Thanks a ton, this is just the sort of conversation I was hoping would flow!
This is the Aquarium as it sits. Again, it's a 6' (183cm) long x 18" (46 cm) wide @ 21" (53 cm) tall, 125 Gal aquarium. It is on top of a 8' x 3' Argentinean Tegu Enclosure (20 lbs of purely adorable reptile)... The base of the rock work is all square cut rock so it is very stable and everything is weighted/balanced/propped/reinforced so shifting concerns are nill...
That being said, this is how it was left after the water was drained, so alterations can easily be made to suit it's new (potential) inhabitants... Also note, I have an empty 30" (76 cm) x 12" (30 cm) 30 gal aquarium I could use to temporarily house a trouble maker in...
Keep in mind the goal of this enclosure is to be a low maintenance display... and it needs to be a dry environment...
I'm leaning towards Bearded Dragons for two main reasons: 1) Their typically easily handleable even without constant handling & B) They are (relatively) highly sought after if I ever decide to move in the direction of breeding them (understanding that would be a total different set up / approach)
I've kept Collared Lizards in the past, and while they were great for me at that time, my understanding is they will need very frequent attention to prevent them from being skittish and daily attention to keep them handleable. And that's just not what I want out of this set up. Plus they get a touch larger than what I am envisioning here.
Ornate Uromastyx is a viable option, I'll consider that one further...
Assuming I go with Bearded Dragons...
I'm thinking a heat bulb to the far left w/ a 2' strip UVB on that side also (there is a glass center brace in this old Oceanic Aquarium that is 20" wide)... shift the wood around a bit to make more elevated basking platforms beneath those lights... Would you suggest a much cheaper standard bulb for the right side, or a second UVB?
Would Hermit Crabs or any other sort of small non competing critter be able to happily/peacefully coexist?
Are there any sort of food items that could colonize in the enclosure that would not stress the lizards? I know crickets will stress and even feed on larger animals if left in a cage, but I'm wondering about any sort of snail (desert snail???) or non threatening burrowing bug... I love the idea of a mini-ecosystem.
As for lizard stocking... Editing what I want by what I'm reading (above and elsewhere)... it seems 3 adult females would be my comfortable top limit. Thus my idea would be to find 3~5 high quality female hatchlings and begin growing them out together. As they begin to mature, select the 3 that coexist the best and keep them...
Naturally this will only work if sub adult to adult females are practically re-homed. Question: would a well kept quality young adult female be sought after by breeders (or others) at a trade show? I'm not concerned with "turning a profit", but just re-homing "extras".
Thanks again to everyone for the input, I'm sure I'll come up with more questions... and any ideas or experiences on such a set up are very welcome...