Phant enclosures

[Royal-City-Reptiles]

How do you keep your phants? do the majority of you keep them in exoterras? any one keep them in some sort of (modified) bin?
Please include specifications, and pics if you have them!!!

-Nate

 

[Scott F]

In my opinion the Zoo Med or Exo terra 18 x 18 x 24 inch size is the most perfect tank on the market today for these guys. They seemed to be almost manufactured with satanics in mind. This will comfotably fit 1:2.

I have looked over and seen the pros and cons of both....and ultimately I went with the Zoo Med brand. I think they are nicer looking. All the plastic on the Exos cheapens their apperance, IMHO. The Zoo Meds have an all around cleaner simpler look.

 

[allen]

I like the exo-terra`s a lot, 2 doors are better then 1 in my opignion.
The only problem i have with them are the bad backgrounds(weak and crickets behind them...:roll and the fact that small crickets sometimes comes out the at the top. So no perfect sealing. Has zoomed got the same problem...?

greetz
Allen

 

[Scott F]

Allen, the Zoo Meds do not come with a background. For me is better because I do not like the way the pre fab ones look. I actually prefer the one door style because it looks nicer. Maybe if I was housing a fast species like a day gecko, I would prefer to have the two doors. I think the tops on the Zoo Meds are better as well, because they have a nicer style of mesh and they are not split down the middle. However I do like the way the cord exit holes on the Exos are better.
Either way, the difference between the overall design is little, and both make an excellent choice.

 

[Royal-City-Reptiles]

but the price.... even wholesale they are pricey!!!
I am assuming that you guys are using uv?


-Nate

p.s.
I heard a rumor that 'black lights' put out a fairly good amount of uv, any truth to that?

 

[Scott F]

They are pricey, that is for sure. But I have to do no modifications to the tank and the dimensions are perfet. The best price I have found for th 18 x 18 x 24 with shipping to my house is $120.

I have begun using UV. 2.0 Zoo Med at a minimum, and depending on placement a exo terra 5.0 ( which really is more equivelent to 3.5 or 4.0).
REMEMEMBER the balance of the right placement of the tube and correct supplimentation are critical. Too much can be more detrimental than to little.

I believe "black lights" do put out UV, but do not know in what spectrum and if the UV they produce is usable or dangerous to your animals.

 

[Viaje]

If you are looking for a good price on an Exo Terra, it seems that petsmart wasn't making money off of them and are going to stop selling them, but are clearancing them and have the 18x18x24 (normally about $130, I think) for anywhere between $50-70, but they're selling fast! (this is at least true for all the petsmarts in my area)

 

[allen]

Allen, the Zoo Meds do not come with a background. For me is better because I do not like the way the pre fab ones look. I actually prefer the one door style because it looks nicer. Maybe if I was housing a fast species like a day gecko, I would prefer to have the two doors. I think the tops on the Zoo Meds are better as well, because they have a nicer style of mesh and they are not split down the middle. However I do like the way the cord exit holes on the Exos are better.
Either way, the difference between the overall design is little, and both make an excellent choice.

The prefab-walls are indeed worthless, everyone knows this and they still are selling them...:lol:

For the little viv(like 30*30*30cm) one door would be better indeed, but for the somewhat larger ones i prefer 2 doors. No matter what species. But that is...personal opignion. ;-)

greetz
Allen

 

[Scott F]

I have just read a very interesting article and will provide the link here as it pertains to a question I have answered above about what UV lighting tubes I currently use: http://www.testudo.cc/Media/Herpetomania3-4_04.pdf

In light of this, it seems that the Zoo med reptisun 5.0 may be a more appropriate choice for me to be using with my animals. I am giong to use One Zoo Med 5.0 for USEABLE UVB radiation and D3 synthesis, and a Zoo Med 2.0 for color quality, put in a dual shoplight fixture found at any home improvement store.

Mind you my tanks are 24 inches high, with the lights about 5-6 inches of the top of the enclosure (creating useable UV rays only in the 6 inch or so uppermost region of the enclosure). Animals can choice to rest under them, as well as having plenty useable space in the rest of the enclosue devoid of the radiation in order for them to shuttle in and out of the lighting as they deem nesescary.

 

[Kevin McRae]

Here is a photo of mine. Its much more grown in now though.

 

[allen]

My setups are the same as Kevin`s, complete screen top with the lights on top of it.
Isn`t it that they hide away if they are getting to much UV(if that is possible?) underneat some leafs or stuff like that?

greetz
Allen

 

[Scott F]

I provide enough space so they can choose there own preferences, that way I have all the basics covered.

 

[allen]

Of course, always try to give them everything they get in nature too.

That`on of the reasons i also would like to feed them ****roaches. Overthere i have seen a lot of different roachspecies, and not a single cricket. Sadly enough, girlfriend will stand the animals, the crickets, but roaches are always something that is hard to accept for most people to keep and breed them in the house...

greetz
Allen

 

[Scott F]

Yea, roaches seem to kreep people out.

 

[allen]

ok, do i hear a fellow "want to but dont have permission...?" :lol::lol::lol:

About the best possible housing, Americans do use a lot of screen for their reptiles. Does that include uroplatus? Anyone using these type of cages?

greetz
Allen