[elcaptain]

Hello all.
I'm new--Blake.
I recently acquired a new aquarium... it's a 75 gallon I believe... like 48"x18"x20ish" or something.
I was wanting to get a pair of Halmaheras. I know their enclosures are typically a little taller... I just thought with enough branches and things to play with/hide in... it might be a pretty cool and attractive looking setup... plus these geckos are crazy cool, and the sheer size should give them ample areas to wander around... but I'm no herpetologist or anything--this is just guesswork.
The cage needs lots of setup work... I have to get the habitat setup and make sure I have the temps and humidity good to go... I also know that they need full spectrum lighting. I was thinking of going mercury vapor--100watt or so, and raising it a ways above the cage. They seem to keep things pretty warm... but LLL reptile also has very nicely priced 48" fluorescents and repti-sun bulbs. So maybe I'd use that and a couple low wattage basking bulbs... maybe an under tank heater to even out everything.
With a tank so large, I was wondering if it would be smarter to route a humidifier into the tank with pvc... or if misting would do the trick.

And if the tank's no good for them, let me know... maybe give me advice on what kind of gecko might go well with it... It's a great tank for beardies, but everyone has those... and I didn't really want the leopard geckos--cool, but I want something that climbs and jumps.


Thanks for all the help in advance


blake


oh, and if you guys have setups with pictures--links would be greatly appreciated.

[MauricesExoticPets]

Originally Posted by elcaptain

Hello all.
I'm new--Blake.
I recently acquired a new aquarium... it's a 75 gallon I believe... like 48"x18"x20ish" or something.
I was wanting to get a pair of Halmaheras. I know their enclosures are typically a little taller... I just thought with enough branches and things to play with/hide in... it might be a pretty cool and attractive looking setup... plus these geckos are crazy cool, and the sheer size should give them ample areas to wander around... but I'm no herpetologist or anything--this is just guesswork.
The cage needs lots of setup work... I have to get the habitat setup and make sure I have the temps and humidity good to go... I also know that they need full spectrum lighting. I was thinking of going mercury vapor--100watt or so, and raising it a ways above the cage. They seem to keep things pretty warm... but LLL reptile also has very nicely priced 48" fluorescents and repti-sun bulbs. So maybe I'd use that and a couple low wattage basking bulbs... maybe an under tank heater to even out everything.
With a tank so large, I was wondering if it would be smarter to route a humidifier into the tank with pvc... or if misting would do the trick.

And if the tank's no good for them, let me know... maybe give me advice on what kind of gecko might go well with it... It's a great tank for beardies, but everyone has those... and I didn't really want the leopard geckos--cool, but I want something that climbs and jumps.


Thanks for all the help in advance


blake


oh, and if you guys have setups with pictures--links would be greatly appreciated.

Yes your 48x18x20 is a standard 75 gal aquarium. In my opinion the slightly taller 48x18x20 90 gal aquariums make better naturalistic enclosures because of that extra 4 inches of height.

The biggest issue with very large aquariums is that it's not easy to gain access to the enclosure. While this may seem like a minor issue at first, it gets to be a real pain over time, they are designed for fish that require less inside the enclosure work.

An enclosure that allows the front to slide open makes working inside the enclosure a pleasure, and your pets will very likely be better off for it.

I like Glasscages.com - Glass / Acrylic Sliding Fronts this type of enclosure.

I have plenty of 75 gal aquariums, 14 to be exact, and for the life of me wish I had gone a different route from the start. Enclosures are expensive, but the high cost of doing things right from the start is well worth it.

Maurice Pudlo

[Mantisdragon91]

I actually prefer to house all my large geckos( Gehyra Marginata, Blasadactylus Bovini, Uroplatus Henkeli & Lineata,) in 16"by16"by30" screen cages. I find they do better with more ventilation and height and I can easily rig the cages up with a misting system to lower work load for myself.

Having said that the size tank you are looking at will work as well just make sure to provide them with some arboreal hide spots like cork bark since they tend to be skittish when first aquired and the hides will help them feel more secure.

[elcaptain]

Thanks everyone.
And Maurice, that glass cages website is awesome! They are crazy less expensive than the exo terras (even though the terras are a little sexier and with the dual doors). Definitely pocket friendly--and I could spend more money on things to go inside of the terrarium, which is what counts.
So the cages--they're pretty decent quality?
Thanks a lot for that info!


blake