# Indoor monitor enclosure question



## lizardmech (Feb 16, 2011)

Bit of an odd question but I couldn't find much information anywhere, how much of an issue do you find it with your monitors making a mess of their enclosure and creating a terrible smell? I have a spot for a decent sized monitor enclosure but my home is pretty small so it wouldn't be away from people in a spare room or anything. With proper cleaning is it not a problem or is it unavoidable in general?


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## JAS101 (Feb 16, 2011)

lizardmech said:


> Bit of an odd question but I couldn't find much information anywhere, how much of an issue do you find it with your monitors making a mess of their enclosure and creating a terrible smell? I have a spot for a decent sized monitor enclosure but my home is pretty small so it wouldn't be away from people in a spare room or anything. With proper cleaning is it not a problem or is it unavoidable in general?


 i have found my lacey duznt smell anywhere near as bad compard to when the beardies do a crap .


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## Robo1 (Feb 16, 2011)

I agree, my monitors (Ackies) don't smell anywhere near as bad as my frillies. I find that the monitors don't smell much at all, until the sand needs replacing.


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## herptrader (Feb 16, 2011)

So what sort of monitors are you looking at? Our mangroves always mess their water which smells but is easily replaced. Their next enclosure which is partially constructed will be particularly easy to do water changes in.

Our accies aren't too bad but a couple of major clean outs per year are in order with regular spot cleaning in between. It is not as "wet' and messy as beardy droppings.


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## lizardmech (Feb 16, 2011)

I was looking at a lone lace monitor compared to a few smaller monitors. You would think smaller ones would produce less of a mess but it seems the smaller ones have substrate requirements that are harder to replace and maintain. A group of ackies looks nice but it looks like they would potentially cause a mess as they scramble around.

Mangrove and Mertens are also quite nice as but water again seems more demanding? I'm also in Vic so heating would be a larger issue for species from northern Australia than a lace monitor.


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## JAS101 (Feb 16, 2011)

just remember the bigger the monitor the more food they need, the more crap they are going to produce.


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## herptrader (Feb 16, 2011)

Come to the VHS Expo on Saturday and talk to the breeders - should answer all your questions.

I will be there on the Herp Shop tables with some accies at one end.


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## dozerman (Feb 16, 2011)

It depends what you are feeding your monitors. I try to feed whole prey items as much as possible, less mess , less smell. Though Ive heard that day old chicks can produce a liquid response! Different monitors react to different foods. I fed my spencers and mertens a pet mince/ egg / vitamin feed yesterday. The spencers digested with no mess, the mertens got very messy.


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## varanid_mike (Feb 16, 2011)

I use marine carpet and hose it off and put new stuff in as soon as it messed, never had an issue with smell.
mike


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## ScalyMung (Feb 16, 2011)

I've got mertens,sandies and a freckeld monitor inside use to have my rosenburgs inside up until a coulpe of months ago and they dont smell as I feed mainly whole prey even if its cut up into bite size pieces. My 2 young beadies smell more than all the monitors put together after they had a good vegie pig out phewwie but they don't mind because It gets cleaned out straight away being in the lounge room.
Cheers Deano


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## lexx709 (Feb 21, 2011)

i own a lacey, mertians, blackheaded. and all of them dont smell at all they eat everything and anything, i do keep them all clean and always have clean water. i also have beardys and they dont smell either just gota keep up to the cleaning but all worth it


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## shortstuff61 (Feb 21, 2011)

I have a pair of Spencer's indoors and the smell hasn't been an issue. Unless you open the enclosure and stick your head in just after they've laid a fresh one, but that could said about most animals...


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## sesa-sayin (Feb 21, 2011)

LIZARDMECK !one of your expressed options was a group of Ackies together. you might not get too far with that. they are very nasty to each other. i once found one sibling head fully down the throat of another only slightly larger sibling. .if grouping in a large enclosure V scallaris a much better choice


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## Snake_Keeper (Feb 22, 2011)

Everything iv read suggest Ackies do quite well in pairs or groups, maybe your experience could be considered the exception.


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## jbowers (Feb 22, 2011)

No. Simply not true.

Read the last 6 months of this forum. I personally had fighting with mine too and had to get rid of one.


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## dozerman (Feb 22, 2011)

There is a theory that if accies are ' socialised' as hatchies they are more tolerant of their own kind.


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## herptrader (Feb 23, 2011)

In order to set up "happy" family groups I usually suggest to people that they start with 4 or so and sell on those that fail to thrive, are overly agressive or are not getting along. I have got lucky and my main breeding group still has its original 4 members... including a quite small female but she is the one that hangs out with the male the most.

Another factor that I think helps is that multiple females help keep the male occupied giving each other a break. With 3 females to a male this seems to work very well.

As always by providing plenty of places to hide you provide the opportunity of allowing them to recover from the riggers of family life in relative peace.


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## Chris1 (Feb 23, 2011)

i know a girl who had an adult female ackie tear open another adult females stomach, big hole, lots of vet visits and 6 months of healing later the injured girl is looking better,...

its much safer not to take that risk.


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## jbowers (Feb 23, 2011)

Mine were siblings that had grown up together. All was fine until one day one of them just snapped.


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## Laghairt (Feb 23, 2011)

Although I haven't kept ackies myself, I have heard of many instances where aggression has resulted in severe injury or death of individuals kept in groups. I know some people have few problems but I wouldn't risk keeping them together it doesn't seem worth it. I'm rarely home during the day so would be unable to keep an eye on them.

The potential for aggression between ackies is one of the main reasons I chose to get gilleni for my main display enclosure. If I do end up getting ackies I'll plan to keep them separate apart from breeding liaisons.


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## sesa-sayin (Feb 23, 2011)

every visitor to my place, goes nuts when they see the firestone ackies. (aboriginal dot paintings ) barely look at the others.as rare as they might be


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## dozerman (Feb 23, 2011)

Any pics of your firestone accies?


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## sesa-sayin (Feb 23, 2011)

sorry i meant "Sandfire " ackies


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## dozerman (Feb 24, 2011)

hey Sesa, its all in the marketing. I'll take a trio!!! any pics?


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## sesa-sayin (Feb 25, 2011)

DOZERMAN i am 25 days into" Dry February ". which means no alcahol for the whole month. and my brain is shrinking. hence the mistake...Please excuse !!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Lovely to see you have bred some lovely little Gillens


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## dozerman (Feb 25, 2011)

Ha Ha Ha! Sorry mate, i'll go easy on you. Very commendable, cheers about the gillens


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