# Sterilite Bioactive Hatchling Enclosure



## SewerGator (Jun 8, 2017)

Hello my fellow tegu enthusiasts! Still kinda new here but I've done the most of my research on this site. Just put together an enclosure for a hatcling I'll be purchasing from Mr. Irwin as soon as his eggs hatch. It's a sterilite tub, cant remember the dimensions but its close to a 40 gal breeder in size.

I used a dremel to cut out half of the lid and used a half inch screen glued on with lock tite. For the lighting I'm using a 160watt zoo med solar glo (heat/uvb), and for night heat a zoo med 50watt infrared heat bulb. Temp on the basking stone is a nice 110 and goes down to 74 on the cool side. For substrate I'm using a mixture of 70% eco earth and 30% said soil mixture from the local state park (lots of tank janitors in there) and topped off with a layer of cypress mulch. I used about a foot and a half of plastic air duct under the substrate as a makeshift tunnel and I put a bunch of holes in it so some humidity can get in there. I wound up having to move the water dish and lowering the basking stone to adjust the heat suitably and I'll have to get a smaller dish so I won't inadvertently drown my gu.

Thanks in advance for your feedback and all criticism is good criticism!


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## Walter1 (Jun 8, 2017)

It sounds good. I like the way you made a hide for him. Perfect actually. Used the coolness of the substrate. Good luck!


SewerGator said:


> Hello my fellow tegu enthusiasts! Still kinda new here but I've done the most of my research on this site. Just put together an enclosure for a hatcling I'll be purchasing from Mr. Irwin as soon as his eggs hatch. It's a sterilite tub, cant remember the dimensions but its close to a 40 gal breeder in size.
> 
> I used a dremel to cut out half of the lid and used a half inch screen glued on with lock tite. For the lighting I'm using a 160watt zoo med solar glo (heat/uvb), and for night heat a zoo med 50watt infrared heat bulb. Temp on the basking stone is a nice 110 and goes down to 74 on the cool side. For substrate I'm using a mixture of 70% eco earth and 30% said soil mixture from the local state park (lots of tank janitors in there) and topped off with a layer of cypress mulch. I used about a foot and a half of plastic air duct under the substrate as a makeshift tunnel and I put a bunch of holes in it so some humidity can get in there. I wound up having to move the water dish and lowering the basking stone to adjust the heat suitably and I'll have to get a smaller dish so I won't inadvertently drown my gu.
> 
> ...


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## SewerGator (Jun 8, 2017)

Thank you Walter1! I actually learned alot from reading your replies on the threads so your complement is deeply appreciated! I'm kinda nervous about my hatchlings arrival like a new dad lol... Quick question though. Do tegus forage? I'm thinking about adding earthworms into the substrate so he or she may dig for a snack here and there.


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## Walter1 (Jun 8, 2017)

SewerGator said:


> Thank you Walter1! I actually learned alot from reading your replies on the threads so your complement is deeply appreciated! I'm kinda nervous about my hatchlings arrival like a new dad lol... Quick question though. Do tegus forage? I'm thinking about adding earthworms into the substrate so he or she may dig for a snack here and there.


You're very welcome. You know, I don't know about earthworms. They're very nutritious, and tegus actively forage, and search would be good for their well-being. My question to the forum is if any risk of parasites?


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## SewerGator (Jun 9, 2017)

That's a good question and i think i might be able to weigh in on that. I've been keeping a colony of earthworms in my ball pythons bioactive viv for the last 5 months with no problems. I mist the tank every night and every morning as i turn the viv lights on i catch them crawling back under. They are doing pretty well for some bait worms from the gas station lol

Here's a pic of the viv


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## Walter1 (Jun 9, 2017)

SewerGator said:


> That's a good question and i think i might be able to weigh in on that. I've been keeping a colony of earthworms in my ball pythons bioactive viv for the last 5 months with no problems. I mist the tank every night and every morning as i turn the viv lights on i catch them crawling back under. They are doing pretty well for some bait worms from the gas station lol
> 
> Here's a pic of the viv
> View attachment 11990


That's an interesting approach to bioavtive set-ups. In the case of tegus, they'd eat them and possibly pick up parasites??


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## SewerGator (Jun 11, 2017)

Walter1 said:


> That's an interesting approach to bioavtive set-ups. In the case of tegus, they'd eat them and possibly pick up parasites??



Hopefully someone with experience using earthworms will chime in otherwise it'll be trial and error for me.


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