I've been thinking about getting Small reptiles that arent gonna get MEAN if not handled. So A friend of mine recommended Green Anoles, he also gave me a 36"H. X18"L X 18"W. I think he said it was a 50 gallon All glass tank. Anyways the tank its almost ready for the anole(s)...The one thing im worried about is that I bought Repti-Carpet, Are the Anoles Ok with that? Or should I get Bark or Moss?? Also Im just Worried about the live plants, because some people told me that they NEEDED live plants is that completly true? Or can I get Fake plants? Since the tank is REALLY big, How many would be fine in there? Im thinking of starting with 2 At first and Add more as I get the hang of taking care of them, but how many would the MOST I can house in there? Also How many crickets do they eat A day (talking about a small one or two)...Hope it isnt a LOT of questions for you guys... P.S. I forgot to ask which UV light to go with the Reptisun 10.0 or The 5.0? Also I have a lee's crket keeper It says large on the Box...Would that ok for a Weeks suply of Crickets for them? thanks again.
The repticarpet works, check out this topic for more info on that. http://www.reptilerooms.com/forumtopic-48377.html As for the crickets, they should be no larger than the Anoles head.
For the first question, repticarpet CAN be used. Although at times it may be able to clean easier and has a lower chance of it being swallowed, It also cannot be used by pregnant females to lay eggs. If the anoles do not find a suitable substrate to lay their eggs, the may become egg-bound and die. I suggest a substrate of organic potting soil or organic compost. Both of these are digestable and are used to lay eggs. Both Bark and moss are horrible substrates that easily collest dust when dry and are indigestible. There is a high risk of impaction if swallowed. Neither green anoles nor brown anoles require live plants. Live plants help keep the humidity in tyour enclosure high, which is usually a problem for most beginners. They may also make the enclosure seem more lively. They do need to be properly clipped every few months as not to overrun the tank and they do need to be taken care of just like the anole. I use fake plants. Although they may not be as attractive, I don't have to do frequent mainainance for the plant and are usually green even if you don't water them. The answer is up to you. Do you like REAL or FAKE? Usually, anoles need a minnimum of 10 gallons to themselves so theoretically, you could put 5. That being said, it is better to give them more space if you want more healthy anoles. Also, if you happen to make a "beginner" mistake, It does not affect a larger group of anoles. I would only put two in a 50 gallon. I only have a pair of green anoles in a 32X16X36, which is roughly a 72 gallon enclosure that I built myself. My couple of green anoles eat about 5-6 smalls every other day. A healthy appetite would be at least 12 every week. Although Reptisun 10.0 is said to be used for desert species and reptisun 5.0 is said for tropical species, use reptisun 10.0. It has more UVB output and is closer to the amount of UVB being produced naturally by the sun, although not be much. That cricket keeper is okay to house a weeks supply. I am glad you are researching for you future anoles.
First things first, welcome to The Reptile Rooms! Repti-carpet is not a great substrate for anoles, as i find it's difficult to keep up humidity, and as plmarsg8 correctly stated, pregnant females will find it hard to lay eggs. They only way i can think of for you to work around that, is get a small tupperware box, remove the lid, and fill it with some organic soil (the types without the fertilizers) or i find coco-fiber works fine, as long as you remove any of the stringy bits. This isn't to say that your anoles will become pregnant, its just a precautionary measure :wink: Not at all. They DO help with humidity, but fake plants are fine, as long as you can get the humidity to the correct levels. You'd need to remember the process of quarantine. This is important, as when adding your animals to your collections, you don't want to spread any diseases or anything. Anoles are small lizards, and therefore 10gallons is recommended for each anole, so in theory you COULD have five in there however I'd say no more than two or three though. Make sure you are sure of the sexes. Males will be territorial, and fight. Male + female will produce babies. Try and get multiple females if you can. Just my 2 cents. I feed either every day or everyother day, and feed as many crickets as they will eat in a 20 minute period. Remember to dust the crickets. The 5.0 would be ok for anoles, as they do not require high uvb as such, but either will do fine. Hope this helps, Luke
Thanks for ALL the great info. Where would I find organic potting soil or organic compost?...As for the plants I would love live plants but dont want the hassle of taking care of them, so ill just buy fake ones. Are there any (plastic) species that go well with anoles?? I will start with two anoles but how do I succesfully 'sex' them? And as for the Reptisun I think ill but the 10.0, cause I heard that screen tops filter out Uvb. oh and as for the crickets how often should I dust the crickets? I will use Rep-Cal Calcium with Vitamin D3 and Rep-Cal Herptivite Multivitamin...Thanks again
You can usually find it in garden centers or plant nursuries for a few dollars. Most plastic plants available can usually sustain the weight of an anole. Although plastic ones that pet stores use are designed for anoles and other reptiles, you can buy silk plants for a cheaper price incraft stores. they can be much cheaper. Watch out for plants that have little plastic "bulbs" on them. They can accidentally be swallowed. If you can get pictures of the base of their tails, it would be much easier. Usually males have enlarged post anal scales near the base of their tail. Mature males have paired bulges at the base of the tail to accomodate the hemipenes (male sex organs). Females don’t have any bulges there. A veterinary test is most accurate. Ignore claims that males have dewlaps and females have white lines. Both sexes may have them. You don't want to buy two male anoles. They will fight frequently. Although they do rarely sustain lifethreatening injuries directly from the fight, they WILL quickly become stressed. Glass tops filter almost all of UVB rays. Screen tops do not filter out UVB. If you buy a ligh hood with a plastic sheet covering the bulb from the tank, take it out as it may block out the UVB rays rendering it useless. You should dust the crickets at least once a week to every other feeding. Too much can lead to the build up of supplements in their nostrils and too little can lead to a deficiency in Vitamin D. The vitamins that you mentioned should be fine.
ok, thanks, does anyone know if they sell it at walmart or home depot or any place like that? Also how big of a bag should I get? I know petsmart sell a lot of silk plants, for very cheap...
Most likely, Home Depot or Lowes will have organic potting soil. It should not be that hard to find. Im not sure about the gimentions of your tank. I would say somewhere around a 10 quart bag. I will see if I can get a few pictures of them on anoles. You can google them and find a few pics of them on other lizards. It should be fairly similar to an extent. A reptisun 10.0 should be fine although a 5.0 would work. Maybe you should keep around a dozen the first few weeks and if they finish those crickets, move it to 13 crickets a week. Just find how much YOUR anoles eat every week and buy that many.
ok, My tank dimensions are 36" Long, 18" High, 18" Wide....With those dimensions a 10 quart bag should work? Ok Ill try googling it...but pics here would also help a lot. I dont want to sound cheap but I think ill get the 5.0 (cause it s cheaper) but will try to add Branches and Vines and get them close to the top. ok, I think Ill get around 15 since ive never kept crickets and I know they can escape and some may die. THANKS A LOT FOR ALL THE HELP...
I think probably two bags should cover it, just to make sure. Thats fine. You should be okay if you add some vitaminal supplements. They don't cost a bunch. You are certainly welcome. Again, I will try to get some pics of Post anal scales and hemiphenal bulges for you.
I went ahead and Bought 2 8qt. Bags of potting soil...How deep should I make it?...and thanks for the link..
Anoles much of burrowers other than to lay eggs. I suggest probably 2-3 inches will do, that is if there is enough soil.
ok I think ill make it 3 inches....If I dont have enough I can always go bak to walmart and get another bag... 8)
If there are any mites or other parisites, heat the soil in the oven for 300 degrees farenheit for 20 minutes.
