True about the waterfall. It looks nicew but raises the humidity too high. I wouldn't worry about them drowning as long as there are ways to get out and nothing for them to get trapped under. It is my experience that phelsuma are pretty good swimmers and definately do not like it. Any time I have seen a day gecko fall in water, it got out very quickly. I think that a 55 gal may be too low for some giants. I would go with the gold dust. Make sure you have real good ventilation.
Doug Johnston wrote: > Chrissy... > > Everything Julie said is right on. Another viewpoint on heat, though. My house > drops to 55F at night in the winter. I do not supply any nighttime heat at all. > They do fine as long as their is sufficient daytime heat for them to bask and come > up to normal temps. This tends to stop breeding behavior so the females get to > rest. I also control my lights with a Helix system driven by a light sensor in the > window. This shortens the day in winter and also contributes to slowed down > breeding in winter. In addition, I supply UVB light (Reptisun 5.0 fluorescents) > over all my tanks. It's good for both the gex and the plants, which I plant in > 3"-4" of potting soil (no perlite), covered with a thin layer of fine orchid bark. > BTW... I concur with the no waterfall thing. > > Julie Bergman wrote: > > > Hi Chrissy, > > > > Chrissy Pearson wrote: > > > > > Hello all, I've been lurking on this list for some time now, learning what I > > > can and searching through the archives. > > > > > > I have a 55 gallon aquarium that I'd like to convert into a habitat for 2 or > > > 3 day geckos. I have a few questions about the setup and the animals before > > > I get started. I hope some of you will share your experienced opinions with > > > me, please! > > > > > > My plan for the 55g: > > > false bottom setup with small waterfall (trickle), shallow gravel > > > "streambed" > > > > I would skip this, Phelsuma are terrible swimmers. > > > > > > > > soil mix (no perlite) planted with tropicals, also bromeliads, etc. > > > several mixed sizes of wood, cork bark background, various levels of basking > > > spots > > > screen cover with flourescent lights, at least one bulb providing UVB > > > small incandescent basking light in one corner > > > > > > My questions about this are 1)does this sound viable? > > > > Sounds pretty good except the waterfall/stream stuff. See Bartlett's Day Gecko > > book for some good ideas on set-up. > > > > > 2)what would be the > > > best way to provide heat to this setup? > > > > I would use an infrared an night to bring it up to the lower 70s. Or, you could > > use the glass mayo jar heat trick----fill with water and put in a fish tank > > heater, put a tape thermometer on the outside of the jar and presto, a Phelsuma > > heater! > > > > > at night my house drops to about 60F > > > in the winter. 3)When cleaning and feeding, how likely is it to experience > > > an escape? Should I opt for a screen top with a small door vs. those that > > > are hinged? > > > > I would make a small door for feeding, especially if you go for the smaller > > Phelsuma. > > > > > 4)Anything I'm missing? > > > > A misting system would be cool. > > > > > > > > > > > Now for the animals themselves -- I'm considering phelsuma grandis (giant > > > day) > > > > Best beginner Phelsuma IMHO, keep in pairs only. > > > > > and phelsuma laticauda (gold dust). > > > > Not a bad choice. I have only kept mine in pairs, anyone else kept them in > > harems? > > > > > These were two that struck my fancy > > > and seem to be good for beginners. Can anyone offer any pros and cons to > > > influence my choice? > > > > The P.m grandis are very long lived (up to 30 years) are hardy and excellent > > display geckos. I wrote about their care in set-up in my "Five Great Pet Shop > > Geckos" article in the Reptiles 2001 Annual. Smaller phelsuma present greater > > challenges to the beginner due to their superior escape powers! :) > > > > > > > > > > > I know this is a long post, forgive me, but I would appreciate any guidance > > > you can give me. Thanks! > > > > > > Chrissy > > > > > > > > > > Hope that helps! > > > > Regards, > > > > Julie Bergman > > http://www.geckoranch.com > > GGA lifetime member > > > > ########################################################################### > > THE GLOBAL GECKO ASSOCIATION LISTSERV > > WebSite: www.gekkota.com Archive: [EMAIL PROTECTED]/ > > The GGA takes no responsibility for the contents of these postings. > > ########################################################################### > > -- > Doug Johnston > http://pages.sbcglobal.net/scubadug/
