Water Monitor HELP!

[onlyjays9p]

Sorry everyone I didnt mean to cause such a ruckus lol I'll tell you as much as I know he keeps it in a larger fishtank and has a 10-20 not sure gal tank inside that he keeps full of water with water filters he feeds it twice a week rat's and goldfish and eggs I think he kept two larger basking bulbs on and a fluroencent light He has a screen top on it I'm sure Ive missed some of the foods he feeds it I havent talked to him in a while or been to his house this was just brought up to me online so I figured I'd ask here for help for him. he said yesterday it ate again, also hes had it since it was a baby and now its about as round as a nfl football so hes had it for a few years and this is is first problem hes had with it. He really takes well care of it he plans on taking it to the vet monday hes followed everything the pet store has told him since day one but i'm assuming they didn't know half of what you guys know. I personally keep pythons, lizards are to much work for me so that's why I asked.

[Darkice]

2 Things i saw that could be a problem. He only feeds it twice a week and he also lets it eat goldfish.
Moniters need to eat every day. Unless its an adult. Then scale it back to 4 or 5 times a week. Rats,chickens,shrimp,eggs,ground turkey/chicken.
Do Not feed them goldfish. They are bad for anything to eat.
Here is a pic of me holding one of my Friend Jims water monitors. Its an old pic and he is about 2 times the weight now.

[mumps]

All I'm going to say is you cannot state "kept in a larger fish tank" and "takes well care for it" in the same paragraph.

Your friend is slooooooowly torturing that poor animal to death. Just because it isn't dead yet doesn't mean it's not suffering.

I think this monitor will eventually "lose" this battle.

Chris

[wilomn]

All I'm going to say is you cannot state "kept in a larger fish tank" and "takes well care for it" in the same paragraph.



Chris

Bullsnot.

Maybe YOU can't but that does not mean no one else could, would or even should.

[mumps]

Bullsnot.

Maybe YOU can't but that does not mean no one else could, would or even should.

So you think Varanus salvator can be maintained in a fish tank?????

Perhaps for the first couple months, but outside of large aquariums (I'm talking SeaWorld here), there is not a fish tank manufactured large enough to house one of these incredible animals.

I was starting to agree with you on some of your other posts, but you just lost the battle. Bullsnot yourself.

Chris

[wilomn]

So you think Varanus salvator can be maintained in a fish tank?????

Perhaps for the first couple months, but outside of large aquariums (I'm talking SeaWorld here), there is not a fish tank manufactured large enough to house one of these incredible animals.

I was starting to agree with you on some of your other posts, but you just lost the battle. Bullsnot yourself.

Chris

You have made assumptions.

I don't see where he said it was a forever home.

As you yourself have stated, it's quite doable, paraphrasing, in the short term.

Are you privy to information which we are not?

[Big Gunns]

................

[Big Gunns]

Here I'm going to disagree with you.As stated by Dan it will be hard to find a qualified vet.There is only a small handful of people who work with them in the field,let alone know how to properly treat monitors.Most vet will treat all reptiles the same,even the ones who specialize in reptiles..Most vets are following outdated information,so they would have no clue on proper husbandry.Keeping and understanding monitors has come along way in the last ten years or so,

ps I have 5 kids,I dont lose

greg

Like Willy said about Mumps...You are doing a lot of "assuming"...you know what they say about people that do that. You're assuming he can't find a qualified Vet, you're assuming what the Vet will tell him to do. "Hard" to find, and impossible to find are two different things. If he looks, BG is sure he can find one...he may need to drive a while though. BG will agree that if he doesn't find a "qualified Vet" he is sure to get bad advice...that's why BG said to find one.


If you have 5 kids...you've already lost....your freedom.

Sorry everyone I didnt mean to cause such a ruckus lol I'll tell you as much as I know he keeps it in a larger fishtank and has a 10-20 not sure gal tank inside that he keeps full of water with water filters he feeds it twice a week rat's and goldfish and eggs I think he kept two larger basking bulbs on and a fluroencent light He has a screen top on it I'm sure Ive missed some of the foods he feeds it I havent talked to him in a while or been to his house this was just brought up to me online so I figured I'd ask here for help for him. he said yesterday it ate again, also hes had it since it was a baby and now its about as round as a nfl football so hes had it for a few years and this is is first problem hes had with it. He really takes well care of it he plans on taking it to the vet monday hes followed everything the pet store has told him since day one but i'm assuming they didn't know half of what you guys know. I personally keep pythons, lizards are to much work for me so that's why I asked.

It does sound like it may need a larger enclosure. We really need to hear from the owner so we can ask all the pertinent questions. It's good that he's going to see a Vet, but it better be a qualified one, otherwise this animal may be worse off than it was before.

[gbassett]

You can not keep Monitors in fish tanks.I have kept baby monitors in fish tanks,but they suck.Most people use screen top(bad choice)with a screen top you are letting all the heat and humidity out of the cage,so the solution is to cover the top,but once you do this is becomes very difficult to maintain the proper temperature gradient.The other problem is once you have them setup properly,they grow fast


greg

[mumps]

Like I said, for the first couple of months. Why bother setting up an enclosure for the first couple of months?

Anyway, back on topic. Yes a "qualified" herp vet is required. I would also raise temps immediately, raise humidity levels immediately, cover that screen top immediately and find a forum with experienced varanophiles immediately. There are some here, but there are much better resources available...

Chris