Feeding new baby monitor

[AdamL8]

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.

It's not really "up in the air". It has been proven time and time again that it is unnecessary. That being said, There is no downside to using it as far as we are aware. It's just an extra cost that may or may not help but is not going to harm the monitor to live without.

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 materials resist heat escape.

In a 20-30 gallon tank 2 bulbs will be overheating it. This is where you require more space. If your basking spot covers the snout to vent then you are fine. The issue with larger wattage standard heat bulbs is that they dry out the air more so than low wattage directed heat bulbs such as halogen floods and the heat from them goes all over instead of where you want it. This was not something that you mentioned and surely knew but I figured it was good to add for anybody who reads through this and does not know it already. I disagree that 115 degrees is a sufficient basking temperature for any size Sav. I don't have anything specifically to reference for this but I know that they do make use of 130+ basking at all sizes and 130-145 will mean that the monitor can digest food faster and more efficiently so why not allow it to do so? This does not require adding more bulbs and overheating the small enclosure. Just raising or lowering the basking spot will do the trick. Going much higher than 150F would likely begin to get dangerous although I have read that they have been found to use basking sites as high as 155. I personally keep mine around 140-145 and would not go higher.

My concern with the fish tanks not providing the proper gradient is not just about them having the right temperature extremes as much as it is that they do not have the space for the gradient to be gradual at all. A large cage allows space at either end for the lowest temperature and the highest. You could have a proper gradient in an enclosure less than 8 feet but at 8 feet it is incredibly easy to do so. With a large enough glass tank that is properly modified it could be usable for a monitor indefinitely. However, It would most likely be cheaper and more effective to make it from wood. The cost of enough glass that is thick enough to make an all glass 8x4x4 would be insane. That doesn't include the logistics of keeping it all together with the weight of the dirt, mounting lights, and mounting a door of some type to open it. It just isn't feasible and since you would likely have to insulate it anyways what would be the point?

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 don't see how what I have recommended is improper conditions.

Monitors as a whole are indeed "tough as nails" but not in the way that your previous post had made it sound. We are specifically talking about Savannah Monitors in this instance and the fact that they are often housed incorrectly even though the owners think they have the husbandry perfect (not talking about the OP who is making an effort) because the monitor has not yet died or begun to show signs of health issues. These guys don't show any obvious signs until it is practically too late. What you recommended was not necessarily wrong and would be fine for a short time but parts of it would need to be changed to ensure the health of the monitor was not affected.

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?

Zoos are able to closely and expertly monitor (no pun intended) the health of their animals all day every day as it is their job to do so. They are extremely well equipped to regulate temperatures, humidity, and food intake. Their enclosures are usually a concrete and thick glass mix and are built to hold in heat and humidity. Standard fish tanks that are used in homes are very different from this and in a fresh from the factory state are not suitable for any monitor. That being said, they can be altered to be usable as I stated in one of the above responses.