Reptile & Amphibian Forums

So i have been lurking on this and other forums trying to read as much as I cn from the people who keep and breed and have the most success with them. This is my setup that i have been and continue to work on. It is a 55 gal tank. with plaexy on top with some holes drilled into it. I have a low wattage halogen that is mounted in there to bring temps to a nice degree. There is approximately 6" of soil, sand, vermiculite mix as a substrate. On one side ther is the light so that he can get as hot as he needs to. On the opposite side there is a a blue plastic bin that has been cut in half with a hole in it for him to hide in. He has basically dug the suuronding dirt up around the hole box leaving the hole open. He is eating dusted crickets and hoppers, and seems to be digging and having a good time being a monitor. Oh I keep that tank in my Herp room which stay between 80 - 85 ...but his basking is well over 100.

I know that I could use a bit more space liek a trough or something along those lines and that the soil could be deeper. Once i have the space freed up and the money for the trough that will be the next cage that i build.

Thanks you everyone on their wisdome and thought on what these animals need.

Peek a Boo

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Scott
"The most powerful person never has to use it"

I'm no expert but it looks great to me. I would just get a temp gun and check the temp under that light. Also a humidity gauge would be handy.

I do havea temp gun temps are 100 to 108 degrees...humidity is never lower than 50 in my room. I live in FL so I usualy dont have a problem with that

Thanks
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Scott
"The most powerful person never has to use it"

Looks good! Mine is in a 55 too I have 2 basking bulbs, mainly to raise the air temp throughout the cage since it is in my cooler basement, My little guy is only about 6 inches though, looks like yours has some size!
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1.1 Savannah Monitors (Annah & Terrance)
1.1 Nile Monitor (Lyle)
1.0 Timor Monitor (Timmmmaaayy)
1.0 Blood Python (Kevin)
1.0 Ball Python (Martin)
0.1 Leopard Gecko (Bella)
2.0 Bearded Dragons (Peter & Jack)
1.0 Mexican Black Kingsnake (Hector)
1.1 Kenyan Sand Boas (Wayne & Maude)
1.0 Dwarf Gecko (Little Girl)
1.0 Curly Hair Tarantula (Pube)
1.0 OBT Usumbara Orange Baboon Tarantula (Sin)
1.0 Emperor Scorpion (Ashoka)
2.0 D. auratus (Poison Dart Frogs)
1.0 Peacock Bass (Gary)

Yes he is prbobably 2 years or so...so he is full grown or as close as they get I belive
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Scott
"The most powerful person never has to use it"

my timors have basking temps 130 deg.-140 deg. that they regularly use.

He is rarely basking...i catch him there maybe once or tice a day....when he is out he is usually digging around. Although I will continue to minitor the temps thoughout the day and up my wattage if need be.

Thanks
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Scott
"The most powerful person never has to use it"

Are you sure it is not 130F degrees on that spot on the wooden branch directly under the light?

It is 123 on the branch under the light.

should I bumb up the wattage? I belive it was a 35 watt bulb.
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Scott
"The most powerful person never has to use it"

>>It is 123 on the branch under the light.
>>
>>should I bumb up the wattage? I belive it was a 35 watt bulb.

Increasing the wattage runs the danger of raising the temperature in the entire cage too much. Consider this and raise wattages only incrementally, checking the "cold side" temperature once conditions have come to a steady state.

Another option is to raise the branch slightly.

Me, I'd consider 123 close enough.

Luke

I'd raise the branch slightly or angle the light slighty different. That way you won't screw up the rest of your temps as above poster stated.

The temps on the cool side are on the surface 84. THis is at the hottest part of the day. But with the tunneling he is doing and in the soil i am sure it is lower to a couple of degrees.

I was thinking that 123 is good enough. I dont want to go to high but then again I dont want it to be too low either
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Scott
"The most powerful person never has to use it"

Does your timor hide alot or can you watch him? I like the looks of them better then the ackies but they seem to be very shy. Which is fine I have plenty of reptiles like that.

He hides at first sight of me....In his old enclosure it would take month before he was comfortabel enough to be seen at all....but he has only been in there for 2 weeks now and is still acclimating....He still makes me laugh...I agree that they are beautiful...wish he was out more but i will take what i can get with him...as long as I am supporting his needs I am fine with the small glimpses i do get.
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Scott
"The most powerful person never has to use it"

You are on the right track here. From the sounds of it your space is limited so maximizing the usable space in there is a good plan. I would suggest getting some cork to cover the back and sides with. This adds tons more usable space and helps provide more security. You could cut a sheet of plywood to fit and attach the cork to that if you don't want to silicon it to the glass. You can get it in rolls inexpensively. Timors also appreciate hollow limb to hide in. I would probably try using a Retes stack or pile of cork bark flats for the basking site because timors like to bask in cover. You could also try tossing some oak leaves on top of the dirt. They like foraging through the leaves. It looks like you have lots of cover and such which is very good for a timor.
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Steve

Thanks!

I do have some more things to put in to make the space a bit more useable....no cork tubes but I can get some of those too. The piece of wood on the far right of the cage is actually hollow and has a hole at the top right under the light so that he can hde in there....not very tight though.

Thanks again for the great advice. I am going to try to make it as best as I can. But as well all know it is never done
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Scott
"The most powerful person never has to use it"