Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I've been looking at Ackies for a while, and I'm a little unsure on how much soil to use. I've heard the minimum is 6", but what is optimal? Just enough for them to bury themselves?
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(___________dude3282_________/-{

I would go NO LESS than 10 inches. They need the deapth to create tunnels, not just cover themselves with dirt.

I was planning on building a custom cage, and wasn't sure how tall it should be and such. My Dad's really handy, we just got done making a rack for our baby and Juvie Leos. We only goofed up once due to the router messing up. Anyways, Any hints you can give me on a cage for an Ackie? I know you're supposed to make sure that they can't burrow underneath the cage decor (branches, rocks, hide boxes, etc.), but how do you do that when the substrate's a foot deep? I plan on using a wood stack thing (Rete's stack, I think they call them), I could just add on some wood to anchor that to the bottom.
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(___________dude3282_________/-{

Good thinkin about rocks and suff. I avoid rounded rocks, because they shift too easily. I lost my first female timor because a rock shifted and smashed her. I mostly use wood. Big stumps, dried out roots, driftwood, corkwood, etc. For stumps, I set the base at the bottom of the enclosure, and fill in the dirt around it. Lighter pieces, I dont worry as much about, and dont anchor as deeply. As far as rocks, I only use flat stones now(thin slabs of flagstone), and Im very careful about their placement.

ackies like all monitors like to dig. it depends on the enclosure you have them in. a standard aquarium could probably take 8 inches, a trough or custom should be around a foot for a trough and a foot to a couple feet for a custom.

that is more like a text book answer, the true answers will be found with your monitors and what they like and use.

to be honest i have some pretty crappy soil around here. i went to a regular forum participant's place today and picked up a monitor he gave me (thanks again!), and saw he had an awesome substrate in his flavi cross cages. i asked where i could find it, drove and picked up a pick up load of it, awesome. that is called "sandy lome," and his monitors had perfect deep burrows that held well and were easy for them to dig.

cheers, andrew
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Varanus Creations