I got the water monitor......

Ok, before I get flamed the guy at the store called me and said I had to use the credit by friday so I had no choice. I did however do alot of research on them along with many others so I think im pretty much prepared. I noticed he is a mean little bugger but they were only feeding him mice and the pro exotics website said when they get fed alot of meat they tend to get aggressive. Something strange did happen though. When I got ready to put him into his new home he tried to bite and open his mouth but then he spit up 2 mice and I tell you i've never smelled something that aweful in my entire life.

he reguruged most likely because of stress. leave him alone and let him settle into the cage. read this: http://forums.kingsnake.com/view.php?id=1110696,1110696 it's very helpful with getting monitors settled in and making them handleable.

corngats bud.
i wouldnt worry to much about the gurg. like marshall said it was because of stress. and a good way to tell a healthy new water is by how agressive they are. usually the more they dont want to be held the more healthy they are. i would put him in his cage and not even attempt to handle him for a month or two. waters are not like black throats or savs. they take a whial to settle in. make sure the temps are good. and dont drop below 80degs at night.

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!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!

Ok, thanks. I do have one question. The cage I have is 58 in. long 31 in. wide and 24 in. tall. The entire top of the cage is screen and I don't know what watt bulb to run at night. I obviously don't want to go without ac in my room but I want to take care of my little bugger. I was thinking of a ceramic bulb so it wouldn't give off the light but would generate enough heat. What watt should I go with and how can I keep the heat in there without dying of a heat stroke myself? Thanks

basking bulb day and night, 24/7. cover all but very little of the screen with aluminum foil.

cover 1/2 of the cage with a blancket. use about a 150 wat bulb. or a heat emitter that is a little more than that. go out and buy a lamp with a dimmer switch on the cord. then you can buy a 250way emitter and just dim it as nessary. i have my savannaha in a cage about the same size. and i run a 150 basking bulb on during the day along with a 150wat heat emmiter that runs 24/7. and that just makes the temps perfect. about 130 on the hot spot 100 ambiant on the hot side and about 85 on the cool. no matter what you do there is going to be a lot of heat givin off by the cage. you might want to put it in one of those other rooms you have. and close the a/c vent in there. it takes a little trial and earror. what i would do is buy a few different bulbs and try them all and find the wattage that works best for you. then box the ones that dont work back up and get a refund. then buy an extra few bulbs.

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Originally Posted by fish21

cover 1/2 of the cage with a blancket.

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that will still allow for too much venilation and the cage will become dehydrated very quickly.

like i said, all but very little. leave only enough to allow for an adequate air supply. see how much i covered on this tank?
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for bulbs and wattage i use a 45 watt halogen floodlight on a dimmer. i run it 24/7. the other bulb is 60 watt incandescant bulb that is on a timer. it is for ambient temp and creating somewhat of a day/night cycle. i only use it because that side of the cage becomes too cool.

Persistent that reptile guy, isn't he?


Well, I wish you luck with it.

Try www.cybersalvator.com

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Originally Posted by Razaiel

Persistent that reptile guy, isn't he?

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was that directed at me?:confused: :confuzd:

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Originally Posted by mr~python

was that directed at me?:confused: :confuzd:

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LOL - no of course not!! I meant the reptile guy - the guy in the shop that keeps on about using the refund and bullying/harassing poor Trey.

oooh, i see. lol

Haha - you know I wouldn't "get at you" :P

Yeah, but it's all done now. He did take a frozen hopper today but he's soooooo shy. If I come in the room he scrams so fast he just about leaves his tail behind. I talked to a girl today and she said they all act like that and that I should give him 5 days and start to handle him? I want to make him super handleable but I think by his attitude I have ALOT of work ahead. In your opinion should I force handle him?

let him come to you Trey. He will get used to you being around and see you as no problem at all. Eventually he will become interested in you. Soon he won't run off and eventually you will be able to put your hands in the cage and he will explore you. Get him to a vet though to check for parasites and good luck

dont handle him at all. the best thing to do is just leave him alone as much as possible until he doesnt just scurry away as fast as he can, which is actually a good sign. if he's scurrying that means he feels that he can show you where his hiding spot his. if he freezes there and closes his eyes that meens he's so freakedout and very stressed.

anyways, leave him alone until he doesnt run from you at first sight. once you've gotten to that point start sitting by his cage and reading a book or something. dont pay any attention to him. dont even look at him. let him observe you. once you've gotten past that point you can start to stick your hand in his cage to see if he'll come to you. if he curls his tail, puffs his throat, or anything to show aggravation then take your hand out and try again the next day.

under no circumstances should you force handle him. that will break his trust in you and you'll have tp start over again.

Like Marshall and Jake said - let him get used to his new home and the new creatures he'll be sharing his environment with (i.e. you and whoever/whatever else is around). Lots of time and patience seems to be the only thing that works with monitors - just take it slow and enjoy him for being a monitor