thinking about getting a new pet

[grips]

Originally Posted by petjunkie
Turtles aren't easy to keep either, they need about 100 gallons per turtle and you shouldn't house in group and they are filthy, requiring a super filter and almost total water change weekly, plus UVB and heat lights like most reptiles. You can't really keep them in a ten gallon forever, they get deformed inside from lack of space and their shell get rot and curved and then they die. Trust me, I found all about turtles when I was given a bunch of babies that quickly went back the wild after I researched their care.

WOW!! You're very positive about turtles. I've had several turtles in the past. All of which were at a moderate care level. I always had Red-eared sliders which are some of the easiest turtles to care for. The care level is no greater (probably less) than a reef tank.
As long as you have an ample sized aquarium 55 - 100 gal. with a simple filter and UV light you're fine. They are not hard to take care of and keep healthy. Weekly water changes are highly recommended. I would actually feed my turtles in a seperate bucket where they would make their mess and then be put back into the tank. This put a lot less stress on the filter. If you have a good plan for caring for the turtle it makes raising them much easier.
With a varied diet and a UV light they won't get shell rot or soft shell. They only aquire these health issues with improper care.

 

[grips]

Originally Posted by mrdc
I vote for a bird...African Grey!
African Greys are great birds. You do have to devote a lot of time to them if you want them to talk and be comfortable around people (not just the owner). They are VERY intelligent and VERY expensive. They are also really messy. But if you have the time, patients, and money; they are an awsome pet. Their average lifespan is 40 to 50 years, so it's almost like you're adding a child to your family.
Also, since they are so intelligent, they require a lot of social interaction with the owner(s) otherwise they get depressed and start pulling feathers out and having health issues. You can actually pottie train them, so they will only go if they are perched over newspaper. I love these birds.

 

[grips]

Originally Posted by Whitey
The law in most states is that they must be at least 4 inches to sell them. Here, there are plenty of places you can buy them as babies if you know the right places, but it is still not technically legal to do so.
The reason is that kids would put baby turtles in their moth and get sick (sallmonella, etc.)
All reptiles can carry sallmonella, but so can a cat. It's a big misconception that turtles and lizards are the only things that can make you sick.
ALL TRUE.

 

[mrdc]

Originally Posted by grips
African Greys are great birds. You do have to devote a lot of time to them if you want them to talk and be comfortable around people (not just the owner). They are VERY intelligent and VERY expensive. They are also really messy. But if you have the time, patients, and money; they are an awsome pet. Their average lifespan is 40 to 50 years, so it's almost like you're adding a child to your family.
Also, since they are so intelligent, they require a lot of social interaction with the owner(s) otherwise they get depressed and start pulling feathers out and having health issues. You can actually pottie train them, so they will only go if they are perched over newspaper. I love these birds.

Yeah that is why I have not gotten one. I was so close to getting one because it would have been a great deal $500 with cage. The reason that it was so cheap is actually a funny story. Two different people had put the bird on layaway each with a $500 deposit and NEVER came back for the bird or money! I was going to the story every day to hold it and walk around with it on my shoulder. It must have liked me because when I came in the store, he would hop on the floor and come up to me and lift one of it's feet up for me to come down and pick him up. I always said the owner taught him this so he could sucker somone into buying him

Anyway, it came down to me not having enough time to spend with him. I have two young kids, a big yard to take care of, fish, dogs, go out of town a lot, ... Maybe one day I will get one when things have calmed down. I have always loved birds but I have only expereinced them outside with my many bird seed feeders and hummingbird feeders. If you ever want to see a lot of hummingbirds, come to my parent's home. He has been putting feeders out for 20 years and this year he must have a least a hundred hummingbirds. They look like a swarm of bees. He now has to replensih the 5 feeders every day and sometimes twice a day. Anyway, that is off topic

 

[grips]

That is a great deal. I paid $1,400.00 for mine and that's just the bird. I loved that bird very much, but I just couldn't give him enough attention. It made me feel terrible, so I pretty much gave him away to a day care, where I knew he would receive constant attention and great care.

 

[mrdc]

Originally Posted by grips
That is a great deal. I paid $1,400.00 for mine and that's just the bird. I loved that bird very much, but I just couldn't give him enough attention. It made me feel terrible, so I pretty much gave him away to a day care, where I knew he would receive constant attention and great care.

That's what I was trying to avoid. The owner finally sold the bird on ---- for $1K. The buyer flew down from up north and drove it back. I'm glad it sold because if I had continued going to the store every day to see the bird, I would have eventually bought him only to regret it later.

 

[gnorman]

get a chameleon!!!. i have had 2 so far and they are just amazing. they are very easy to care for and are very loving. the only problem is... the vield chameleon does not live for that long...like around 8 years or so i think. and if you want your lil friend to be nice as he gets older its very important you take him out every day to hold him so he becomes used to being held and is tame. its a great pet. i would get one in a second but im leaving for college soon....

 

[saltn00b]

ball python. super easy to care for. not aggressive, dont get big. people friendly

 

[petjunkie]

I second the ball python as long as you don't have a fear of snakes and buy captive bred. I got one a few months ago and have been amazed at how easy he is compared to my other animals.

 

[sharkboy13]

get a retic python lol for the snake fans out there. or get a like little tropic herp community tank, i had one, about 30gal, i had geckos, newts, tree frogs, anoles, altho nevr put these two things together, a fire salamander or firebelly toad and a croc gecko, my old croc gecko was EVIIIIL, bit evrything. so one day the clumsy old fire salamander stepped on the croc geckos head and then i bet u can guess what happened since the fire salamander is poisonous. lesson learned: dont bite fire salamanders.

 

[imurnamine]

Originally Posted by joker_ca
Chinchillas Are Good Pets But They're Nocturnal And Make Squeaking Noises And You'll Hear Them Jumping Around. They Where One Of My Best Pets, Females Do Better In Pairs, And They Require A Pretty Big Cage Around 6ft Tall And 3ft Deep. Try Finding A Breeder And You'll Get A Cheaper Price Than A Pet Store And In Better Condition

I'm nocturnal.