Newbie Blue Tongue Questions

[reptiles123]

Hi everyone

I am looking at getting a blue tongue sometime in the next twelve months, but have never had a reptile before so have a few questions - sorry if they are completely obvious

1) I can't afford $300+ for a commercial enclosure, and while I am in awe at all the amazing DIY projects people have done on here, I have disasters with hammers and screwdrivers ... So are there any alternatives? Would a fishtank work, or something like the Exo Terra Faunarium? If so, how could I attach heating/uvb lights?

2) I gather from reading various things on this site that if I have a Mercury Vapour Bulb this supplies both heat/basking light and UVB light, so would be the only light I would need - is this correct?

3) And when you clean out the enclosure once a month, what does this entail exactly? How exactly do you clean the substrate?

Thanks in advance

 

[Crazycow232]

hi for question 1 this is what i did for my beardy,

 

[KWood]

We have our blueys in a 5ft fish tank, with substrate of sugar mulch. My got a fluro batten box and cut it to fit above the tank for the UV and have a heat lamp on the basking side of the tank.

When I clean it, I spot clean any poo or wet spots by removing the substrate, and for the big clean I remove the lizards and let them wander around the house while I empty all mulch,logs and rocks and use a diluted disinfectant on all the glass surfaces.

We are also only new at owning them (Christmas), but so far they seem to be very happy.

Hope this helps

 

[Trisky]

Hi everyone
I am looking at getting a blue tongue sometime in the next twelve months, but have never had a reptile before so have a few questions - sorry if they are completely obvious
1) I can't afford $300+ for a commercial enclosure, and while I am in awe at all the amazing DIY projects people have done on here, I have disasters with hammers and screwdrivers ... So are there any alternatives? Would a fishtank work, or something like the Exo Terra Faunarium? If so, how could I attach heating/uvb lights?
2) I gather from reading various things on this site that if I have a Mercury Vapour Bulb this supplies both heat/basking light and UVB light, so would be the only light I would need - is this correct?
3) And when you clean out the enclosure once a month, what does this entail exactly? How exactly do you clean the substrate?
Thanks in advance

1. Commercial enclosures are great but not the end of teh world if you cant get one. There are plenty of other alternatives and if you are a disaster with DIY, try asking a friend or someone to just give you pointers or help you out. You can knock up a pretty decent Bluey enclosure for under $100 these days without needing powertools, just browse the DIY forum on here and you will get plenty of ideas. Bear in mind that owning a reptile goes above just the initial cost in enclosures and such because if you are worried about, just have a think about the ongoing costs and what you may do in the unlikely event of the animal getting sick.

2. Yes and No. Certain folks swear by them but others are dubious of having a "One Solution" situation, me being one of them. MVBs cost a fair bit more than a simple spotlight and UVB bulb setup as well and just like UVB bulbs, they still need to be replaced at the end of their lifespan.

3. You would be wanting to clean the enclosure more frequently than once a month. Spot cleans are a regular necessity, particularly around Bluetongues who are not fussed about walking through their own waste and on some occasions, eating it. When doing a full clean (when required), it usually involves changing the substrate completely, cleaning any accessories you may have etc etc.

Your best resources will of course be reading through online forums as well as getting your hands on a decent couple of books.

Good luck, blueys are an awesome pet for a first time reptile owner.

 

[pinefamily]

Depending on where you are, an outdoor enclosure might be an option. If DIY is not your thing, an aviary is something to consider. You might need to put some Perspex or polycarbonate sheets around the bottom of the wire, so the bluey doesn't rub its nose on the wire.

 

[reptiles123]

Thanks for your help everyone! I'll probably be back with more questions, but you've given me plenty to think about for now