Freshwater crocodile enclosure help.

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CCgreen

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hello, been looking at getting a freshwater croc for a while now and decided its time to get one just want to know
for the 1st few years if a 6x2x2 fish tank will do (got one in the shed ya see) untill it just dosent look comfortable in there??
size im looking at is a 30cm hatching.

thanks for you time.
 
hello, been looking at getting a freshwater croc for a while now and decided its time to get one just want to know
for the 1st few years if a 6x2x2 fish tank will do (got one in the shed ya see) untill it just dosent look comfortable in there??
size im looking at is a 30cm hatching.

thanks for you time.
it should be fine for the first few years , deppends on how much u feed it .
 
thanks heaps for the answers :) much appreciated.
is there any good books on keeping crocs??

anyone have a pic of there croc enclosure to give me a good idea how to set up mine cant seem to find anything on the net.
 
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A 6x2x2 aquarium will be sufficiently large enough for possibly a few years (depending on food intake and husbandry as previously mentioned). All our old juvenile crocs were kept in small aquariums, they thrived in small tanks. We tried large landscaped ponds for some of our juv. salties and they stressed considerably, went off food and it was obvious not optimum for their welfare. We had success upgrading to ponds once the juvies hit the "big boy" mentality (flighty to fighty) when they have much more confidence. We saw a dramatic increase in appetite and overall personality when we would put stressed crocs in large enclosures back to small aquariums.

There are a few crocodilian husbandry related books but their detail has only limited application to that relevant to the private keeper. Worth a look if your interested in such but the majority of information within won't be directly relevant to your scenario.

I suggest simple is better. I usually encourage people to provide ample refuge (hides) both on land and water, juvenile crocs are often prey to a diverse range of species so they generally seek shelter/security until they hit the "bold" stage of their development when they go from flighty to fighty.

If it was me I would get an upturned milk crate with the majority of 1 or 2 sides cut out to allow for movement/access, put a solid platform on top of the crate this will serve as a land section and provide an underwater "cave" for security. Add in some additional furnishings but nothing too extravagant, water heaters, filtration and a basking lamp.

For an easy method to provide security to a croc both in land and in water cut some palm fronds and throw them in the tank, they do get used in my experience and are particularly good for managing stress after a move. Obviously replace when necessary.

Google caiman and alligator setups from the states as well, for ideas.
 
thank you so much that, great advice the milk crate idea is fantastic :)
 
The University of Queensland uses a similar structure but the milk crate is cheap and more suited to the scale of an aquarium.
 
my tank is only 6mm thick should i seel this and get a 10mm one?
 
just askin wat are the laws like in melbourne for herpers and what do you need license wise to be able to get crocs down there
 
My old work used to have salties up to a metre (total length) in aquariums that were definitely not 10mm thick (I have no idea what thickness they were but no where near 10mm) the salties used to bash the glass pretty bad when we had to catch them up and they never cracked the glass. On the other hand, volunteers who used to drop rocks in the tanks did crack the glass...

Whilst I don't have any expertise in glass strength. I would say a juvenile freshie would not pose a realistic threat to the glass (based on my previous experience). I am more than happy for others to correct me, and I will go on the record as saying to be safe you could go the 10mm, it would obviously be less risk of an accident. Also I would recommend 10mm if there is a likelihood of external hazards, small children or large pets (dogs) that could cause an accident. That is what my concern would be based on, external threats more so than the crocodile.

I'm more than happy to help, guys. I'm glad that my advice can benefit others :)
 
and what do you need to get to an advanced licence like how long dose it take to get to that level
 
Just forgot to say, with the milk crates, cut any of the plastic away so that there is no risk of the animal becoming stuck, trying to get through a small gap and drowning.
 
An advanced license in Victoria costs $180 a year.
 
but is it like nsw and you got to hold a license for x amount of years or can i move strait to vic fork over 180 and go get a croc
 
but is it like nsw and you got to hold a license for x amount of years or can i move strait to vic fork over 180 and go get a croc
yup no waiting time between a basic and an advanced . pay the $180 and u can go from no license to an advanced .
 
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