Here’s my story: I’ve tried many animals over the years, but my Mom seems to be allergic to all of them. As a last ditch effort, I decided to try fish which would only cost me around 50$ for a cheap setup. I go to the pet shop. looking at the fish and then i wander into the reptiles, i immediately spy the Green Anoles and House Geckos in the Reptile Isle. It’s love at first site. Anoles are more cute, and more fun. I talk to a worker who tells me i could get a set up for 2 Anoles for only 50$ He tells me they are easy to take care of, and i can put up to 6 in a 5 gallon tank if i like. I decide to get them. He hands me these items, claiming they’re a complete set of all i need for my Anoles: 2 Green Anoles 5 gallon tank Heating bulb 25 watt Heating bulb reflector screen. hot rock water dish wood chips I thank them and take the Anoles home. I decide to do some research on the internet. I find this out: Anoles can’t drink out of the water dish The hot rock burns Anoles delicate little stomachs. Wood chips are a horrible substrate. a 20 gallon tank is a good size for 2-4 Anoles. Me and my Mom go to a different store. I buy this: 20 gallon high tank 50 watt day bulb 40 watt infared bulb dirt(for substrate) plants. and a piece of driftwood for basking. a thermometer. heating pad. half a small log(for hiding) and 2 more female Anoles(since i read that there can be 4 to a 20 gallon) I take it all home, and put the other 2 Anoles I just got in the 5 gallon tank while I set up the twenty gallon tank for them. While doing so, I notice tha the Anoles I just got are 2x the size of the ones i had from the old petshop. The big ones are taking advantage of this, hogging all the basking area, and scaring the little ones away. I get the 20 gallon set up, and decide that I will let the big ones have the big tank and the small ones have a small tank. While taking the big ones out one flashes its... duflap i think thats what its called. So that means i have 2 small females 1 big female and a big mean male. I take the the 3 females out and put them in the big tank, and i leave the big mean one in the small 5 gallon tank. Then i was watching the three females, and find out that one is a he. I now have two small females and a big male in the same tank. and a big male in another small tank. What do i do? I cant take anything i bought back, and I couldn’t stand getting rid of any of my little Anoles... I’m am sooo confused, everywhere i look some website says something, then another says someting different. I need a straight opinion. Help me! I love my Anoles, but I'm confused by all the different views. And is there a way to breed my own crickets so i dont have to buy them all the time?
RE: I *ahem* I also have an awfull lot of dirt in the tank to keep the live plants alive. 5" at the highest point in the 20 gallon 4" at the highest point in the 5 gallon.
Welcome to the anole forum! Most of your enclosure is set up properly. The most dangerous and stressful thing wrong with your enclosure is the fact that you have too many anoles for too little of room and you also have two male anoles. This is what we have to take care of first. In a 20 gallon, the most you can put in there is two. Ten gallons is needed per green anole. You have four. 5 gallons IS too small for even one anole. You have to either, 1) find a new home for two, if you want to put the others in the 20 gallon tank, or 2) buy an enclosure that is at least 30 gallons for two females and one male and buy a 10 gallon enclosure for the other male. The decision is up to you. As you MUST have read in your prior research, you may not house two males in the same enclosure. Other aspects that I must mention are the lighting, and substrate. You can use the day bulb but the infrared bulb has no other purpose other than using up electricity. If you want night time heating, use a ceramic heat emitter. Also, what kind of substrate "dirt" is it. The best is organic compost or organic potting soil.
IMO, what i'd personally do if i were you, cut your losses, and take one lot of anoles back to the petshop. Even if they don't give you your money back, it's only a few bucks, then you can concentrate better on the two remaining ones. One important thing i'd like to mention is that anoles need exposure to UV rays, so you'd need some kind of bulb for them to be able to have this. Please don't MIX the anoles you got from two different petstores, as you are increasing the risk of the spread of disease and this is never good. Luke
I am using Organic soil, so i should be safe on that. I'm planning on taking back one of the bigger lizards, the male in the 20 gall. and then getting a 10 gall. tank for the male that is alone. thanks for your help. I may get a UVB light soon, but i cant afford one at the moment. I was told by the pet store people that it wasn't necesarry seing as the anoles were so small.
Tell me about it.... If I hadnt researched online(and have understanding parents who love animals.) Then I would never had known that the Anoles would need so much room. After what the petstore owner said i could have 5 anoles to a 5 gallon tank, I planned on getting 5 anoles for that tank. Those poor anoles... I hate to think what would have happened to annie anole if somebody else had gotten her and didnt find out.
The sad thing is, that it's so common too. I'm glad you are giving your animals the best care possible! You really do need a UV light though, they are essential to the health of reptiles.
Well, I'm broke right now... but as soon as i get some money, i will be picking one up. Also, I have my tank at 85-90 degrees during the day and down to around 80 degrees during the niht. Is that a good tempature change? I also turn on the light when i wake up, 7:00-8:00 and i switch to night bulbs at about 9:00. Is that okay?
that schedule is fine but Night lights are not necessary. Like Luke said, UVB bulbs are important. WHEN you buy them, get a tube light, not a compact light.
So i can just turn off all lights? Are you sure thats right? And a UVB tube light... I'll get that soon. EDIT: How much do I need to feed my Anoles? I put a dozen or two "small" crickets from the local petshop in their tank every couple days. Is that enough?
If your house gets above 68 degrees at night, you don't necessarily need any sort of heating at night. If your house is usually colder, use a ceramic heat emitter. That amount of crickets should be fine.
well sounds like you are doing well correcting the rubbish you pet store told you one thing i would say tho is its sensible to research what you need for a pet before you buy it not after then you know what you have let your self in for. thats not a dig at you tho you did research which is a lot more than some people do!
