Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I was just thinking about putting my crestie in a reptarium.
There lighter, easier to move and cheaper.
The humidity here in NY is 70% so humidity doesnt seem to be a problem.

Is there any reason why they shouldnt be used???

Does anyone know a cheap alternative to the plastic bottoms for reptariums which cost about 20??

Thanks
Jack

I dont know of any reason you cant use the reptarium. I have heard of complaints about the toenails getting caught in screen...but I have also heard that the increased ventilation helps maintain a more natural enviroment.

As for cheeper bottom liners....no help there. I dont know personally. if you are not trying to go for a really naturalistic setup, you can use paper towels on the bottom, with a humidity hide area, and should have pretty good luck that way I would think without a liner.

Good Luck.

~Mike @ CrestedRanch

vinyl shelf liners or plastic table cloth are great liners. They are cheap, easy to clean, come in a variety of colors and patterns and don't absorb water (or maybe that is a bad thing...depends on point of view).

Problem is when I mist the water instead of being absorbed might spill out of the cage, maybe I can put the cage on top of newspaper,
I am going for a naturalistic setting, Ive had most of my collection in easy clean rubbermaid setups and I want to be able to watch them more in a more natural environment.

Is there something clear and absorbent, Im thinking of using slate or vynil tiles and putting something clear absorbent over it would look decent

Thanks
Jack

Hey Jack,
Tracy keeps one of her cresteds in a Reptarium, and it works fine. Only complaints I have is they are a pain in the butt to clean (stuff just drips down and you got to scrub to get it out of the mesh) and not as easy to see into (but that benefits the gecko). Also when feeding crix, make sure you use a bowl, little suckers can chew right through the nylon mesh.
-Mike

Hey Mike,
Ill have to think about it then, I actually really want good visibility, Are there any reptariums that offer good visibility????

Also how long does it take her to clean the reptarium???
And by stuff I assume you mean poop right??

I do feed crix in a bowl so no worries there

Thanks
Jack

If you want something that can offer good visability, there are a variety of clear "tube" containers that work good. I have a friend that actually makes them (although not on a grand scale). I like them they hold humidity well, and are great for viewing, and look good just about anywhere. here are a couple pics of what I am using for baby/juvi cresteds. email me direct if this suits your needs, maybe I can help you find one close to you.

~Mike @ CrestedRanch

anyone know how to do more than one pic?
anyways here is another one...

last one

np

Jack,
Well if visibility is your main concern nothing beats glass. You can do plastic but remember it can scratch, however it is very light and if you have a lot of animals like me that’s very important. Nothing is worse then lugging heavy glass tanks back and forth to the tub for cleaning…lol. I am sure I have shown or told you at one point that I keep my guys in 15 gallon Rubbermaid tubs in a rack setup. If not let me know and ill post some pics .

Back to the reptarium yeah I meant poop . Um it really doesn’t take too long to clean cause we only use one; just scrub the sides with a tooth bush or wet rag. The pain comes from all the nooks and crannies that the stuff dries up crumbles and gets trapped behind. Like under or behind the plastic pipes that support it or even outside on to your table. The soft liners will prevent any from spilling out however. They do work and are very useful in some cases (like field collecting, easy to carry in a book bag ). I just find it simpler to wipe down glass or rinse a Rubbermaid in the tub.
-Mike

Thanks Mike,

I have seen your setup.
I have my crestie in a 10 gallon glass, which I like.
But I want to give him more room.
Also Im gonna get 1-3 females and Id have to house them separate, for which I have rubbermaid carry cases, which is what I started my crestie in. Maybe Ill get 10 gallons for them.
What I want to do is get one big one for when I can house them all together, and just put my male in it for now.
For some reason lately Ive had this urge of getting all my animals in bigger more naturalistic setups together so I can see more behaviors and stuff.
Problem is since Ive bought my animals one by one I cant house them together till they all reach their adult length.

WAIT WAIT I just thought maybe I can put the three females together instead of the male in a big tanks, OH NO food competition and big bullies,crap guess not.
Do you ever houe breeding groups together or do you just introduce males to female cages??
Whe or at what size would it be safe to put the females together in one enclosure??

The thing is glass tanks are usssualy more wide and long than tall, while reptariums are biult taller which is prefered for cresties thats why.
Im not bothered by the cleaning of it just the visibility factor now.

Well See

Jack