Reptile & Amphibian Forums

hello all! this is my first time posting in this forum, and wanted to make sure i have dotted all my i's and crossed all my t's before bringing home the 2 new babies (approx. 6" long, m/f pair or 2 females, not sure yet) next saturday from the show...this will be my first trip into the world of malis, but i have many other herps (bearded dragon, crested geckos, leopard geckos, red footed tortoise and a ball python). so, here is a summary of my setup. please PLEASE let me know if there is anything that needs to be changed so that i can make the best life for my little ones. i am planning on housing together, but if the need comes to separate, i am fully prepared for another setup.

cage setup:
all temps measured with digital dual zone humidity temp gauges - have 2 in the cage, one for back, one for front
all heat bulbs covered with chickenwire sheilds
relative humidity between 20-30%
lights on timer, 13 hours on/11 hours off, night temp approx 75

custom built wooden 2'L x 3'D x 2'T cage with sliding plexiglass doors, ceramic tile flooring, approx 90 gal

built-in "sand" box with millet for burrowing, 18" x 12" in back left hand corner, with hide, temp approx 90-95

60 watt household bulb placed in center of 24" wall, top, back middle for light and heat to sand pit

24" reptisun 10.0 uvb along right hand 3' wall, with hides (back and front), food and small water dish (front right side) and hide (back right side), temp approx. 80-85 (cool side)

basking spot in front lefthand corner with floodlight bulb, temp 115-120

random rocks, hides and climbing spots scattered throughout cage

daily diet of escarole, endive, dandelion greens, bok choy, butternut squash, with treats of mango, banana and raspberries once or twice a week. very rare superworms or crickets if enjoyed, maybe once a month

so, how does this sound? any advice, suggestions, constructive critism, and of course compliments are welcome! as soon as everything is done being set, and the babies are here, i will be posting tons of pics! thanks in advance to all!
Kelly S., Owner, OffBeat Dezine

It sounds fine for a while, but it isn't really large enough for two adult malis. You'll probably want to upgrade sometime. 8-10 square feet of floor space is better once they're grown. Temps sound fine.

Personally, I wouldn't bother with the bugs, but that's personal preference. The greens and veggies sound good, but don't forget the dry part of the diet - seeds, lentils, crushed beans, dry grasses, etc.

How far away is the Reptisun from the lizards? You mentioned it's on the long wall - how far up? And is it mounted so it shines downward or sideways?

Post pictures soon - it's always nice to see custom cages.
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Torey
Eugene, Oregon, USA
1.1 Saharan Uros (Joe and Arthur)
3.0 Mali Uros (Spike, Turtle, and Tank)
1.1 Ornate Uros (Scuttlebutt and Shazzbot)
0.1 Collared Lizard (Rorschach)
2.1 Green Anoles (Bowser, Sprocket, Leeloo)
1.1 Chubby Housecats (Roscolux and Jenny)

thanks for the info and input!

the cage isnt complete yet, (i guess i should have mentioned that), but is being built tomorrow. the pieces are cut for the box, i just have to do the contact paper tonight. the design aspect i gave you was how i am going to set up the cage. i will have 2 days to play with bulbs and temps, but i know those are what i need, so im aiming for those. shouldn't be too hard though.

as far as cage size, i read that a 4x2x2 cage was big enough for 2 adults - would having 12 inches less of space really be that big of a difference to these guys, as long as there are plenty of hides, etc? if so, i guess we will have to do some quick modifications, as im hoping to build a cage that will last for most of their lives...at what point (size wise) would you think upgrading would be necessary, just in case modification isnt possible to what i have?

the reptisun will be directly in the middle of the wall, both width and height wise, putting it approximately 12" from the floor, and 6" from each wall. it will be mounted horizontally, so it will shine...outwards i guess. those bulbs are said to have a 20" radius, so i figure that will hit almost the full width of the cage, and ill have the mvb on the other side to make up for whats missing.

as for the diet, i guess i forgot to mention the lentils and beans. oops. thanks for reminding me though! the bugs are an "if i have them" sort of thing, and if they dont get them, no big deal. i occasionally use supers for my beardie as a treat, that i may offer a few when they are available.

i promise to post pics as soon as things are done. we will be taking "during construction" pics as well...

any other info/input would be greatly appreciated!

kelly

Looks like you've planned well. The only concern I have are the cage dimensions. A height of 24" may make UV distribution a bit weak. Whether housing one or two malis, 8 square feet should be the minimum. All in all, though, sounds great. Looking forward to cage pictures.

you guys rock. and i have good news...the wood was NOT cut, so i can modify it before its built. i think we will go 36x36x18 instead, that way we take care of floor space and uvb distribution. now im even more excited!

now, i have one dilemma....im trying to decide if i should get 2 babies (same clutch, not for breeding), or 2 adults (both 5yrs), a m/f pair, but the female is infertile. they have been living together the entire time, and have had no problems...either way, im looking at the same price for either pair.

what would you guys recommend for my first foray into malis?

if you want to see the pair im speaking of (and if you know anything about this breeder and can give advice), check out the 2 listed at the bottom of this link for dori and darth - http://www.herp-titude.com/uros.html

the advantage i see of getting babies from the show is that i can get a hands-on look at them, and i can somewhat gauge personalities. the advantage i see of getting a bonded pair like that is that they are already established eaters, and finding issues with housing together are less likely.

so, advice on that one? and thanks again, you guys rock!

I would highly recommend a 4x2x2. Even though a 3x3 would have more floor space, that isn't the only consideration.

The primary reason for a 4x2 shape is that a long enclosure will allow you to develop the proper temp gradient (hot to cold). A square shape will not.

The bigger the better say the uros but go long (at least 4' wide)!

as always, good advice, thanks!

i have made the final decision on the dimensions...i am going with 4x3x18. this cage is going to be made so that it is stackable on top of another cage the exact same size (for my tortoise), so i need it to fit correctly, as well as be functional and proper. so, i figure 12ft of floor space cant hurt, right? and as far as getting the proper temp gradient, i am a master at messing with lightbulbs to attain the proper temps and gradient in about any size tank, trust me i have had to do it too many times over for the gang i have now in experimenting with different cage sizes and rack systems.

so, today is wood cutting day, and most likely getting most of it done so that tomorrow can be paint day for the outside. let it sit until friday, wire and heat it up, and there we go!

im still looking for advice/suggestions on which ones i should get from my last post. anyone have any ideas? thanks again!

That sounds like a wonderful size tank - they will have plenty of room.

As to which to get, I think it's really just up to you. I don't know that dealer you linked, but since there are photos with individual history of each animal, it seems like a pretty good sign. With the adults, you know the sex for sure and know they're compatible cagemates. With younger ones from a show, you can see them up close and get to watch them grow up, but sex and compatibility are questionable. But you already know all this. I've purchased older ones and younger ones and they're all fabulous, so it's pretty hard to go wrong as long as the animals are healthy.
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Torey
Eugene, Oregon, USA
1.1 Saharan Uros (Joe and Arthur)
3.0 Mali Uros (Spike, Turtle, and Tank)
1.1 Ornate Uros (Scuttlebutt and Shazzbot)
0.1 Collared Lizard (Rorschach)
2.1 Green Anoles (Bowser, Sprocket, Leeloo)
1.1 Chubby Housecats (Roscolux and Jenny)