# Ackie Enclosure and Diet



## HerpNthusiast (Aug 14, 2016)

Hey everyone so my ridge tail is going great we've been feeding him on crickets and turkey mince and he's going really well but i was wondering is there anything else that he can eat different types of mince or something else entirely he doesn't seem quite fond of pinkies. He currently measures at 15cm and is shedding successfully.

Also here's a picture of his enclosure is there any improvement that needs to be made like an addition of a few more logs or rocks. I've stated before in a previous thread this is s temporary enclosure we'll be getting a 5-6ft melamine enclosure for xmas so we can get him a partner (once we know what gender he is). The white stuff is polystyrene to help insulate his enclosure as it's made of glass.

One more question what's his growth rate?

I'd love some input thanks.


----------



## Ramsayi (Aug 14, 2016)

I occasionally slice up frozen adult mice and feed them once thawed.
The gaps in the stack look to be a bit large,I would use smaller spacers so he has to squeeze into them.

Have you checked the basking temp? Looking at the pic it would seem that the temps are low given that he is perched right up under the lamp.I would use an internal lamp and adjust the height to give a 60~70C basking spot at the top of the stack.


----------



## Aussie_monitors (Aug 14, 2016)

If you can you should install the light inside the enclosure directly above the tile stack. That way you can get a decent hot spot and the monitor can thermoregulate between the levels of the stack. It's always good to add more rocks and crevices or even some fake grass plants. If you are getting a 5-6 ft enclosure then you could go a trio, 4ft is plenty for a pair. Hope this helps.


----------



## HerpNthusiast (Aug 14, 2016)

it does thanks i checked a reading from the temperature it's 48.2 roughly and he also had a small hide buried under sand (like a cave) which is blocked from view. What other types of mince can i feed him

- - - Updated - - -

Also one of my friends had sold his bredli python and has some spare logs and fake plants but because they're with another animal is there anyway i can 'sterilise' them?


----------



## Evil_Birdy (Aug 14, 2016)

I give mine regular meat OCCASIONALLY as a treat, and sometimes even dust it with calcium, just to make sure he's getting enough nutrients. If I happen to be cooking, I'll cut off a tiny bit without fat and save it for him. Try small roaches and superworms as well. 

I asked about growth rate from the breeder when I got mine and he very frankly told me that it depended on how much I feed him, but mine seems to be growing very slowly. How old is yours. Mine is about the same size, I just wanted to see if they were around the same age as well.

Also, correct me if I'm wrong guys, but on the other posts I've read where similar questions about sterilising sticks and logs from the bush, the answer has always been that it's not necessary, as reptile mites live on reptiles, not sticks. However if you're worried, by far the best animal safe disinfectant is F10, although it is a little expensive and hard to find, it is very safe, and is a broad spectrum killer of harmful microorganisms.


----------



## HerpNthusiast (Aug 14, 2016)

Yes it does thanks Evil_Bird mine is 7-8 months old.


----------



## pinefamily (Aug 15, 2016)

Chopped chicken neck is another good food source. While not as beneficial as whole prey, it does get some calcium into your monitor.


----------



## Stompsy (Aug 15, 2016)

Eggs, raw, scrambled or boiled....


----------



## HerpNthusiast (Aug 15, 2016)

Thanks to ensure my ackie gets nutrition i do lightly dust his crickets with vitamins

- - - Updated - - -



Ramsayi said:


> I occasionally slice up frozen adult mice and feed them once thawed.
> The gaps in the stack look to be a bit large,I would use smaller spacers so he has to squeeze into them.
> 
> Have you checked the basking temp? Looking at the pic it would seem that the temps are low given that he is perched right up under the lamp.I would use an internal lamp and adjust the height to give a 60~70C basking spot at the top of the stack.


Hi is there anyway i can suspend it or anything i'll probably have to cut through the mesh. Which i'm a bit anxious about doing but is there any other way i can do this?

- - - Updated - - -

Here we are i've suspended the lamp inside the enclosure but im just worried that he may overheat or 'cook' as my Mum puts it because when she was growing up one of her family's snakes died by coiling around the lamp.



- - - Updated - - -


----------



## pinefamily (Aug 16, 2016)

Monitors love it a lot hotter than snakes do, and they will thermo-regulate to suit themselves. The only time monitors get burns is when a larger monitor is trying to warm up under a single lamp. Your ackie will love it.


----------



## HerpNthusiast (Aug 16, 2016)

Yeh it's great thanks i took a reading from a thermostat probe which was roughly over 50 but i will be getting a thermometer so i can accurately read the temp. Thanks guys for your help.


----------



## pinefamily (Aug 16, 2016)

Get yourself one of those infra-red temp guns; far more accurate than a thermometer. You can pick one up on Ebay pretty cheap.


----------



## Evil_Birdy (Aug 17, 2016)

HerpNthusiast said:


> Yes it does thanks Evil_Bird mine is 7-8 months old.


Yeah, mines about the same age. Its a relief he seems to be growing at a normal rate.


----------



## HerpNthusiast (Aug 17, 2016)

Evil_Birdy said:


> Yeah, mines about the same age. Its a relief he seems to be growing at a normal rate.


Yeh i got mine at the VHS expo in March and he was only a couple weeks old.

- - - Updated - - -



Decided to post a few pics of my ackie now he's much more active and fun to watch as he scurries around his enclosure.


----------

