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Grandis Clan: Tank setup notes

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Posted by: eluikart at Wed Jul 6 20:56:06 2005  [ Report Abuse ] [ Email Message ] [ Show All Posts by eluikart ]  
   

Hey Feenie et al.,
Please let me know if this is helpful, so I dont do this for nuthing...
FIRSTLY, I'll mention I grow orchids, so if u want some advice on miniatures for a tank, lemme know. My Veiled Cham loves 'em (chomps bites from flowers!)
Until I get photos on, Here's some thoughts on Grandis tank setup. We've had nothing but success with ours, but one or two caveats...read on.
Firstly, one or two adults we bought were almost definitely 'culls' from someone else's breeding program. They looked great, but never reproduced, developed lumps and other infirmities, and died after 2 years...in short, they were old already. Unlike your chams, these should live a decade to 15 yrs.
We grew up some subadults, and bred the spottiest, least shy ones and now we suffer only an embarrasment of riches. Ya interested in one, let me know. Anyway, we like 20 gal high tanks for the subadults, and we use 55 gal. setups for a pair of adults. the bottom ideally has a layer of those ceramic porous balls (1 inch or so), then nylon screen, then your dirt and woodchips.
We have pretty good luck with cheap small plants labeled 'tropical' at Home Depot, etc, but I have a cool pitcher plant (small pitchers hang off the leaves), some air plants (Tillandsia) and also I grow orchids (seventy or so) so I put mounted miniatures in! I can give specifics if u like.

They REALLY like horizontal(ish) branches and sunny spots up near the top. We often use bamboo, placed diagonally- 2 or 3 pieces. I have some with large holes drilled into some sections, the lizzies look so cute peeking out! and also glue some nice shells (oyster) or acorn caps for holding nectar and fruit, to small upright wood in a corner, that can be quietly removed for cleaning. Now I have glued some small velcro patches on the bamboo and have 5-6 dishes (plastic caps, etc) that fit on there, for ez cleaning. They REALLY like peach and apricot baby food most of all (and honey as a treat!)
Top off with a couple fluorescent fish tank lightrs and at least one 60 watt (my brothers preference) or 100 watt (my pref.) halogen in a ceramic base. FORGET the ExoTerra or daylight blue bulbs-they just dont last, it seems.

Just think of the tank as a chance to create the most habitat space in a volume. They can choose whether to cuddle up, stare each other down, or go their own ways as they like if there is hollow driftwood, bamboo chambers, plants, etc. My bro really likes his magnetic hollow 'rock' that you can pull the outside half off and look in. we get eggs in there these days. I collect weathered cedar branches, etc. that look nice.

The individuals really vary in boldness, some eat from your hand, others hide on approach. long tweezers are the first step to training them. WARNING: Long tweezers with green rubber on the last 2 inches worked great with the adults, BUT scared the snot out of our small guys, till we figgered out they see it as a big long green lizard coming to kick their A$$! DUH...we are geniuses, by god...If you put us both together on a simple problem for a month...
Hope this helps or is at least amusing. Later, Ernie


   

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<< Previous Message:  RE: Our Grandis Clan: Sir Spotsalot, &co. - FEENIEE, Wed Jul 6 17:24:00 2005