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Had a few people asking so heres a pic of the smaller cage I have him in until he grows a bit and I finish the bigger cage. Top of the retes stacks varies from about 125-140 during the day. Ambient temp on the non hot side is about 78-80, under the retes stack its cooler than that. The logs in there so he can elevate even more heat if needed. The rock looking brown thing is a cooler side hide. Of corse the plastic tub is the water tub. The substrate is only 8 inches of sand/top soil mixture thought. Although it has not dug to the bottom as of yet. Spends most the time in the retes stack unless hes hungry, then he just comes to the front of the cage and stares at me. I will try to get a pic of him up as well once he decides to come out.

It finnaly came out to bask, here is a pic.

just an FYI, that is a ornate monitor not a nile.at one time it was called a ornate nile ,but no more.

I know, I am just so used to saying Nile Monitor it's hard to switch.

First, do not get mad at me for saying what I am going to say. if you can agree to that, you can keep reading.

That is a very pretty cage, and it looks like what many people want a cage to look like. The problem is, its not what the monitor wants it to lool like. And that is very very important.

The cage is something that means an image in your mind, where you get that image is most likely very commerical, like in a reptile mag or something.

The problem is, it provides very little for the monitor. To a point, of nearly ZERO. Sorry. Are you still there or did you hang up already.

This is very common here. People look around and base their decisions of the cage first, Like I can have this nice looking cage, and then put something in it. Oh maybe a monitors, now which one will work. Etc etc etc etc.

The problem is, varanids do not work that way. Maybe its time for a comparison, you know a goofy analogy that makes people wonder the sanity of monitor keepers.

Would you keep your dog in that cage and why not? Answer this then we will move on to the next step. Thanks.

ALso I know you care, as I can see all the work and concern you put into that cage. Its just not for monitors and in particularly, Niles. Maybe a nice Veiled.

Like I said, it is just a temp cage until it grows a bit and the new cage is done. I don't think putting a hatchling is a 8x4x4 would work well. I know the current cage is somewhat small but it has a good temp gradient, decently deep soil, and some selective places to hide. It's eating great and growning fast, no problems with the lizard himself seem to exsist. Besides the small factor I am unsure of why it is such a bad cage. If you would be willing to explain more I would appreciate it.

PS- I don't mind your responses, They don't make me angry or anything of such. From what it looks like, you know what you are talking about and have did this for a long time. I am thick skinned, let me have if it needed.

Hi, I`ll let Frank R. continue with his comments and advise. Just to say, you mention an 8 x 4 x 4 enclosure would be too big, how big do you think the wild is? One thing about a smaller enclosure, is that it`s easier to control the conditions, so excellent for the not-so experienced keeper to control everything...

Hi and first off, its not about letting you have it. Its about letting the monitor have it. It being what it needs.

Ok, if that nile was well supported, it would outgrow that cage in one month. So your extremes are a bit much, there are cages between an 8 foot cage which is way to small for a large adult.(remember, if you do well, you will end up with a large adult) And what you have now.

So lets start, monitors burrow, so your deep substrate is not deep enough to allow a BURROW. A burrow is something that goes into the ground and is several times the lenght of the animal digging it. While it would look funny, you could fill the cage half full of soil and it would be far better for the monitors.

But indeed that would look funny. yup, but not funny to the monitor, just funny to us.

That also means there is less air space to heat, which means less air movement. Is that a screen top, If so, screen tops kill varanids.

Lets go back to the substrate. Monitors are active, which means they do stuff. Whats there to do in a cage like that, sit there?

If there were branches in there, it would climb. but what good is climbing a few inches. The monitor starts up and is there is what, a second. Then what?

So maybe to swim, well swimming is to travel in water, to travel means to go a distance. A distance is WAY more then its body lenght. So in effect it cannot swim or climb.

Heres where the deep substrate comes into use. Its like an exercise wheel for rodents. Monitors dig and dig and dig an dig somemore. Its something that they can keep doing. And they do.

So what we are talking about is what the cage is suppose to do for the monitor. Of course, once you understand that, you can also try to make it look good for you. Except there is one problem. A healthy monitors DESTORYS cages. They dig and move everything everywhere. But you can try.

Now to temps, well small cages actually suck for providing a range of temps and they do so because of the demands of varanids. They thrive with hot areas(about the size of the monitor) at 150F. So if you have an area the size of the monitor, at least snout/vent lenght, Its very difficult to have other areas around room temperature, mid seventies. Which is why larger cages work well.

Those dang hot areas, are why screen lids do not work well. If you actually provide a usable hot area, the hot air travels up and out of the cage, taking all humidity with it. We varanid guys call those cages, Beef Jerky machines, as thats what it would do to raw meat. And your monitor.

So we cover the lid and put the heat source inside. It works really well.

Once you get this right, your monitor will grow over five, six inches a month, if you feed it. Oh and it will feed full up, twice a day. Of course you do not have to feed it that much or have it grow that much, but it would if allowed.

i will try to post pictures of my nile and ornate cages by the end of the week for you.when i started keeping monitors back in the early 90s i done the same as you ,i used tanks.you will find thst wooden cages are much nicer.also craigslist is a great place to find used wooden cages or even reptiles shows.im sure my cages are not the best but it will give you some ideas.

Another phenomenal post from FR, with such valuable information.
Keep up the great work Frank, some of us are very very interested in what you have to say.

That would be great. I am a pretty good wood worker and fiberglass guy so I have the frame already setup. I am thinking of putting fiberglass on botton and the sides where the dirt is going to be to prevent rotting of the plywood. Also going to coat the whole inside with urathane so the humidity and conditions will not get into the wood. My friend is an electrition so he is going to help me phantom the wires and everything for the monsoon misting system and lighting system.
I also want to put some linear bulbs on the basking side to bring up the light intensity to actually have a "sunlike" feel.

Guess I have to change my thought process on this. Really good info, thanks FR. I am going to pump out this new cage asap.

On the screen top comment. Theres not a screen top on there, its a 19/32 thick plywood top with all the vent holes pluged on the with silicone. The wire part is the part around the light so the lizard doesn't climb into a 400 degree mega ray bulb.

To keep the humidity up I have a monsoon watering spray unit hooked up to a timer to mist for a short period 6 times per day. Keeps the sand/soil mixture from getting super dry and bring the humidity up to about 70%.

Its kinda hard to figure out what your doing. If I watered my cages daily, they would fill with water. And if there was a 400degree lite, they would cook.

With that size animal, you could easily use one 45w halogen or a 65w incandesent flood lite. Either would would work very well and the lizards could climb on them all they want.

In order for you to add that much water, and I understand its a mist. You have to be loosing water and a lot of it.

All our cages have the lites inside the cage. This allows for more heat to be used by the animal and less moisture to be lost.

Now you can theorize all you want, about this or that, but this setup works and works well.

We have only had one problem with hundreds and hundreds of monitors and that was one adult whitethroad thought it was great fun to smack and break the lite with its tail. It did that as soon as you put a new one in. So I had to put a wire protector over it. Which they sell at home depot.

I have to ask, how much does that mega lite thing cost?

The new cage will have the bulbs in the insides. I bought these nice mounting sockets at Lowes that is going to work great and help phantom all the wires.

The monsoon only turns on for 5 mins every 5 hours. It keeps things just right for now, reason I did it because if I get called out and I am not home to spray, I don't have to worry the monsoon will take care of it for me. My girlfriend can feed it, i just dont trust her with my mister .

The megarays are 50.00 each BUT the one I am using is from my beareded dragon cage. After a year to year and a half the UV dims and they need to be replaced but they still put out amazing heat after that year. So I get extended use out of the bulbs. This one I am using is about 3 years old now. They seem to never burn out. That is why I have wire around the bulb though because per infred heat gun, it says 400 degree for the bulbs surface temp. I like it though because the bulb can make a 140 degree hotspot from a good distance away and the lizard still cant burn itself due to the wire.

The new cage won't have these megas rays in it though because I think it will make the inside ambient temp way too much having the bulb inside the cage. I found some 75watt floodlights on sale the other day and bought one to test it. I think these will work well in the new cage if I makea line of a few of them on the basking spot.

hey fr, just from what you posted here ive learned a ton about monitors. i might just use your advice and try some more some day. thanks