Construction of 40 gal.

[corvettefan]

My brother and I deecided that since our male Leo was skittish, and our larger female wasn't we'd give them more room. Our male was also small so we figured more room would be best for him too. We're constructing a 40 gallon tank for two leo's (20 gal a leo!) and making it out of wood, and screen. I'll post pictures tomarrow, along with some pictures of a tank for a Mountain Horned Dragon. Should be fun, wish us luck.

 

[Krow]

Do you know if the screen will hold in temps ok for the leos? & sometimes the bigger the area the less sercure they will feel, I will have 2 females in a 15L, which I think is plently big, JMO.

 

[corvettefan]

It should do okay. If the temps are screwy we'll get a better bulb or a heat mat.

 

[Bellalee]

Are you housing them together? Honestly... if one of them is skittish it could be because it doesn't like living with the other one. Just my $0.02..

 

[Olimpia]

That's not necessarily true, he could just be skiddish with people. I don't know, Corvettefan would know better than me about his geckos, but I have one female that is still revalitvely new to my group and she still isn't too sure about me, but she sleeps stacked with her roommates. And then I have a new male who is alone and just lives in terror of me. If he has his head poking out from his hide and he sees me walk by he runs to hide. I'm trying to earn his trust by hand feeding goodies (wax worms).

I don't think they'll mind a large space, as long as they have lots of good places to hide. The trick is to not leave large open spaces. Like what I like to do in my 20 gal L's is to put a hide on each side, leave the forefront of the tank open for them to walk around if they want and then I use branches and fake plants to cover the back a litte (but not pressed against the glass. I find that they like to cross the tank behind the cover of plants than just to cross the open space. They do from time to time but they like the back more. So I think as long as you really decorate it with lots of places to hide and walk under, they should love it.

 

[LizMarie]

I would personally make a double enclosure side by side or stacked on each other. Male and Female will breed and you better hope they're of the appropriate size and weight or you'll have some issues, among other things like aggression. And are they approx the same size?

 

[corvettefan]

I would say so. The female is about .5-1 in. bigger.

 

[LizMarie]

I would say so. The female is about .5-1 in. bigger.

Is she of breeding size? Most breeders from what I've seen let their females breed at 50-60grams. Very few will breed a female that is 40grams if you female is smaller than that and she becomes gravid you might encounter some problems.

 

[corvettefan]

Is she of breeding size? Most breeders from what I've seen let their females breed at 50-60grams. Very few will breed a female that is 40grams if you female is smaller than that and she becomes gravid you might encounter some problems.

Not sure, haven't weighed them. I don't plan on breeding, they're pets so we've never weighed them.

 

[LizMarie]

Not sure, haven't weighed them. I don't plan on breeding, they're pets so we've never weighed them.

But you plan to keep a male and female together!? Is that correct or did I miss read something.

 

[corvettefan]

But you plan to keep a male and female together!? Is that correct or did I miss read something.

Yes, because it will be easier to make one big tank. We'll be prepared for babies but we aren't trying to get them.

 

[Krow]

Well then, you WILL have babies, or (not to sound blunt or rude), but some females have trouble with eggs. And she WILL have trouble if she gets gravid while she is too young. Even if they breed, they may still fight, & the bigger of the two may bully the smaller around & maybe bully it out of its food.

You know, you could use only one tank, but just put in a divider & make 2 outta one. If you dont plan to breed, then you dont want them to be together, because they WILL. Then when you have babies, they cannot stay with the parents, & they dont need to be kept together so when the males start getting their stuff they wont bully & over rule the females & get them gravid to early, lots of problems with the whole thing IMO.

 

[LizMarie]

Yes, because it will be easier to make one big tank. We'll be prepared for babies but we aren't trying to get them.

Just so you know you WILL get babies if you actually have a female/male pair and should get a little scale and make sure the female especially is up to par if not your just asking for trouble and the leo's will be the ones to suffer. There's also no gurantee that they'll stay "friendly" forever.

I would advise you not to keep them together but honestly in the end your going to do what you want to do, right? But it'll be easier and cheaper in the end to seperate them now beofore you. Do you have an incubator? They can be costly even if you make them yourself. Have space for hatchlings? Someone or somep place that will take them once they are ready to be sold/adopted? Proper scale to constantly check their weight to make sure they're at the proper weight? A vet incase she becomes egg bound or has any other complications? Those are just a few of the things you should take into consideration when you place a male and female together. Or do you have the money to purchase everything that is needed?

If your planning to throw out the eggs once they're laid whether they're fertile or not I think is pretty cruel since your female and male will have constant temptation throughout the entire season and he'll most likely try to breed with her at every chance he gets which can cause stress to both the female and male.

Sorry if I'm coming on a little too strong but I don't understand how it'd be easier to make one big enclosure besides the building aspect. Or maybe I'm just wrong for thinking this way.. Can someone enlighten me please?

 

[Krow]

I completely agree with you Liz. Its funny that he wants to save money & time, but in the end which from this would equal in babies, he would be spending WAY more with breeding leos & babies, more food, suppies, cages so many other stuff. Than just put in a divider or buy two 10g tanks that are like $12 at Walmart. I dont get it??

 

[corvettefan]

Then I'll get a divider.

 

[corvettefan]

Then I'll get a divider.

Definetly getting a divider after today. I put our geckos in a plastic tub and put worms in each corner for the gecko. My female decided that the tub was her territory and started doing that little "cat stalk" that she does towards our small male and I think a divider should be in place. I can just put a peice of cardboard dividing the 40 gallon into two twenty gallons and use one lamp or heatpad (If they have them at PetPeople when we go.)