putting together a new enclosure

[jess]

hey every1, i have this idea 4 a new set-up 4 my lil nemo, but i'd like some input regarding my plans. i plan 2 update his enclosure from a 10g 2 a 20g sometime in the next few months. i was thinking of getting a piece of plexi-glass 2 seperate down the middle w/a hole cut out big enough 4 him 2 get through even once he grows in2 an adult. my ideas of doing this, would be so 1 side can be higher humidity than the other. keeping repti-carpet on the hot side & maybe moss on the humid side. of course still keeping a moist hide on the humid side. i would keep the heating pad under the tank on the non humid side correct? also what would be some gecko friendly live plants that i could add? but also my thought on that would be the lighting issue 4 the plants, because as i said i don't use a light, i use a heating pad. i just want to create something more natural and that way he can go to & from either side as he pleases. would keeping the moss moist & misting the sides of the humid side of the enclosure be enough 4 the correct humidity levels? this is my 1st gecko & he's still just a lil guy, but i just thought it would be really cool 2 create something a little more 'at home' so 2 say 4 him. any ideas & thoughts would be really great!!!! i'm really keen on the idea, but just want to take everything into deep consideration before getting started on it. thanks 4 reading & helping out!!!

 

[jess]

looking forward 2 reading some replies!

 

[Amanda1]

Sounds neat! As for plants, you're going to need something for them to grow in, and drainage so the roots don't get too wet. They do fine with normal light bulbs, like you would put in your house. Pothos is easy to grow, also bamboo, dandelions, bromeliads (more tropical though). Can't think of any more.

 

[Geckomaster743]

As a recommend for Nemo don't use shredded moss from pet stores! I bought the shredded paper moss for my little baby and i thought she would enjoy it but she barley used it and when she did she pooped in it so i would never be able to see how dirty it was. If you want good moss buy it from a store and make sure its real, Not shredded paper that they can ingest. And if you really want to make his cage fun add a Heat lamp and bulb. Geckos aren't bats which is why i prefer that they see a day and night cycle which I'm sure he would really enjoy! Plus if your going to add plants and creative things that would really help when he tries to shed. Mine used to have problems because there weren't enough items in the cage but now there all good. Besides that making your gecko more comfortable means that he will become more tame because he will be relaxed in his own Dojo if you know what i mean

 

[jess]

awesome, thanks 4 the replies from the both of u!!! never even knew u could consider using shredded paper. but doesn't sound like it would work 2 well, cause it wouldn't last long & would just get nasty real fast after being wet. i use spaghnum moss that i purchased from petsmart in his moist hide & it works well. but like i said above, would misting the sides of the humid side & moss at the bottom be enough 2 maintain the correct humidity levels? what wattage bulb is recommeded 4 a 20g tank? 75w? & should i use just a regular house-hold bulb or a heat bulb from the petstore?

 

[Amanda1]

Heat bulbs put out a lot of heat, which will dry out your moss faster so you'll have to spray more often. A regular house-hold bulb will be enough for the plants and to give your gecko a light/dark cycle, so that should be fine as long as your heating pad keeps it warm enough.

FYI - I've never looked, but I've heard that you can buy sphagnum moss really cheap at hardware stores like Home Depot and Menards.

 

[Jetfire]

No matter where you get sphagnum from, do yourself a favor and always freeze it first. Moss is usually LOADED with mites and other parasites

 

[jess]

whaaaat? seriousely???? i never knew that my goodness thanks 4 letting me kno!!!! thats a little un-nerving knowing i've been using it w/o freezing it 1st!!!!

 

[Jetfire]

I didn't know either, til I used some to make some acidic water for a matamata I used to have.I just dropped the moss in the water, and like 20 minutes later there's all these bugs in the water.unexpected way to gutload the minnows I was feeding the turtle, so that was a bonus

 

[Jordan1]

Are turtles hard to care for jetfire i was really wanting one before but i cant buy one without knowing much on them.what are the temps for them and how big of tank would i need and what would i put in it?

 

[Jetfire]

That depends on what species of turtle you're looking at.turtles are just like geckos, in that different species prefer different setups. For instance, most mud and musk turtles tend to prefer shallower, calmer water...except for razorback and loggerhead musks, which prefer deeper, more turbulent water. Alligator snappers and Mata matas prefer shallow water, but the matas prefer the water to be flowing and acidic. Your best bet is to decide firsthand what species you want, then plan accordingly as far as the setup is concerned...you can never have enough filtration, however.

 

[Jordan1]

thank you so much for the input im deffinetly going to have a look im not 100%sure im going to buy one but im going to have a look thanks for the advice

 

[Jetfire]

What is the largest turtle habitat that you would be able to adequately maintain easily? That would help you narrow down your choices. A red-ear or other slider would require an enclosure of at least 75 gal as a 12-16" adult, while a trio of adult muds could be quite happy in a 55. Mind you, you could go smaller, but turtles really appreciate all the space they can get. Once you get past 30 gal or so, a canister filter is a much easier way to go.they're easier to clean, too.

 

[Jordan1]

well 35gal is maximum but still that is a little bigger then the space i have for another tank and for the supplies and the turtle its a little much for now.Maybe in the future but i got my hands full with my rabbit and my 2 gecko's.Sometime after im done with uprading and renovations to my gecko and rabbit things i might consider a turtle.Although i was online looking at some stuff for my leos and i seen they were selling baby leos for 23.99$ and a tank with all supplies included for only 75$ so i might get that instead.