Petrie's (varanus salvator) new casa!

[babyyitslove]

So here it is!

So far basking is 135°… gradient is at 80° .... water is 70-75°.

Gonna test it out and see how he likes it. And so far so good =0)

 

[james.w]

Looks cool, but where is he going to burrow? How do you plan on keeping the water clean?

 

[Grendel]

You need a strong filter for the water, and I assume, this enclosure is only for it's baby phase.

 

[babyyitslove]

We're going to buy one of those turtle tank filters to keep the water clean. He's burrowed right now under his log hide. And his adult enclosure will come into play wen he doubles his size. For now we're keeping it vacant.

 

[james.w]

Those filters won't work, you will probably have to drain and refill at least every 2-3 days. Also the water is too open, there isn't any cover. What are you using for substrate and how deep is it? How are you keeping it out of the water?

 

[babyyitslove]

We're using an eco earth/mulch mix. There are ledges attached to the sides to keep it from spilling over too much. We're currently using a handheld tubing system to vacuum the water out. He has agready found his hides in the water, between two rocks, behind the bricks, and behind the basking log. On the upper level he utilizes the plants and his log hide...as well as burrowing.

 

[james.w]

Not to be the bearer of bad news, but that setup is really just not practical. How big is the aquarium? How are you heating the water?

 

[babyyitslove]

No bad news. It wont change. The water is heated by a 20 gallon aquarium heater behind the temporary filter. Maintains 75°. Its most definitely practical as he's a water monitor and has everything in his enclosure that he needs to thrive.

 

[JohnMatthew]

I think if you have the time and stamina to keep it clean that will be a wonderful home for a baby water monitor. As with any new setup, don't be apprehensive about changing stuff around if you find it needs some tweaking. I'd personally have gone with deeper substrate and an easier to change water source but then it wouldn't have looked as nice either. You might want to invest in a good sump pump as I see frequent water changes in your future. Keep those pictures coming and I look forward to seeing your adult setup!

 

[babyyitslove]

My husband is well aware of all the water changes he'll be doing until we get an adequate filter.
I asked if he was SURE he wanted to do it before we got the filter, and he said he was sure.

It will undoubtedly need tweaking, as most do after drastic changes. He seems more active and exploring more since it has changed... that's what matters to us =0)

His last water dish was just too small and awkward after watching him swim around in the bathtub.
Didn't feel quite right to make him soak in that tiny tub anymore.

All we did was convert his water source to something larger.

 

[james.w]

How big is the aquarium?

I think you also need to do a bit more research on the "water" monitor you are keeping. They don't need as much water as you might think. They need a deep, diggable, burrowable, substrate in order to satisfy their desire/need to dig. I mean the water is great, but dirt would be much better for him. I don't see how you can get a proper temp gradient out of the water with that setup.

I will be staying out of this post from this point forward, it seems you don't want to hear that you are doing anything wrong.

 

[babyyitslove]

Either my gauges are all broken, or the temperatures are spot on. Just because it isn't something that you personally would do, doesn't make it 'wrong'.

You can nit pick the **** out of it, but truth be told, all temperatures are correct and humidity is even holding five percent higher than before.

He burrows just fine... just as well as he did when he had the six inches of eco earth/ sand mix .

Its not a recommended set up because people are lazy. Whereas WE aren't. We're fully prepared to clean/maintain on a daily basis until we find an alternative to make the maintenance less frequent.

I posted the photo not for 'advice'.... not for 'nit picking'. ...but to present an idea for an enclosure that CAN maintain proper climate.
The tank is a 55 gallon... with roughly 18-20 gallons of water.

 

[xocrieox]

He will do fine.....looks like your temps are right on.

 

[babyyitslove]

Its a work in progress.

I'm sure we'll find different ways to do this and that.

But for the most part, it'll stay with this concept..

 

[frost]

sweet looking habitat.=] i did about the same thing as you when i had a water dragon. had to have a good pump to filter al the crap out,plus i cleaned it daily. but back when i had him i had a lot of free time and only him to take care of. i been thinking of getting a cuviers caimen and i was gonna base a little bit of the hab on something like this. prolly not as much water tho as they are more land dwelling than their relatives. good job tho i like it =]

 

[jaymz]

That is one awful set up.
I would elaborate but I think my critisms would fall on deaf/ignorant ears.
You call good advice "nit picking" well answer me this..
How many Water monitors are you going to kill before you listen to those who know ?

Sorry mods/admin, rant over.

 

[Steven.]

^ whoa dude chill... I have never owned a water monitor But if the op thinks that the enclosure is good for HER monitor, then thats it. I don't think she posted to have everyone say how bad her cage setup is. As she posted earlier, she will tweak and adjust the setup as time goes by..

 

[babyyitslove]

That is one awful set up.
I would elaborate but I think my critisms would fall on deaf/ignorant ears.
You call good advice "nit picking" well answer me this..
How many Water monitors are you going to kill before you listen to those who know ?

Sorry mods/admin, rant over.

ROFL!!!

I wonder How many water monitors YOU keep...
please spare me the lies and ill guess ZERO.

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^ whoa dude chill... I have never owned a water monitor But if the op thinks that the enclosure is good for HER monitor, then thats it. I don't think she posted to have everyone say how bad her cage setup is. As she posted earlier, she will tweak and adjust the setup as time goes by..

Its quite alright =0)

My set up maintains all proper numbers And has every ingredient neccessary to make a monitor happy.

I could give two ***** what people think about the way it looks. Bottom line, its functional.

Sometimes children on forums tend to overlook the important facts.

I could just as easily toss him in a wooden box with a water tub and substrate, and as long as it maintained the proper climate, he's golden!
This is just a little easier on the eyes.

Not to mention my monitor is happy and healthy, and I don't have to prove **** to anyone =0)

---

I'm half tempted to cross check the IP addresses on this 'jaymz' and the 'james.W'......

Hmmm.... decisions decisions. Pssh.

 

[Rhetoric]

Theyre not the same. The other member is from europe and has been on here since 2010, they just dont post much. They also mention keeping monitors in another post but i do not know which species.

 

[babyyitslove]

I see.

Its cute how a moderator will give someone kudos for bashing on another member.

Such a shame.
tisk tisk

Wave good bye to the respect.... it just walked out the door.