Hi,

I am totally new to Lizards and i'm looking for some advice/help. My son is bugging me to get a lizard and after saying no countless amounts of times I thought i'd see if I could get some starter advice to see if its something I want to take on (cos I will end up caring for him lol).

I keep tropical fish (not exciting enough for the little one) and I have a spare tank that's been empty for a while. its a Roma 125 Litre tank (80cm long x 35cm wide x 45cm high) so about 28 gallon and I want to know what equipment I would need to turn it into a home for a lizzard? The tank has a dual UV lighting system and a fixed hood with 2 gaps for cables and is glass and I gather i would probably need some mesh just below the lighting/gaps to stop escapes etc.

Also I have 2 pet stores (Uk) that sell Lizards and I was wondering if I do decide to make this a home for a lizard, what is the best lizard to get for a newbie like me? i don't want to go into this in the dark as it wouldn't be fair on the little lizard and I don't want to waste time and money without research and advice on how to convert the tank for a lizard.

Sorry if the post is a bit jumbled but I really don't have the first clue on what equipment I need and once I know what I need to convert the tank I can then research on what lizard we will get before I buy it all.

Thanks for any help and advice!

google leapord gecko they are small easy to care for and they can come in awsome colours

Def leopard geckos.

They don't require any UV lighting and they only need a heat matt.

Usually prices start at £35-£45 for a 'normal' but expect to pay loads more for any morphs (different colours).

There are loads of leopard geckos for sale on the reptile forums at the moment and they'll also give you great advice if you need it

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I'll tell you right now not to buy a reptile from a 'normal' pet shop. They very very VERY rarely know what they're doing with their rodents, never mind reptiles.
Reptile shops can also be a bit dodgey and you'd do well to ask about then on a UK reptiles forum as people there will know the good shops from the bad.

The best thing you can do however is to look for a reputable breeder, which solves a whole host of problems.

As for what reptile you should get, they are all so different, especially in needs. Limiting yourself to 'what ever will fit in this fish tank' may not be the best way to start, if I'm honest.
The equipment you'll need will depend on the reptile.

I'd suggest looking at detailed caresheets of several lizard species (leopard gecko, crested gecko, bearded dragon, blue tongued skink ect.) before making any decissions. There is a LOT to consider when you're first starting out.

How old is your son?
Will he be handling the lizard?
Are you around more in the day or in the evening?
How do you feel about feeding live insects?
How much space do you have?
What other pets do you have and how will they react?
Ect ect ect..
the list of questions just grows with each one you answer.

Temperatures must be accurate, it is very important indeed, a lizard this is too hot or too cold can die or struggle eating and so on.
UV and calcium are also very important, without these many lizards will get soft bones and will then become disfigured or even die from it.

Once you have everything set up and you know what you are doing, from my experiance it is very easy to care for them, but it is SO important you initially understand everything your reptiles needs.

Leaopard Geckos for example are small, friendly, pretty lizards. However, they must eat live crickets and can be fast and delecate, and I personally wouldn't let a child handle one. Their tails can drop if stressed or if it is pulled.

Crested Gecko's do not have to eat live crickets, you can buy a special diet for them which you just add water to. They are arborial so need a higher enclosure and they can also be quite speedy and are probably more delecate than the Leopard Gecko. They tend to come out at night, rather than in the day, so will be more active in the evening. They can also vocalise.

Bearded Dragons are bigger and would need a bigger enclosure. They must eat live crickets and some greens (spring greens, NOT letuce). They can be a bit grumpy and can be quite fast (I once had to catch one that lept out of a reptile shop workers hands) They need regular baths because they don't drink water normally, but they are often very friendly and have big personalities which is why they're so popular.

Blue Tongued Skinks (personal favourite, as I own one) also need a big enclosure and a large water bowl as they like to sit in it. They're much slower than the other reptiles I've mentioned. They don't need to eat live crickets, they can be fed on greens, fruit, veg and cooked chicken, among other things. They do have a fairly powerful bite from what I've heard, but they do make it VERY obvious if they're unhappy (they will hiss, then display their tongues) and I have never even recieved a hiss from my skink. He is the only animal I've ever owned that has never once bitten me. They'll happily sit on your knee while you watch TV and are a oy to own.


They are very rewarding pets but you do have to put in the work and the research is SO important.
Do NOT trust a shop owner to give you all the info you need, you MUST refer to several detailed online care sheets and talk to people who own them.

Research, research, research.

If you need any help finding care sheets or have any questions about what reptiles would be best for your situation I'd be more than happy to help.
I'm not trying to scare you off, honest, its just really important you walk into this knowing everything you possibly can.

Best of luck :>

I ditto all the advice above, and would also recommend exotic-pets.co.uk for a Leopard gecko, as far as I've seen they have great service and aftercare.

And be sure you aren't scared of crickets and mealworms before you start!!!

I personally wouldn't keep a reptile in a glass fish tank. I would buy a wooden viv. They keep the heat a heck of a lot better than a glass tank.

For a starter I would recommend either a Leopard Gecko or a Bearded dragon they are both easy to care for.

Leopard Gecko (Eublepharis macularius) Starter Kit Set Up and Care


Leopard geckos are small docile lizards from the arid mountains of Pakistan and Afghanistan. They are easy to care for and an excellent choice as a first reptile pet. Their small size and nocturnal nature make them ideally suited for keeping in a bedroom. With a little patience leopard geckos tame easily. In the wild these animals are dusky yellow with black spots. Generations of breeding in captivity have produced a large variety of weird and wonderful colour morphs.

Housing your Leopard Gecko


The heat mat goes under the tank. If using a wooden tank stand it on some coasters so that there is some air flow over the heat mat. This will prevent excessive heat build up and prolong the life of your mat.

Place a thin layer of substrate across the base of the tank.

The gecko needs two hides, one in the cool end and one over the heat mat. In a small tank one larger hide can stretch from the heat mat to the cool side.

The water dish needs to be kept at the cool end this will keep it fresher for longer.

Don’t use household detergents, and disinfectants as these can be toxic to reptiles.

Setting up the thermostat


If you are using a plastic tank attach the thermostat sensor to the heat mat using a good quality tape like duck tape.

If you are u

sing a wooden tank drill a small hole in the back of the tank and place the thermostat sensor on the floor of the tank above the heat mat. Use a hide to hold the sensor in place.

Place the thermometer on the floor of the tank directly above he heat mat. The temperature needs to be between 28◦c, and 30◦c.

Set the thermostat to around 32◦c. Leave for two hours to warm up and then check the thermometer. If the temperature is not right adjust the setting on the thermostat, leave for another two hours and recheck. Keep adjusting and checking until the temperature is stable at the desired level.

Daily Care and Feeding for Your Leo


Change the gecko’s water daily, and spot check daily. Leopard geckos will pick a corner to use as a toilet.

Give the tank a full clean out every four weeks. Put the animal in a secure ventilated container. Remove and clean any decorations from the tank. Remove the old substrate. Clean and disinfect the tank with a reptile specific product. Dry the tank, and put in clean substrate, replace the décor, and the gecko.

Baby geckos need to be fed daily. Once the animal is six months old drop off one day of feeding. Then drop another day every three months. Adult Geckos only need to eat two or three times a week, as they are prone to obesity.

Look after the crickets as ‘you are what you eat’. The live food will last longer if kept in a larger well aired tank like a cricket keeper, and fed spider water and cricket food.

With baby geckos use a full spectrum vitamin and mineral supplement twice a week (Monday and Friday) and a pure calcium supplement a further three days a week. Put 6 - 10 appropriate sized prey items in a large jug, or clear plastic bag. Add a pinch of powder and shake to cover the food with the dust.

Feed the dusted food to the gecko. If the animal eats all the food, but is still hungry, feed a further 2 – 3 prey items to the gecko. This extra food does not need to be dusted. Keep feeding in this way until the animal is full.

As the animal grows keep the ratio of supplements the same, so an adult gecko will receive the full spectrum supplement once per week and the calcium once or twice per week.

Handling Your Leopard Gecko


Geckos shed their tails as a defence mechanism. Never hold a gecko by its tail or it will come off. For the first couple of weeks handle the animal inside the tank so if it chooses to jump off your hand it will be safe in the tank.

Allow the animal to settle into the tank before trying to handle them, wait till it has started to feed regularly.

Baby geckos shed their skin every four to six weeks. The animal will lose its colour and then go ghostly grey. This is the old skin coming off. Leopard geckos eat their shed skin.

In the wild the geckos dig a tunnel to aid shedding. We mimic this with a plastic box containing moss. Cut a hole in the front of an empty margarine tub and fill with damp sphagnum moss. Put the box in the warm end of the tank. Every couple of days check that the moss has not dried out.

When the gecko has shed check the animal thoroughly particularly the toes and around the jaw line/eyes. Any shed skin that has been left will appear as a plain white patch.

Bearded Dragon (Pogona vitticeps) Care Sheet


Bearded dragons are excellent first pets. They are one of the best lizards for a family, as they appeal to adults and children alike.

When you have a beardie it is more like owning a cat than a lizard. A baby dragon is like a kitten, with a two second attention span, constantly wanting to be the centre of attention. An adult dragon is like an old ginger tomcat, who will quite happily sit on your knee and watch T.V. Bearded dragons used to be considered difficult to keep, but advances in technology now make them ideal for beginners, providing they have the correct set up.

Heating and Lighting for Your Bearded Dragon


In nature bearded dragons are sun loving reptiles. The sun provides both the heat they need to stay active, and the UVB rays that are essential to keep them healthy. In captivity we use two lamps to replicate the sun.

A spot light plugged into a thermostat is used to heat the tank.
A thermostat is essential to control the temperature. Without one the tank may be too cold, or more dangerous, too hot. A bearded dragon needs to bask at temperatures between 40°c – 42°c, and the cool end of the tank should be around 24°c. At night the temperature can safely drop to around 18°c.

The sensor for the thermostat needs to come into the tank about 12" from the cold end and hang down to 3" from the floor. Set the thermostat to 28°c. This estimate should give you a starting point for setting and regulating the tank. The thermostat will allow the lamp to heat the point where the sensor is to 28°c. Directly under the bulb the tank will be considerably warmer, and at the cool end several degrees cooler.

Allow the tank to settle for two hours then check the temperatures. If the basking and cool end temperatures are not correct then tweak the thermostat slightly, leave for a further two hours and recheck the thermometers. Do not make large adjustments to the thermostat as a small change can make a large difference to the tank temperature. Keep checking and adjusting until the tank is the correct temperature. Always leave at least two hours between checks to allow all the temperatures to settle down.

Most modern houses will not drop below 18°c at night even in winter so the heater can simply be turned off. If you have a particularly cold house, use a red lamp as a heater and turn your thermostat down to minimum at night, and back up to the basking setting in the morning.

A strip light (desert rated 12% UVB are the best) is used to provide the UVB.
The UV output is only effective for a limited range, the animal must be able to get within twelve inches of the tube in order to utilise the benefits of the UV. The optimum position for the UV is directly above the animal. With the limited range of the UV it is advisable to use a reflector. This nearly doubles the available output of the tube, and increases the range to around 18". UV tubes have a short effective lifespan. They will still be producing light after a year, but the UV output will have dropped to zero. UV tubes must be replaced every six months in order to remain effective.

Feeding Your Beardie


Bearded dragons eat a mixture of live insects and vegetables.

A young dragon will require about 90% insects to about 10% veggies. As the dragon grows it will eat more vegetables, an adult bearded dragon will have about 50% insects and 50% veggies.

A bearded dragon should be fed fresh vegetables and get fresh water every morning.

Young dragons will sometimes drink droplets of water from a small spray mister.

Baby bearded dragons need insects every day.
When a dragon is ready for sale it should only need to be fed insects once per day. When the dragon is six months old, drop down to feeding bugs every 5 days. Drop another day off every three months until you are feeding insects two or three times per week.

Look after the crickets as you are what you eat.
The live food will last longer if kept in a larger well aired tank like a cricket keeper, and fed spider water and cricket food.

A full spectrum vitamin and mineral supplement (such as Nutrobal) should be added to the food twice per week, and a pure calcium supplement should be added a further three times per week.
As the dragon grows and starts to eat bugs less frequently adjust the number of supplemented feeds so that the ratio remains the same. An adult bearded dragon should be getting the full spectrum supplement once per week, and the pure calcium once or twice per week. To dust the crickets place 8 - 10 appropriate sized insects in a large jug or clear plastic bag. Add a pinch of powder and shake to coat the insects. Feed these to the dragon. If these are all eaten and the dragon is still hunting, feed another 2 - 3 insects, keep adding more bugs until the dragon is full. This extra food does not need to be dusted.

Cleaning Your Beardie Tank


Spot clean the vivarium every day and remove any obvious mess.

If you keep on top of the spot cleaning then the tank will only need to be fully cleaned about once every four weeks. When doing a full clean out put the dragon somewhere safe. Remove and clean all decoration and dishes from the tank. Remove all the old substrate and clean the tank. When the tank is dry, put in clean substrate, and replace the décor. The dragon can then return home.

When cleaning the tank do not use household detergents and disinfectants as these can be toxic to reptiles. There are a range of reptile specific cleaners available.

Have a read through these care sheets and see what you think .

I personally would get a crested gecko as a starter lizard. I have one and they can be a pain. They don't seem to tolerate been handled like the other two do. With it been his first lizard I wouldn't recommend the crested gecko because they aren't as 'hardy' as Leopard Geckos or Bearded Dragons.

Lottie

Hi,

i would agree with the above, a leopard gecko would be an ideal first lizard due to it only needing little requirements, atleast a 2ft viv for a gecko, they do like to climb so if you can get your hands on a cheap viv off ebay ideally 2ft wide and 2 ft hieght depth atleast 15" geckos like to climb so a higher viv is more suitable, once you have had a gecko for a year go on to a bearded dragon, but beardies do need a lot more equipment.

and with any reptile they can eat their substrate which can lead to impaction which is very deadly if not treated.

You already got some great advice from the others.

You're son wanting a lizard is a pretty broad request and implies that it isn't so much that he is interested enough to have gone away and done some research - more that he just wants to have a lizard, any lizard.

I also agree that a glass tank is not a suitable enclosure for a reptile and you'd need to invest in a wooden vivarium.

I love leopard geckos too much to suggest them as a suitable lizard in this situation.

They are very long lived.