Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Don't get me wrong...dog food CANNOT be the staple diet for any reptile.
I still do offer crickets, mealworms, and vegetables. (basilisks sometimes do enjoy fruit honey mixture as well)

Pinky mice are also a great substitution for dog food when trying to gain weight on an animal.
(only once a week or so though)

Dog food (only canned!) can be used to help a sickly animal put on some weight.

I is also very good for growing babies.

You must not use a dog food that is high in fat...especially when most reptiles
cannot be left to roam the house free, they do not get the proper exercise they would in the wild to burn
off fat. The dog food I use is the Purina Senior dog diet...Turkey seems to be better accepted than anything else.

http://www.hillspet.com/products/product_details.jsp?FOLDERfolder_id=2534374302037387&bmUID=1066842394052&PRODUCTprd_id=845524441760461

The above website has the nutrient information if you want to question it.

I have talked with a couple local breeders and some don't like the idea of it where others swear by it.

I don't swear by it but it is a good idea if you have to help an animal gain some weight.

Also, the adult basilisks I have practically have a tank that takes up a room and the other babies are in the smaller tanks.
I just wanted to know what others would say about housing as I get different answers from everyone and books as well.

I'm just trying to get all the knowledge, opinions, and info from everything and develop my own opinions from that.

The basilisks with the small enclosure are still relativly small so they are fine until I can cook up
another enclosure/room for them.

Thanks for the criticism and suggestions, I like the help even if it is sometimes thoughfully harsh criticism.

I'll post a picture of the setup someday when I get a digital camera up and running.

for explaining that for me.. i was just a little upset after hearing that you kept your basilisks on a dog food diet and had all three in a 75 gallon tank .. then sounding unwilling to take good advice... then i go over to the bearded dragon forum and read your post about you beardie and i was a lil frustrated... without explaining yourself like you just did you sounded like a complete jacka** . so sorry once again if i sounded rude here and on the beardie forum

alissa

No problem...I guess I should have been more informative in the first get go...

Don't worry...I do not buy any animals from pet stores as I despise those types of retail outlets.

I am no expert by any means otherwise I wouldn't ask for suggestions or help...I deal with a local breeder who is very experianced and has been doing business in town for more than 25 years...He has a degee in Herpetology and definetly knows his fair share but sometimes doesn't have all the answers.

I get breeding stock from him and also my girlfriend and I love to adopt mistreated animals and get them back into shape...

Currently we have...........

8 leopard geckos (one adopted...missing an arm, it was housed with other leo's which were much bigger)

2 crested geckos (breeding pair)

3 adult basilisks (breeding trio...1 adopted...had rubby nose)

3 juvenile basilisks (future breeders)

1 baby bearded dragon (future breeder)

2 bearded dragons (breeding pair...for sandfire)

2 corn snakes (breeding pair...1 is super okeetee...the other is red albino)

2 veiled chameleons (breeding pair)

1 whites tree frog (adopted...trying to find him a home)

1 TAMED tokay gecko (trying to find him a mate)

If you want advice on taming I can tell ya all about it.
Anyway thought I'd fill you in that I'm not just some loser coming out of a pet store with [bleep]ty stock. Thanks for the info. I'm not an expert at all but I know my fair share.

Thanks. (I'll get pictures on here soon)