# caiman lizard enclosure



## bwiegmann (Aug 28, 2012)

Hi everyone! I'm new to tegu talk, so bear with me!  ok so I got my caiman lizard, Kyle, about a week ago. He is my little pride and joy and cannot believe I finally have him, as I've wanted one of these since I was 10 years old lol! Ok so down to buisness. I want to build him an awesome cage, to suit him his entire life. I think it'll be 7' long by 4' tall, by 3' deep. I want all the fixins, his own pond, with self draining pump and waterfall, rock formations, best lighting etc. I basically want it to look like a zoo enclosure, but also look nice enough to put in the living room. Everything I see is either not very aestetically appealing, or is missing key elements of the semi aquatic needs of my little Kyle  I'm just looking for advise on how to either get plans or where to start, I know what I want I just have never built anything before, that being said, I think I'm also very fearful of using anything that may be toxic or harmful to him. So if anyone has done a semi aquatic large enclosure, or knows of good plans, or just has any really cool ideas that would make mules life better, I am all ears!!! He will be indoors, ambient room temp is 72-73 degrees in the morning, goes down to 69-71 at night. Any info will be much appreciated! Thanks!!

~Brynn


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## Ntyvirus (Aug 28, 2012)

There's a decent sized caiman lizard I less with where I work but I don't have the space to take him home[attachment=4907] to make your life easier, wherever your water section is ad a spicier or something to drain the water or you will be hating life. Also get a good source for snails


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## Ntyvirus (Aug 29, 2012)

Meant to say a spicket or however u spell it.


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## DoctorPepper4 (Aug 29, 2012)

bwiegmann you better listen to ntyvirus i have a caiman lizard ae well and i put a fish tank inside his enclosure i have water heater and a filter and you still have to change the water every other day i really really hate it....but Rowley(sorry my caiman) love's it and what ever you do make sure he has a lot of land space people will tell you they dont need it to do half and half but they really need land space...Rowley love land when he is done basking he love to dig and lay around...my caiman sleeps inside is fish tank and during the day he's in land unless he has to put then he goes in and comes out...i keep his basking spot @ 125F and humidity @ 80....and another thing they dont like it when you move their stuff around(decor,water spot,and basking spot) every time i move rowley's thing's around he wont eat i really dont know why but he doesn't.....pic's of Rowley and his enclosure...i bought Rowley where Ntyvirus works and he very good with reptile's (What's up Ntyvirus)

http://img33.imageshack.us/img33/2805/rowleyj.jpg


http://img89.imageshack.us/img89/2650/rowleyenclosure.jpg


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## bwiegmann (Aug 29, 2012)

Thanks for the advise guys!! Right now he's in a 55, with a big deep tupperware that's 16" long, and 6" deep, it has a filter in it and a heater, and I'm changing about 1/2 the water every other day. He has about 3' of land, and lots of climbing space, also about 6" of Eco earth th dig in if he wants  he seems happy and relaxed, he likes laying under the basking spot on the ground, not on his branch, which I thought was odd, but he knows what he wants right? Lol the basking spot is at 110 degrees, and the ambient temp is at 74-76 degrees. I really want to make him an awesome cage!! I wish I knew what I was doing on that end lol!! I'm hoping to figure it out, I have a few friends who own their own 
custom fishtank buisnesses, so mayb I will try to partner with them to get ideas as well. Do your guys' caimans lay around a lot? Kyle is about 18" now, eats basically every day (not as much as I want him too but we will get there!) I think I'm getting nervous over nothing, but I just want him to be as healthy as possible! He also does not spend a lot of time in the water? Thanks for the advise!!


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## DoctorPepper4 (Aug 29, 2012)

bwiegmann said:


> Thanks for the advise guys!! Right now he's in a 55, with a big deep tupperware that's 16" long, and 6" deep, it has a filter in it and a heater, and I'm changing about 1/2 the water every other day. He has about 3' of land, and lots of climbing space, also about 6" of Eco earth th dig in if he wants  he seems happy and relaxed, he likes laying under the basking spot on the ground, not on his branch, which I thought was odd, but he knows what he wants right? Lol the basking spot is at 110 degrees, and the ambient temp is at 74-76 degrees. I really want to make him an awesome cage!! I wish I knew what I was doing on that end lol!! I'm hoping to figure it out, I have a few friends who own their own
> custom fishtank buisnesses, so mayb I will try to partner with them to get ideas as well. Do your guys' caimans lay around a lot? Kyle is about 18" now, eats basically every day (not as much as I want him too but we will get there!) I think I'm getting nervous over nothing, but I just want him to be as healthy as possible! He also does not spend a lot of time in the water? Thanks for the advise!!



well to be honest my caiman eats everyday i mean if i miss a meal he at the window like HELLO were's my food lolol....he love's to climb i mean i have vines and tree branches and he will climb all over the place bask for a short time dig and hide lolol he's my favorite and i have a bearded,2 red tegus,and a blue tree monitor(mean as hell wild caught) and i take Rowley out and we chill watch t.v till he's had enough then he will climb up into his enclosure and call it a day.....but like i said they have there own mind and do what they want to do...im having problems with my caiman lizard now for the last to days he wont let me pet him touch him nothing he has been acting very skiddish and i can't figure out why he even started tail whipping again.. i hope its a stage he is going threw...i miss the good Rowley....but i hope you saw the pic's of his enclosure and you like them and hopefully they gave you an idea of what to do with his enclosure....GOOD LUCK and make sure you send me pic's and keep me posted as well as updated with what you end up doing for him/her


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## bwiegmann (Aug 29, 2012)

I will! And I hope rowley gets out of that funk he's in soon for ya!!! I'm taking Kyle in tomorrow for his first checkup lol, wish us luck!!
O and BTW ur setup looks awesome!!
This is Kyle's right now, he seems happy  for now lol
[attachment=4934]


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## chelvis (Aug 29, 2012)

Bump the basking spot up to around 120 to 130 and get a heater for the water if its below 78 degrees, they like the water between 78 to 80. Make sure to change the whole tub as often as possible. I sadly lost my first caiman lizard Bacardi to a brain infection due to a fault in the filtration. I had him for a year and a half and he was my buddy I would hate to see someone go through what I did. 

Honestly the adult cage may not look that great. Those zoo exhibits are a pain in the *** to clean, take it from me I have helped clean them from time to time. Sturdy branches as well, none of those thin things. 

Some caiman lizards live in their water tubs, others do not. Try raising the basking temp and see if that changes anything.


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## bwiegmann (Aug 29, 2012)

Thanks will be getting a 150 watt today!!! 


I am so sorry for your loss  if you don't mind me asking, what was the problem with the filtration? Should I just take the filter out and change his water daily?? I'm scared now lol!! That must have been so hard to deal with, I couldn't even imagine  ill raise the water temp to 80 too, its at 77 right now thanks a ton!!


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## DoctorPepper4 (Aug 29, 2012)

bwiegmann said:


> Thanks will be getting a 150 watt today!!!
> 
> 
> I am so sorry for your loss  if you don't mind me asking, what was the problem with the filtration? Should I just take the filter out and change his water daily?? I'm scared now lol!! That must have been so hard to deal with, I couldn't even imagine  ill raise the water temp to 80 too, its at 77 right now thanks a ton!!





i wish you guys luck at the vet tomorrow...make sure you take pic's and post them up lolol....i looked at you setup cool i like it..lol...i would change the water everyday thats what i started doing but i would take all the advise you can from chelvis this dude really knows his s**t...everytime i post im always waiting for his response....even though im still waiting for that care sheet.....lolol(sorry chelvis) but yea bwiegmann make sure you always ask chelvis and take his advise i haven't found anybody else thats as good as him....GOOD LUCK


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## bwiegmann (Aug 29, 2012)

Awesome  and you can call me Brynn its my real name Haha, don't know why I didn't use it as my un but o well! Thanks for all the advise!! O and if everyone is wondering if I'm a loser who sits by the comp all day waiting for replies..... Well I kinda am, for now lol. I just had surgery and am in bed for two weeks! So I'm really not usually this lame  lol talk to yall later!!


O god, I forgot to ask! I am a general manager at petco, so I come across a lot of new products etc. Well Idk if anyone knows but welness has a dog food that is 95% salmon. The ingredients are salmon, water for processing, natural flavors, cassia gum, and carrageenan. I was wondering if you guys would think this is a good addition? I know sodium is a big issue when feeding canned diets, so I asked welness what the sod. Content was and they said .19% problem is Idk what is acceptable lol. Just figured I'd run it past everyone, they have different protien sources too. I wanted to ask b 4 I run out and buy any , well have my b/f go get some lol damn Bedrest!!! I've always been leary of canned diets for herps, but have never seen one that has these quality of ingredients, well see!


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## DoctorPepper4 (Aug 29, 2012)

bwiegmann said:


> Awesome  and you can call me Brynn its my real name Haha, don't know why I didn't use it as my un but o well! Thanks for all the advise!! O and if everyone is wondering if I'm a loser who sits by the comp all day waiting for replies..... Well I kinda am, for now lol. I just had surgery and am in bed for two weeks! So I'm really not usually this lame  lol talk to yall later!!
> 
> 
> O god, I forgot to ask! I am a general manager at petco, so I come across a lot of new products etc. Well Idk if anyone knows but welness has a dog food that is 95% salmon. The ingredients are salmon, water for processing, natural flavors, cassia gum, and carrageenan. I was wondering if you guys would think this is a good addition? I know sodium is a big issue when feeding canned diets, so I asked welness what the sod. Content was and they said .19% problem is Idk what is acceptable lol. Just figured I'd run it past everyone, they have different protien sources too. I wanted to ask b 4 I run out and buy any , well have my b/f go get some lol damn Bedrest!!! I've always been leary of canned diets for herps, but have never seen one that has these quality of ingredients, well see!




my last post brynn lololol i really would stay away from caned food its meant for dogs or cats...im doing research on this thing called croc-chow a zoologist from miami zoo told me this is great for caiman lizards them by pure luck i meet some dude by the name mike and he told me the samething so when im done researching it i was gonna run it past chelvis but its all natural and organic


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## nessanicolle (Aug 29, 2012)

Was that the caiman at Pets one?


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## bwiegmann (Aug 29, 2012)

Yea!!! Lol! Are you from around there??


And to Dr. Pepper4, let me know about that croc chow  I know mazuri likes to put lots of grains in their foods, but if its being reccomended by pros, it won't hurt to add it to the diet  variety lol.


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## DoctorPepper4 (Aug 30, 2012)

bwiegmann said:


> Yea!!! Lol! Are you from around there??
> 
> 
> And to Dr. Pepper4, let me know about that croc chow  I know mazuri likes to put lots of grains in their foods, but if its being reccomended by pros, it won't hurt to add it to the diet  variety lol.





hey just wanted to wish you and kyle(actually kyle cause he's going to be the one getting check lololol) good luck and i hope they find him in the best of health shape and so on.....and on the croc-show i've also heard the same thing about how much grain mazuri pellets have but a zoologist and some dude name mike swore by it...im driving down with my wife and hopefully rowley on saturday to a mazuri stop about an hour away so i'll keep you post i'll get all the facts and try to pass them over then you chose wether or not you'll try it.....ooh and 3rd day with Mr.Attitude i turned on the lights i reached in the enclosure to pet him and he actually bit me and boy oh boy they bite hard left me bleeding i really dont know what the heck is problem is...well thanks for letting me vent.....ME AND ROWLEY ARE KEEPING ARE FINGERS CROSSED FOR KYLE ..


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## bwiegmann (Aug 30, 2012)

Ugh....... That sucks!!!! Rowley be nice to your parents!! Lol yea I wouldn't imagine their bite feeling to good lol. Well I had to reschedule kyles appt to tomorrow.. had my stitches taken out yesterday, and I guess they came out a little to early because I woke up and one of my incisions was still open a little and bleeding. Doc said to watch it, see if it'll scab on its own(small incision, and not open too bad) and if it won't close, to go see him... Grrrrrrr..... I was finally going to get out of this house!! Lol o well I will Tomorrow  and Kyle gets a free day Hehe, I'm assuming he will not enjoy being poked and prodded and oggled at by everyone  and he ate a TON last night, climbed right up on his basking spot n basked in his light, so yea I was freaking out over nothing, I snapped some pics lol 


[attachment=4937]


[attachment=4938]


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## chelvis (Aug 30, 2012)

Hey sorry I don't have internet at my house so it takes me longer to respond, lol. I had a Fluval 305 filter hooked up to a timing system that way Bacardi didn't have to have a constant current in the pool. Sadly the timing system failed (independent of the lighting) and was only running for about 20 mins to 2 hours a day not the 6 hours I had hopped. The filter was constantly clogging up as well. In the end no filter truly removes the bacteria load that is emitted in the waste, even with the UV sanitizer it would be hard to remove it all. Unless you move to a large and I mean very large pond this is something you will have to think about. The larger the pond the more dilute everything is, after all "the solution to pollution is dilution" sorry corny old policy slogan. 

As for the croc diet, people are having some good success using it, Bacardi loved it! Darwin seems warry of it. Truatula Inc sells in small qty so you do not have to buy a big old 50lbs bag. There is grain in it and by-product. Mazuri is owned by Purina and if you talk to their nutritionist it doesn't matter what the ingiediants are as long as you meet all the nutritional requirements and the animal will eat it. Gator farmers feed this stuff all the time and don't seem to have too much of a issue. I used it more as a treat then a main part of the diet.


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## bwiegmann (Aug 30, 2012)

Lol, like that mantra...  ok so im changing his water every day, no reason to risk it when its such an easy task. Thanks for the info on the crock chow, ill be picking some up for some variety  luckily I don't have to leave the house to order it online, muahaha!! Sorry I'm really bored!! Lol cool cool, ill let everyone know how tomorrow goes! *fingers crossed*


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## nessanicolle (Aug 30, 2012)

Yeah! Geneva to be exact. I was just there a couple weeks ago to get my second baby colombian! It's my favorite exotic pet store around.


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## bwiegmann (Aug 30, 2012)

That's awesome!!! Hehe yea I use to live out in oswego, moved to chesterton Indiana a few months ago, so I drove 2 hours to get him, he's Sooo worth it tho! They did a great job with him, and they have a cool shop  so we use to be neighbors lol!
Well we were kinda neighbors, genevas still pretty far from oswego!


O and chelvis, I bumped up the water temp up to 80 n he looooooovvveeesss it!!! Haha ur the best  thank you n Dr I don't know what I'd do without u guys lol keeping Kyle happy and me sane  ill post an update after his vet visit tom


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## nessanicolle (Aug 30, 2012)

only about 20 minutes


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## DoctorPepper4 (Aug 31, 2012)

good morning kyle and bynn just wanted to wish you guys the best of luck and keeping our fingers cross for kyle to be in the best of health and so on lololol.....and hopping he dosent have parasites or anything else....later brynn and kyle

and know for the good new i really cant say what happen but my boy Rowley is back to normal(wait i think) this morning i hear scratching i wake up and its rowley turn his lights on and he starts climbing on the glass so i open the door and he just climbs right into my hands and now he doesn't wanna go back in his enclosure all i did was give him more food so i guess he was still hungry(not really sure just taking a while guess) but thats the only thing i did different last night i feed him in the morning and around five when we was eating dinner....i hope that was the problem will see how it goes tomorrow or when i get home....


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## chelvis (Aug 31, 2012)

Hunger can have major effects on lizards mood. From tegus I have seen a puppy dog tame tegu go nuts when its hungry and not all the time is it biting and mouth open. Keep them hot, keep them clean and keep them fed.


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## bwiegmann (Aug 31, 2012)

Aaaaaaannnndddd Kyle did fantastic!! he is healthy and fat as can be, and I'm just waiting for him to poop so I can drop off his fecal sample and well be sure he dosent have any parasites yay!! And everyone went Gaga over him  he took it pretty well, I feel he is going to be an attention fiend lol, he was loving all the admirers lol. I'm Sooo glad rowley is back to himself! And it looks like Im going to be adding a tegu to my family  ill keep you guys posted when I know more, let's just say we are very excited!! O and here's some pics of Kyle at the vet, he was being to cute!
[attachment=4959]
[attachment=4962]


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## bwiegmann (Jan 1, 2013)

I just got him a bigger tank, he looves it! I made it mostly with water because since we've had him he's spent most of his time in the wayer. I have a land area and a beautiful piece of wood so he can bask n hang out above the water. hope ya like it!!
[attachment=6053]
[attachment=6052]
[attachment=6051]


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