# Got my 1st tegu today ! I got some questions



## Jflorez28 (Aug 20, 2011)

So yesterday I went to the daytona expo it was amazing , I went to get my tegu a four hour drive but it was well worth it , I got my little buddy a beautiful red argentine tegu . I have him in a 36" , 18 " , 18" . Is that tank to big for him he's about two weeks old ? And also what's the eat foods to offer them at this age ? And I have cypress mulch but is their any kind of cypress mulch I shouldn't use ? Thanks me and my tegu will appreciate the help !


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## james.w (Aug 20, 2011)

The cage size should be fine for him. I would try offering crickets, roaches, ground turkey, pinky mice, (or larger mice/rats cut up while frozen), chicken gizzards/hearts, blueberries, raspberries, strawberries. Dusting everything with calcium w/o D3.


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## Tikikitty95 (Aug 21, 2011)

Who from? I think there were like 4 different red vendors. I was amazed at how many tegus they have


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## Jflorez28 (Aug 21, 2011)

Thanks I'll try some turkey today with some fresh fruit , but does it have to be organic ? 

And what sucks is I forgot to take down the name of the vendor but I'll be posting pictures up , in my eyes he was the best looking one , no dry skin and he has beautiful red on him


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## tora (Aug 21, 2011)

It doesn't *have* to be, but if it's not then make sure you scrub whatever it is you're feeding clean. I just worry about the pesticides, so I use organic.


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## Jflorez28 (Aug 21, 2011)

Thanks a lot I went and got organic today and he ate ! Thanks alot and one more question I read it's not good to feed inside the cage because he could confuse your hand with food , but I also read its not good to bother them for the first couple of days . Should I feed him inside the tank just till he gets use to his new home ? Thanks for all the help this is my 1st tegu I just want to make sure I'm doing it right


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## tora (Aug 21, 2011)

If he's okay with being picked up then go ahead and do so, if not then just put something under his bowl so he doesn't accidentally ingest mulch.


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## Jflorez28 (Aug 21, 2011)

Ok will do so , thanks so much


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## james.w (Aug 21, 2011)

There are different opinions on feeding technique, and this is mine. As long as temps and humidity are right feeding in the cage is fine. This will help in digestion and prevent impaction in case some substrate is ingested. As long as opening the cage to feed isn't the only time you interact with him. If you only go in the cage to feed he could end up associating you with food since that is the only time he sees you.


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## Jflorez28 (Aug 21, 2011)

I also go in his cage to change the water spray down the tank , also would be a good idea to leave my shirt under his hide ?


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## james.w (Aug 21, 2011)

I never did the shirt thing but others have and seem to have success with it.


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## Tikikitty95 (Aug 21, 2011)

Cool. I'm heading back from the show now. Apparently one of the vendors had some for about $100 at the end of the show. Everyone wanted to ditch stuff so they were marking things way down


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## Jflorez28 (Aug 21, 2011)

Yeah I heard sundays you get the best deals but sadly I couldn't go today , I'm heading to the one in new York sept.11


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## jtpowers (Aug 21, 2011)

Oh...and as for your cypress mulch question...just make sure it doesn't say cypress mulch "blend" as that usually has other woods like pine and who knows what else. Also make sure it isn't dyed; a few brands are. If it looks unnaturally uniformly brick red, I'd surely avoid it. Strangely enough, a cheap brand I have used specifically says no dye, 100% cypress, and "organic" - which I think is funny because no one really farms extremely slow growing wetland trees for mulch, so I would expect that no fertilizers or imsecticides were used in production (but "organic" is a pretty nebulous term anyway.)

If you're concerned about bugs, spread the mulch on a tarp and let it sit in direct sun for several hours....just remember to moisten it after to help provide and retain humidity.

Hope this helps!


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## Jflorez28 (Aug 21, 2011)

Thanks so much I have him on cypress blend I'm deff taking him out of that asap , can you recommend any cypress that I can find at home depot or lowes 

One thing the bag I'm using says organic is their anyway I can send you a picture of the bag and you tell me if I need to change it ?


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## jtpowers (Aug 21, 2011)

Well, it isn't like the cypress blend is likely to be immediately harmful, just definitely not optimal. It MAY contain cedar or other aromatics which would be bad news, but most likely it just contains some pine, which would be bad but a bit less so, if that makes sense. You'll just need to check the bags at Lowes or a garden store and look for something all cypress. Florida Gold Grade A cypress mulch is one brand that isn't a blend and claims "organic"...but the bag is a little confusing because at the bottom it lists the company name and advertises all their other products, which includes pine nuggets, grade A bark, lumber, etc. so a quick read might make you think it's a blend. You just have to read the bags carefully. But yes, I'd get him out of the blend substrate ASAP, though don't panic, it isn't like you've put him in battery acid for a soak.



Douchebagjeff said:


> Thanks so much I have him on cypress blend I'm deff taking him out of that asap , can you recommend any cypress that I can find at home depot or lowes
> 
> One thing the bag I'm using says organic is their anyway I can send you a picture of the bag and you tell me if I need to change it ?


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## JohnMatthew (Aug 21, 2011)

Congrats on being a tegu owner! One thing commonly overlooked for people new to tegus is the importance of proper lighting, these lizards grow so incredibly fast that metabolic bone disease can set in at an alarming rate! You'll want to look into getting some good UVB outputting tubelights like reptisun 10.0 and/or a mercury vapor bulb such as megaray. There are other good brands of course but I thought I'd throw a couple out there as a starting point. Best of luck and enjoy your new GU!


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## Jflorez28 (Aug 21, 2011)

Thanks alot , and I have him in a 36" long with a long tube light (sorry don't know their name) of UVB it's a 5.0 I believe I heard that's best for tegus because 10.0 is for beardies


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## JohnMatthew (Aug 21, 2011)

You can ask around but I think most will agree than 5.0 on its own just isn't enough. If you get a MVB too though you should be fine. Looking forward to seeing some pictures of your little one, everybody loves baby pics!


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## got10 (Aug 21, 2011)

I just picked up Malocolm ,my tenth tegu as a rescue . It is a red male. I will post pics of him soon .He is joining the colony of 6 black whites 1 blue and 2 reds . His addition to the group makes ten. Tegus are like tattoos . Its hard to stop at just one.


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## Jflorez28 (Aug 21, 2011)

Oh so I'll get a 10.0 and move the 5.0 to my ball python , and I'll have pics up in about a week I need to wait to get back to NY


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## jtpowers (Aug 21, 2011)

Douchebagjeff said:


> Oh so I'll get a 10.0 and move the 5.0 to my ball python , and I'll have pics up in about a week I need to wait to get back to NY



Your BP probably doesn't need it, nocturnal burrow snake that he is.


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## spidersandmonsters (Aug 22, 2011)

You put that light on a ball and it's gonna piss him off haha. Actually, it probably wont hurt or help. you could always leave the 5.0 on your cool side and put an MVB on the warm side. Also, I'd like to mention the importance of never ever use coil UV bulbs, that tends to get overlooked alot. Also congrats on your new tegu! :]


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## Jflorez28 (Aug 22, 2011)

Okay so I'll do that thanks


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## laurarfl (Aug 24, 2011)

The guy from Miami with the import tegus had some NICE reds!!! I was really impressed. They were captive bred in Argentina and then imported, about 8 mos old. Tails, toes were great, new patterns and colors, very tame. Just remember that if it was one of those and is an import, you'll want to get a fecal check done for parasites and the hibernation schedule may be reversed.


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## Jflorez28 (Aug 25, 2011)

Yeahh I seen that guys tegus also I was close to buying them because they were very tamed every last one of them but then I saw some baby reds with beautiful color and one had more red then the rest of them so that's who I took


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