Your clothes can also provide enrichment for your scaly children 😄

Hello all!

I'm in the early stages of planning out and designing an enclosure for an ackie. I've decided to go with a PVC 5x3x4 with a deep substrate layer (18-24") and the basic bioactive topsoil+sand mixtures I've seen here and on Reptifiles. I did have a couple of questions I wanted to pose about the build, as well as heating layouts etc. I've kept exotic pets before but haven't dealt with anything like the heating and terrain requirements here, so I'm trying to pre-plan and ask as many questions possible before committing to equipment and layout.

1. I understand that there's a sort of push and pull between keeping soil humidity high and the enclosure at a lower point (25-60% is what I've kind of seen looking around). I've seen some recommendations here to use a PC fan in an extraction set up venting out a few times a day to maintain this. What kind of vent set up is optimal for this - I know the commercial enclosure manufacturers like Toad Rach use a cluster of slit vents, but would love some input or ideas from anyone who's had success with this strategy.

2. As far as light and heat go, the general consensus seems to be internally mounted bulbs on the enclosure roof, rather than mesh areas on top with lights pointing in. I've seen a lot of back and forth on whether or not to enclose the fixtures in wire cages to avoid burning etc. Does anyone have any recommendations as to the best way to arrange the lights to avoid any cooked lizard hazards?

3. Retes stack construction - I'm leery of some of the layouts I've seen as dangerous crushing hazards given their penchant for burrowing. Is it better to make a larger structure that goes to the to cage bottom and just bury it, or would siliconing a slate structure together and balancing it on stilts fixed to the bottom work. I also have a lot of bricks laying around from another project. Would those work? Suggestions on construction and design would be welcome!

4. For other people who built theirs - any features of items you wish you had built in ahead of time in retrospect? Extra access hatches, equipment or things that you only realized would be great to have after the fact?

Thanks for the input in advance!

I'm building a 4x2x3 tank and looking to get another reptile. If the answer is yes but it's bare minimum, please include that because I want it to be comfortably spacious for them, not just a minimum requirement.

As the title says, does he look chunky? First time owning a monitor lizard.

I've been feeding my blue tree monitor 10-20 Dubias, mealworms, or crickets every other day for the past few months and she still seems a bit skinny to me. She's quite picky so I haven't tried a mouse or quail egg just yet. Does anyone have a better feeding schedule? No care guides specify how much of anything to feed. I got her some hornworms to try this week. She gets the occasional small bit of carnivore care as that's all she would eat when I first got her. Pardon how dirty she is, she runs around in the dirt and likes to fill her water bowl with mud 🙄

Just got this savannah monitor and is extremely lethargic. Vets I've seen don't know a thing about reptiles.

He decided to jump right

Oh the way she dramatically sploots her dino belly on the glass upon deciding it’s cuddle time 😆🥰

what is the largest monitor lizard you could safely keep in a grow tent? how flimsy are they? can you keep a Peach throat monitor in one?

So recently had a negative interaction with my white throated monitor…to long to describe but he is ok…but he now runs and hides when I open his enclosure….i will need to do weekly cleanings my question is should I put him in his bath when I do this ? I’m wondering because it might cause him stress (because he doesn’t like me much since our incident) when I round him up to get him into the bath and I don’t want that to become another negative interaction but I want to deep clean his enclosure as I do weekly

Is it better to feed freeze dried crickets or release live ones in the enclosure for him to hunt down?

If anyone has a girlfriend for mick here he would like that very much

Does Phoenix Arizona have a climate that is suitable for keeping ackie monitors in an outdoor enclosure? Would it get too hot for them?

I entered micks enclosure and sat beside him while he was basking, I stuck my hand out and he crawled up my arm and sat on my lap and then moved up to my shoulder. Is this I sign of trust since he left his warm basking spot to join me? Or is it a natural instinct to get to a high place (there are higher logs)

For this young man would it be unhealthy to feed primarily meat (rodents, birds, chicken)? Or should he be fed more of an insect base diet for his age. (He’s at the age where I’m not sure if I should start transitioning to a meaty diet)

Which monitor is better when it comes to tameablity, hardiness, handlability, cold tolerance and size?

I am planning to get a baby Ackie monitor in the coming weeks and using this as a grow out enclosure until I can build a bigger one.

Layout: The current cage is 48x15d x 21h. The next cage I’m going to make is 46x24x34. Is the layout of this cage good? Is there anything I can do to make it better? I saw that most people use rocks as a basking spot, do I need to use rocks instead of wood?

Lighting:
I’m planning on using 1 or 2 100w 120v flood lights, whichever helps me hit 140F on basking and 80F on cool side. Are these good temps to target? https://a.co/d/hxAXZLM

For UVB, I’m planning on buying T5 HO reprisun 10.0 39W, 34” long. I think I could go smaller/weaker for this enclosure, but I want to be able to use it for the next one too. Is this too strong for this enclosure? https://a.co/d/2JwzSxv

I think I’m going to add a ceramic heat emitter a few inches to the left of the heat lights. What temperature should I target for nighttime?

I’ll also add daytime LED lights for plant growth.

Diet: I am planning on feeding a diet of Dubia roaches as a staple with a few crickets a week and waxworms/hornworms/whatever I can get as a treat every week or two. I will also feed him cooked eggs every few weeks. Is that healthy? Anything I can do better?

I would love any advice I can get about any of the above points. I want to give my Ackie the best life possible!!

PS: I have seen mixed reports about adding vents. Should I add ventilation holes, and should I add a fan for the plants?

Someone definitely enjoyed her grasshopper and roach feast!

Happy Thanksgiving, varanid wranglers! 🦎

Keeping me safe from baddies 💪

I’ve been looking into them, I’m an experienced monitor keeper, I’m wondering what you all think of these monitors - I hear mixed opinions elsewhere.

What size tank should I have for when I get my ackie monitor