show us your indoor monitor enclosures !!

[myteam]

does anyone else have some pics ahah?

 

[crocdoc]

yeh on the left hand side of the cage if you can notice there is a pond like thing built in the rock on the floor thats getting filled with sand when i have time .

You'll want more than that, especially if you end up getting a female, as it'll be needing nesting options.

myteam, lacies are all I have room for at the moment.

 

[richardsc]

u can just use nesting boxes for the ridgeys,especially in a cage of that size,thats mammoth for ridgeys,would be hard to find eggs if the whole floor had burrowing potential,but end of the day they love to dig anyways,so it would be cool to set up maybe a couple of areas for that purpose,but main thin is,especially for nesting,but even just digging you want to give them some depth to dig like croc doc has hinted

 

[Laghairt]

Crocdoc have you ever seen crimsafe being used instead of glass? I'm in the process of building an enclosure at the moment and was thinking about looking into it. I live in Sydney though so was wondering if it would create heating issues. Also I'm not sure about the cost. The enclosure will be used to house small monitors (tristis orientalis or gillens).

Also where did you get your fake rocks from?

 

[Boney]

no probs crocdoc thanks for what your saying ill put some more sand in up the other end ..cant hurt . but considering alot of people keep there ackies in a 4 foot cage i thought my 2 foot sand pit would of been enough.. . and if you can get a lacie to lay in a small box . . do you think if i put a box of sand up the other end of the cage that should do it?. i really dont want 300 kgs of sand in my cage .but i will do what is best for my ackies .

 

[crocdoc]

I'd never use any sort of screen rather than glass as you have no control over humidity. Monitors love a really hot basking spot and when you combine that with any sort of screen you get a dehydration chamber, even for species from relatively dry areas (which still often seek relatively humid microclimates, like burrows or tucking under bark).

I made the mock rock myself.

 

[Boney]

thanks also richard ... you got in before i asked the question .......thanks..

 

[Laghairt]

OK thanks, I suspected as much. I'm planning on having a go at making some mock rock too, I was wondering how it would stand up to monitor claws, however if yours stands up to the claws of a Lacie then I should be fine. Did you do anything different to make it extra strong?

I'd never use any sort of screen rather than glass as you have no control over humidity. Monitors love a really hot basking spot and when you combine that with any sort of screen you get a dehydration chamber, even for species from relatively dry areas (which still often seek relatively humid microclimates, like burrows or tucking under bark).

I made the mock rock myself.

 

[crocdoc]

...and if you can get a lacie to lay in a small box . .

Some of this comes down to biology. In the wild, lace monitors nest in termite mounds which aren't that large, which is why I get away with getting my female to nest in a relatively small, heated nest box (it wasn't small when she was young - she's just grown a lot and I don't dare change it). People do get their ackies to nest in nest boxes, but you will still need a reasonable depth.

 

[crocdoc]

Did you do anything different to make it extra strong?

Yes, I used quite hard material when casting the mock rock from the mould. I mixed the polyurethane elastomer with slate powder and also mixed in a fair bit of sand and crushed rock.

 

[Laghairt]

And here I was thinking that I'd just carve one out of polystyrene. I'll have to do a little more research before I attempt to make it. Another thing I was concerned about with the polystyrene approach was whether it would stand up to the high basking temps needed for monitors. You don't seem to have any issues with your mock rocks. I'd love to pick your brain. Would you mid if I send a few PMs when it comes time for me to make it?

 

[redbellybite]

excellent monitor enclosures....my little ones are in a temp tank set up at the moment ,I have 2.5 acres so after christmas ,my hubby and I will be building an outdoor setup ,big pond ,sandpit,rocks and plants try and keep it natural as can be for a setup ..these are mertens so if anyone has some good tips for outdoors ,would love to read them ...

 

[Boney]

crocdoc, how deep should the sand be in your opinion for egg laying and general use , digging ect for Ackies ?

 

[crocdoc]

And here I was thinking that I'd just carve one out of polystyrene.

haha not on your life (with monitors, anyway). PM me and I'll give you my email address, but I'll tell you right now that you'll probably want to do it differently than I did unless you have too much spare time on your hands!

crocdoc, how deep should the sand be in your opinion for egg laying and general use , digging ect for Ackies ?

For general digging (mainly so they can hide under things like rocks and logs) it doesn't need to be too deep, but for nesting you'll want 25cm or more.

 

[Boney]

o.k thanks mate .. ill fill my sand pit up in the cage and ill give them a container 25cm deep to lay in .. get some good hollow logs few branches and i think im done .

 

[myteam]

Does anyone else have some pics of their enclosures?

 

[lloydy]

less talk more pics


Some amazing enclosures i must say!

 

[Karly]

These are my 2
1st one we built for our sandy
2nd one is for our Mertens, we didn't build this one it came with the lizard

 

[jbowers]

Does the sandie mind climbing up all that way to the basking spot?

 

[fish_boy]

HI everybody,
this is my first go at diy, and my first enclosure,
its 2.4x2x1.4 indoor lacie enclousure,
complete with 2x 160 watt mercury vapour aussie sun bulbs from brian at herp trader
fibre glass rock wall,
all the build materials are second hand,
and its in a rental house,
enjoy,
like to thank crocdoc for his advice and encouragement.
happy herping people