klondike4001
New member
Small Potted Plant, Brown Paper Bag Substrate, ~70% covered top.
Good Quarantine Terrarium for U. phantasticus or U.ebenaui?
- Thread starter klondike4001
- Start date
having dealt with importing and breeding both species... you need a lot more plants. I would honestly not even bother with a quarantine set up. make a set up that involves heavy planting and lots of branches. Whatever you end up getting is going to most likely be fresh off the boat and not in very condition and will crash harder given that enclosure. but if you don't want my advice, don't listen. The more natural the enclosure, even for quarantine, the better the animal will do because it will have more natural hides and better humidity.
-jason
-jason
klondike4001
New member
Better?
You need more cover. Get some branches and bark in there and spinkle some dead leaves on top of the soil so the geckos don't get a mouthful of dirt everytime they try to get a cricket. I would also remove the plastic wrap on top. You will have no trouble keeping up the humidity in that cage believe me also a cage that size is will get waterlogged really quickly. The next thing you want to consider is are you sure you want to go WC. Uroplatus phantasticus is one of the few species of Uroplatus that is bred with some regularity as well as eban's but more so for phantasticus. If you are patient and willing to spend some more money you can find CB Uroplatus phantaticus. Just thought you might want to reconsider.
WC
Advantages: Cheaper
Disadvantages: Destroying wild populations, usually in bad shape and full of parasites, vet bills, quarantine, early and unexpected death.
CB
Advantages: Promotes captive breeding, doesn't strain wild populations, usually heathly(at least compared to imports), much easier to acclimate to a new home.
Disadvantages: More expensive.
WC
Advantages: Cheaper
Disadvantages: Destroying wild populations, usually in bad shape and full of parasites, vet bills, quarantine, early and unexpected death.
CB
Advantages: Promotes captive breeding, doesn't strain wild populations, usually heathly(at least compared to imports), much easier to acclimate to a new home.
Disadvantages: More expensive.
miguel camacho!
New member
how many geckos are you getting?
klondike4001
New member
3 U. phantasticus & 2 U. ebenaui each will have thier own enclosures, I've redone them on some advice from Nathan, to look like this...
It's a 1/2 viv and 1/2 dry for the collection of the essentials to take to the vet. They still need some sticks and a bit of corkbark for the U. ebenaui.
Let me know what else you think it may need.
It's a 1/2 viv and 1/2 dry for the collection of the essentials to take to the vet. They still need some sticks and a bit of corkbark for the U. ebenaui.
Let me know what else you think it may need.
miguel camacho!
New member
well, it wasnt quite made clear enough, but if you plan on quarantining in only 2 setups, meaning 3 satanics in one and 2 ebenaui in the other, i dont think you're going the proper route. if you're planning on quarantining each animal on its own, it should be ok. here are my suggestions:
if you were planning to quarantine in groups, that setup just isnt right. part of the purpose is to be able to collect fecal samples with ease, as you can accomplish with the setup. but the other half of the quarantine is to have each animal separated for observation, so you can determine if any individual shows signs of illness. now if you have 3 satanics in one of those cages, and you find a fecal samples that seems suspect, how are you going to determine which animal it came from? so if you're deciding to house them in groups from the start, you might as well make the full setup and do something such as place moist paper towel on the floor to catch any feces that should drop. there simply is not enough room for more than a pair in that sized setup, and even that is pushing it if you plan on keeping them in there for any somewhat-significant amount of time.
second of all, do away with the saran wrap cover. i tried it when i started with satanics, and while it keeps the humidity up, it doesnt do any other good. you need circulating air which wont be accomplished with saran wrap blocking air flow. simply spray the cage/animals as needed (i recommend at least one good spray after lights out). the saran wrap will induce mold growth, which can open your animals up to new problems.
third of all, with so little to gather water from spraying (except of course the sides of the enclosure), your geckos wont have much to drink from. and i'd say from observation that hydration is a common problem with newly aquired uroplatus.
finally, give em more stuff to climb on. grab a few small sticks and it will increase the climbing space dramatically. you normally wont find these guys on the ground unless a) there isnt enough climbing space, b) the gecko is hunting, c) a female is looking for a spot to lay her eggs, or d) your gecko is ill. but with that little space, climbing areas will be crowded and your animals will not take to their new homes as easily.
so if you're going to house em together, scrap the critter keeper and get a minimum of a 15 gal for the trio, minimum 10 gal for the pair. plus, ebenaui (i've heard) are much bigger into hiding spots than satanics. but i guess youre already planning on that with the corkbark. and remember, simply cramming a small enclosure full of foliage isnt enough either.
good luck to both you and your geckos, hopefully good things will happen. they're wonderful animals. good first step in asking for critiques of your setups.
if you were planning to quarantine in groups, that setup just isnt right. part of the purpose is to be able to collect fecal samples with ease, as you can accomplish with the setup. but the other half of the quarantine is to have each animal separated for observation, so you can determine if any individual shows signs of illness. now if you have 3 satanics in one of those cages, and you find a fecal samples that seems suspect, how are you going to determine which animal it came from? so if you're deciding to house them in groups from the start, you might as well make the full setup and do something such as place moist paper towel on the floor to catch any feces that should drop. there simply is not enough room for more than a pair in that sized setup, and even that is pushing it if you plan on keeping them in there for any somewhat-significant amount of time.
second of all, do away with the saran wrap cover. i tried it when i started with satanics, and while it keeps the humidity up, it doesnt do any other good. you need circulating air which wont be accomplished with saran wrap blocking air flow. simply spray the cage/animals as needed (i recommend at least one good spray after lights out). the saran wrap will induce mold growth, which can open your animals up to new problems.
third of all, with so little to gather water from spraying (except of course the sides of the enclosure), your geckos wont have much to drink from. and i'd say from observation that hydration is a common problem with newly aquired uroplatus.
finally, give em more stuff to climb on. grab a few small sticks and it will increase the climbing space dramatically. you normally wont find these guys on the ground unless a) there isnt enough climbing space, b) the gecko is hunting, c) a female is looking for a spot to lay her eggs, or d) your gecko is ill. but with that little space, climbing areas will be crowded and your animals will not take to their new homes as easily.
so if you're going to house em together, scrap the critter keeper and get a minimum of a 15 gal for the trio, minimum 10 gal for the pair. plus, ebenaui (i've heard) are much bigger into hiding spots than satanics. but i guess youre already planning on that with the corkbark. and remember, simply cramming a small enclosure full of foliage isnt enough either.
good luck to both you and your geckos, hopefully good things will happen. they're wonderful animals. good first step in asking for critiques of your setups.
klondike4001
New member
Each will have their own and I'm about to add more sticks to each. the ebenaui will have the majority of the cork.
Thanks for the great advice,
Thanks for the great advice,
Terra5Designs
New member
my two cents...learn to grow ficus like crazy and then do so for each phant, the ebens seem to like deep bark cover but both need lot's of humidy; plants, cool fog, misting...your soil needs to drain well too...ttyl
Terra5Designs
New member
i forgot to add...WHY DID YOU GET THEM WITH OUT LEARNING FIRST!!!
THAT'S THE FIRST THING TO DO TO ENSURE THE CORRECT HUSBANDRY, NOW IT LOOKS LIKE YOUR LEARNING ON THE FLY AND AT THE EXPENSE OF A FEW LIFES...IMO
THAT'S THE FIRST THING TO DO TO ENSURE THE CORRECT HUSBANDRY, NOW IT LOOKS LIKE YOUR LEARNING ON THE FLY AND AT THE EXPENSE OF A FEW LIFES...IMO
klondike4001
New member
I have read and been researching for 2 years, the only think that is really up in the air are the proper construction for quarantine enclosures! Find a good description in a book or website that has instructions.
Terra5Designs
New member
for two years? first off why are you quarantining? second. try plastic plants, a floor of tree fern panel and clean stick that can be used as perches. the tree fern also for a hide for the ebens. no dirt - no bacteria and lost fecals. i thought everyone knew something about this sorry for shooting off.... i also also place a heat pad under the tank, and while it's in a cool room, the water in the TFP will rise and help
the humidity. i'd also close of half of the vents on those kritter keepers...
the humidity. i'd also close of half of the vents on those kritter keepers...
miguel camacho!
New member
i personally would be skeptical of using heat pads with high humidity, seems like it would be a greater catalyst for mold growth and opens the opportunity for respiratory, if not other illnesses. not only that, but small uroplatus are notoriously heat-sensitive, and experimenting with stuff like that as a first-timer with the species would be an invitation for your animals to crash.
i really dont think i can stress enough that satanics (i cant speak of ebenaui, since i have never dealt with them) do not absolutely require constant high humidity (as would be accomplished by covering with saran wrap). i have always used naturalistic enclosures so therefore have always managed to maintain some certain level of constant humidity. my satanics have survived very well for a long period of time simply using a good spraying after the lights go out. it gives them enough to drink, and elevates the humidity at night. not only that, but i have always known my satanics to do better with lower temperatures rather than pushing them to the upper limits of their tolerance.
i really dont think i can stress enough that satanics (i cant speak of ebenaui, since i have never dealt with them) do not absolutely require constant high humidity (as would be accomplished by covering with saran wrap). i have always used naturalistic enclosures so therefore have always managed to maintain some certain level of constant humidity. my satanics have survived very well for a long period of time simply using a good spraying after the lights go out. it gives them enough to drink, and elevates the humidity at night. not only that, but i have always known my satanics to do better with lower temperatures rather than pushing them to the upper limits of their tolerance.
Nathan Hall
Founding Father
Please tone it down a bit. I know Jonathan very well, and he will do everything in his power to give them the absolute best set-ups. I respect him so much that he will be interning for me over Christmas and this summer.
klondike4001
New member
ok final updates....
I took off the plastic wrap, added leaves and sticks, the humidty stays up really nice even without the plasticwrap (Thanks Mike).
I took off the plastic wrap, added leaves and sticks, the humidty stays up really nice even without the plasticwrap (Thanks Mike).