Went looking last night

My son is ready to start over. We went to a local ma and pa pet store that has a very good reputation, not petco, but I was disappointed there too! First we looked at the snakes. The girl who worked there was clearly terrified because she could not even get one out for my son to hold. They were all either mad, nasty, hungry, ect... We looked at the Leos and they seemed healthy and happy to me. They were asking $50 for them. Then my son saw the Chinese water dragons and loved them. They were very cute, about 3.5 inches long. Since I did all this research on Leos now I felt confident with another one but sad at the same time. This is where I totally lost faith. I asked about the water dragons. I asked about the bark they were on, she said it was fine. I asked how big of a house they need, she said 20 gallon. Well, I come home and do some research on line and find that bark is not good, 20 gallon would maybe house him a year tops maybe? What is with these places! I always end up buying animals from places like this because I feel sorry for them. Anyway, does anyone know how long a Chinese water dragon would outgrow a 20 gallon? I could afford a nice super big tank in maybe a year. Are they good for beginners? Or should I just stick with another Leo?

i busted out the reptiles magazine for this one. hope it helps.36-48 inches long by 16 to 24 inches deep and 48-72 inches tall is the minimum for a screen mesh inclosure. a 55g aquarium would be the minimum for an adult and a 30 gallon for sub adults and hatchlings. use vertical and horizontal tree limbs plants and perhaps some vines. substrate can in fact be orchid bark or peat moss, cypress mulch, newspaper, lizzard litter, or reptile carpeting.maintain the cage temperature between 80 and 88 degrees at daytime with 12-14 hours of light. full spectrum lighting (UVA/UVB) is needed. all the insects you would normally give a leo are liked as well as the fruit pellets and high grade canned chicken cat food. make sure it has real chicken. they also eat figs, bananas, red and white grapes, and soft pears. thats about it. also make sure they have a water pan to soak in. rinse this daily with 5% bleach water solution as 9 times out of 10 they defecate in it. daily misting is greatly enjoyed but dont overdo it. blisters and jungle rot can develop. thats about it.

Wow, so my 20 gal long is not even good for the little baby according to that! They have three of them in a 20 long right now. They are so tiny you can barely find them in there! I was hoping it would work since my son liked them so much and a new Leo would remind me of out lost one, but maybe another Leo is for the best here?

Realistically, The water dragon should be fine in the 20 long. But be aware that it will out grow it quickly. If you say its about 3 1/2 inches, a 20 long will suffice until hes double that.

Be aware that males can reach lengths of 3 feet, and are a bulky lizard. Females generally don't hit the 3 mark, but come close at 2 1/2 feet.

They are a fun animal, but maybe something a little more...I don't know. Easier to hold? For your son will be better? Leos are going to be more mild natured than the water dragons, who sometimes will flee. Also when it gets bigger it will be difficult for your son to handle without possibly getting scratched.

But that is up to you.

Chinese water dragons are fairly active lizards and, as such, need space. A hatchling would be ok in a 20 long for a short term, but would outgrow it well before the 1 year mark that you speak of. Also, they are well known for rubbing their faces off (literally) against the aquarium glass...that darned invisible barrier. An adult male should have at least a 4x2x2 ft cage, a female could get away with slightly less. As mentioned above, proper UV lighting is essential...and would ideally be augmented with natural sunlight whenever possible.
While the care is not terribly difficult, they are not particularly forgiving of errors in husbandry. As such, I would recommend against them for a relative newcomer to the hobby. Too much risk of heartache (and seeing one with half its face gone is not for little'uns)

Thanks everyone. I think I will try to get him to go with a Leo. He loves all really, snakes, turtles, lizards. Just a reptile kind of kid! And maybe I will dangle the possibility of getting two since we have the 20L now! I just wanted something he could handle as well. We loved Mecko the gecko beyond belief but he was a lizard you observed, not handled.An 8 yr old boy wants to be able to play with his pet, so that always bothered him about Mecko. Keep comming with the suggestions though!

Leos are great for kids, except they can be a little wiggly. Very easy to take care of though. My daughter likes to watch them through the glass.

Is it just me or does it seem like the males are a lot calmer than the females?

in my opinion the best reptile for a child would be a bearded dragon. they tend to be sweet tempered and dont get too big. but are big enough for your son to play with and not lose or hurt. they get to be around 7-8 inches.
you would need at least a 55 gallon tanks though.
they eat crickets, mealworms ect. and also veggies. they can also have a pinky once in a while for a treet. you could always look in the classifides for a cheep tank. or build your own.
just a sugestion.-brandy

Thanks. I actually suggested a bearded dragon to him. His best friend has one. I think that is half the problem. He said he does not want one like his friends. I think he wants to be different. I though of the bearded though.

Crestie!!!!!!!!!!!

They're so adorable!!!

Also quite mild mannered, I have 3 now, a male and 2 unsexed, the male is soooo laid back so far...although he did just come in today from Garrick with one of the unsexed. They are in Quarentine for a while, I'm working on getting a breedable female too, he's at 35 grams, but he can wait till a female goes through her quarentine too.