20g house 2 Tigers?

[d4d]

The title speaks for itself I have 20g already I can byuy new one but would rather not for obvious reasons!

 

[xMIDNIGHTx]

Yes with enough substrate and hides (logs, leaves, etc) 20g will be fine.

*(This is general and does not belong in the advanced section)

 

[Nathan]

I agree! I have two large male tigers in a 20 gallon; they each have their own hides and burrows. Just be careful at feeding time. My guys sit in their burrows to feed, but if you have more aggressive feeders they may have conflicts.

 

[d4d]

Yes with enough substrate and hides (logs, leaves, etc) 20g will be fine.

*(This is general and does not belong in the advanced section)

Sorry I saw a similar question in the advanced section.

 

[Jan]

The title speaks for itself I have 20g already I can byuy new one but would rather not for obvious reasons!

A 20 gallon long would be fine for 2 adult tigers. A 20 gallon high would be a tad small, is better to have more surface area -as height is a non issue.

 

[Coastal Groovin]

20 gallon high is fine for them. I keep 6 in a 30 gallon tupperware container. My firend keeps his pair in a 15 gallon fish tank. Which is the same floor space as your 20 high I have six inches of soil in mine with a alot of large bark peices. I havn't seen them all summer. They buried down deep. I just dug them up to see if they were ok. All were fine. I threw in 2 handfuls of adult crickets which they then ate every single one in 2 minutes. Then they buried down again. If you want to see them more often only put 2 inches of soil down. Remember to change the soil out every month if they are eating alot and remove any waste when you see it.

 

[xMIDNIGHTx]

20 gallon high is fine for them. I keep 6 in a 30 gallon tupperware container. My firend keeps his pair in a 15 gallon fish tank. Which is the same floor space as your 20 high I have six inches of soil in mine with a alot of large bark peices.

I agree with BillYannone about the 20 high being fine. I think there is a misconception with keeping terrestrial salamanders versus mole salamanders. While thinking of surface area is a great thing and is needed for many terrestrial salamanders/newts, it is also very important to think about the tank in 3D. Many inches of deep soft substrate is much more suitable than more vertical floor space. (This of course doesn't imply stuffing them in a small enclosure as they need some surface area.)

Tigers will burrow under the substrate at different areas and depths increasing the overall usable area. I like to use terracotta pots, bark, leaves, plants, etc as things to hide under/climb over which increases dimension. I also like to rearrange things every couple of months (although with replacing substrate) to get the illusion of a different "area".

Mitch

 

[Coastal Groovin]

I have found that my Tigers dig down and don't move around for long periods of time. Then they go through these streches where I find them in the water dish all the time but they usally do this in the winter and spring months.

 

[Jan]

What "can be done" and what is optimal for the health and longevity of the animal are often 2 different things. Fossorial animals should be offered a moisture gradient which IMO is more readily acheived with a "long" enclosure, with a piece of wood or brick used at the higher end. A 20 gallon long provides this and can easily accomodate 6" of substrate....adult tigers can acheive ST lengths of 12-13".

Retreating to water can be a sign of stress in the adult tiger - often associated with poor environmental conditions...too dry, too hot, fouled substrate, over crowding, etc. If you find your tigers retreating to their water dishes with frequency, their environment should be checked.

In response to the original question - yes, a 20 gallon tank can house 2 tigers. Would a 20 gallon long be preferable - I would say yes.

 

[Ra]

A 20 gallon long tank, in my opinion, would be the minimum, larger, 30-50 gallon tanks would be even better.

 

[d4d]

Thank you! I got my tank out. It is actually a 20G long (30"x12"x12").

Not sure if I am getting the tigers yet. I would rather have poison dart frogs, so would my sister. But earthworms are easier then fruit flies.