Housing issues for my Sav.

[dragonqueen4]

My Savannah Monitor has outgrown his 72 gallon tank, I am looking into a local company to build him a big tank. But for now I put him in a 175 gallon tank made of a soft mesh. Hes having a lot of trouble adjusting to his new home, as expected, hes not eating. But hes also rubbing his face against the mesh, trying to get out and has the front of his lips bleeding. I have triple action polysporn I will attempt to put on it, though I will probably get bitten.
For other sav owners on this site.. I am wondering what you house your sav's in. I am looking for details on the enclosure or pics would be even better..
Thanks

 

[dragonqueen4]

I just watched him for a while and noticed his pupils dilating, and he seemed very lethargic, his movements were shaky, and blood was running down his lip from rubbing it off the mesh.
SOOO.. I just set up his old 72 gallon glass tank and put him back in there. I desperately need a bigger tank made for him and I need ideas of what a typical adult savannah monitor tank should look like. I assume made of wood, but will he rub his face off the wood as well?
Sav owners, I would appreciate some pics of enclosures thx and merry christmas!

 

[Beazer]

How many hides are you providing him and how many basking spots? Wood cages are awesome for savs. There are quite a few pictures on google for proper set ups. The key really is to find out why hes trying to get out of his cage. Also, do you have deep substrate for it? Savannahs love burrows. Theres a way to make a stack too, i think Frank Retes came up with it?? Im not sure (I dont like some of his opinions lol) but the stack works great. Try googling "monitor stack" or "Frank Retes Monitor Stack". But if you can provide some information (or pictures would be better) on how he is set up and his actual basking temps. I hope some of that can be of help. And if you celebrate it, Merry Christmas.


-Jon DeLong

 

[dicy]

i think sumthing like this should be a nice example of a big viv for bigger lizards <!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.waranwelt.de/b_show.php?b_id=19" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">http://www.waranwelt.de/b_show.php?b_id=19</a><!-- m -->

 

[dragonqueen4]

thanks guys!
Well the 72g is not that big, 4 feet long and a foot and a half wide and about 2 feet tall.. my sav is approx. 21 inches and was growing very quickly. He was just 4 inces when I got him in May. But he has stopped growing this past 2 or 3 months, so I put him in the mesh tank, which is bigger.
Anyway, hes back in his 72g which has 2 hides, one on each side. He has UVB and 2 heat lamps. One area to bask is about 100F, and then he has a platform to get up closer and reach about 120F. I
As for substrate, I use plantation soil/eco earth. But, its not deep and its only on one side of the tank. The reason for that, because his worms crawl away into the dirt before he catches them. Anyway, Im going to add more substrate right now. He needs a bigger tank, but he hates change, even if I move anything around in his tank he wont eat and seems stressed.

 

[White_Lotus]

the hating change thing may just be territorial behavior, but as for an enclosure you want a box pretty much just think of a tegu's cage and the same thing only less substrate and more climbing material