Ok, its been a few years since I scanned this forum. From what I remember it was very informative, so here it goes.

I raised a Nile monitor from hatchling to a 6.5' monster that loved to try to bite everyone but me. I handled him regularly, and to be honest, he tolerated me very well. Everyone else was in mortal danger, but hey, he was a nile, what do you expect. Unfortunately I had to give him to a fellow herper, due to an ugly divorce and my living out of a suitcase for a few months. I lost my house, my cage, and my bank account. I have finally settled back down, have my own house again, and enough scratch to get going on the lizard trail again.

Before I get to my questions, I will concede a few things, as to fill you all in where I am coming from. I agree, the $15 investment into a Nile monitor baby was very erroneous on my part. I was not ready for that commitment. I did however do my best to get as much information on Niles and care from posts on this forum, (predominantly from FR and Robyn) and I think I did a pretty descent job, given the circumstances of me being a total moron buying a lizard that even seasoned veterans stay away from.

This leads me into my questions. I am planning on making a return into the Monitor world, but with a much more educated plan of attack. I will not bite off more than I can chew and get a $15 dollar lizard that costs thousands annually to care for. I am planning on getting a single Ackie to start with. I have already refreshed myself on Ackies, however there were a few points that were not abundantly clear to me.

P.S. The ultimate plan is to get into the tree monitors(greens, blues and blacks), but I am taking it slow to get there and that is several years down the road.

The questions I have for Robyn and anyone else privy to Ackies is as followed:

1. Which roach breed do you recommend me getting for Ackies? I anticipate when I get the Ackie, he/she will be quite small. Also I would rather have a breed of roach that doesn't climb or fly, if possible.

2. Soil. I searched for Decomposed Granite already and no dice. River systems in my area are polluted, so I cant use that soil, so my last resort is store bought. Should I mix sand into the soil, vermiculite and how do I judge how much water to add, what exactly should I look for in the consistency. I want it set up perfectly BEFORE I buy my Ackie.

In closing, I apologize for making this post a dissertation, and I thank you for your help.