Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Ok,

I'm finding mixed messages on the internet as to whether water monitors need d3 supplements and UVB... What do you know?

Also -- would something like reptical with D3 be as good or better than bone meal? I found bone meal made with porcine bones at walmart but I also picked up some reptical with d3 at the daytona show. the reptical is "precipitated calcium carbonate" which I assume is precipitated in a chemical reaction. I'm wondering if the ground up pig bones in the bone meal might be a more natural and easier digestable product.

btw, we are talking about a hatchling sumatran if that matters.

Also, as far as vitamins, I have read to mix multivitamins in their food, but I've had good luck in the past with snakes giving them a liquid baby vitamin in their water, has anyone tried that with monitors? The baby vitamin I've used with snakes is poly vi-sol from CVS

You are opening up a can of deadly spitting cobras with this Q.

Ill sitt this one out. lol

But I guess UVB from a safe source, cannot hurt your monitor.

here....

http://forums.kingsnake.com/view.php?id=1690579,1690579

That keeps it simple, just read over that post you get both sides right there and you make the decision.

Cheers,
Mike.

All monitors get UVB wether they want it or not in the wild, larger monitors that eat whole bodied prey do not need it but Im sure it wouldnt hurt to give it to them. The sun gives them what they need with brief exposures to the sun or light. For a young water monitor you may not need it but it wouldnt hurt. I try and stay away from relying on D-3 in the manmade form as it is not known how much they actually absorb, natural is always better, just my 2 cents.
Bob

I am by no means an expert but I have NEVER used and UVB lighting for any of my waters. I have raised at least 7 water to adult hood and have 2 adult waters now. One is about 5 ft and the other is about 6.5ft. I don't use vitamins other than the calcium from Petco mixed in the turkey burger. I have raised blackthroats and waters and niles like this. I don't suppose it would hurt so if you have the means then why not.

One thing I might ad is that I take my lizards to an outdoor enclosure during the summertime for a few hours a day in California and they do get plenty of sunshine. I also leash my big one and take it to the park about 3 or 4 times a month as the sun comes up while I have my cup of coffee to give it exercise. I do it rather early as it draws a huge crowd during the daytime.

Not a lot of us here are scientist but just average herpers. We can really only offer our experience and that was mine. Nothing is gospel. Hope it helps.

And your monitors are beautiful! (I saw pics of them on cybersalvator)

Hopefully I can get mine to grow up like yours... Here's a pic...

He's still VERY afraid of me and runs to the hide every time I open the cage. Hopefully that will disappear when he gets a little size to him.

The way I see UVB is that they get it in the wild during optimal conditions, why not give it to them in captivity? I know there has to be something to it, as my jobiensis will lay in the direct sunlight over his basking area whenever the sun hits the cage.

It's not necessarily required and people have raised healthy, thriving, reproductive monitors with and without it. Also, like you said, your monitors do get some significant UVB exposure (being out in the sunlight) during the warmer months.

Just some food for thought.

If you are considering putting UVB on your monitors, be very careful as a lot of the bulbs on the market that actually do put out a significant amount of UVB may be harmful or even fatal to your animals. Do your research and do it properly if you decide to go for UVB.