So Uh... Ackies Make Great Pets, Huh?

[CoolioTiffany]

I love monitors. When I was little I was really into dinosaurs, like seriously really into them. I knew more about them probably more than I know about some snakes. I would really like to get an Ackie sometime (not now obviously) and I just want to hear from people who've owned them or had a past experience with them.

At the sanctuary we have Ackies they are adorable. The smallest one I named Buddy because I held him and he was just hanging out and even falling asleep on me. So, that caught my heart.

I know I want too many reptiles, but I'm selectively choosing them now. I've crossed out most things I've wanted so my collection stays small.

So, how are these little guys like? Are they hard to take care of? Are they expensive to keep? What type of substrate do they do best on? Temps? Basking spot? Humidity?

Honestly, I'd rather get some information from you guys rather than from a caresheet.

[ls1goat04]

ive read alot about them and seen some setups, they will be as pricey to feed as beardies as far as crickets go. its a plus that you can feed them mice. they need a big tank with some deep substrate to burrow which seems like a pain. and they also need a reeeeally hot basking temp. i want one but hate dealing with the crickets for my beardie so ill probably never get one myself. my beardie cost anything from 50 to 100 bucks a month just for food.

[CoolioTiffany]

ive read alot about them and seen some setups, they will be as pricey to feed as beardies as far as crickets go. its a plus that you can feed them mice. they need a big tank with some deep substrate to burrow which seems like a pain. and they also need a reeeeally hot basking temp. i want one but hate dealing with the crickets for my beardie so ill probably never get one myself. my beardie cost anything from 50 to 100 bucks a month just for food.

I've got a Beardie and she isn't too hard to feed. I started out with an adult Beardie because I knew I couldn't handle feeding a baby so much at a time. If they are similar to feeding a Beardie then I'm sure I could handle having an Ackie. I get a lot of pinkies for my KSB and occasionally I give my Beardie a pinkie so I could also give the Ackie that occasional pinkie.

From what I hear it isn't necessary to feed monitors mice often, just as an occasional treat which is fine with me.

[cinderbird]

i'd recommend breeding roaches if you want to keep any type of monitor. I breed them now for my geckos and its just giving me an extra excuse to get one.

I've seen a few in person including a very personable yellow male that was soooo cute. They are a very small monitor which makes them easy for the "apartment dweller" You can make a nice big cage that doesn't take up a whole room.

Pro exotics has a great care sheet on the little guys.

[Skiploder]

I've got a Beardie and she isn't too hard to feed. I started out with an adult Beardie because I knew I couldn't handle feeding a baby so much at a time. If they are similar to feeding a Beardie then I'm sure I could handle having an Ackie. I get a lot of pinkies for my KSB and occasionally I give my Beardie a pinkie so I could also give the Ackie that occasional pinkie.

From what I hear it isn't necessary to feed monitors mice often, just as an occasional treat which is fine with me.

Ackies are like any other monitor - but smaller. Feeding is the easiest part of owning an ackie.

That means a lot of work and spot on husbandry. The need a deep substrate that will hold proper moisture, 140 degree plus basking temps a retes stack, plenty of room to move around an explore.

Are they expensive? Yes. A glass tank and one lamp aren't going to cut it.

[CoolioTiffany]

i'd recommend breeding roaches if you want to keep any type of monitor. I breed them now for my geckos and its just giving me an extra excuse to get one.

I've seen a few in person including a very personable yellow male that was soooo cute. They are a very small monitor which makes them easy for the "apartment dweller" You can make a nice big cage that doesn't take up a whole room.

Pro exotics has a great care sheet on the little guys.

I thought about breeding roaches, since I got a Beardie and I heard roaches are so much better to start breeding so you have a nice supply of food. I was thinking about the dubias. Where would I be able to pick some up?

They are definitely adorable, and since they stay small that makes it even better for me LOL, I don't really want a monitor that gets too large.

I'll look that caresheet up, thanks.

Ackies are like any other monitor - but smaller. Feeding is the easiest part of owning an ackie.

That means a lot of work and spot on husbandry. The need a deep substrate that will hold proper moisture, 140 degree plus basking temps a retes stack, plenty of room to move around an explore.

Are they expensive? Yes. A glass tank and one lamp aren't going to cut it.

Thanks for the information, they seem like pretty incredible lizards.

I should be expecting a large enclosure, like a really really large enclosure, that someone doesn't really need anymore. I could use that, from what he's told me, it's BIG.

As for the retes stack, I've seen people use like those rooftop column bricks (same structure as a log hide, except it's cement) and stack those which seems to be secure and provide different levels of heat. Not sure if it's exceptable, but it seems to work.

Would a soil/sand mix do well for substrate?

[Skiploder]

I should be expecting a large enclosure, like a really really large enclosure, that someone doesn't really need anymore. I could use that, from what he's told me, it's BIG.

As for the retes stack, I've seen people use like those rooftop column bricks (same structure as a log hide, except it's cement) and stack those which seems to be secure and provide different levels of heat. Not sure if it's exceptable, but it seems to work.

Would a soil/sand mix do well for substrate?

There is no standard cage made that will do for an ackie. What you need to do is modify a 4x2 stock tank. The tank will set you back $100.00 and that's before you manufacture a top, run the lights etc.

Ackies dig and anything that can fall on them will. When you are running 2' of substrate, it is unlikely that your stack will reach all the way to the bottom. You will find that they tunnel and dig under most structures. Anything made of stone or brick will fall on them and injure them. Build a retes stack out of wood and don't worry about coming home to an ackie pancake.

I use straight DG from a local supplier.

[JLuck13]

There is no standard cage made that will do for an ackie. What you need to do is modify a 4x2 stock tank. The tank will set you back $100.00 and that's before you manufacture a top, run the lights etc.

Ackies dig and anything that can fall on them will. When you are running 2' of substrate, it is unlikely that your stack will reach all the way to the bottom. You will find that they tunnel and dig under most structures. Anything made of stone or brick will fall on them and injure them. Build a retes stack out of wood and don't worry about coming home to an ackie pancake.

I use straight DG from a local supplier.

+1 on decomposed granite. I recently moved both my monitors into different enclosures and went to 100% DG instead of my 50/50 DG topsoil mix and i love it a whole lot more.

Tif, pro exotics has an amazing monitor care sheet, its what i used for alot of my info when i was researching my monitor stuff and i didnt have to do too much adjusting once i got everything done the way they do it. I love my monitors 90% of the time. If you have accrss to an ackie i say get it!