Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Ok.... I have been researching and looking at caimans for awhile now. I have decided on a spectacle. I know the studies say 6-8 feet full grown. I was looking for people that have experience with them to give me some real life experience info and pictures. Things like temperment, size, growth rate, water and air temps stuff like that. Maybe enclosures you use. I dont want responses telling me do research or I am not ready. I have read everything and researched all the sites but I am looking for more personal information from people with experience. I have learned that that is the best. Thanx in advance.
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Tom
1.2.0 Leopard Gecko
0.0.1 California King Snake
0.1.0 Sulcata Tortoise
0.0.2 Russian Tortoise
0.0.2 Red Ear Sliders
0.0.3 Painted Turtles
1.0.0 Bearded Dragon
0.0.1 Savannah Monitor
1.0.0 Peachfront Conure
0.1.0 Australian Shepheard
2.1.0 Crazy Cats
0.1.0 Lion Head Rabbit
0.1.0 Ferret
0.2.0 Guinea Pigs
0.0.1 White Tree Frog
0.0.2 Fire Belly Newts
0.0.1 Fire Belly Toad
0.0.1 Red Spotted Newt
0.0.2 Bull Frogs
0.0.1 Rainbow Ameive
Lots Of Fish

hi.. this is my outdoor enclosure... 7 x 7 ft... mu dwarfs used to live there, but now its waiting for my hypomelanistic morelets get a little bigger...

I´ve learn that the best with this animals is almost ignore them, they are not for handle, just for display.... they get used to people walking arround and even recognise you as a food resource...

that waterfall is awsome what did you use to make it?
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Tom
1.2.0 Leopard Gecko
0.0.1 California King Snake
0.1.0 Sulcata Tortoise
0.0.2 Russian Tortoise
0.0.2 Red Ear Sliders
0.0.3 Painted Turtles
1.0.0 Bearded Dragon
0.0.1 Savannah Monitor
1.0.0 Peachfront Conure
0.1.0 Australian Shepheard
2.1.0 Crazy Cats
0.1.0 Lion Head Rabbit
0.1.0 Ferret
0.2.0 Guinea Pigs
0.0.1 White Tree Frog
0.0.2 Fire Belly Newts
0.0.1 Fire Belly Toad
0.0.1 Red Spotted Newt
0.0.2 Bull Frogs
0.0.1 Rainbow Ameive
Lots Of Fish

its made with plexiglass.. covered with foam and resin mixed with sand and paint.. drill some holes and silicone aquarium fake plants...
if you want some pics mail me: elchars1@yahoo.com

cheerss

Rick

Yea I sent you an email I would love pictures of it. When my spectacled gets bigger I want to put a nice big pond with a waterfall in his room. Buildeing that is going to be the fun part i just got to figure out like what kind of filter and heater and stuff like that.
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Tom
1.2.0 Leopard Gecko
0.0.1 California King Snake
0.1.0 Sulcata Tortoise
0.0.2 Russian Tortoise
0.0.2 Red Ear Sliders
0.0.3 Painted Turtles
1.0.0 Bearded Dragon
0.0.1 Savannah Monitor
1.0.0 Peachfront Conure
0.1.0 Australian Shepheard
2.1.0 Crazy Cats
0.1.0 Lion Head Rabbit
0.1.0 Ferret
0.2.0 Guinea Pigs
0.0.1 White Tree Frog
0.0.2 Fire Belly Newts
0.0.1 Fire Belly Toad
0.0.1 Red Spotted Newt
0.0.2 Bull Frogs
0.0.1 Rainbow Ameive
Lots Of Fish

hi,

I use teh waterfall as a filter too.. its filled with lava rock and put some water plants inside of it, works graat.. ad once a month change smoe water..

i can somewhat see what you did and like the pictures. Would it be possible to get some more detailed directions of steps and what exactly was done i like the idea. how does it filter? I am trying to figure out how when he gets bigger i am going to filter and heat his pond so any ideas from you or anyome would help..
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Tom
1.2.0 Leopard Gecko (dot, spot, leo)
0.0.1 California King Snake (booboo)
0.1.0 Sulcata Tortoise (tank)
0.0.2 Russian Tortoise (tito and lulu)
0.0.2 Red Ear Sliders (bernie and ernie)
0.0.3 Painted Turtles (larry, curly and moe)
1.0.0 Bearded Dragon (marshmellow)
0.0.1 Savannah Monitor (beef)
1.0.0 Peachfront Conure (kermit)
0.1.0 Australian Shepheard (layla)
2.1.0 Crazy Cats (babe, sabastian, tinkerbell)
0.1.0 Lion Head Rabbit (daisy)
0.1.0 Ferret (jordan)
0.2.0 Guinea Pigs (lilly and petunia)
0.0.1 White Tree Frog (dumpy jr.)
0.0.2 Fire Belly Newts (spork and blaze)
0.0.1 Fire Belly Toad (ferdinan)
0.0.1 Red Spotted Newt ( red)
0.0.2 Bull Frogs (goliath and tubby)
0.0.1 Rainbow Ameive (jack)
0.0.1 Spectacled caiman (wilbert)
Lots Of Fish

i can somewhat see what you did and like the pictures. Would it be possible to get some more detailed directions of steps and what exactly was done i like the idea.

first make a plaxiglas whith the waterfall shape, and a hole in the buttom where the pump will be... and cover it with caned foam, then mix some resin with sand and cover it again... and thats it.. its easy for me because I already know, but if you need more info just ask ...

how does it filter?

fill the waterfall with lava rock, al the dirt will be traped there and if you put a lot of plants there they will grow with the dirt... also a lot of algae will groww over the waterfall... of course, some extra water changes are good too... you can also place the heaters there...

hope can help
cheers

Rick

I have a 3' spec and a spec x yacare. Like BT said, they generally get used to you being around but can get a little overzealous about feeding. For this reason I never feed them at the same time every day and sometimes I even try to stay out of the animal's range of vision when I dump food in (I feed Mazuri pellets).

I think the specs don't always deserve their reputation for being aggressive but they are definitely the most nervous croc I have kept. A sudden change in environment as simple as adding floating corkbark sends mine into a fit.

Its water area is a 125 gallon stock tank that is filtered with a Fluval FX5 (925 gph). Mercury vapor bulbs are used for light and heat. I keep the water on the warm side. Around 80-85 degrees F depending on the ambient air temp since it can be a little cool here in the winter (CO).

The hybrid caiman is smaller and more shy. She lives in a large Waterland tub with an external canister filter and a small internal filter in the water with her. Temps and lighting are the same as the other caiman.
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1.1 Indian Pythons, 1.1 Womas, 1.0 Sorong GTP, 1.0 Albino Green Burmese, 1.0 Australian Water Python, 1.0 Centralian Carpet Python, 1.0 Jungle Carpet Python, 1.1 Triple Het (Moonglow) Boas, 1.1 Peruvian Red-Tail Boas, 2.1 Hog Island Boas, 0.1 Pastel Salmon Boa, 0.1 50% poss Het for Alb. Boa, 0.0.1 North American Wood Turtle, 1.0 Hypo Alligator Snapper, 0.0.1 Concentric Diamondback Terrapin, 0.1.1 Leopard Tortoises, 0.0.1 Indian Star Tortoise,1, 0.0.1 Spectacled Caiman, 0.0.1 SpecXYacare Caiman, 1.0 Rhino Iguana