# Attention all monitor keepers.. help wanted!



## matty91 (Aug 25, 2008)

Hi

i am currently in the debate of which monitor i should get and im going to make the cage at school, so i am desperate to find out some recommended info. before i fall behind.
i am thinking of keeping either an ackie or a Black tailed (varanus tristis).

can you guys please gve me some dimensions, heating requirements, u.v lighting and anything else that you think is great to know about keeping them.

thanks,


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## andyscott (Aug 25, 2008)

All monitors need a very hot spot in the enclosure (45 to 48 degrees).
So you will need a basking shelf under a spot light in one corner.
Both monitors you have sugested are less then a meter fully grown, so an enclosure 5 foot long by 2.5 foot deep and 3 foot high would be ideal. Although you could get away with it being a bit smaller for the ackies.
Put a thermostate in the middle of the back wall. At one end have 3 heat globes (one of which a inferred spotlight) wired to the thermostate. at the other end a UV light wired seperate so you can put it on a timer.
If you set the thermostate to 30 degrees, it should reach 35 degrees at the hot end (45+ on basking shelf). At the cool end where the UV is, it will get around 26 to 28 degrees.

Make sure you have a lot of hides, as young monitors do stress a bit.


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## matty91 (Aug 26, 2008)

ok thanks andy,

how much bigger would the enclosure need to be if you were to put 2 or a trio of the species in the enclosure?


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## andyscott (Aug 26, 2008)

The size ive suggested would be fine for a trio of Ackies, or a pair of Tristis.
Add an extra foot to the length if you decide on a Trio of Tristis.
Cheers Andy.


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## gonff (Aug 26, 2008)

more like 60-70 degrees for a hotspot, but usially over 50 degrees.

pygmy mulga monitors are a great little monitor, and so are ackies, the ackies being more common though


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## gonff (Aug 26, 2008)

and most monitors dont really benifet from UV, so its not really needed


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## gonff (Aug 26, 2008)

what andy suggested would probably be alright for a trio of ackies, the minimum is usually 4 foot by 2 foot by 2 foot i think


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## Tristis (Aug 26, 2008)

you can get away with a 4x2x2 for a pair of ackies but biggers better, i have 3 tristis in a 6x3x3 and i would go bigger if i could.
the hot spot needs to be the the 65-70c mark.


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## gonff (Aug 26, 2008)

i strongly recommend reptiles australia volume 3 no.1! It has both ackies and pygmy mulga monitors


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## gonff (Aug 26, 2008)

here are some pics of monitors!

1.pygmy mulga monitor
2.ackie


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## matty91 (Aug 26, 2008)

ok

what is the best type of UV light to put in? (e.g. 10%?)


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## Tristis (Aug 26, 2008)

none they dont need it ,your just waisting your money if you get one


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## gonff (Aug 26, 2008)

the only lighting they need is a 60 watt spot light which you can get from your local bunnings!

this lights the tank and provides a hot basking spot for them

most reptiles would need UV but monitors are one of the only reptiles that dont need it!!!


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## gonff (Aug 26, 2008)

well, u can put it in, but they wont actually benifet from it! so theres not much point really!

if u get the reptiles australia magazine on them, it will explain everything for u!
u can order it online from there site.


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## ryanharvey1993 (Aug 26, 2008)

gonff said:


> the only lighting they need is a 60 watt spot light which you can get from your local bunnings!
> 
> this lights the tank and provides a hot basking spot for them
> 
> most reptiles would need UV but monitors are one of the only reptiles that dont need it!!!


 
I take it you have kept them then?


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## gonff (Aug 26, 2008)

this is the one that you want matt!


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## book (Aug 26, 2008)

I am new to keeping ackies and I have heard of people successfully keeping them with and with out UV - I have already ordered the back issue of Reptiles Australia Magazine to get yet another incite from the more experienced. 
I am using a 5% compact with reflector for mine while they are growing. I figure this is the time when bone development is very important and I don't care if I am wasting my money if it has no added benefit to calcium powder alone. I don't think it can hurt. 
When they are adults I plan to give them some real sun time in an outdoor cage built just for this. The breeder I got mine from puts his adults outdoors in the summer and their colour gets more red. If skin colour is altered by UV their may be other affects as well.
matty91, I am guess you are building a wood work project. When you build your cage for ackies don't fit doors right at the bottom. Build a front wall with plenty of depth to put in a sand bed for them to dig tunnels in. If you can manage door which open out rather than sliding ones ( sliding is easy to do ) you don't end up with door tracks constantly filled with sand from them digging and flicking it back at the doors.
A lot of ackie cages are glass tanks or the base is a large plastic tub as it contains the sand very well.


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## TWENTY B (Aug 26, 2008)

uv and monitors are debatable. The way i see it. Uv can't hurt. So i use it 
I own ackie's.
I use an exoterra 150w barking spot to get a 70 hot spot.


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## matty91 (Aug 26, 2008)

book,

would you be able to show a sketch of what you mean, for what to create the enclosure like?


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## matty91 (Aug 26, 2008)

also, anyone who has photos of their set up, if you could send them in, it would be greatly appreciated..


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## book (Aug 26, 2008)

An example of a v.trisis set up in a tub with a wood and wire frame top is http://www.aussiepythons.com/forum/general-herps/monitor-mansion-finnished-79951
I have also seen similar done with aluminium frames.

You could build a wood cage with a full glass front and have the access through a lid on top or side. An example of this is also on the above thread.

I will be using a six foot fish tank for mine so I just have to make an escape proof lid to contain the light / heat.

If you want the doors at the front look at my profile and check out the Ackie album. My set up is a plastic tub on its side with a pine front frame. 
The bottom panel 14cm deep for the sand. This set up is too small for adults but you could keep adult Pygmy Mulga Monitors in it. The doors are sliding on plastic door track and does get sand flicked into it but was far easier for me to build than framing hinged doors.

Exo Terra make glass cages with door that swing open but nothing big enough for adult ackies. But from this is the general idea of space for substrate and trackless doors.

Just make sure there are no gaps for them to squeeze through. Baby monitors can force their way between the gap between sliding doors and can climb very well. They are also pretty strong and may be able to break into some light cages or lift light weight lids so make sure everything is well secured. Any basking shelves or rock slabs also need to be fixed so they can't squeeze between or under them and get crushed if they shift.


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## notechistiger (Aug 26, 2008)

A 60w spot light for heating a relatively large enclosure and creating a heat spot of 70C? Dude, I have a 60w spot light in a _small_ (60x45x45) enclosure with a large rock in the hot spot (makes it hotter), and the most I've ever gotten, when I tested it without a thermostat, was 47C.

gonff, you don't need to be so pushy about the magazine. Since it seems you have it (going by the photo), why don't you type out what it says, or what is pertinent, and post that?


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## book (Aug 27, 2008)

I did have a 60watt spot which only got to around 40C but I don't remember the type or how tight the beam was. 
You can get even a 40watt spot to 70C if it is the right kind. I use a 40watt Philips Spotone R63 Reflector 15cm from the basking platform and it does get to 70C and lights part of the enclosure. ( No thermostat - just a timer )
It does not heat the rest of the cage. I also have the UV compact which generate a small amount of heat and adds more light to the basking platform.
I am still thinking about adding a small strip fluro to add more light to the opposite end.
The other heat sources are a 20watt head cord which is running all the time under one side to heat the sand and a heat lamp ( infrared or dark light ) on a thermostat which runs day and night to keep a day time background temp around 28C.


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## notechistiger (Aug 27, 2008)

Ah, so it's just my brand then. I only use Exo Terra, and haven't felt the need to experiment with others. Meh, it matters not.


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## varanophile (Aug 28, 2008)

Hi Matt,

I think ackies would be an excellent choice for a first monitor. Gillens are great but I think ackies are a little more forgiving for someone who is learning - esp when it comes to respiratory infections. The smaller the monitor the quicker it can succumb to ailments and the less time you have to recognise that things are wrong and act. 

As for UVB lighting. I have bred many species of monitors without UVB and have never encountered any problems. It is also much cheaper to go without. However, whilst I do not believe UV lights to provide health benefits, I have found that they are important to bring out the colours of your monitor - esp yellows. If you look at the photos below they are of ackies that have been ket under bright full spectrum UV lighting. In my experience if they were kept under cheap non UV lights the general colour would fade, esp the brilliant yellow. A bit like a sun tan. Keepers have known this for a long time with beardies - those kept outside in sunlight have a much higher intensity of colour, attributed to the higher intensity of UV from sunlight.

If you are going to spend the money and get a brightly coloured ackie (esp the "sandfire" form), then it may be worth spending the little bit extra on UV lights.

Just my opinion anyway...

Female breeder






Male breeder


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## matty91 (Aug 29, 2008)

i really like the sound of both ackies and black tailed, but i am leaning towards the black tailed, what are their bad points?


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## varanophile (Aug 29, 2008)

Tristis (blackheaded) monitors are a great 'middle' sized monitor. They are as easy as ackies to look after and feed.

The down points of them are that in general they are quite flighty and often never really calm down. They are lightening fast, can jump a long way and are masters at escape. I have heard of several escapes after the monitor ran up the keepers arm and out of the cage. They are more bitey than most small to medium sized monitors and can inflict a nasty wound. I only ever handle mine (when I have to) with thick gloves.


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## matty91 (Sep 1, 2008)

so does anyone have any photos of their tristis enclosure they wouldnt mind loading up?


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## matty91 (Sep 2, 2008)

come on guys and girls, you must have some pictures


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## koenbelg (Sep 10, 2008)

*beware*

I just wanted to give you a heads up on monitors. Mine went from sweet to dinosaur carnivor type. lol. sorry she lookes like a dinosaur. Monitors are very cool to watch, but most of them get really aggresive when they get older no matter how much you handle them. some are nicer than others, nile and savannah are the meanest i think. They are very smart so concerning your cage, make sure its very secure as mine has escaped before. Here is a pic of my savannah monitor named dyna and tell me she doesn't look like she should be in the next jurastic parks.lol


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