Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hi, I am new to the forums, and had a few questions about a tank for my monitor, Abigail. She is around 6" snout to vent.

I have a 75 gal tank (48 x 24 x 18) that has a windowscreen lid. I am using a 75 watt Zoo Med Repti Basking Lamp for my hot spot, and it gets the basking spot up to 120-130 and the ambient up to around 80. My relative humidity is approx 55-70%. I have two analog thermometers in the tank, a hygrometer (that I have been told is almost worthless, due to inaccuracy), and a digital temp gun that I use to check the basking temp, as well as other temps in the tank.

The substrate that was recommended to me is crushed walnut (ESU Desert Blend), since it has a lower chance of impaction.

I want to replace the screen tops with something more durable, since I had an incident with a cat sleeping on the screen and nearly pushing it through. My biggest requirements for a new lid is that it is durable, strong, not allow food to escape (lobster roaches and crickets), and inexpensive...

Here are my ideas on replacement lids, and feel free to flame me for being a newbie.

PVC Pegboard:
Pros - Waterproof, no issues of noserub, inexpensive, strong, durable
Cons - Told that I am an idiot for considering this (and that I would be flamed considerably), have to cut and screen areas for the basking lamp. Possible humidity problems.

1/4" Hardware Cloth :
Pros - Durable, strong, inexpensive,
Cons - Noserub issues, cuts the living hell out of my hands when working with it.

Punched Metal :
Pros - durable, strong
Cons - expensive

If there is anything that I left off that I you would recommend, I'm open to suggestions.

A word regarding the substrate - ditch the crushed walnut and use topsoil. It is the best thing for monitors - they dig in it, make burrows, it keeps humidity good, plus no chance of impaction.

Yes - lose the walnut and get old-fashioned dirt, enough to dig and burrow in. No pesticides or additives, though.
A 75 gallon aquarium won't be big enough in the (near) future. It gets to the point where we stop shopping at pet stores and start shopping at Home Depot...I am in the process of building a new enclosure that will meet all of my monitors requirements ... I'll post pictures when it's done. (And take all the feedback I can get! )
As for lids, why not just use a piece of wood? cut out a space for his lamp (or lamps) and you're (pretty much) done. Or - use a piece of wood for most of the top and screen where his lamps are? Many hardware stores will cut to size. Wood, as with Pegboard, you'll have to cut and screen for lamps, but a solid top will allow for more humidity and temperature control. You would be surprised how much airflow is in a mostly solid enclosure...suffocation is much less likely to happen while a dry environment is common....
(If you're worried about noserub on the top of your enclosure, your enclosure is too small)
About roaches escaping, put a layer of vaseline around the top of the glass. On that note - I wouldn't leave my roaches or crickets in the enclosure for too long (long enough for them to escape) for a number of reasons: it's good to know how much your lizard is eating (watching him eat a certain amount then giving more if he's still obviously hungry), crickets can get annoying to a reptile if he's not hungry and he can't "escape" them and longevity - food gets expensive so it's a good idea to keep it alive and healthy in a seperate container until it gets eaten.
The digital temp gun is a necessity. I use mine everyday.. it's probably the best thing I could have purchased for my monitor.
You're on the right track.
Tatiana

please excuse my ignorance, but what are impactions?

"Impaction" is essentially severe constipation and intestinal blockage: a reptile unable to properly digest and pass its food due to a number of reasons. Usually impaction, in these forums and in general conversation, specifially refers to a reptile unable to pass food/whatever through its digestive system due to ingesting its substrate (what it lives on, like sand, dirt, gravel, anything). Caused by improper humidity, the wrong substrate, the wrong foods, really the wrong conditions to allow it to perform basic functions. A fatal condition.
Sometimes egg binding (unable to process and deliver eggs, be they fertilized or unfertilized) is referred to as impaction. This is wrong but can be a misconception.