Monitor Pics...or Oak leaf question.LOL

Well too bad fans, it's the second one.:D

BG wants to know if anyone has used dirt and Oak leaves for their Monitors. If so, how did you like it?

Well, I used to use a half dirt half sand mix and only had leaves once. I hated having the leaves in there, they smelled funny, and were always in the way for cleaning, and for feeding insects. Now I have switched all together to excavator clay, but it is very costly to get enough of it for large enclosures. I like the excavator clay because it holds the burrows so much better than anything I have seen, but it could stand to be a bit cheaper.

I use white oak leaves, leaf compost, organic topsoil, sand, dirt from the yard, and big chuncks of rotted wood filled with isopods, milipedes, wood lice, and substrate mites... We also have colonies of superworms in the dirt as well...

This is a great way to keep monitors... Bio active substrates are the way to go with most species, not just monitors... No real cleaning is required as the natural bacteria and insect life break down waste within a day... No fecal smells in the cage at all Some of our cages have had the same dirt in them for over 5 years with no traces of fecal matter... When the leaves start to break down, we just add fresh ones on top...

Here are some photos..

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4057/...e56c56dc_b.jpg

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2708/...b9dfbea3_b.jpg

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2739/...369d40be_b.jpg

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4047/...0a18cb51_b.jpg

Yellow Ackie
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4060/...7015e07f_b.jpg

Box turtles in brumation bin
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4059/...8b6a68d7_b.jpg

Clump of the soil when picked up...
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4018/...df077472_b.jpg

Good stuff, Greg.

Is that FRP you are using to line the bottom?

Chris

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Originally Posted by mumps

Is that FRP you are using to line the bottom?

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Yeah, you can tell by the texture. It looks like a 7-11 bathroom wall.

Hey Greg. How large are you Monitors? BG has some monsters and wonders how it will work with Monster crap.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Big Gunns

BG has some monsters

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Tired game is tired.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by allergenic

Tired game is tired.

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For the weak:D....BG never tires.(completely anyway). He's tired right now.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Big Gunns

Hey Greg. How large are you Monitors? BG has some monsters and wonders how it will work with Monster crap.

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My friend John has kept 6 foot plus water monitors on this substrate and it worked beautifully...

Right now we have four V. spinulosus that range from 32 inches to 40 inches in one cage and it is holding up well... They are constantly dropping scat and it seem to just vanish in a day... No smell what so ever...

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Gregg Madden

My friend John has kept 6 foot plus water monitors on this substrate and it worked beautifully...

Right now we have four V. spinulosus that range from 32 inches to 40 inches in one cage and it is holding up well... They are constantly dropping scat and it seem to just vanish in a day... No smell what so ever...

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Can you tell me the size of his cage? This can be a real time saver for anyone with big monitors, so BG is really interested in how it works out with larger(8 foot 80 pound;)) ones.

Where did yah go? BG just found a lifetime supply of Oak leaves and wants to know more info before he gets them.

An 8 ft 80 lb monitor? That is insane. Oak leafs and dirt, sounds like it would work to me it's like a natural habitat for them you would think.

I plan on getting myself a baby monitor or tegu here soon, not sure which I want yet. Difficult decision.

well guns, my buddy that breeds monitors and has a male the same size as your giant uses oak leaves and dirt. he is a seasoned breeder so he must like it or he wouldn't be using it.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Big Gunns

Where did yah go? BG just found a lifetime supply of Oak leaves and wants to know more info before he gets them.

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Is this lifetime supply of oak leaves found in your oak tree forest, on your 10,000 acre estate, on which your castle made from whale bone resides?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by shescountry89

An 8 ft 80 lb monitor? That is insane. Oak leafs and dirt, sounds like it would work to me it's like a natural habitat for them you would think.

I plan on getting myself a baby monitor or tegu here soon, not sure which I want yet. Difficult decision.

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Depends on how big you like them.;):D

If you like the big ones...get a water...if you like leeetle ones...get an ackie.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Lucas339

well guns, my buddy that breeds monitors and has a male the same size as your giant uses oak leaves and dirt. he is a seasoned breeder so he must like it or he wouldn't be using it.

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Thanks Lucee.:gj:

Quote:

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Originally Posted by allergenic

Is this lifetime supply of oak leaves found in your oak tree forest, on your 10,000 acre estate, on which your castle made from whale bone resides?

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BG loves whales. He would never use whale bones. He uses Leeetle Minion bones.(ask an old time BG fan for what they are).:D

ps. 20,000 ...not 10,000.:D

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Big Gunns

Depends on how big you like them.;):D

If you like the big ones...get a water...if you like leeetle ones...get an ackie.

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I'll keep that in mind =P

This is going to help out a ton. If I never have to smell my monitors droppings that would be great. It will cut back on the cleaning also thats great. By the way great looking Ackie!

If there was only something I could do about smelling and cleaning all of my Ball Pythons droppings:please: But then again what else would I do when I get home after work;)

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Gregg Madden

I use white oak leaves, leaf compost, organic topsoil, sand, dirt from the yard, and big chuncks of rotted wood filled with isopods, milipedes, wood lice, and substrate mites... We also have colonies of superworms in the dirt as well...

This is a great way to keep monitors... Bio active substrates are the way to go with most species, not just monitors... No real cleaning is required as the natural bacteria and insect life break down waste within a day... No fecal smells in the cage at all Some of our cages have had the same dirt in them for over 5 years with no traces of fecal matter... When the leaves start to break down, we just add fresh ones on top...

Here are some photos..

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4057/...e56c56dc_b.jpg

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2708/...b9dfbea3_b.jpg

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2739/...369d40be_b.jpg

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4047/...0a18cb51_b.jpg

Yellow Ackie
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4060/...7015e07f_b.jpg

Box turtles in brumation bin
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4059/...8b6a68d7_b.jpg

Clump of the soil when picked up...
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4018/...df077472_b.jpg

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way back i used a gravel rock,red dirt(got mine from moreno valley in calif.) and potting soil with oak leaves on top. not sure of ratio but it worked great for me. i had a 6 1/2 ft tame water monitor. but had to get rid of it cause of city regulations?? but it went to an alligator farm that used to be in buena park ca.