Empty 55 gallon

Ok so i have an empty 55 gallon tank just sitting on the ground in my house. I was looking at it this weekend thinking... what kinda reptile i could get to keep in it. Now keep in mind my lady is not to fond of snakes and will only allow ball pythons(already have a male lesser bee). I would like something people friendly that will just chill and hang out and is pretty low maintenance.

I don't have a lot of reptile experience, but bearded dragons have always struck me as a pretty interesting and "friendly" species. The last time I went to the pet store, the dragon babies all rushed to the front of their enclosure to get a look at us. And I've personally always wanted an iguana, but I couldn't convince my boyfriend :)

The problem with 55 gallon aquariums is that they're so narrow. They may be 4 Feet long, but they're only 1 foot wide and larger animals would feel cramped. I've seen them used pretty successfully though by people who would stand them on their end and house some climbing geckos. I've got a friend who likes to use those for pairs of tokay geckos.

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Originally Posted by MarkS

The problem with 55 gallon aquariums is that they're so narrow. They may be 4 Feet long, but they're only 1 foot wide and larger animals would feel cramped. I've seen them used pretty successfully though by people who would stand them on their end and house some climbing geckos. I've got a friend who likes to use those for pairs of tokay geckos.

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You know i think it is a 60 gallon so it has a little extra depth. I will measure when i get home.

What i think I'm going to do is search criagslist for maybe a reptile that is in need of a new home or being neglected.

Either plant it and set it up for frogs or something else really small, or sell it and use the cash to build a decent cage. Unless you have a "breeder" style tank, that 12" width kills it for most common reptiles. Plus there not really much point trying to get something just because you have an empty cage. Better to pick something you want and buy/build the cage it needs.

Geckos are always a fun choice... leopards and cresteds/gargoyles are ones I've dealt with, and they are friendly and easy to care for. Cresteds would enjoy the extra height if you set it up on it's side.

EDIT: I like to go on Kingsnake and look at all the lizards and geckos that are listed there. You could get a trio of house geckos for that set up... there are a bunch of species to check out. Email the seller or google the requirements - see what's out there!

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Originally Posted by darkbird

either plant it and set it up for frogs or something else really small, or sell it and use the cash to build a decent cage. Unless you have a "breeder" style tank, that 12" width kills it for most common reptiles. Plus there not really much point trying to get something just because you have an empty cage. Better to pick something you want and buy/build the cage it needs.

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I suggest Bearded Dragons, they are very low maintenance, and they will let you know when they want to be held and when they don't want to be held. Alternatively, if you decide you don't want another reptile or pet, see if you have a local reptile rescue. They always need things like that.

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Originally Posted by Montsticking a nearly 2 foot lizard into andMelissa

I suggest Bearded Dragons, they are very low maintenance, and they will let you know when they want to be held and when they don't want to be held. Alternatively, if you decide you don't want another reptile or pet, see if you have a local reptile rescue. They always need things like that.

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Sorry, but sticking a nearly 2 foot lizard into a 12"wide cage is not a good idea. A cage for a lizard should be at least as wide as the lizard's adult length, anything less won't give them the room to be as active as they need.