Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Okay, so Im thinking on the new enclosure for my Nile and Im looking for some advice/inspiration on how to put it together.

I looked around abit on the forum and, for the most part, Im seeing these stock cages.

So what size should I be looking at with an adult Nile? Im thinking the circular ones, as they seem to give alot more room. I have an empty basement at present (no drafts or anything nasty like that) and can easily make room for a large enclosure.

Would an 8' suffice or would I need a 10'?

Also, when you say build on top of these things, do you just mean essentially building a wood box around it? Do you have to/ should you treat wood with something prior to using it for a cage like this?

Any suggestions on substrates? Im going to be making my way to the local feed stores and such to see what I can find, but does anyone have any suggestions on what to look for? -besides straight soil. Im guessing its going to be abit expensive, as I read on the Pro Exotics site that a 4' stock thing can hold 1-ton of substrate... eesh.

How do people handle the water needs of their large monitors?
It seems like it would be really difficult to keep clean/from being knocked over.

I greatly appreciate any advice I get here, as I really just wanna get my animal into an environment that will make him as comfortable as possible.

On a secondary note, Im looking at farming some mice to lessen my expenses and wanted to run what Im planning by the forum.

3, 20-gallon Rubbermaid/whatever tubs for breeding populations (5 females + 1 male/ tub). A 4th Rubbermaid tub will be used to house mice as they are weaned (maybe using seperators to keep em from eatting each other?).

Above these will be 4-8 smaller tubs, used for housing females away from the other mice while they wean their babys. When the babies are ready, put them in the weaned young tub and put the mother back in the breeding population.

Each tub would have pine bedding (as aspen has some kinda oil apperantly), a water bottle (can these be made cheaply instead of buying em all?), and a food dish (suggestions?).

Id set all this into a wood frame or something for easy access.

Sound like itd work?

Also, a random question that spawned from my last random question:

Has anyone ever/does anyone house monitors of any species with tortoises?

If so, how do they get along? What species? Do monitors prey on tortoises?

Building cages depends on your skills and only you know them. Niles can get large if you do a good job. If you don't they won't or they will die. Again, its based on your skills.

No one can give you good advice because we have no important information. For instance, you say basement, which is neither here or there. Whats important is the door. What fits thru it? you see what I mean. A big trough does not fit thru standard doors. If you have a standard door, your going to have to build it in place. Thats the problem with large monitors, the take large cages.

About water, indeed large water loving monitors are a pain in the arse. You end up being a plumber(think sea world), not a herp keeper. But if you like that, go for it.

About mice, the reason folks pay good money for them is, they stink, if they did not stink, everyone would breed them. Also, if you do a good job with your nile, it will need rats, or a zillion mice. Rats do not stink as bad, but if they get out, they will reduce your house to rubble. Cheers

Ok, well, basement door is sliding glass and can be removed from the frame.

I could get an 8' circular trough thing through, I *think*. Id have to do some exact measurements... but lets just assume I can. Is an 8' diameter circular enclosure, prolly about 4' deep (2 ft 2ft walls, maybe more, depending on how its set up) good for an adult Nile?

With the water issue, any suggestions on how to set it up? I mean, would you say cut a small hole in the bottom of the trough for a drain (somehow?), or have some kinda pipe system going out of the cage some other way... Im just wondering how others have set theirs up, so I can use their examples.

I can handle whatever kind of setup is needed, I just need information regarding EXACTLY what needs to be done. I mean, I looked over the building pictures on the Pro Exotics website and that gave me a base idea, but does anyone have any other pics I could take a look at? I can imagine it basically, the 8' circular thing, with wood walls, a few different access points(how do you suggest going about building the access into these things? just basic description would be fine), Im thinking one of those big, black plastic things somehow fastened to the bottom of the cage, maybe with rocks attached to it in such a way as to avoid tipping?, with a hole for a drain and a tube to take it out (not sure how that would be done just yet); some kind of filtration?, a bunch of climbing limbs and substrate for digging ( im going to take a look around my area to see what available), possibly higher watt lights (almost certainly)...on and on and on

For the mice/rat situation, I have an answer to that:

Ill just increase the size of the containers (what size would you suggest here) to be large enough to accomodate rats. Ill start with mice and when my animal is large enough, Ill just switch to a population of rats. Hopefully this should not take a horribly long time because, as you said, mice stink. If it does... well, Ill figure something out, get some glade plug ins or something, lol. Its going in the basement anyway, which is quite large and not used at all.

I guess the question is, can/will rats chew their way through plastic like that? Ive never had problems keeping mice in them, but I dont know about rats. If they will, what kind of container would you suggest?

Thanks for the the feedback

Also, what are these trough things like? Are they at all flexible, or heavy duty steel?

I will answer your rodent questions. I have been breeding rats and mice for over 16 years now. I breed my own because I know how the rodents are taken care of at the big feeder companies. Frank is right, you will need rats. They are better breeders anyway. I will list what you need/what I have found to be best/and where to get the supplies. Anything plastic will not last.
-20 gallon long aqarium, petco
-Martin's cage topper for 20 gallon long, I use the one story.
http://www.martinscages.com/products/cages/toppers
-Aspen bedding, Petco. They have large bales for $13. Never use pine or cedar for rats, they cause respritory desease.
-32 ounce plastic, rounded edged water bottles. They can be hung on the outside of the topper, I use the Lixit wide mouth. Rats love to chew and if the bottle has a squared edge against the cage they will chew it. http://www.martinscages.com/products/accessories/bowls.htm
-I use 12 pack beer boxes as a nesting spot. I will give them torn up cardboard also. Rats will tear up the cardboard to makes nests. Each cage also has a piece of PVC, 12" diameter and 8" long.
-I have 4 of these set ups. Each cage has 3 females and one male. I have to clean them every 8-10 days. But it all depends on the age of the babies they have.
-I make my own feeders out of 1/4 inch wire. If you use a bowl they just take all the food out and hide it and then you think they are out of food and end up wasteing. My feeders allow the rats to eat the rodent blocks through the feeder. They are about 8" high, 4" square, and have a flip top lid for easy fill. I just have them sitting on the floor of the topper that way the crumbs fall into the aquarium. I haven't had any problems with them tipping them over, yet. I have to fill them about once a week.
-I feed Mazuri, by Purina, rodent chow. I get 50lb bags for $22. You can look on the Purina web site and "find a Purina dealer near you". Any feed store that carries Purina should be able to order it for you even if they do not usually care rodent chow.
One female rat can have 4-16 pups a month and there is no need to seperate the male. Rats will hardly ever eat the babies like mice. I have found that rats don't do well in just an aqaurium, it gets too humid. I have a seperate animal room that has 24/7 window exhaust. Rat urine is very strong and will burn their lungs and make them sneeze constintley if they are not cleaned reguarly. If you only have one cage you might not need exhaust. Rats do not do well in heat either, especially if it is humid. That is when they will eat each other. I do not have a digital camera but I will take some pics of my set ups and feeders. You can always gas and freeze what you can not use that way they don't get too big for your nile and waste all your food. Once a rats hita about 1 month of age they eat way too much food. That's why I sell small adult rats only. I make no profit if I sell anything larger. Except retired breeders. Where do you live? I am in Reno, NV. I hope this helps, email me if you like
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Shannon in Reno
1 savannah monitor (Pombe-means "beer" in Swahili)
6 dogs
1 cat
32 rats
50 mice
54 chickens
2 beardies
1 black rat snake
~100 hissers
1 giant milipede

I took the pics last night. I will have to finish the roll so I can develop them. The variety of rat that I have found to have large litters and large pups are called rex rats. They have really curly fur. Rats make awsome pets also.
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Shannon in Reno
1 savannah monitor (Pombe-means "beer" in Swahili)
6 dogs
1 cat
32 rats
50 mice
54 chickens
2 beardies
1 black rat snake
~100 hissers
1 giant milipede

Rex rats. Hmm, I used to have two Cornish Rex cats. They have short curly hair and long ratlike tails. Great cats.

Craigo