Reptile & Amphibian Forums

So, i went to the flea market looking for a bigger tank for Zazu. I found a little reptile shop and decided to stop in. The owner said he had just sold his mali uromastyx. I asked if he had any tanks 30 gallons or bigger for sale. He said he didn't but that a 20 gallon should be just fine for a uromastyx. (No way!) He then began acting like a uro official, telling me that i had paid too much ($90), that i should get my next uro from him and insisted that i didn't need to buy a bigger tank than 20 gallons. I asked how big the uro he had just sold was and he said about 13 inches. So it was most likely full grown and not captive bred. This guy really ticked me off. His shop was full of reptiles in ten gallon tanks. Many of the tanks had 5 or more in them. It was just sad to know that people were buying from him and possibly taking his advice.

i later found another pet store at the flea market with much better conditioned reptiles and other animals, much more competent.

Some people just don't get it. Like a 10 gallon tank would be large enough for a big lizard to be able to thermoregulate. That is fine for a few baby Beardies, but even they outgrow tanks fast too. I get angry too.

Casey

yeah it sounds like that is a store to stay away from. i know conditions in pet stores cannot be ideal but they can at least be decent!
-----
vonnie
***There is no pleasure in having nothing to do; the fun is in having lots to do and not doing it. Mary Wilson Little ***

Just curious, what part of the country do you live in? In New Orleans, we only have two pet shops that I know of that sell reptiles (I don't count stores like Petsmart).

I live in central west Florida, soon to be central Florida. There are many reptile shops around. Probably because i'm close to ports. Lindsay Pike isn't too far away either. I plan on getting a baby ornate from him in August, and attending the reptile show in August in Daytona. (i think it's Daytona)

I can understand a pet store using smaller tanks in order to provide a large variety of reptiles to it's consumers without taking up too much space. It wouldn't be good business. There's a reputable reptile store in Berkley that most of the reptiles are in cages of smaller sise, but they not only no the care of the reptiles, but also advise to put in a larger enclosure.

If the guy you talked to turns over his stock at a descent rate, the smaller tanks shouldn't be bad, but by no means should he be advising to the consumer to use small tanks, esecially if it's because that's all he has.

-Jim
-----

2.1 - Rocky, Runako, and RoxyIII (my care sheets)