Water Monitor Advice

Hello,
just found this forum when I was doing a google search on water monitor info. I just got a new juvenile, maybe a few months old and about a foot long. I was looking for advice from anyone who has this type of lizard or knows about them. I've had monitors before, (all savannah monitors for the past 12 years) and I know how big this water monitor will get. Right now he's in a 20 gallon tank. He's got his water dish, hide box, heat lamp w/ a 100 watt bulb that also does uva/uvb. The place I got him from says they know somebody that builds enclosures so that's what I'll do down the line. Right now in the house we've got the water monitor, a baby savannah in a 40 breeder tank, 2 amazon parrots(1 blue front and 1 blue crown), 2 cockatiels, and a husky. As I said just looking for general info. How fast will he grow, diet advice, handling advice and husbandry.
Thank you in advance.

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How fast will he grow

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Well, I have no monitor experience at all but I can tell you this...It's going to grow FAST.

Update.
I just got him 2 dozen crickets but he doesn't seem interested in eating them. My 1st savannah didn't eat right away either so that doesn't worry me but what does is that I lost a baby savannah when I bought him some crickets(not from the usual place I go to) and after eating 2 he didn't go for anymore. The ones left over seemed to have been bothering him. Shortly after that I noticed that he was sluggish, almost seemed paralyzed on one side. Shortly after that he died. Some people were saying maybe the crickets were bad but others said they may have stung him and caused him all sorts of problems. If the water monitor doesn't eat the crickets by tomorrow should I be concerned? Should I take them out of the cage?

The water monitor is stressed. Leave it alone and make sure your husbandry is correct. Let it settle in, and you should see an improvement in appetite.

Here is a good site for monitor info....browse around:
http://www.proexotics.com/QUICKCARE_...TORS_1-08.html

That 20 gallon tank is too small for a foot long reptile.....get it into something bigger. If the water is taken care of properly, it could easily get over 6 ft. long in a years time. You will need a room-sized enclosure to house an adult water monitor properly.

....and crickets don't sting.....they do bite though.

The problem is the conditions you are providing. Provide for the animal properly and you should have nothing to be concerned over......

...and I would suggest researching care BEFORE you actually purchase the animal next time.

Well, it's been a week now and the little guy hasn't eaten. My 1st savannah took a while to adjust so I'm not overly concerned and I spoke to a vet yesterday who said to give it a few more days. The monitor has enough heat, water to soak in and a very good hide spot. I haven't interacted w/ him as far as handling so as not to stress him out. I've offered crickets and worms but so far nothing. Any suggestions on food or at what point I should be worried.
I should also note that he is active, moves around the tank, anjoys a soak and like to bask under the lamp.

If it's an import, it's got worms. Do NOT wait to take it in to the vet, go now.

Try goldfish. Also pinky mice.

Pics of the lizard and its setup would help too.

Why do you say he's got worms? Do a lot of imported waters come w/ worms?

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Originally Posted by darmok

Why do you say he's got worms? Do a lot of imported waters come w/ worms?

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yea cause bascially imports are farm raised, or wild caught.

Farm raised animals are generally hatched out and then put into a enclourse with the rest of thier hacthing mates. So if one get sick they all do. Then they are shipped out to America with these problems re-sold to private indivduals such as you.

Wild caught animals could have pre existing conditions. that came with your animal when you bought it.

Update. I bought some small goldfish today and put them in his dish, so far nothing. If he's still not eating by next week then I'm taking him to the vet.

Hi,

You need to upoload those pictures - either to your gallery on this site or to a hosting site such as image shack.

I have zero experience of monitors however so can't help you there I'm afraid. :(


dr del

I just added some pics to the gallery, under darmok.

Hi,

Will post them here for you. :)

https://ball-pythons.net/gallery/fil...006_548936.jpg

https://ball-pythons.net/gallery/fil...2/image031.jpg

https://ball-pythons.net/gallery/fil...2/image012.jpg

https://ball-pythons.net/gallery/fil...2/image006.jpg

The cage ones are a little too big to post as pics so will just use links for those.

http://www.ball-pythons.net/gallery/...2/image029.jpg

http://www.ball-pythons.net/gallery/...2/image023.jpg


dr del

If you don't get him wormed there may be no next week.

When they're that small they need to eat at least every other day.

Force feed him a goldfish or two and take him to the vet.

Spoke with the receptionist at the 24hr animal hospital. She said she'd ask the vet and that they'd call us back. She also said it may just be the stress of a new environment.
How long a period of adjustment do you allow do to stress?

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Originally Posted by darmok

Spoke with the receptionist at the 24hr animal hospital. She said she'd ask the vet and that they'd call us back. She also said it may just be the stress of a new environment.
How long a period of adjustment do you allow do to stress?

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Do us all a favor, especially yourself.

Pick ONE person that you are willing to listen to and do whatever they tell you.

I've kept Water Monitors for years. I've sold them. I've medicated them. I know what I'm talking about.

But hey, the receptionist has probably seen a picture of one in a book, go ahead and listen to her, she's kinda cute anyway.

The vet said since its only been a week to give him a little longer and if he's still not eating to bring him in. He said it appears to be stress and that bringing him in now might make the condition worse.

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Originally Posted by darmok

The vet said since its only been a week to give him a little longer and if he's still not eating to bring him in. He said it appears to be stress and that bringing him in now might make the condition worse.

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Well, there ya go then.

You've made your choice, I hope it's the correct one.

Good luck.

No monitor experience + water monitor = bad time
You dont want one.
They get HUGE ( 5 1/2 -8 ft but mostly around 6-7ft and need a 16X8X8 cage pretty much a room a light bank with prolly 4 lights , A LOT OF DIRT, A 100 gal water pond , A LOT OF FOOD chicks, rats, quail, fresh water shrimp and a veriety of foods, a lot of work and time and not worth it )

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Originally Posted by bonheki

No monitor experience + water monitor = bad time
You dont want one.
They get HUGE ( 5 1/2 -8 ft but mostly around 6-7ft and need a 16X8X8 cage pretty much a room a light bank with prolly 4 lights , A LOT OF DIRT, A 100 gal water pond , A LOT OF FOOD chicks, rats, quail, fresh water shrimp and a veriety of foods, a lot of work and time and not worth it )

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Your requirements there are a bit exagerated...........

Having had a few of these, a 4x4x8 cage and a smaller 10-15 gallon water bowl is plenty. I'm sure it would be nice to have an inclosure the size of most living rooms, but it's not necessary for a healthy Salv. They will get plenty of leg room when you take them out for exercise........and if you don't have near daily interaction with them and get them out they turn into 80lb buzzsaws so there wouldn't be any sense in having it then anyways.

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Originally Posted by Ridley

Your requirements there are a bit exagerated...........

Having had a few of these, a 4x4x8 cage and a smaller 10-15 gallon water bowl is plenty. I'm sure it would be nice to have an inclosure the size of most living rooms, but it's not necessary for a healthy Salv. They will get plenty of leg room when you take them out for exercise........and if you don't have near daily interaction with them and get them out they turn into 80lb buzzsaws so there wouldn't be any sense in having it then anyways.

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http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y29...r/DSCF2905.jpg
Really this monitor will fit in a 4X4X8 cage and a 10-15 gal water bowl is fine???
I dont think so..
This is what your water monitor will most likely turn out to be like..
Who has the time to take a 7ft water monitor out and give it daily exercise??? Not too many people.
Why give it a small cramped cage and give it ''its daily exercie''
while you can give it a nice big cage and not worry about your animal till its feeding time or time to clean its poop or water???
I see the person who made this thread allready posted on the RZ forum and allready got his answers soo this thread is useless...

How about an update?

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Originally Posted by bonheki

http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y29...r/DSCF2905.jpg
Really this monitor will fit in a 4X4X8 cage and a 10-15 gal water bowl is fine???
I dont think so..
This is what your water monitor will most likely turn out to be like..
Who has the time to take a 7ft water monitor out and give it daily exercise??? Not too many people.
Why give it a small cramped cage and give it ''its daily exercie''
while you can give it a nice big cage and not worry about your animal till its feeding time or time to clean its poop or water???
I see the person who made this thread allready posted on the RZ forum and allready got his answers soo this thread is useless...

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Why would you take it out to excercise and handle? Because if you dont you wind up with a 50lb scaley chainsaw, thats why. It's not a ball python, if it's only interaction with the owner is feeding time, you are gonna have issues.

Why not build a huge cage? Most dont have a room just for an enclosure, so you get by with what suffices rather than what YOU perceive to be opyimal.

The WM pictured there is certainly far above average in size, so it would of course take a larger cage. The average WM is about 35-40 lbs and 6 foot, most of which is tail.