Reptile & Amphibian Forums

hey evryone i have been looking to get a big monitor, i have now came down to 2 choices a bt or water, the reptile store near me has both the water i want look just like this one
http://www.newenglandreptile.com/monitor_water.html

i just ahve some questions that will help me make my choice

whick calms down more, like tame(i know ther e not tame) but the water is like dog tame where u will just come up to you and rest its head on your tummy and lay on your legs(when ur sitting)

what substrate is the best for them

as for the water what size water tank would i need would a 2' by 4 be ok

does any body have both or on and would like to say some things about them to help me make my choice

now the tank size is no problem bc i talked to my mom about it

thanks

I am not an expert at all but with my experience, the big monitors thing gets old really, really fast, also there is no gurantee that the lizard will tame, I am happy and content with being able to change my water monitors water dish without being attacked.
My water is not exeptionally tame but I consider him tame in the fact that he acts like a six month old monitor, he eats alot and craps alot. If this is your first monitor, or you are under 18 I would hold off both monitors get large 5ft to 7ft or more, and will eat around $100 worth of food in a month at least.
Either go with an ackie, if you have the cash, or stick with beardeds, and just look at those pictures, I dont think a 6 ft water monitor would fit in a 2 X 4 cage, let alone live in it.

the 2 by 4 ft tank that i said i ment would that be an ok water dish

and it is ok as for the food cost a month

as for being tame this one is dog tame

and what size is your water and what size cage is it in

thanks for your help

This monitor is so tame, I can pet it and everything.
Then the buyer takes it home, gets it set up "correctly" and the post start.
"Help, my monitor used to be tame, now it is biting and tail whipping me!"
I have a pair of So called tame blackthoats. Once heated up and fed a proper diet, they started acting like monitors.
Once they get big enough to feel confident is when the fun begins with large monitors.
My advise is to leave these Biguns alone until you are ready for one. Start with ackies or a red tegu to get the hang of things.

Scott
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Do not meddle in the affairs of dragons, for you are crunchy and taste good with ketchup.

the water is set up correct, it has a nice cage, cypress mulch a lg water dish a basking sit of 121 and the cool side of the cage is like 83, the reason is befor the owner that had he had to get ride of it bc he was moving he had it out everyday just holding it and on nice days letting ti go out side had a lil pool set up for him,

he is about 3-4 yrs and about 3.4 -4.5 ft

"he is about 3-4 yrs and about 3.4 -4.5 ft"

Well, is it 3.4 or 4.5 feet? That's a big diffence and kind of small for an adult male water in my opinion.

Scott
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Do not meddle in the affairs of dragons, for you are crunchy and taste good with ketchup.

he is like 3.4 ft - 4.5 ft

and there is another that was gave back by the smale guy that is only 2 yrs old and abour 2.5-3.5 ft, and just as tame, so i have 2 chose which one to go with

as for the dish size would a 2 by 4 water pond be ok for him

thanks

An adult male water, like the one in the picture, should be well past 4 5. feet. Well if it is healthy.
Look around and check out some of Jody's waters. These are large, healthy lizards. (No Jody, I don't want one)
From your responces to the replies, it sounds as if you have already made up your mind.
My advise is still the same, but do what you want.
Good luck.

Scott
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Do not meddle in the affairs of dragons, for you are crunchy and taste good with ketchup.

Somehow I don't see a 3 year old Water Monitor at even 4.5 ft as being healthy and in "good conditions" in relation to his enclosure. A 3 year old water monitor should be, at the very least, hitting 6 ft if his cage conditions are anywhere NEAR proper. The other things you said, about both water's being "dog tame" is a red alert to the problems. Their supposed basking site of "121" isn't a proper reading. Any monitor thats properly heated is NOT going to lay there with his head in your lap for any length of time. He's going to be exploring his surroundings if he can. Waters are powerful, active, and very big animals. Adult males of 8 ft aren't that uncommon in hearing about and those reports are still young individuals at probably less than 6 years of age. If it were me, I wouldn't even touch either of those monitors because chances are, they're sick.
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Lucien

1.1 Columbian Redtail Boa (BCI)(Sutekh and Isis)
3.5.3 Leopard geckos (2.0 Blizzards (Caine and Goliath), 0.1 Tangerine Albino (Tequila Sunrise ...Tiki for short), 1.0 Rainwater Albino (Mycah), 0.4 Poss. Het. Albino (Annika, Lace, Rain and Aris) and 2.1 dbl. het blizzard x tang albino (Malice, Malfeas, and Mystic))
0.1 Savannah Monitor (Kiros)
13 rats
2 Dogs (Loki and Storm)
3 cats (Ashe, Sahara and Hercules)
6 Fish (4 Red Danios, 1 Cardinal Fish, and 1 Tiger Barb)
8 Ramshorn snails
"And a Partridge in a Pear Tree!"

About being calm comes down to a individual thing as well as species. I find the attitudes of these two species very similar. The blackthroat might be a little more defensive but not much.
So it will come down to the monitor you find if your just pikcing out of the air then good luck. If you can go see the individual monitors then pick them up and handle them. You'll soon see which is calmer.

Blackthroat substrate would be dirt they are a savanna grassland type monitor.

Water monitor substrate would be dirt leaf litter they are a jungle/forest type monitor.

You asked what size water tub is needed. Well needed would just be drinking water. They do not rely on a pool to survive they have just adapted to use the tool well. A water tub large enough to submerge in will be used as well as one smaller to just drink from. If you wish to see them swim you'll need a fairly large tub perhaps a 300 gallon or larger plastic stock tank.

I have worked with both and enjoyed both. I would not be able to choose a favorite. If your young and this is your first monitor I wouldn't suggest either of them. I certainly would not suggest starting with a calm supposed dog tame monitor. The reason is you will not know how they are supposed to act. You'll be more apt to think it is common and not know how to handle a large monitor. If for some reason it decides to get angry you'll more then likey not recognize the clues and take a nasty bite.

Good luck with whatever you decide no one can decide for you.

I was hoping you would show him/her what a healthy adult male water looks like.

Scott
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Do not meddle in the affairs of dragons, for you are crunchy and taste good with ketchup.

These work?

Note: these monitors are still growing so remember just because they are called adults does not mean they won't or cannot get any larger.