Argentine black and white tegu this week. I have a 20 gallon for the hatching/baby stage. And a 36x24x24 that I will move to after. I plan on building a 8x4x4 for when it’s an adult. My question is, at what age should I be moving it to the 36x24x24? And what’s everyone’s preference on lighting ? I’m planning on getting a power sun bulb while it’s still a baby and eventually moving to a different lighting situation for the bigger enclosures. Please feel free to give me any other advice as well ! I’m not new to reptiles but I am new to the tegu so I appreciate any other information. Thanks!

 

[VenusAndSaturn]

I'd just move it into the 36x24x24 when you get it since a 20 gallon will barely last a month or two.
Even then a 36x24x24 may be too small for a baby with their insane growth but it would last you longer than a 20 gallon.
Personally, I'd use a 48x18x20 for a baby and nothing less than that since it will at least hold them for about a year at the most before you need to upgrade to something larger.


I've heard good things about powersun bulbs, personally, I use a megaray though.

 

[EnjoysWine]

I'd just move it into the 36x24x24 when you get it since a 20 gallon will barely last a month or two.
Even then a 36x24x24 may be too small for a baby with their insane growth but it would last you longer than a 20 gallon.
Personally, I'd use a 48x18x20 for a baby and nothing less than that since it will at least hold them for about a year at the most before you need to upgrade to something larger.


I've heard good things about powersun bulbs, personally, I use a megaray though.

VenusAndSaturn, your post is a little confusing. You said 36 by 24 may be too small for a baby, but then said 48x18 would last for a year. Those are actually the same size, at 6 square feet.

 

[VenusAndSaturn]

The length would be longer, which would help provide more room somewhat to stretch out in compared to a tank that measures only 36". I suppose both could work for a year but personally, I'd go with a tank thats longer.

 

[Gary]

The length would be longer, which would help provide more room somewhat to stretch out in compared to a tank that measures only 36". I suppose both could work for a year but personally, I'd go with a tank thats longer.

Longer is better for a heat gradient, but both are a little cramped. I was hesitant to put my tegu in its full-sized “enclosure” when I first got him. After 2 days in the 40 gallon tank I realized I was being silly and got his enclosure ready to transfer. He’s very much enjoyed having a lot of space, and he grew so quick that I’m glad I haven’t needed to upgrade multiple times. That’s just my experience though. I’m sure others have stepped up on enclosure size multiple times with no issue.

 

[Tinybonesx]

Thanks for the replies everyone. I have the set up ready. Have eco earth/forest floor in there. A basking site/hide made from pavers. Also have a large shallow tub with water. And ended up getting a 125w solar glow on sale for 30 bucks. Do I need anything else ?

 

[VenusAndSaturn]

You may wanna get a better MVB. Solar glo's aren't the best... they don't last too long either. Megaray would be a lot better... and if not that go with a powersun at the very least.

 

[Tinybonesx]

You may wanna get a better MVB. Solar glo's aren't the best... they don't last too long either. Megaray would be a lot better... and if not that go with a powersun at the very least.

I wanted to get the power sun but solar glo went on sale for 25 bucks. But okay. I’ll just get another bulb and put it in there. With my enclosure being 24 inches high. What wattage should I use for the power sun. 160 ?

 

[VenusAndSaturn]

Yeah, sadly you can't cut corners with UVB. Even if it says UVB/MVB on the bulb it may not work at all or may not last as long as other brands which means you'll be spending more compared to if you were to just get the better bulb.


I don't know how much heat the powersun provides but a 160 plus a regular heat bulb will probably work. I know with my setup I have to have a second bulb with my MVB to get it up to the preferred temps because if I don't the MVB will only get the spot up to 90, maybe a bit higher now that its summer. This is with the basking spot being 9 inches away and with a 160 watt megaray MVB.

 

[Tinybonesx]

Longer is better for a heat gradient, but both are a little cramped. I was hesitant to put my tegu in its full-sized “enclosure” when I first got him. After 2 days in the 40 gallon tank I realized I was being silly and got his enclosure ready to transfer. He’s very much enjoyed having a lot of space, and he grew so quick that I’m glad I haven’t needed to upgrade multiple times. That’s just my experience though. I’m sure others have stepped up on enclosure size multiple times with no issue.

I actually realized it’s 48x24x24. For some reason I thought it was 36. So with it being 48. Should be better for gradient ?

 

[dpjm]

Yes, it is better for the gradient but you will want to move him asap to something much larger.

As other have said, the UV lamp you bought is not going to last long. You may think you have saved money buy buying the cheapest lamp but it will need to be replaced quickly, I would guess probably within six months. A Powersun would be no better. Go with Megaray. I currently have 3 Megaray lamps that have been in daily use for 2.5 years that are still putting out lots of UV.

 

[Skeep]

Yeah, sadly you can't cut corners with UVB. Even if it says UVB/MVB on the bulb it may not work at all or may not last as long as other brands which means you'll be spending more compared to if you were to just get the better bulb.


I don't know how much heat the powersun provides but a 160 plus a regular heat bulb will probably work. I know with my setup I have to have a second bulb with my MVB to get it up to the preferred temps because if I don't the MVB will only get the spot up to 90, maybe a bit higher now that its summer. This is with the basking spot being 9 inches away and with a 160 watt megaray MVB.

My experience with PowerSun and Megaray is that the PowerSun puts out much more heat, but less UV light. I usually use a 160W Powersun, and in the summer that is more than enough to heat up the platform ~12" away. In the winter the ceramic heat bulb beside it also kicks in. I tried a 100W Megaray but the UV seemed much too strong at that distance so I had to switch back to Powersun until I can get the distance increased. From my experience, a 160W Megaray at 9" sounds really dangerous since my tegu started experiencing eye problems within a week of using the 100W at 12".

 

[Gary]

My experience with PowerSun and Megaray is that the PowerSun puts out much more heat, but less UV light. I usually use a 160W Powersun, and in the summer that is more than enough to heat up the platform ~12" away. In the winter the ceramic heat bulb beside it also kicks in. I tried a 100W Megaray but the UV seemed much too strong at that distance so I had to switch back to Powersun until I can get the distance increased. From my experience, a 160W Megaray at 9" sounds really dangerous since my tegu started experiencing eye problems within a week of using the 100W at 12".

What did the eye problems look like if you don’t mind me asking?

 

[dpjm]

I tried a 100W Megaray but the UV seemed much too strong at that distance so I had to switch back to Powersun until I can get the distance increased.

Here's a tip to decrease UV without adjusting distance. Screens can reflect a lot of light. You can put screens between the light and the enclosure to cut down on UV if your lamp is too strong. I have done that in a number of cases where I could not raise the lamp any higher. Works very well, which I can confirm with readings from my UVI meter.

 

[dpjm]

What did the eye problems look like if you don’t mind me asking?

Condition is called photokeratitis, and is basically a corneal or conjunctival (or both) sunburn. Noticed usually by the eyes being kept closed. If you suspect it, turn off all UV light sources and it should clear up in a couple weeks or so.

 

[Skeep]

What did the eye problems look like if you don’t mind me asking?

She was keeping her eyes closed or half closed a lot, just like dpjm suggested. At first I thought maybe she was just sleepier than usual, but she even had them half closed while walking around the house. Fortunately it cleared up quickly after I switched bulbs.

 

[Skeep]

Here's a tip to decrease UV without adjusting distance. Screens can reflect a lot of light. You can put screens between the light and the enclosure to cut down on UV if your lamp is too strong. I have done that in a number of cases where I could not raise the lamp any higher. Works very well, which I can confirm with readings from my UVI meter.

Good idea. I need to get a meter too so I'm not guessing.