Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Im about t build a water monitor cage and have a few questions before I start.

1.Is 12x12x7 with 3 foot of the 7 being substrate going to be big enough for 2 water monitors?

2.whats the best way to heat the substrate and is that even necessary in northern California?

3.is 2 133 gallon preformed ponds enough for 2 waters?

4.whats the best way to seal plywood?I looked at fiberglass resin today at walmart but didnt buy it because i wasnt sure if it was the right kind.

Im building a retaining wall out of 2x12's to hold the dirt and then Im using plywood for the top 4 feet and the roof.im also using insulation to keep more heat in.
Right now the monitors are 30 inches and 38 inches.
also im going to put wire mesh down the middle to make 2 6x12 areas and make a door in part of the mesh so i can separate the 2 monitors if they dont get along.

what do you guys thing of my plans so far?

Nope not big enough go at least twice that I know some people here will disagree but i think you can never go big enough. and 2 133gal pools will just be 2 133 gal bathrooms that will still need to be completely changed out every couple of days even with a filter unless maybe you go for an indrustrial sized one but those set you back 5-10 grand and still prob need to be changed weekly!!!
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"We don't inherate the earth from our parents, we borrow it from our children"

Hi bivittatus, I agree, there`s really no such thing as too big of an enclosure for captive Varanids!
With that in mind, it would be very nice to see YOUR 20 something feet cages that you tell other people they need, also, details on type of heating/lighting, pool cleaning, etc, methods you use??
I know another member asked the same question of you a couple of weeks ago, but you didn`t respond (you`d said 20 x 10 feet was the minimum size for a V. niloticus)...
Thanks!

I would post pics but I don't own a camera and my cell phone is just a phone so I really don't have a way to post pics I doubt I could figure out how to anyways. But I can do my best to discribe my caging. My big out door cage is 20 X 10 X 6. I used 1x1 inch coated wire that I burried 3 feet down and 2 foot in to minimize the risk of burrowing out (although if I ever build another I'll prob dig out the entire area and cement the footpront to gaurantee they can't burrow out). As for water I also use a preformed pond liner(~60gal)for soaking and deficating and just drain and fill each day I also have two reagular waterbowls for drinking in addition I have a misting system built in to the caging. For heat I live in Florida so most of the year they are just out in the sun the cage has an attached 6X10X6 wintering area that i use for when it gets under 60F with RHP and spotlights to keep the temp up.
Hope this helps visualize it a bit better. And _Eric_ I hope you didn't take this personially as it was not ment to be an attack I am just very much in favor of larger caging in most cases and expecially with larger monitors. My thought are if you have to ask if its big enough it prob isn't.
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"We don't inherate the earth from our parents, we borrow it from our children"

Hi again bivittatus,
thanks for the details, you live in a location that alllows you to build relatively large outdoor enclosures (lucky you), most of us don`t, and need to keep them indoors, with somewhat less space available to us.
A great shame you can`t get photos up, I`ve no doubt your cages are well worth seeing!
I used to keep mine in outdoor "aviary" type enclosures back home in Australia, just now I`m living in the U.K, no such luck, the climate being what it is!

I didnt take it as an attack at all,i asked and you answered.I should mention that ill be making an outdoor cage too for the summer but havnt started on that.i have room to go as big as i want outside

I will be changing the water daily,im installing 2 inch diameter drains on each pool.both monitors poop in there water,the smaller one has pooped out side the water maybe 2 times and the bigger one only did it once sense ive had them.i wouldn't want to drink filtered poop water so ill give them fresh well water daily.

are the polls large enough to last a few years?I plan on building them a bigger home once i move.im renting now but will be buying a house as soon as a CD matures in about 2 years.I will use those 8 foot round troughs that hold 625 gallons in that enclosure,our build a pond out of brick or something.not sure yet.

whats the best way to seal the wood?i need this cage to last so i can put something els in it once my waters get a bigger cage.

also should i use a water heater to keep the water warmer?

Hi, I`ll give you a short amswer; the pool/s need only be large enough for them to fit their whole body/tail into, unless you have a "proper" swimming pool for them, there won`t be enough room to actually "swim"!
Yes, it`s best to heat the water, I keep it around 30c (mid 80s F)....

thanks for your advise,ill heat the pools.

I use Drylok to seal wood.