Timor Monitor care? am i good?

Hot spot around 120, lots of organic topsoil so it can burrow, big water bowl to soak, rocks and branches to climb, and help file nails down..
5 ft x 3 ft x 2ft enclosure, with a 45 watt flood light for heat...

sound good?

my first monitor and i really dont want to mess up... lol

Make the enclosure taller. 2 ft tall with a foot of substrate does not leave enough room for climbing. 6x4x4 would be more ideal. Also hot spot can be 130 - 140. Varanids are not like snakes in the least...

Chris

its actually 3 foot tall, i subtracted the substrate, but i know taller is better.
should i have a rock in the basking area?
i wasnt going too, i just assumed it would get too hot...

Okay, but normally people list LXWXH in their cage dimensions.

A rock is fine in the basking area. A good idea that I employ with my acanthurus is 3 layers of flat rocks with spaces of about 2 inches inbetween under the heat light. It gets to 150 on top, with drops of about 10 degrees per layer as you go down. It provides extra hides at different temperatures and looks kind of neat. Some people use plywood, but I like the appearance of the rocks better.

Chris

For the basking go with a retes stack it is just stacks of wood with space between them for the monitor so he can choose.I beleive you should have 4' after the subsrtate but i could be wrong.

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Originally Posted by mumps

Okay, but normally people list LXWXH in their cage dimensions.

A rock is fine in the basking area. A good idea that I employ with my acanthurus is 3 layers of flat rocks with spaces of about 2 inches inbetween under the heat light. It gets to 150 on top, with drops of about 10 degrees per layer as you go down. It provides extra hides at different temperatures and looks kind of neat. Some people use plywood, but I like the appearance of the rocks better.

Chris

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Quote:

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Originally Posted by jere000

For the basking go with a retes stack it is just stacks of wood with space between them for the monitor so he can choose.I beleive you should have 4' after the subsrtate but i could be wrong.

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totally planned on doing this!
thanks guys, and mumps i woulda never thought to use rocks.
i think im going to pick up some slate, and make sure its not sharp of coarse.
cool. these guys sound easy.
im ready!
haha, im getting one that will need some help, its only been fed pinky mice, and most likely has a fatty liver.
he is going on a relitivly strict roach and cricket diet, with calcium.
hopefully, i can let him get comfy, and then try and let him out in my room to get some excersize...

i plan on him hating me, and biting, and whiping and pooing.
hes 5 years old, and never been handled.
and these guys are fast lol

Quote:

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Originally Posted by FIEND_FO_LYFE

totally planned on doing this!
thanks guys, and mumps i woulda never thought to use rocks.
i think im going to pick up some slate, and make sure its not sharp of coarse.
cool. these guys sound easy.
im ready!
haha, im getting one that will need some help, its only been fed pinky mice, and most likely has a fatty liver.
he is going on a relitivly strict roach and cricket diet, with calcium.
hopefully, i can let him get comfy, and then try and let him out in my room to get some excersize...

i plan on him hating me, and biting, and whiping and pooing.
hes 5 years old, and never been handled.
and these guys are fast lol

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at 5 you should only give calcium like every 4 days or so
i think

Quote:

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Originally Posted by jere000

at 5 you should only give calcium like every 4 days or so
i think

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yeah, i was thinking that, but then again i dont know if his old owners have gave him ANY.
he has been in a 40 gallon tank eating mice for 5 years...
sounds crappy to me...

Quote:

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Originally Posted by FIEND_FO_LYFE

yeah, i was thinking that, but then again i dont know if his old owners have gave him ANY.
he has been in a 40 gallon tank eating mice for 5 years...
sounds crappy to me...

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Yeah not the best.Mice and rats are not good for a main diet there more of a snack for monitors.There to fatty so he will most likely be over weight.Roaches are a good plan you can buy 1000 for about 30 bucks i think dubia blaptica are the roaches you should look for.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by jere000

Yeah not the best.Mice and rats are not good for a main diet there more of a snack for monitors.There to fatty so he will most likely be over weight.Roaches are a good plan you can buy 1000 for about 30 bucks i think dubia blaptica are the roaches you should look for.

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way ahead of ya!
i have a huge colony of Dubia and Discoids already.
im almost positive he is going to be over weight.
i pick him up next week, and he is going to be on a insect diet.