Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Is this setup okay? It's temporary, it's for a Baby Water Monitor. This is a 30 inch long thirty gallon aquariam, three inches of substrate, ambient temps ninties, screen top, four heat bulbs, one night, two seventy five watt, one basking. heat pad under aquariam under retes stack. substrate texas granite/clay. surface temps 100

Try and get the ambient down between low to mid 80's and get rid of the screen top. They need a humidity between 80 and 95 percent. You could use either a plexiglass or wooden to and get the proper humidity. Everything else sounds ok. Just my .02
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James Grigsby - " When you try of all your forces to make your own way, you will help some of others and will be helped by others. As long as you do not make your own way, you cannot help anybody, and nobody can help you. " (Shunryu Suzuki)

Get yourself some min/max digital thermometers with a humidity prob. A rheostat to control your temps if you dont already and you may want to add some fake plants in that open area, they love to hide behind and climb over and under them. They also tend to spend more time outside of there hides exploring and hunting for food.

Crickets here, crickets there
crickets, crickets everywhere!

Thank you very much, once again I am in debt to you. My water monitor thanks you too. Oh and I don't know where to get min/max therms, radio shack maybe? I don't order supplies unless I can't get something like it somewhere closeby.

Thanks again

John

you can get a good one for about 10 bucks at Home Depot, Walmart or Lowes. Also your welcome, glad i could help.
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James Grigsby - " When you try of all your forces to make your own way, you will help some of others and will be helped by others. As long as you do not make your own way, you cannot help anybody, and nobody can help you. " (Shunryu Suzuki)

I am really new to raising baby waters. well not really new. But ya know. Have you had any luck with feeding live meal worms? And how do I know when he is done eating. I haven't seen him eat anything yet. it worries me

-john may

Sometimes newly acquired monitors wont eat for a week or so until they feel comfortable in their new home which is why alot of open space is not a good idea, it makes them feel vulnerable so i tend to crowd the floor of my enclosures with branches, leaves and plants. They can go several months without food as long as they have water and never lose an ounce.

As far worms, my water never took to them but if it eats em just offer as many as it'll take in one feeding. But if you cant get it to take them offer live mice pinkies ive never known a hungry water to turn them down.

A good idea to keep track of what and how much they are eating is place the food in a small dish that you can slide right in front of its hide and leave the room or dont allow it to see you for a few hours then come back and check the dish. If its eaten the contents then add more(small portions of food and refill as needed)and if the foods still there when you return then just take the dish out, it may still be to stressed to eat.

I usually cover the front of the tank for a week with a dark cloth to allow them time to acclimate and never pick them up for atleast 30 days.

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James Grigsby - " When you try of all your forces to make your own way, you will help some of others and will be helped by others. As long as you do not make your own way, you cannot help anybody, and nobody can help you. " (Shunryu Suzuki)

Thanks again mate

i'm always reading that crickets can pester an animal if there is too many,it's probably a stupid Q but i wanted to ask it anyway.I mean its gotta be like you sleeping with a thousand roaches surely?u could maybe trap them with a deep set bucket with some fruit and stuff in the bottom,and if your water gets hungry its got a big "bowl" o crickets to munch on.nice water anyways

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see yah laterz people
jason

Whats up Jason,

Thats a good question but from my observations i'd have to say no, i've only seen one or two crawl on my water since ive had it. They normally stay clear of what ever area its in at the time(that ive witnessed any way). Im not sure about when its underground in its burrow. But what you should understand is that most hatchling and juvenile monitors in the wild burrow in cricket mounds as well as old termite mounds. So i would assume that they would be pretty use to being around numerous crickets and such.
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James Grigsby - " When you try of all your forces to make your own way, you will help some of others and will be helped by others. As long as you do not make your own way, you cannot help anybody, and nobody can help you. " (Shunryu Suzuki)