Reptile & Amphibian Forums

First off, hello to all you people. I have finally decided that I would like to purchase a larger reptile, probably a monitor. After tons of research, it seems like a red or yellow acanthurus would be a good fit. There is only one problem- after searching the internet, I have come to the conclusion that they are way out of my price range. My question is, are there any other lizards comparable to ackies that aren't so "exotic" that they are so pricey? I love the hardiness, temperment, size and personality of the ackie, but is there anything out there that can rival it? Savannas are way cheap, niles are way huge, but neither seem to encompass the traits I want. Perhaps a tegu of some sort? Ow, my head is starting to hurt. Thanks for any feedback you can give me.

Or for that matter large lizards as the caging, food, and vet care if needed is many times more expensive than the animal. If you cant afford a $99-350 animal then you cant afford hundreds in crickets, roaches, hundreds in mice, or possible thousands in vet bills, let alone a cage that can cost from $50-500. Monitors are not cheap and can live a long time. Ackies are very inexpensive monitors to keep.

ackies are really overpriced. last one i saw the owner wanted 400 for it! my water monitor didnt even cost that much!!! needless to say i told him he was crazy and hell no i wasnt buyin it. but then again ive never seen a cheap ackie and they are less common than savs and niles and even waters for that matter, so it doesnt help the matter...
the guy who posted above me is correct though (despite being a bit harsh) caging is expensive (but not more so than an ackie....you can put em up in a 75 gal for just over a hundred)...however im willing to give you the benefit of the doubt and instead of implying your ignorance simply think you dont want to pay an absurd price for a lizard. and on that note if your interested in tegus look up some stuff about them. i hear they've got a pretty good disposition, and they certainly cost less, but they do get bigger than an ackie so youll need an even bigger cage...either way lizards cost...but if you really want an ackie, you should just get that...just save up a bit first...
later

Yeah, im not oblivious to the issues of maintaining a larger reptile, which is the reason I asked about the ackie in the first place. I just wondered if anyone thought that a different large lizard rivaled them in any category(i didn't need a lesson ). Thanks though!