lHae 55 gal aquarium considering turning into a reptile/snake envirenment. 1) for a 55 gal, what is a good start animal? as far as being hardy, farily easy to feed, not mean, etc. 2) what are the costs of reptiles, aproxinately? Again for something that will fit in my tank.3) What excessorise to I need? Heat lamp? Heat rock, tree limbs for cimbbing? ETc.
If you are interested in a snake then a corn snake ( Pantherophis guttatus) is the best choice for a beginner. The cost of the animal itself will vary anywhere from $ 15 to several thousand. If you purchase one from a pet store expect to pay anywhere from $ 40 - $ 130. If you purchase one from a breeder then see above and add $ 40 - $ 50 for shipping or $ 7 - $ 15 for admission to a reptile expo.
The cost to set up the enclosure will vary depending on how exotic you go. For the basics see below:
Screen top and clips for 55 gal: $ 45
heat lamp: $ 9 - $ 30
Thermostat: $ 25 - $ 250
Substrate: $ 7 - $ 20 (you can use aspen or cypress mulch cost determined by volume)
pets question and answers,www.5d2d.com
Rocks: $ 0 (You can use rocks you find outside wash them with bleach water)
Hide boxes: $ 0 - $ 35
Water bowl: $ 7 - $ 20
Food: This depends on the source. For one snake expect to spend $ 5.00 dollars a week and you should more than cover it. Typically juveniles cost about $ 1.50 a week to feed and adults around $ 5.00. This is based on retail prices.
If you are interested in a lizard then Leopard geckos are your best bet. The cost for these runs the gambit as well, expect to pay $ 15 - $ 65 for typical examples. Again add shipping costs or admission fees listed above if breeder direct.
The cost to set up the enclosure is also slightly different:
Screen top and clips for 55 gal: $ 45
heat lamp: $ 9 - $ 30
Thermostat: $ 25 - $ 250
Substrate: $ 10 - $ 65 depending on where and what you purchase. If you use play sand from a home center $ 10 will cover it. If you opt for vitamin sand, calci-sand, or other specialty products the cost will add up fast.
pets question and answers,www.5d2d.com
Sand sifter: $ 15 - $ 20
Rocks: $ 0 (You can use rocks you find outside wash them with bleach water)
Hide boxes: $ 0 - $ 35
Water bowl: $ 4 - $ 20
Food bowl: $ 4 - $ 20
Food: Expect to spend an average of $ 3 - $ 6 a week in crickets, meal worms, wax worms an so on.
No dude snakes are easy to take care of. I have has 2 ball pythons for 4 years and have never bit me! They are the most friendly snake or reptile you can get! They sell for 60-80 but there are a lot of gorgeous morphs out there that can sell for 300 $. Since you already have a tank all you need is
1) Aspen snake bedding. Around 5 bucks for a huge bag.
2) A heat lamp. You can get a heat lamp for around 15 bucks. You could get a daytime lamp and a nocturnal lamp (for nighttime) but you dont have to get a nocturnal. It shines infa-red and its better for the snakes at night.
3) a water bowl. Only 3 or 4 bucks
4) a hiding place for your snake like a fake cave or rock. Anything he can hide in.
pets question and answers,www.5d2d.com 5) something he can climb is he wants to bask. 10 $ for a good one
6) a ball python-80 bucks at petsmart.
7) a regular supply of frozen mice. Its not "nasty" thawing it out and they rarely regurgitate. A pack of 6 for 8 bucks. So 8 bucks worth of mice will last you 6 weeks.
8) tongs 2 $ you have to hold the mice up in the air with the tongs for the snake to detect it.
So in total thats 122 dollars or so. But remember, thats for it all, the rest of the time you have the python it will only be 8 dollars every 6 weeks! I defiantly recommend, they are very nice!
Get fish .
most reptiles are not easy to care for like you want them to be, its takes ALOT of work and time to maintain and tame a reptile
You should check out Crested Gecko's "Rhacodactylus Ciliatus". Here is a really good site that has all kinds of info on the Crested Gecko:
http://www.pangeareptile.com/index.htm pets question and answers,www.5d2d.com Most stores that carry reptiles will have Crested Gecko's as well. Since they are super calm & easy to care for, their becoming really popular & readily available too. Even "Petco" carries them now. Their a great starter reptile because the ease of care & limited supplies you need. They should be fed "Crested Gecko Diet" food, which is a powdered formula that you can purchase at any pet shop. You mix it with water & feed 1 teaspoon every other day or so. Some people like to give their Crestie's a cricket or a wax-worm dusted with calcium powder once a week or two for a treat, but the gecko does not require crickets or worms.
The Crested Gecko comes in a variety of colors & morphs from Red or Orange Flame, to Tiger, Dalmatian or Pinstriped & more! The Crested Gecko does like to climb so a taller environment with lots of branches, vines & leaves is preferable but not absolutely required. If you already have a tank & it's not a tall one, meaning it's longer in length than in height, that's fine too.
