Appropriate supplies for monitor?

[Squirtle]

So, I'm thinking about asking my parents if I can get an Asian Water Monitor for Christmas after we bring my snakes back home (Albino Burmese Python and Tiger Reticulated Python). We'll be building my retic's 5 foot cage once he's back home with us, so I thought that maybe I can put my Asian Water Monitor inside his current 30 gallon long tank? What other supplies would I need? Also, can I leave cut-boiled eggs inside his cage for him to eat when ever while feeding him mice and maybe crickets 3-4 times a week? I'm planning on getting a baby monitor. Don't worry, I'd say I'm not a beginner since I used to own a Savannah Monitor. He used to be the coolest little dude, had him for a few months and he grew a lot! I didn't have the correct caging for him and didn't even own a thermostat back then so I had to re-home him . I remember one time I was eating something involving eggs for breakfast, I took my sav out to walk around the table and he went straight for the eggs! Literally went crazy for them so that is why I'm asking if I can feed my Asian Water Monitor eggs if I do get one.

[Jay]

Originally Posted by Squirtle

So, I'm thinking about asking my parents if I can get an Asian Water Monitor for Christmas after we bring my snakes back home (Albino Burmese Python and Tiger Reticulated Python). We'll be building my retic's 5 foot cage once he's back home with us, so I thought that maybe I can put my Asian Water Monitor inside his current 30 gallon long tank? What other supplies would I need? Also, can I leave cut-boiled eggs inside his cage for him to eat when ever while feeding him mice and maybe crickets 3-4 times a week? I'm planning on getting a baby monitor. Don't worry, I'd say I'm not a beginner since I used to own a Savannah Monitor. He used to be the coolest little dude, had him for a few months and he grew a lot! I didn't have the correct caging for him and didn't even own a thermostat back then so I had to re-home him . I remember one time I was eating something involving eggs for breakfast, I took my sav out to walk around the table and he went straight for the eggs! Literally went crazy for them so that is why I'm asking if I can feed my Asian Water Monitor eggs if I do get one.

Change the mice to rats and no eggs. Hold off on getting a monitor, because its a long term commitment.

[StudentoReptile]

I agree. Stick to beardies and leopard geckos. You are a beginner if you think a 30-gal is adequate for any monitor.

I'll let the varanid gurus take over for this one.

[Squirtle]

Originally Posted by StudentoReptile

I agree. Stick to beardies and leopard geckos. You are a beginner if you think a 30-gal is adequate for any monitor.

I'll let the varanid gurus take over for this one.

30 gallon for a baby, not for the monitors life. Guess I'll read a bit more before getting one

[BarelyBreathing]

Monitors cannot live in a fish tank, for ANY period of time.

[simpleyork]

Do you understand how fast a monitor really grows? my 11" ornate is not 11" inches anymore(he's only a year old) and downs rats every day. And they cost a lot to feed just saying.

[War Machine]

I second Monitor growth rate, 5-7" monthly with my albig.

BarelyBreathing is right, fish tanks are not suited for a monitor in anyway

[Pirarucu]

As stated above. Within a year you will be needing to make a massive, and I mean massive cage. 12'x6'x6' is what I would consider the minimum for a water monitor up to six feet. If it grew bigger, and they can, you would need to build an even larger cage.

[Aanayab1]

Not that the tank would be an appropriate home for these either but perhaps you may want to start with a dwarf monitor? The reason I say this is because the smallest monitor cage I know of is for an Ackie monitor and that is still 48"x24"x48" LxWxH. There are smaller species but the smaller the monitor is at adult size the larger its price tag gets, from what little I know. You are considering a monitor that will reach 4.9'-6.6' in length. That means from my best guess at an appropriate size cage, it will need to be a minimum of 13 feet long, 7 feet wide and 6 feet tall.... I know very little to nothing exact about the type of monitor you want so it could very well need more height if they are climbers...

If you are still living at home with the parents will they allow that size cage and animal in their home?

When you move out will you be able to take it with you?

An apartment really does not have room for that massive cage or a back yard it would be safe to put the cage in...

I have four 2.5ish month old ackies and they literally eat half their weight in insects daily. A large monitor that eats rats as a staple I would imagine at minimum one rat a day(which probably is not enough for an adult) for one month will cost $90+tax minimum (they are 3 bucks each at the local petstore). Are you willing to have a breeding rat colony in order to lower food cost? If so that in itself can be quite the task but would be well worth it(I would imagine).

Do the reading as you said you were going to but do not give up on something you truly want. Just knowing what you truly want is hard to figure out lol (well it was for me).

I'll fess up to something I'm fighting with personally right now. I have had my Ackies less than two months and I am already hooked and have decided that I want more monitors. I have decided to go with another dwarf species because I have plenty of room. I have the funds for the appropriate caging, food cost budgeted into my budget and the money to buy another 4. It is killing me to not just do it but I know what most would say is nothing about the species I recently acquired. I barely even know their daily routine for that matter and still can only tell 2 apart from the others. Two are bigger but I can't tell which is which unless they are out at same time. One is smaller than the other three and one is a little bit bigger than the smallest. So I'm rattling this off to show that it would be irresponsible for me to jump into more at this time. What I am doing is when I get burned out reading about ackies I go read about the other species in hopes that when the time comes I will know enough to get a good start.

You should read, read, ask questions, read, questions, read and read then come to a decision. Start buying the appropriate equipment. When you have no money to buy equipment and are tired of reading, start looking through this site for monitor enclosure threads and ask questions about them. Do not ever be afraid to ask something or assume you know the answer... it is not fair to the monitor if you are wrong (which we can all be at times).

In my personal opinion this is a list of things you must have.

- correct size cage for the animal as an adult.
- inferred temperature gun, I personally have two in the case I break one or lose one.
- feeding tongs, both short and long.
- welding gloves.
- multiple supply lines for food.
- a good understanding of all three different types of temperature and how to check them.
- a good understanding of gradient temperature and how important it is.
- HUMIDITY and its importance in the survival of the species you choose.
- DEEP SUBSTRATE and its role in the enclosure.
I know I probably missed a ton of things so feel free to ask and if I can't help you find the answer I know someone in this section will try their best to get you what you're looking for.

Sorry for the long read.
Antonio

[jhinton6932]

lol asian water monitors...ive been working with varanids by myself in MY private collection for 7 years. with my dad and his collection for 15. keep in mind im in my mid 20's. i got my own lizards (bearded dragons,jackson chams. when i was 8. even now, i would not say i'd want to properly house an asian water monitor, simply for these reasons.
1.they ALWAYS require cages with drainage system of some sort.
2.they can easily hit 6ft.
3.LARGE bodied. not slender-ish like your indos/aussies.
4.HUGE caging requirements. specs iv'e seen with priivate collections are like 10x6x6 minimum(most are larger)
5.im guessing your younger, so a 6ft, say 50lb monitor could very easily cause a great deal of damage to you. they are much more dangerous then even a retic or a burm.

i wanted my own collection so badly when i was in my teens but thankfully i wasn't allowed. i waited until i had stable housing, a good source of income, and the experience to do it myself (with help from advanced keepers as well) if your dead set on a monitor, go with an ackie. DO TONS OF RESEARCH. they are an easier species to keep/house but still require a good deal of time and effort. i forget who listed the tools you want to have around for monitors but that was all spot on. aslo, sorry for the lengthy post lol

[justme]

waters grow very slowly

can be extremely reclusive

can go off food at any time for any reason

when young have little tolerance for disease/bad conditions

can be nasty tempered even by monitor standards


still want one?

[justme]

Originally Posted by War Machine

I second Monitor growth rate, 5-7" monthly with my albig.

BarelyBreathing is right, fish tanks are not suited for a monitor in anyway

i read things like these and a little of me dies inside


try 1-1.5" for v.s.x if that

stop comparing these to other species.

[justme]

Originally Posted by simpleyork

Do you understand how fast a monitor really grows? my 11" ornate is not 11" inches anymore(he's only a year old) and downs rats every day. And they cost a lot to feed just saying.

an adult runs you 200 a month in water power food, if that. and i live where cages have to be heated around the clock. hows that costing a lot?

food is less than half that bill

[jhinton6932]

an adult runs you 200 a month in water power food, if that. and i live where cages have to be heated around the clock. hows that costing a lot?

this is true with all species. lighting/heating a cage isnt costly assuming your not on welfare. thankyou for mentioning the food cost also. i order all of my frozen feeder from a site i trust. just an example here but i think i pay roughly 50cents per feeder, rats closer to a dollar. add it up, its not that much. just buy in bulk. (not 5 feeders a week from the pet shop) in terms of reptiles overall, yes monitors eat a lot. no need to make 2 posts about an error in growth rate,even though yes it is important when choosing housing for any species. lets help the original poster make an informed/mature decision.

[simpleyork]

You are correct I do not know how fast the typical Asian water monitor grows. Sorry for assuming.
Godzilla might get mad if she caught you calling her anything other then an Ornate monitor though, so please keep from name calling.