Is this an alright enclosure setup for my tristis monitor?

[pirate_reps]

[video=youtube;hlHExlAoIOI]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hlHExlAoIOI[/video]

check out my new black headed monitor setup if you have the time ^

Does anyone have any advice of what i need to change/ or add to the setup?.. I feel as though i need a bigger enclosure being a monitor and all. I will definitely upgrade size when he grows but what do you people think for the time being? Does it need to be larger now?

Also... with feeding.. he does not tong feed as he is too flighty. So i usually chuck in heaps of crickets that he can eat in his own time. so there are always crickets walking around in his enclosure. Sometimes he gets the odd pinky that i leave in there and he takes it... Is this the way he should be feeding?

Should i use another substrate other than just straight sand?.. maybe bark chips??

Everyones thoughts and advice is greatly appreciated! Just want to get this right!
Cheers!

 

[5hane]

what temps are you getting where he basks? the light looks a fair distance from the closest basking site. and so long as those rocks are secure to prevent them moving and possibly crushing him it looks good to me.

maybe add a bigger branch so he can get closer to the heat source to raise his temperature as required. are crickets left in the enclosure over night? if so leave them a food source (bit of carrot ect) so they don't nibble on him or irritate it while it's asleep or remove the uneaten insects before lights out. nothing wrong with sand so long as he is well hydrated an not swallowing huge amounts. cage size is fine so long as it's upgraded as he grows. and maybe a few more hides so he feels more secure.

 

[pythoninfinite]

One thing that worries me is the very heavy slabs of rock you have as shelter. There is always a very big risk that the animal (or you) may dislodge those and crush the lizard. Far more preferable to use sheets of bark or cork bark stacked on one another. I know the rocks are heavy, and the lizard is small, but such furnishings are always dangerous. In SW WA tristis is often found sheltering under bark on tree trunks. I have an inherent dislike of sand as a substrate generally, it is naturally rather cold, gets into glass tracks, can cause impaction sometimes, and it's quite heavy. Bark chips would be my choice, with lots of larger bits to act as shelter for the crickets and other prey items. This will allow the monitor to forage more naturally, but as 5hane says, don't put too many crickets in there at one time - small lizards often come off second-best after dark when they are dormant and the crickets come out to feed.

At the very least, if you choose to keep the rock slabs, you should glue cork spacers or something similar to the undersides of the slabs so that if they fall or move, there will always be room underneath them so they don't crush the critter. But I think you should consider the bark option as a priority.

Jamie

 

[Ryan-James]

Gee he is certainly quick on that back wall. If you wanted to keep the rocks there is a silicone type product called t-rex its hard to find but you would never have to worry about them moving.
I generally agree with the previous comments about the substrate, I would also offer a couple of thick 45° branches with one closer to the heat source and also a cage on the bulb wouldnt hurt as they tend to try and jump into the bulb.
All the best with him and thanks for sharing your set up.
Cheers Ryan

 

[pirate_reps]

Thanks everyone for the advice! I love the look of rock piles so I may get onto that silicone product Ryan-James was talking about, just to make it more secure and safe. It is pretty stable, and does not move when I put a little bit of pressure on it, but i would like it to be safer.
Bark would look good as substrate, i might give that ago.
Cheers for the replies everyone! APPRECIATE the input!!

 

[pinefamily]

We have tile stacks similar to what Jamie was describing in our ackie and tristis enclosures.
While Jamie's points about sand are all valid, we have never had an issue with sand as a substrate. The ackies all love digging in it.

Sent from my SM-G900I using Tapatalk

 

[pythoninfinite]

We have tile stacks similar to what Jamie was describing in our ackie and tristis enclosures.
While Jamie's points about sand are all valid, we have never had an issue with sand as a substrate. The ackies all love digging in it.

Sent from my SM-G900I using Tapatalk

Yes, I had a friend in Perth who kept his small monitors with stacks of roof tiles, with the heat focused on the top. The animals were able to select a favoured temperature by moving up or down in the stack. Ackies, Sand Goannas, panoptes and some others are largely terrestrial (although they do climb very well), and are great diggers, so sand suits them very well. In my experience V. tristis is at least semi-arboreal, and probably does a lot of foraging in trees. I'm sure that sand is unlikely to hurt them, unless they are fed wet food which may be swallowed along with a good dose of sand. Probably just expressing my natural dislike of sand I guess, but if I did keep the monitors I listed above, I would certainly give them some clay-rich sand to dig in (so that it holds together, unlike beach-type sand).

There is a great adhesive product out now called Selley's 3 in 1, available in clear and white. It's a far better adhesive than traditional silicones, is a non-shrinking gap filler, and is paintable with water-based paints. Bunnings has it. Best new product in years in my opinion.

Jamie