reptile/bug like pets I am considering for 10 gallon aquarium

Ok I have a few extra aquariums (I like to keep a couple emty should I need them for my rats in an emergancy or the like) anyways I am looking into getting something for one of them.

I was looking around I really wanted a spiny mantis or chemeleon(which would actually go into my spare 35 gallon) but either they are too much money ($175 & up for the chameleon I want) & I cant find a spiny flower mantis or anything similar. I am keeping that tank free for when I am finnally ready for one of the above.


I do not want one that needs a lot of water (I dont mind a dish w/ water in it & I do not mind monitoring humidity etc, I just don't want a water tank (fish, water turtles etc..), Although the easier the care the better.
So I am left w/ a 10 gallon aquarium to fill. I was thinking about a trantula but they are ussually seen in tiny cages, I would thinnk a big cage would be fine though. A snake would be great but so far the ones I have lloked into would outgrow the 10 gallon tank. Maybe small lizards (anole etc..). I have never had a pet of the likes (I have had turtles though) BUT I have been researching about some more "exotic" pets (reptiles/bugs) and I would research even more once I find one I am intersted in. I want one that is fairly even tempered that I can hold onto, take out of the cage etc..

i have money set aside for furnishings for the cage & vet care etc.. (a few hundred), that leaves me with about $40- $50 to spend on the pet itself

does anyone have ideas & info?

They have some exotic type tree frogs that are pretty neat, but I'mnot sure on how much they would cost, you would have to watch the humidity with those too...

also...there are geckos...i believe they could live in a tank of that size since most i've seen have been small...

Good luck!

Well what about Hissing Cockroaches? Whites tree frogs, red eyed tree frogs? I also have my gecko in a ten gallon tank, he is a white spot gecko. Millepede maybe? Walking sticks? We have some really great Australia leaf sticks here and they are just as neat as the mantids are. :)

I just bought a colony of Lobster roaches, but they are much uglier than the Hissers and look more like roaches you find running around your house LOL. Not many people like them. :p

thanks luckies, unfortunatly in my area I have not come across any stick bugs or mantis ever (that is what I really really want).

I would love a frog, but don't they require a lot of cage cleaning w/ the water & algea & stuff? Or are there some that don't require a lot of water? I don't mind cleaning but over the years I had many turtles & fish (I know fish require only water) but i always hated to clean their cages it just bugged me lots.

Now I've got rats & ferrets & a cat & dogs & I used to have all other sorts of tons of land animals & I dont mind cleaning their cages at all, not sure why just I can't stand cleaning water tanks.

Cockroaches, I just can't imagion having one as a pet. LOL

Well with my tree frogs I always just kept a small water dish in the tank and sprayed them a few times a day so they didn't dry out. They don't require a tank like fish do. ;)

What about hermit crabs?

I am gone for about 9.5 hours a day (weekdays) do you think frogs would dry out in that amount of time?