Ok everything is going a little better :)

[JLuck13]

Ok so i finally got everything setup better *crosses fingers* i hope. I took the advice people gave me, applied it and here is what i ended up with. This cage setup is a mixture of forum keeper advice/proexotics caresheet/emails with Robyn from PE.

Cool side temps are a constant 82* during the day, middle section where the log is and is under the glass sectin of the top is 85-87* during the day and 82-85* at night depending on how open my windows are and under the Retes stack is 127-132 on the very top lvl 110-118 on the first shelf 100-108 on the second shelf and 90*+ on the layer between the sand and shelf. I know the temps vary a bit, but CA is getting weird weather right now and my room temps are varying 3-8 degrees day by day, but i know at least all of them are within range of being ok. Plus the difference in day and night bulbs (97W day and 100W red night bulb) the air temps never are below 80*. Humidity is between 45-60% epending on the misting, i mist it twice a day to keep it around 55% or so. I have to mist my chameleons anyway so its really easy to mist it on the way by and i have the screen covered with foil

He ate his first fuzzy mouse for me today, he was not really happy to take it off tongs, but after what seemed like an hour but was pry more about a minute and a half, he took it shook it and ran under the shelf and ate it.

Overall he is eating 15-20 super worms, and 10+ large crickets a day, all dusted with calcium w/ D3. Im going to start offering mice every other day.

Here are some pictures, Mumps, BG, everyone else, please chime in

[mumps]

Lookin' good.

My only concern at this point is that you have the hole in the stack right where the hottest, ie best spot to bask, is. Move the lamp a little to the right?

From your description of his behavior (lets you pet/pickup), it sounds like he is already pretty calm and not scared to death of you. You're lucky.

I would recommend the following course of action:

- Always let your monitor instigate interaction. Put your hand in, let him approach.

- Always smell like you. Rinse your hands with water before putting it in there; no soap, sanitizer, etc. If you always smell like you, your monitor will never doubt who is in there.

- Try to always have your smell relate to a "positive" experience. Don't always hassle him when in there. Clean the water; put in food; regular maintenance. He'll quickly realize you are part of his environment and not a bad part either.

Chris

[Denial]

and dont forget there isnt much that smells worse then a water monitors water bowl lol.

[mumps]

and dont forget there isnt much that smells worse then a water monitors water bowl lol.

Hahahaha! Good one! I refer to my ornatus' water tub as "poop soup"!

Chris

[BallsUnlimited]

Hahahaha! Good one! I refer to my ornatus' water tub as "poop soup"!

Chris

my sav use to do that to his water tub every time he pooped. it actually besides the smell was so much better since the substrate stayed cleaner longer hahah

[JLuck13]

Lookin' good.

My only concern at this point is that you have the hole in the stack right where the hottest, ie best spot to bask, is. Move the lamp a little to the right?

From your description of his behavior (lets you pet/pickup), it sounds like he is already pretty calm and not scared to death of you. You're lucky.

I would recommend the following course of action:

- Always let your monitor instigate interaction. Put your hand in, let him approach.

- Always smell like you. Rinse your hands with water before putting it in there; no soap, sanitizer, etc. If you always smell like you, your monitor will never doubt who is in there.

- Try to always have your smell relate to a "positive" experience. Don't always hassle him when in there. Clean the water; put in food; regular maintenance. He'll quickly realize you are part of his environment and not a bad part either.

Chris

i realized that about the basking thing this morning when i switched over from red to white bulbs, i moved it over so its now more on the wood and not over the holes lol

and dont forget there isnt much that smells worse then a water monitors water bowl lol.

i already knew i was going to have to change the water every 1 or 2 days, which isnt a problem, but he pood in it last night and when i woke up this morning i thought my 'tic had gotten out an pood on my bed. man that is going to take some getting used to

[Denial]

we can usually smell ours when we get home as soon as we wlk in the door. Thats one of the first things I have to do everyday i get home. Also another tip is if you raise your water bowl up like build a little stand for it with something for him to climb up into it it will keep it cleaner longer. Cause everytime he gets into that dish hes going to be dragging your substrate with him.

[slayer]

First off, Id replace that stack with holes in it for one with out holes.
Second, id add a crap load of leaf litter to the enclosure to provide even more hiding and foraging opportunities. What are you housing in it, the Sav or the Water?

[JLuck13]

the water, the savs setup is nearly identicly, on a smaller scale.

The top shelf now does not have a hole in it. i must have brain farted when i was building it. IDK why it would need a hole in the top too.

[slayer]

I was just looking at the pics of your setup again, and it looks like you only coverd less then a third of the lid on the left. If you cover it all up and just leave room for the light on the right, you will find it much easier to maintain the proper temps and humiditys your monitor needs. Better yet, cover the whole top with a sheet of plywood and mount the light on the inside. Another good idea would be to line the back and sides with something climbable like a bunch of virgin cork flats. It will increase the amount of usable area for your monitor since he will be able to climb on it every which way and give him plenty of additional tight hiding areas between the back of the cork and the glass.