Feeding new baby monitor

OK we made some changes to his terrible environment. I have a question about calcium supplements should I use with or without d3

1.1 pastels, 1.0 lesser, 0.1 het blurry, 0.1 spider, 1.1 norm. 0.1 dinker,

I want to say his tank is not a fish tank and its a forty gallon and its in my garage in south Georgia where our humidity is very high and the temps are as well although I do have a 60 w flood a 75 w red basking light and a 5.0 uvb and the temps are checked with a Fluke temp gun. We are doing something right because he eats like a mad man.

1.1 pastels, 1.0 lesser, 0.1 het blurry, 0.1 spider, 1.1 norm. 0.1 dinker,

I would dust everything with D3 and calcium. I use Repashy Calcium Plus with all of my animals and it works great. It is very important to provide D3 until you purchase a UVB bulb (not sure if you have already). Even with the UVB I would still provide D3, monitors grow so fast they really use alot of nutrients to attain that size so quickly. Exercise is very important as well. Within the first year they double in weight monthly so you have to make sure their bones are getting everything they need.

Calcium + D3 is what you need to be dusting with. UVB is not necessary although there is nothing to suggest that there is anything wrong with adding it. Most monitor keepers don't use UVB since the diet of these monsters allows them to not need it at all and it has been proven time and time again. They won't double in weight monthly the entire first year as stated above but they certainly do grow like weeds when properly supported. In a year in captivity a male should be around 3 feet and a female should be a little over 2 feet.

Keep an eye on the ambient temps if the enclosure is in the garage during the summer since it can get pretty hot and if you have an exceptionally hot day it could be deadly.

I have a uvb and started him on calcium supplement. Temp gun has hot side 130 and cool side side 80 ish primary diet is meal worms crickets and super worms. My rat racks are in the garage also so on really hot days I turn on a window unit ac He has plenty of hiding places in his tank and when he gets too big he will move into a big plywood enclosure.

1.1 pastels, 1.0 lesser, 0.1 het blurry, 0.1 spider, 1.1 norm. 0.1 dinker,

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Originally Posted by OctagonGecko729

One Varanus Exanthematicus in perfect condition at 4 years of age. Goes through routine exams by Dr. Scott Stahl here in northern VA and everything checks out perfect. Also, I'd like to point out that asking me what experience I have is irrelevant to my arguments as that is an ad hominem argument and completely illogical.

And what I meant was, assuming he makes the changes I've stated, his monitor will be ok in a cage that size for 3-4 months. To me it looks like a 20 gallon which is a bit small but a 30 gallon tank will last 5 months so long as it meets these requirements. Properly covered with plywood, misted regularly, inside accessories in tandem with 50wt floods and 5.0 uvb provide 115-130F basking, blacked out sides, and substrate is deep enough for monitor to fully burrow allowing them to regulate humidity as they see fit.

Yes, in a perfect world everyone would go out and build a plywood 6'3'3' for their hatchlings but it just doesnt happen. He is also perfectly aware that he needs to upgrade his cage, he has 3 months to do that if he makes the changes I've stated.

Also, monitors are tough as nails so I'm not sure where you are getting this idea that his animal is dieing from being in that setup. Don't get me wrong, I am in no way advocating he leaves the cage as is because the monitor "can" survive in those conditions. As keepers we need to be responsible for what we get into.

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A bosc at 4-5 months old if healthy will be over a foot long. You want to put a foot long monitor in a 20-30 gallon fish tank? You've proven me correct. You have no business giving monitor advice.

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Originally Posted by ironpython

I want to say his tank is not a fish tank and its a forty gallon and its in my garage in south Georgia where our humidity is very high and the temps are as well although I do have a 60 w flood a 75 w red basking light and a 5.0 uvb and the temps are checked with a Fluke temp gun. We are doing something right because he eats like a mad man.

1.1 pastels, 1.0 lesser, 0.1 het blurry, 0.1 spider, 1.1 norm. 0.1 dinker,

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If it's a glass aquarium- it's a fish tank. Fact.

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Originally Posted by OctagonGecko729

And what I meant was, assuming he makes the changes I've stated, his monitor will be ok in a cage that size for 3-4 months. To me it looks like a 20 gallon which is a bit small but a 30 gallon tank will last 5 months so long as it meets these requirements. Properly covered with plywood, misted regularly, inside accessories in tandem with 50wt floods and 5.0 uvb provide 115-130F basking, blacked out sides, and substrate is deep enough for monitor to fully burrow allowing them to regulate humidity as they see fit.

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UVB isn't needed in any way. 115 is far too low of a basking temperature. 130-145 allows the monitor to digest nearly anything. Under heating means that the monitor will be needing extra time to digest food leaving it forced to stay under the heat longer and causing it to end up slow and lethargic. A tank does not give the proper heat gradient no matter how you slice it. The only way to truly get a proper heat gradient is with more size to the enclosure.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by OctagonGecko729

Also, monitors are tough as nails so I'm not sure where you are getting this idea that his animal is dieing from being in that setup. Don't get me wrong, I am in no way advocating he leaves the cage as is because the monitor "can" survive in those conditions. As keepers we need to be responsible for what we get into.

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Monitors are not "tough as nails". They are a specialized animal that takes a long time to die in improper conditions. A healthy sav can live 10-15 years and yet the vast majority (99.9%) don't make it to the age of 5 because they are improperly housed and fed. Every moment in a bad setup reduces the life span of the animal. Is a single day going to take a year off of its life? No. Will 3-4 months be potentially damaging to it's long term health? Quite possibly.

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Originally Posted by Dehlol

A bosc at 4-5 months old if healthy will be over a foot long. You want to put a foot long monitor in a 20-30 gallon fish tank? You've proven me correct. You have no business giving monitor advice.

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Approximately 1.5 months old.
http://i1244.photobucket.com/albums/...8/P5230077.jpg

5 months old.
http://i1244.photobucket.com/albums/...ps1e5fc8e9.jpg

6.5 months old.
http://i1244.photobucket.com/albums/...8/PA190286.jpg

Almost 15 months. (Current)
http://i1244.photobucket.com/albums/...ps070752c3.jpg

This is my female so understand that a male will be growing quicker and reaching a larger size.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Dehlol

If it's a glass aquarium- it's a fish tank. Fact.

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I agree. The term "fish tank" is given to any glass tank. It doesn't actually have to hold water for the term to apply.

Varanids in general are unique in that there are few (if any) variations on husbandry formulas.

For example - with ball pythons, you have a wide choice of methods to choose from when it comes to keeping them. You can keep them in a fish tank, you can keep them in a tub, you can keep them in a cage........

You can use wood substrates of your choosing, you can use paper towels, you can use kraft paper...........

You can use a light, you can use a heat panel, you can use belly heat and you can use back heat.

When they are smaller, a small enclosure is preferable.

With varanids (in general), the husbandry choices are narrower.

- Large enclosures are needed that simultaneously provide space, airflow, proper thermoregulation zones and security. Except for the youngest of juveniles, glass enclosures that do not provide enough humidity, enough security or a deep substrate are an unsuitable choice. When used for babies, glass tanks must be heavily modified to provide an acceptable habitat.

- A deep, diggable substrate that retains sufficient moisture. 6" is not deep. 8" is not deep. 12" is not deep when it comes to varanids.

- A hot spot of over 130 degrees, with the ability to find gradients between the cool end and the hot spot via a stack or other devices.

Most people who keep varanids do not keep them properly. These animals can hang on for a surprisingly long time under imperfect conditions. This does not mean that they are tough as nails. A trained eye can tell the difference in color, size and shape of a healthy monitor and one that is just making it.

Again, there a few choices when it comes to the basics with varanid care. It is critical that people understand this before they purchase on of these animals. A look at Adam's setup should give everyone an idea of what is involved from the get go. These are not animals to purchase on a whim. They require time, money, space and expertise to thrive.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Dehlol

A bosc at 4-5 months old if healthy will be over a foot long. You want to put a foot long monitor in a 20-30 gallon fish tank? You've proven me correct. You have no business giving monitor advice.



If it's a glass aquarium- it's a fish tank. Fact.

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I don't "want" to do anything. I'm telling the OP that he will be ok in the cage he is in for 3-4 months which is a 40 gallon if he makes the changes, which he has done. My savannah was in a 4' 4' 4' box at 5 months.

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Originally Posted by AdamL8

UVB isn't needed in any way. 115 is far too low of a basking temperature. 130-145 allows the monitor to digest nearly anything. Under heating means that the monitor will be needing extra time to digest food leaving it forced to stay under the heat longer and causing it to end up slow and lethargic. A tank does not give the proper heat gradient no matter how you slice it. The only way to truly get a proper heat gradient is with more size to the enclosure.



Monitors are not "tough as nails". They are a specialized animal that takes a long time to die in improper conditions. A healthy sav can live 10-15 years and yet the vast majority (99.9%) don't make it to the age of 5 because they are improperly housed and fed. Every moment in a bad setup reduces the life span of the animal. Is a single day going to take a year off of its life? No. Will 3-4 months be potentially damaging to it's long term health? Quite possibly.



Approximately 1.5 months old.


5 months old.


6.5 months old.


Almost 15 months. (Current)


This is my female so understand that a male will be growing quicker and reaching a larger size.



I agree. The term "fish tank" is given to any glass tank. It doesn't actually have to hold water for the term to apply.

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The research on the UVB is still up in the air, which is why I recommended he go with it, its better to be safe. Providing D3 through the diet may be enough but I really have no idea.

For a smaller savannah a bask spot of 115-130F is definitely ok so long as they have access to a full body bask. The "one light bulb" approach is not sufficient. For any monitor over one foot I would recommend the higher temperatures (130-140F).

Tanks definitely can provide the proper gradient 80F-95F if you enclose them with plywood (I use the PE-1 and the accurite thermostats to measure heat). You will get heat "leakage" from the glass but this is solved by adding multiple flood lights. I do agree with you though, it is definitely easier to maintain that heat gradient the larger the cage is and the more the materiels resist heat escape.

Monitors are definitely tough as nails and you need only to look at the vast distribution of Varanids to understand that. You can find them on just about every continent in many different types of habitats. Yes, they all specialize in those environments as you would expect with natural selection but their builds are all relatively similar for a reason, because they work in a multitude of harsh environments. Again, I am not saying that it is ethical to exploit this toughness in captivity and slack up on the care of these animals.

I agree about your improper conditions paragraph as well. I just dont see how what I have recommended is improper conditions.

If we want to use the term "fish tank" to mean any glass enclosure then we have to universalize that completely. So, are the 20' x 20' glass enclosures at some of the major zoos incapable of providing a proper environment for Varanids?