PLEASE NOTE
The information on the BambooZoo site is as much as 10 years old and in the hobby much has been learned. Though, I believe there is merit in keeping the site open. There are many controversial issues presented in these pages. Please view BambooZoo as a starting point in your research.
These beings are as complicated as we are and deserve more than a basic 5 paragraph care sheet to maintain their health and well being.
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AUSTRALIAN WATER DRAGON AND BROWN BASILISK
Bamboozoo
The Stats
90 Gallon
Heat: 150 watt
Compact UVB ~ 5
Temp. 94 F. to 76 F.
Humidity: Tank Center ~ 80%, under heat bulb 55%, far end 82%
Pump is a Laguna 500
Moving the Veiled out of here and finding a great buy on a larger pump for the pond allowed me to turn this environment into a water based with one third in a tupperware container into an earth area. The Australian Water Dragon has taken to spending a fair amount of time in the water....approximately 30% and is sleeping there in the evenings, as my Asian Water Dragons also tend to do. Water Dragons closely associate water with safety. In this respect the Asians and Australians are similar.
This Australian is capable of a much wider variety of habitat than the Basilisk, but has remained healthy in with the Asians and Basilisks. Australians should have less humidity and heat than the Asian and South American species he has resided with.
This picture taken a couple of minutes after I finished some work on the environment so he is still in panic mode. The Australian Water Dragon is hanging out on the large wood piece in the center of the vivarium above the water as his place of choice.
The Brown Basilisk tends to enjoy being under the heat lamp more and is on the dry area much more than the WD. Being a tank that only has 1 short side on a wall, this is more stress on the Basilisk, who are painfully shy and with the exception of the spiny tailed iguana the most flight oriented species I have had here. The far end of the tank remains fairly closed in and secure. The Australian helps maintain calm.
I have a hard time keeping the Australian at an appropriate weight as he is food "assertive". The brown Basilisk has held his own and is also a little on the hefty size. He chooses to dart in and out around the food bowl while the water dragon sits and munches....but funny as it may sound, while the Veiled Chameleon lived with them, HE was always first to the bowl.
I started with 2 tiger barbs in the water for 3 weeks and then have added in a school of cherry barbs (6). I recently added 4 giant danios. Hopefully, they won't get eaten. But it certainly is a possibility. Adding fish enables me to better judge the health of the water.
