Hello everyone, I just wanted to share a few pics of my water. When I got this little guy or gal it was very skinny, and unknown to me had a severe RI. I took it to a vet to get a fecal done to see about worms, while there the vet opened its mouth to check if everything was good inside and thick saliva poured out, I had only had this monitor a few days back then and saw no crusty nose or mouth or bubbles through the nostrils but sure enough lots of saliva seemed to just appear(strange).
I had to give this water monitor (I believe it was)Ciprofloxacin for 21 days. I cant believe this little sucker actually held on and made it, I basically had to tear it from its new home/BOX and open its mouth and shoot some cipro in its mouth once a day.
This little monster ate everyday and tail whipped at me so I had a hunch it would make it, which I am very thankful for!!!! I have not attempted to pick it up or anything other than place food in its home/BOX and change the water since it finished the cipro which was about 6 months ago!!! It doesn't mind me changing its water, does not run and hide and now comes over to me and tongue flicks my arm.
I built a 5x3x3 home/BOX which has pretty much already outgrown, so I am getting ready to build the big one!!!!!!!! I initially did not know about the 130 F basking spot, I found out by reading here about 4 weeks after I got the water monitor which I believe is probably why it recovered so quick and is growing at what seems to be a good rate. I have a 138 F, and a 105 F basking spot, the one side of the cage/BOX is about 87 F, and the other about 93 F, also the water monitor has a half log ( I know its garbabge and getting rid of it soon) buried which my electronic temp gage says is 78 F inside!!!
I am currently using a hardwood type mulch with no chems or pesticides. I was going to use dirt but just never saw this guy/gal dig, ussually it puts its arms by its side and squirms like a snake until it is covered and goes to sleep, sometimes in the cave I made and sometimes somewhere random and other times under the main basking site which has a descent cave setup out of the rocks elevating it!!
I have many improvements and plans for the next home/BIG BOX and just wanted to thank everyone here for all the knowlegde floating around. I read this forum all the time and just hope to get better and better at keeping monitors!!! Thanks again to everyone!!! I am also a newbie to monitors, I had a large colony of monkey tail skinks/ Corucia Zebrata that I used to breed, a pair of russian torts, salvinii giant musk turtles, all sorts of frogs and I also kept a ton of snakes and tried chameleons but just couldnt get the chameleons to do too good except the veileds, they seemed to be pretty hardy, they just would lay eggs like crazy ( pinhead crickets weren't fun).
Alright, thats enough this is post is way long enough already. Any thoughts on sex of the water would be awesome(hope to get a mate one day, maybe sooner than later).
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Eveyone Is In A Hurry To Get Nowhere Quick, Fast!!!!!!!!!!!
