New owner of a savy

[wendy5391]

:?: Hi all, I was just wondering if a savy really needs special UVB and Humidity. The man who sold me it said they dont however everytime I read something on the internet it says they do. I am confused and need to be clued in. Also is it ok to feed them small gold fish?

[CTReptileRescue]

I would not recommend goldfish, They definatly need a well balanced diet. I'll try and hunt down some good info for you soon. Just please don't feed them goldfich (they are actually really unhealthy, even for regular fish eaters like turtles etc)
I'll post some more asap
Thanks
Rusty

[hhw]

Dusted crickets and mice make a good staple diet; other arthropods are good as well.

There is some controversy as to whether or not monitors need UVB. Frank Retes, probably the most successful monitor breeder in the world, says they don't and has had no problem breeding generation after generation without it.

What's more important is to have sufficient humidity while having a hot hot hotspot. Somewhere between 110-130 at the hottest spot is probably ideal. If you do use an aquarium with a screen top, make sure you cover most of the top with something to keep humidity in. Dehydration is death to monitors, so make sure you don't dry your monitor out. Having a burrowable substrate would help a lot in this regard, as humidity would be higher in the burrows. Not to mention, they will have the added security and comfort. Many people recommend plain old dirt. Cypress mulch and decomposed granite work well too.

[wendy5391]

Thank You guys so much for your help. I will not feed gold fish and will deinately wait for a reply. Also real quick the gentleman did say they didnt need humidity as well so I am still terribly confused. I do believe you both though. So how do I go about getting a really hot spot for it. I have a 1oo watt ceramit heater plug in it right now. So that gets the whole thing. Now what do I put in an area to make it really hot for him/her and will it be too hot with the ceramic heater as well..? Help...I dont want to kill him/her

[CTReptileRescue]

How large is the sav? what type of setup do you have for him / her?
Thanks
Rusty

[wendy5391]

Ok I have a 4ft long x 3ft deep x 3ft tall. It is actually a brand new cage they use in the reptile stores where they store there reptiles. It is nice. It has 2 screens in the back, a light fixture plug on top that is where I put the ceramic heater and then my boyfriend installed a flourscent light in it last night. It has UVB bulb in it. I will send you a pic of it. I have a small enclosure for him to go into and that is the basking part and then I have a piece of like tree limb from the store leaning up by the heater so he can get some warmth and some water in a decent size water dish. So if he wants to take a dip he can...
Look at the pic and tell me what you think? I think I got it as good as I can. Actually I think he is already spoiled. I was rubbing his head and neck today and he actually fell asleep on my leg....