Wtf am I going to put in a 55 gallon - Page 2

**Aaron_S** · 01-18-16, 05:30 PM

Has anyone heard of a gravel washer? Many are commercial made and no need for any gobs of water at all! Super cheap too.

Anyway, you can try your hand at raising scorpions, smaller gecko colonies, stuff like that.

sirtalis · 01-18-16, 07:37 PM

Well for starters you should change the title, 2nd an adult iguana can get 6+feet so it would need at least a 12 foot cage, you could Probably fit a bearded dragon in there

prairiepanda · 01-18-16, 09:56 PM

I'd put another vote in for fish. It's a great size; big enough that the water values won't spike easily, but small enough that it won't be overly expensive to set up and maintain. I had a really nice Cichlid setup the same size as that tank. Very pretty and active fish. As long as you stick with freshwater, aquariums are easy to manage. I think a lot of the problems people have with aquariums comes from the fact that most people start with very small aquariums with way too many fish in them. In small volumes of water, it's very difficult to maintain consistent water quality, so it doesn't take much to make the water stink and eventually kill the fish. Larger tanks are much easier to maintain, because there's more water volume to dilute pollutants until the next water change.

But if fish are absolutely a no, I'd suggest a corn snake or maybe some sort of rat snake(just not the huge ones)... The narrowness of it makes it a bit challenging for reptiles. Maybe a group of crested geckos? Or anoles?

dannybgoode · 01-19-16, 12:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sirtalis

Well for starters you should change the title, 2nd an adult iguana can get 6+feet so it would need at least a 12 foot cage, you could Probably fit a bearded dragon in there

The op mentioned the tank was 4*2*1 and it's the one that makes me think it's too small for a bearded. I'd have thought they'd appreciate a bit more height (and of the 1 is width then definitely would be more?).

However that is just from my research on lizards not from experience keeping them so happy to be corrected.

I like nightlife's suggestion of a spare enclosure for a quarantine tank / hospital task etc. Always good to have and something that a lot of keepers don't have to hand when perhaps they should (and I am guilty as charged!).

If it must be filled though and you don't want fish how about an African house snake. Underrated imo, very attractive looking snake, active, tame and stays small. It's also a bit different...

Albert Clark · 01-19-16, 05:55 AM

How about a trio of garter snakes? Some of the plains garters and the easterns get pretty large. The 55 gallon would play into their lifestyle quite well. Then it would also be easy to hibernate them in the same enclosure if you were interested in breeding them. 2 females and a male. Otherwise, same sex individuals if you don't want to breed.

Arachnaeoccult · 01-19-16, 07:11 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Albert Clark

How about a trio of garter snakes? Some of the plains garters and the easterns get pretty large. The 55 gallon would play into their lifestyle quite well. Then it would also be easy to hibernate them in the same enclosure if you were interested in breeding them. 2 females and a male. Otherwise, same sex individuals if you don't want to breed.

A communal snake was certainly in consideration. Maybe a few su-adults or babies? Someone told me this is excellent for a bird eater but I'd probably be raising a sling first.

Albert Clark · 01-19-16, 07:20 AM

Well, if you go the communal enclosure I would not have more than 3, and preferably a pair of garters would be better. No babies in with adults or sub adults. 55 gallons is a lot of space to fill in backgrounds and hides or even the bio- active route are options.

Bandit · 01-19-16, 07:31 AM

Agreed. That would be a good enclosure for Garters, but no more than 3 adults.

eminart · 01-19-16, 09:20 AM

I had a 55g saltwater setup for many years.

But, the options are limitless with herps. Many snakes will do well in that size. Some smaller turtles are an option. A leopard gecko colony. A large dart frog set up. Lots of options for a planted bioactive tank.

psychocircus · 01-19-16, 09:41 AM

I'm not a big fan of 55 gallons because the tank is only 12" front to back, as mentioned. That rules out bearded dragons.

Some options you have:
crested geckos
dart frogs
leopard geckos
several species of small colubrids
fish

Ultimately, I don't think you should purchase an animal just because you've come across an enclosure. You are better suited to determine an animal you really want and build/purchase an enclosure accordingly.

Arachnaeoccult · 01-19-16, 10:13 AM

I'd rather wait 2-3 months and sort my cricket breeding operation, than buy the tank off my roomate and fix it up with a screen and divide it into 4 smaller tanks that would please an arachnid display.

If the cricket breeding goes well it'll open the door to owning lizards, but as of right now I can only do animals that need weekly rather than daily feeding.

AZretic · 01-20-16, 07:58 AM

I just never understand the point of these threads....

RAD House · 01-20-16, 08:41 AM

I think it is pretty clear the point of this thread is the op wants to know what options he has for a certain enclosure. Ironically Azretic, I really do not see the point in your post.

**Aaron_S** · 01-20-16, 08:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AZretic

I just never understand the point of these threads....

I just never understand the point of people reading or posting in threads they don't see a point in....

prairiepanda · 01-20-16, 08:49 AM

Crested geckos don't need insects. Growing babies should get some insect protein in their diet, but there is crested gecko food with insect protein in it already now so you wouldn't have to worry about your crickets. Just mix powder with water and feed every couple days

But if it still has to be something that will eat once a week, then I'd definitely go with a small snake. Corns, kings, milks, and some of the smaller rat snakes would be fine in there. Don't push it with bigger snakes because that 12" width will become a problem.

Another option would be a huge colony of communal tarantulas, but the size might be a bit excessive