What kind of exotic pet would be best for me?

Question

I have two cats, a 29 gallon tank with like six fish in it, and a beta in a smaller tank. But I wanted a more exotic pet. I went to Petco today, and my heart melted at the site of the cute, energetic, (but stinky) ferrets. But those don't do well at all with kitties. Neither do rabbits or guinea pigs, or anything cute and furry for that matter. So I wandered off in to the less traveled area of the pet store. The exotic pet section. Snakes, lizards, turtles, frogs, toads. So much to look at. The one thing that stuck out to me was the really cute, funny, red eared sliders. And before anyone starts ranting about the responsabilities of owning another pet, i have done some research, so don't worry. I have one question though. How big of a tank is really needed? Yes, I have heard of the 10 gal. per shell inch. But is that really nessecary? I mean, come on. I could live in a tank that size. Would a 20-30 gal. tank be even remotely humane for one measly RES? I'm only getting one, if any. That is for sure. We really don't have room for a 100 gallon tank. Another creature we were thinking of getting was a gecko. Leopard to be exact. Seems to be the best species for us. How big of a tank for that? And do you have to get live bugs (crickets, worms, ect.) for them, or could you get dried or frozen or whatever. I also heard of gut loading. Does that mean we have to go through the hassle of buying yet another tank just to put stupid crickets in to feed them? Because that would truly suck. We were also thinking a frog or bearded lizard. anything I should know about that? Tank size yet again too. I figured geckos and frogs would be better choices for us, but I really had my heart set on a RES. Well, to sum it up, here are my questions:

1. Smallest tank size we could get for one RES, frog, leopard gecko, or bearded dragon.

2.Live insects nessecary?

3. Availibility in pet stores?

4. Any additional info on any of these creatures.

Thank you very much, and sorry for the novel. But, please be honest AND knowledgable. no simple links to info sites either. I want personal experiences and expert advice.

Answer 1

I have no idea about turtles.

Leos nee a 10g to 29/20lg tank. I use a 40 breeder for mine. Yes you need live animals. No mice. Crickets/silkies/hornworms/mealies/super... You must gutload. I actually use bearded dragon food and leopard gecko food to gutload. Nothing dead. For crickets I use a big plastic container. For meal worms/supers I just throw the food into the little container.

frogs are stupid save for pacmen and red eyes. ;)

My beardie is kept in a fourty breeder and that is the minimum. i will cost you a few hundred for the full setup. I don't recommend them for beginners. They need UVB you must do research and stick to it.

I actually went to reptic zone.com and they helped me a lot.

Answer 2

Though the tank size seems superfluous, they really do need that much water, if only for the proper dilution of waste materials. If you don't want a massive tank, I would suggest a painted turtle, or a map turtle. Do a bit of research on those two. If I remember correctly, those are the smallest. You may have to look around for a dealer, but a turtle that grows to manageable sizes will be worth it. (if I'm thinking about the right species, some varieties of painteds only grow to about 6 inches, and a 55 should be fine for that size turtle.)

I personally have a turtle in a tank the size you are talking about, but that is because it is a hatchling. I have to upgrade soon.

Answer 3

YES, you do need a big tank for a RES.  They get dinner-plate sized, and they need at least a 90Gal. tank.  You'll also need a good filter because they are VERY messy, a heater for the water, and in the basking site you need a heat lamp AND a UVB lamp.  They also require at least weekly FULL water changes (not only 20% like your fish) and they have the potential to transmit nasty bacteria to people (salmonella).  I'm not saying they're bad pets; personally I think they're awesome and cute but they do require a lot of $$$ and a lot of maintenance.

Leopard geckos are cool (do your research or message me if you have questions about them, like setup, etc.) but they would really rather not be handled... they will tolerate it once they get used to you, however.  

Smallest size tank you'd wanna get is a 20Gal for them to roam around and hunt crickets.  Plus lots of extras like lighting.  You do need live food, pellets and stuff are crappy.  

Gecko's and their food are readily available in most pet stores.

Personally, if you want to get a cool reptile that you can handle and is pretty awesome (really awesome actually) check out the bearded dragons.  They get around 2ft. long when full grown, and they're extremely friendly and fun to watch.  I have two (Milo and Burt) and they're the best.  They're also readily available in pet stores.

Anyway, don't hesitate to message me any questions or comments you may have!

Answer 4

BEARDED DRAGONS ARE THE BEST

Answer 5

leos are the best choice they are small fun.. and easy to care for... they almost never bite...actually i have never heard or been bitten by one.... but it really depends on  what kind of animal you want... if you want a really fun pet i would go with a beardie they are like a dog but smaller..... but a leo only needs a 10 gal tank and a uv light some sand and 2 huts and your good.... and no for leos you can buy dead insects in a bottle and feed tht to them if youd prefer. but any animal injoys the thrill of the hunt

Answer 6

TURTLE turtle dont take much work and dont bark or make noise. there fun to just talk to when ur not feeling in a great mood. and ur cats shouldnt make much of a fuss about it. i have never had a pet turtle but i no they sell them in pet srotres and im not sure if u would need live insects. i would hope not! :)

peace outttt

Answer 7

get a chameleon. they are the best.