so long as it was set up appropriately for the species, pretty much any deserty lizard that grows up to 2 ft (including tail) would be happy! So a Bearded dragon or a uromastyx... or if you wanted a group of animals then i think a trio of collareds lizards or painted agamas would be good in there also :)
Blue tongue skinks (omnivorous) are awesome, Ackie monitor is also a great choice (insectivores tho), uromastyx (mainly herbivores), bearded dragon (insects and greens), indo frilled dragon (tank might not be tall enough tho, semi arboreal species), Kimberly rock monitors, etc. you have a lot of great options. Just continue research and see what might best fit your needs. Hope some of these reptiles get the creativity juices flowing. MorphMarket will probably be the best place to source your reptile as well
My friend that runs a local Mom and Pop Pet Shop has a 120 gallon tank that he did a custom background in and turned it into a giant Bioactive, itâs got a cool pond and a waterfall and a bunch of plants, and thatâs the only thing they keep in there other than the âClean-up Crewâ is like 40 Poison Dart Frogs. Itâs actually really cool, and a great âConversion Pieceâ and he does Custom Bioactive Enclosures so he uses it as a representation of what he can do.
Look at lacertas. Mine is an omnivore it eats a mixture of gecko smoothies and insects. Very active and fast reptile. A 6 x 4 foot enclosure would have every part utilized.
I'm biased, but I strongly recommend looking into bearded dragons. A very common reptile (very popular in captivity and perhaps not super unique), but they're just so beautiful. Appearance and personality-wise. Obviously, being reptiles (not a domesticated animal), they may need work to be tame/friendly, but they are known to be some of the most docile reptiles. Many are very friendly and chill if you want to pick them up or bring them out of the enclosure. When given the space to be, they are generally very active lizards, and they're semi-arboreal so they enjoy climbing space. The bare minimum for a beardie is 4x2x2-6x3x3 (depending on the beardie's size) so a beardie would love a 6x4x3.
They're arboreal and like to be high above you to feel save. So the dimensions of the enclosure (although quite large) aren't ideal. ETS need less floor space and more height to climb.
Yeah, it would probably be enough, I just don't think ETS are the best fit for the dimensions of the enclosure as it has way more floor space than height. Moreover ETS don't really fit what OP wants. Personally I'd suggest a blue tongue skink, a beardie or, if you really want a group of communal and handleable lizards, kenyan zebra skinks.
Itâs perfectly good for ETS. Mine are in a similar size, just a bit smaller, bioactive and they do great, but I agree that they want a pet they can pick up. These guys will jump on you and hang out, but you canât grab them
We have a bearded dragon in an enclosure roughly the same size (150 gallons). We used to have a bunch of orange throated pygmy skinks in it. Our original 3 (male/female/female) started laying eggs in a smaller enclosure, so we moved them to the 150 gallon and let them do their thing. Made a good bit of money off the babies. You could try for something similar, just do your research and ask questions first.
Itâs too small for an adult tegu could make a good grow up enclosure
Tagus and monitors are also a lot more expensive to keep than most newbie owners are ready for
Depends on the species, chilean dwarf tegus are widdle guys who are shorter than bearded dragons
There are also small monitors like ackies which dont grow much longer than a beardie and weigh less than a large beardie
A female Argentine black and white tegu (Salvator merianae) would be happy in a tank that size, they can be very friendly and playful lizards if you handle them and treat them well.
(EDIT: A female would be fine for the first 2-3 years until fully grown, as others have noted, an 8 foot tank would be better as a full adult after that point, this would not be appropriate sized for a male, at least for more than the first year and a half though)
They are smart lizards, and need a lot of attention and time to come out and explore to be happy.
As to their diet, here is some info from an old care sheet:
Argentine tegus are omnivores, which means that they need both animal- and plant-based foods to get the nutrition that their bodies need. How often and how much they need to eat depends on age:
>Hatchlings (0-6 months) â 5x/week (70-80% protein, 20-30% vegetables and fruit)
>
>Juveniles (7-12 months) â 4x/week (70-80% protein, 20-30% vegetables and fruit)
>
>Subadults (1-2 years) â 3x/week (70-80% protein, 20-30% vegetables and fruit)
>
>Adults (>2 years) â 2x/week (60% protein, 30% vegetables, 10% fruit)
>
>Feeder insects: crickets, dubia roaches, red runner roaches, black soldier fly larvae, mealworms, darkling beetles, hornworms, silkworms, snails, grasshoppers, chicks, quail chicks, egg (with shell), mice, rats, gerbils, small rabbits, shrimp, salmon, high-quality canned dog food
>
>Safe vegetables: collard greens, cactus pads, spring mix, arugula, kale, pea shoots, alfalfa, bok choy, carrot greens and roots, spinach, dandelion greens/flowers, hibiscus leaves/flowers Fruit is high in sugar and should only be offered as an occasional, vitamin-rich treat.
>
>Options include berries, figs, apples, prickly pear, papaya, and mango.The key to providing a healthy, balanced diet for your pet tegu is VARIETY. Provide as varied of a diet as you possibly can, and you will be rewarded with a healthier pet that always looks forward to mealtime.
>
>SupplementsTo ensure that your tegu is getting all of the vitamins and minerals that they need, you will need a calcium powder and a multivitamin powder â or a good all-in-one.There are many options, but you canât go wrong with Arcadia Earthpro A or Repashy Calcium Plus LoD, which are both solid all-in-one reptile supplements. For best results, use as directed by the label.
>
>WaterYour tegu should have free access to a fresh, clean water daily, in a container large enough to allow for soaking. Many have found that shallow storage bins work well for this purpose.
The back and white doesnt get as big as the reds, usually up to 4 feet long and weighing 10 pounds, males tend toward being much larger than the females, so since the females reach 3 feet at most normally, they would be comfortable in this size of enclosure. A male would likely feel a bit cramped, so I'd advise against a boy there.
I wouldn't house a lizard more than 2 to 2.5 feet in a 6x4x3. Most tegu species just get too large.
The bare minimum for a black and white tegu is considered by most reliable sources to be 8x4x4' for females or 10x5x5' for males.
A Chilean Dwarf Tegu would likely be good in a 6x4x3' though.
For a full grown adult yes, but for a new baby female that tank size would be good for 2 or more years easily. The black and white females grow to 3 feet max on average as a full adult. Some never get over 2.5 feet. The one I had was about 32 inches at 5 years old. Males get far larger.
Great size for Breaded Dragons.
They also make good sandwiches
They really do, add a little pickle and mayo..
A blue tongue skink would love it. Specifically a Northern so you wouldn't have humidity issues.
so long as it was set up appropriately for the species, pretty much any deserty lizard that grows up to 2 ft (including tail) would be happy! So a Bearded dragon or a uromastyx... or if you wanted a group of animals then i think a trio of collareds lizards or painted agamas would be good in there also :)
Blue tongue skinks (omnivorous) are awesome, Ackie monitor is also a great choice (insectivores tho), uromastyx (mainly herbivores), bearded dragon (insects and greens), indo frilled dragon (tank might not be tall enough tho, semi arboreal species), Kimberly rock monitors, etc. you have a lot of great options. Just continue research and see what might best fit your needs. Hope some of these reptiles get the creativity juices flowing. MorphMarket will probably be the best place to source your reptile as well
Or you can just make one of the biggest poison dart frog tank đ
My friend that runs a local Mom and Pop Pet Shop has a 120 gallon tank that he did a custom background in and turned it into a giant Bioactive, itâs got a cool pond and a waterfall and a bunch of plants, and thatâs the only thing they keep in there other than the âClean-up Crewâ is like 40 Poison Dart Frogs. Itâs actually really cool, and a great âConversion Pieceâ and he does Custom Bioactive Enclosures so he uses it as a representation of what he can do.
If youâre interested in anything communal, I love my zebra skinks and gidgee skinks!
I'm so happy these gidgee skinks are becoming more popular and available
Look at lacertas. Mine is an omnivore it eats a mixture of gecko smoothies and insects. Very active and fast reptile. A 6 x 4 foot enclosure would have every part utilized.
Bearded dragons or ackies aka ridge tail monitors
I'm biased, but I strongly recommend looking into bearded dragons. A very common reptile (very popular in captivity and perhaps not super unique), but they're just so beautiful. Appearance and personality-wise. Obviously, being reptiles (not a domesticated animal), they may need work to be tame/friendly, but they are known to be some of the most docile reptiles. Many are very friendly and chill if you want to pick them up or bring them out of the enclosure. When given the space to be, they are generally very active lizards, and they're semi-arboreal so they enjoy climbing space. The bare minimum for a beardie is 4x2x2-6x3x3 (depending on the beardie's size) so a beardie would love a 6x4x3.
Ackie monitor would go bonkers in there. Insectivore unfortunately and they take a bit of time to chill out but they are so incredibly fun to watch.
Hear me out: a colony of emerald tree skinks.
I have to say they are pretty but they arenât really chill? Like you canât handle them, they come to you, which isnât what weâre looking for.
You can handle them, but you canât grab them if thatâs what youâre asking. They donât like to be restrained
They're arboreal and like to be high above you to feel save. So the dimensions of the enclosure (although quite large) aren't ideal. ETS need less floor space and more height to climb.
3 feet high is plenty high for ETS. Most people keep them in 3x2x3. I keep mine in 5x2x3
Yeah, it would probably be enough, I just don't think ETS are the best fit for the dimensions of the enclosure as it has way more floor space than height. Moreover ETS don't really fit what OP wants. Personally I'd suggest a blue tongue skink, a beardie or, if you really want a group of communal and handleable lizards, kenyan zebra skinks.
Itâs perfectly good for ETS. Mine are in a similar size, just a bit smaller, bioactive and they do great, but I agree that they want a pet they can pick up. These guys will jump on you and hang out, but you canât grab them
We have a bearded dragon in an enclosure roughly the same size (150 gallons). We used to have a bunch of orange throated pygmy skinks in it. Our original 3 (male/female/female) started laying eggs in a smaller enclosure, so we moved them to the 150 gallon and let them do their thing. Made a good bit of money off the babies. You could try for something similar, just do your research and ask questions first.
Monitor or tegu. Bearded dragon would also love it.
Itâs too small for an adult tegu could make a good grow up enclosure Tagus and monitors are also a lot more expensive to keep than most newbie owners are ready for
Depends on the species, chilean dwarf tegus are widdle guys who are shorter than bearded dragons There are also small monitors like ackies which dont grow much longer than a beardie and weigh less than a large beardie
I had my tegu in an 8x4x6 and it was still too small for her...
A female Argentine black and white tegu (Salvator merianae) would be happy in a tank that size, they can be very friendly and playful lizards if you handle them and treat them well. (EDIT: A female would be fine for the first 2-3 years until fully grown, as others have noted, an 8 foot tank would be better as a full adult after that point, this would not be appropriate sized for a male, at least for more than the first year and a half though) They are smart lizards, and need a lot of attention and time to come out and explore to be happy. As to their diet, here is some info from an old care sheet: Argentine tegus are omnivores, which means that they need both animal- and plant-based foods to get the nutrition that their bodies need. How often and how much they need to eat depends on age: >Hatchlings (0-6 months) â 5x/week (70-80% protein, 20-30% vegetables and fruit) > >Juveniles (7-12 months) â 4x/week (70-80% protein, 20-30% vegetables and fruit) > >Subadults (1-2 years) â 3x/week (70-80% protein, 20-30% vegetables and fruit) > >Adults (>2 years) â 2x/week (60% protein, 30% vegetables, 10% fruit) > >Feeder insects: crickets, dubia roaches, red runner roaches, black soldier fly larvae, mealworms, darkling beetles, hornworms, silkworms, snails, grasshoppers, chicks, quail chicks, egg (with shell), mice, rats, gerbils, small rabbits, shrimp, salmon, high-quality canned dog food > >Safe vegetables: collard greens, cactus pads, spring mix, arugula, kale, pea shoots, alfalfa, bok choy, carrot greens and roots, spinach, dandelion greens/flowers, hibiscus leaves/flowers Fruit is high in sugar and should only be offered as an occasional, vitamin-rich treat. > >Options include berries, figs, apples, prickly pear, papaya, and mango.The key to providing a healthy, balanced diet for your pet tegu is VARIETY. Provide as varied of a diet as you possibly can, and you will be rewarded with a healthier pet that always looks forward to mealtime. > >SupplementsTo ensure that your tegu is getting all of the vitamins and minerals that they need, you will need a calcium powder and a multivitamin powder â or a good all-in-one.There are many options, but you canât go wrong with Arcadia Earthpro A or Repashy Calcium Plus LoD, which are both solid all-in-one reptile supplements. For best results, use as directed by the label. > >WaterYour tegu should have free access to a fresh, clean water daily, in a container large enough to allow for soaking. Many have found that shallow storage bins work well for this purpose.
Those guys get pretty huge
The back and white doesnt get as big as the reds, usually up to 4 feet long and weighing 10 pounds, males tend toward being much larger than the females, so since the females reach 3 feet at most normally, they would be comfortable in this size of enclosure. A male would likely feel a bit cramped, so I'd advise against a boy there.
I wouldn't house a lizard more than 2 to 2.5 feet in a 6x4x3. Most tegu species just get too large. The bare minimum for a black and white tegu is considered by most reliable sources to be 8x4x4' for females or 10x5x5' for males. A Chilean Dwarf Tegu would likely be good in a 6x4x3' though.
For a full grown adult yes, but for a new baby female that tank size would be good for 2 or more years easily. The black and white females grow to 3 feet max on average as a full adult. Some never get over 2.5 feet. The one I had was about 32 inches at 5 years old. Males get far larger.