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new pet

22 14:45:28

Question
QUESTION: Hi I love exotic animals i currently  have 3 guinea pigs, a leopard gecko, and i used to have a painted turtle and a gerbil who are sadly not with me anymore. I want to get another exotic pet but i only have a 5 gallon tank, what is a good exotic pet that is small and inexpensive?

ANSWER: Dear Sarah,
thank you for your question.
Except for some insects/spiders, I wouldn't house anything in a 5 gallon. Even small lizards need more room and it's very hard to get humidity and temperature right in such small enclosures, it's a lot easier in big tanks.
If you can imagine keeping insects, please let me know, I can suggest some species.
Jennifer

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QUESTION: okay so i couldnt keep some hermit crabs in a 5 gallon because i asked another person on this website and they said i could keep 2 or 3 crabs in my tank.What about a species of smaller frog?

Answer
I really wouldn't keep frogs in there. Poison arrow frogs or mantellas for example are small, but they are very active and need a lot of room, some species also defend territories.

Hermit crabs should have at least a 10 gallon tank. They need shells, two water bowls, food bowl, hiding places and climbing toys and room to move around - it's impossible to get all that into a 5g. They also grow surpsisingly fast, especially when they are small, and will outgrow a 5g in no time. I began crabbing with five dollar coin-sized crabs and they grew out of their 20g in three years.

I think you should try to find a pet that you like and then get the right setup for it. The 5g makes a good quarantine tank and they work great for breeding crickets ect., but in my opinion it's just not big enough to be suitable as a permanent home for anything but insects.