Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hey gator experts, I am about to become the owner of a hatchling American Alligator. I have several snakes and am no stranger to herps but I have a few questions on the gator. I have had 2 Caimans before but I only kept them for about six months. I decided to trade them for a couple of snakes but this was over 10 years ago and I am ready for a gator. I am planning on setting up the area today before I get the gator on Wednesday. The main thing I want to know is what type or lighting to use. know there must be a basking area but are there any ideas on the lighting set up. I don't know anything about UVA and UVB lighting. Is this required or not? Can I just use a basking bulb or do I need a spectrum light as well? To give you a better idea the gator is going in a 55 gal for now with a screen top so I can place the lights on it. My last question is about a water heater the one I have is preset to 78 degrees and is not adjustable. Is this warm enough or should I go higher like maybe 80-85 degrees? Thanks for any advive you can give. Please feel free to add anything else that I need to know.

I already know about the following:
Filtering
Food
Substrate
Land/water area
Water Conditioner
Air Temps

Just need to know about lighting and a water heater. Thanks alot.

Snakeman - I bought a captive born O6 spec caiman last year. His 55 gal tank isnt going to last him many more months. If you plan to keep that American Alligator for a few years, get a 100 or 120 gallon tank. It'll be worth the money (some folks recommend stock tanks, but I havent used them).

You'll get a lot of different views on the temperature. I keep mine from 85-87 degrees. Many other might suggest low 80's, but from what I have read american alligators are pretty ok with lower temp. I got myself a regular basking lamp with the UVA/UVB from a regular petsmart. I had purchased a marineland water heater. Worked pretty well for me. Also got a digital temperature reader. That helped me to know what the exact temp was after I cleaned his enclosure.

This is the link for the water heater :
http://www.amazon.com/Marineland-Stealth-Visi-Therm-Submersible-Aquarium/dp/B0002DJUVA

This is a good book if you want to read some on crocs, there are many others out there :
http://www.thecrocodileexperience.com/store.html

Some others on here can give you some good info! Good luck!

>>Hey gator experts, I am about to become the owner of a hatchling American Alligator.

Welcome to the club!

I don't know anything about UVA and UVB lighting. Is this required or not?

Crocodilians are raised all the time without supplemental lighting. It's not a requirement, as per se, however, I feel it is certainly beneficial. I feel it promotes more activity and alertness, as well as mental stimulation. With that being said, diet is the animals main concern, so therefore, if you have a proper diet regimen, then you're good to go. So, to shorten this up a bit...supplemental lighting isn't totally necessary, but if you truly want to provide the best environment that you can for the animal...use it. You stated that you have "air temps" so I'll assume you are stating ambient temperature and just state...be sure to keep the basking temperature around 100F- 105F. Be sure to provide plenty of land area so that he has PLENTY of thermoregulation options.

Is this warm enough or should I go higher like maybe 80-85 degrees?

78 Degrees, in my opinion...is perfect for water temperature. You can hit the lower 80's (like 82F) and be fine. You don't want to keep him too warm as this can be stressful for him. Be sure to provide him options.

P.S> In regards to the supplemental lighting...if you choose to use it...I recommend cycling the lighting 12/12. Some people might say..., Ah, he'll figure it out"...but I prefer to keep it as natural as possible to ensure reduced stress and natural behavior.

I hope this helps,

Chris
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My Website
www.herpfanatic.com

I dont use either of those. My animal does get about an hour each day in the natural sun, but I dont know if this is an option for you.
No need for a water heater if you are keeping it inside and it is room temperature. Anything in the 60's to 80's will be fine, as thats what they would have in the wild.
I dont know what you are feeding, but I just switched to Mazuri crocodilian diet and my animals have never looked better. It is messy though, I would not recommend it if you are going to use a glass aquarium.

I am not the expert, but I thought I would throw some thoughts your way...

While a 55 gallon seems long enough, the width will not hold up as the little guy grows and wants to turn around. I don't use a water heater, but my tanks is in the warmest part of my house where the room temp is in the mid-70's to mid-80's for the most of the year. Plus the basking lamp heats the water as well, so temps are good. I do happen to have a UV light on him right now, but I didn't always. At the risk of sounding selfish, I hate the algae! He gets natural sunlight on occasion and I supplement his diet as well as feeding whole foods such as fish and rodents. I also feed Mazuri pellets which aren't too bad. I have two underwater filters and just have to clean them out a lot. Overall, he's a pretty clean eater.

I have to put a plug in for a book...the Ultimate Guide to Crocodilians in Captivity. This is a great book with plenty of details about the many aspects of gator care. I bought another book with a similar title, and unfortunately, it wasn't as helpful. It spent more time identifying species. That was interesting, but didn't answer my questions about care.

I ordered my gator from Jason Thurber but haven't recieved it yet. Has anyone ever dealt with him before? I don't like doing business on-line but I do every now and then. What condition are his animals and is he a good guy? Thanks alot.

His website is jasonthurber.com