Ideas for a 30G palu on a limited budget

[beckdg]

it's around here somewhere. search native and palu and you'll probably find it pretty quick.

[LNK_89]

I found it right after I posted this. It looks pretty cool. I was thinking of maybe trying to find a small lizard or a snake would be cool to put in a tropical paludarium. If there are any, I can only think of crested geckos.

[froggsong]

There are LOADS of cool geckos you could look for. Search for some of the day geckos and see if you like any of them. That way you'll have something you can look at during the day.

As for my newt tank, I see you've already seen the pictures. Just keep in mind that's a ten gallon, otherwise it would be more dynamic. There's only so much you can do in a ten gallon.

[LNK_89]

I have seen the day geckos they do look cool but they are so expensive here. They usually are around 150-200+$ each here. Maybe I could do an anole or something like that.

[froggsong]

Anoles are fun to watch. I'd go for the green ones if I were you (but I'm partial to them, being from their native habitat and all). They are generally very inexpensive, and they are super easy to care for. They'd be perfect for a tropical vive as well.

[LNK_89]

ok, so I have done some more thinking and have come up with this. I would like a tropical tank, live plants, small water section, I would like to be able to go away for a weekend and not have to worry about feeding, watering, heating whatever is in the tank(if thats at all possible), the animal that goes in the tank must do well with heat. My house gets unbearably hot in the summer. Thats about all I have so far. Maybe I could try using that great stuff for background/land part of the tank.

[froggsong]

You'll have to heat a tropical tank in the winter. You might have to cool it in the summer (don't forget it gets hotter in a glass box). It does get to over 100 degrees in the summer in SC, but you want to try to keep it from getting that hot in the tank. All of that can be automated with timers and thermostats. Watering can be done with running water or a misting system (some lizards, like anoles, won't drink from a dish, but they will drink from a waterfall or droplets on leaves from a misting system), both of which can be automated (the waterfall would run 24/7). As for feeding, if you feed critters that won't bite, you can just dump a huge load of them in before you leave, then they'll be able to pick them off over time (I recommend roaches for that, which anoles will LOVE, roaches are a natural part of their wild diet. I wouldn't recommend doing that with crickets unless you can provide an easy food source for them, otherwise they will bite the lizard). I think that anoles would be a great fit for what you want. You could have a small harem in a 30G tank (is it tall or long? tall is best). Maybe one male and three to four females.

I think that with a waterfall (a drip wall might be even better), a fan, a red/black/green bulb on a dimmer or a CHE or UTH on a thermostat or dimmer, and a supply of feeders that won't snack on your herps, you'll be good to go.