Reptile & Amphibian Forums

How offiten should I change the sand out in my uro's tank.?

And I have seen some sand at the pet store that has vitamins in it, would that be something that I might wanna pick up or would it even help my little guy?

I think I have most everything else handed with the tank and suck he seems happy and active. But I would like to someday get him a playmate. Would it be better to bring another uro in to his life while he is young and get a baby or should I get a baby after he is a few years old?

i recommend getting a kitty litter scoop and using it to comb the sand. it makes the sand last longer between change outs (and if you have yours in a seventy-something gallon tank like my malis, this can be a very good thing). i wouldn't recommend the vitamin sand. pool filter sand works really well, has almost no impurities of any kind (at least i have never found any). it's a little more expensive than play sand but lindsay pike recommended it to us and we have had no problems with it. of course, it gets all over the food but none of the uros seems to be having any impaction problems.

as far as a new playmate, the sooner the better. most uros are more accepting as juveniles to new playmates, make sure they are pretty comparable in size. be sure to take the other uro out of the tank, clean out the sand, maybe move some furniture, then put them both in at the same time so they start on equal ground (you don't necessarily have to do this, but with males it can help with territoriality). i recommend getting an opposite sex buddy too. hope this helped.
-----
1.2 Uromastyx Maliensis (Ricky, Quinn, Anna)
1.0 Varanus Timorensis (Zealot)
1.1 Varanus Acanthurus (Eddie, Roxie)
0.0.2 Uromastyx Aegypticus (Kronk, Yzma)
0.0.2 Ceratophrys Ornata (Mojo, Jabba)
0.1 Geochelone Carbonaria (Turtle)

Emily
www.egomantra.com/npoh

Yeah, thanks... I am hopeing to get a baby so that it might be easier to build a bond with. I guy is small but I dont know hol old he is.. See you around later...

i dont have my mali anymore but when i got him a new cage mate i was told that it is better to get a uro that is bigger than the one in the cage. it worked out great.. mine got along better with the bigger one better than with my brother wich was the same size. also have another cage ready if they do not get along. and watch them closly and make sure they are both eating.

hope this helps

Mike D

Oh, yeah I will keep that in mind but I really wanted a baby. But I love Arching as is and I know he is my little buddy.