Just got a Water Monitor yesterday

ChrisW9586 · #1 (**permalink**) 04-18-2008, 12:17 PM

hi guys, i traded 1 female veiled chameleon and 4 corn snakes for this baby water monitor at a pet store. they were selling it for $195. what a rip off. i am lucky that i only spent around $40 on the veiled and 4 free corns. well, Back to the baby, he/she has a broken tail. but, only on the tip around 1 cm. can that be healed? or it will be like that forever? poor lil baby. Overall, it should be in good health. he/she just got a lil bit of shed still on the body. alert when i held her. didnt try to bite me. just tried to run away. i assume he/she is tame hopefully. ate few crickets after an hour in his/her cage since that was his/her first day, i didnt want to feed him/her too much. And, RAZERAZE, i would like to ask you a question if you dont mind. i have read some of your replies. you said some water monitors died in their first year. Why is that? i dont want my baby die on me. On the cage set up, i have a 10 gallon tank for him/her temporarily. i am thinking about, should i use a 20L, 29g, or a more flatten tank with dimension of W24 x D24 x around H15 cux i have all those cages. the hot side temp is around 90. basking spot around 100. high 70s - low 80s on the cool side. humidity is around high 70s. What else do u guys think i will need or change? i will post some pic of the broken tail later. At the end, i am begging for your advices. Thank you very much!

John_E_Dove · #2 (**permalink**) 04-18-2008, 01:54 PM

Hope it does well for you and you have room for a REALLY LARGE enclosure.

boaterr · #3 (**permalink**) 04-18-2008, 01:58 PM

What kind of substrate are you using, and why does is look so damp? Also you might as well get a bigger cage because she already looks a little cramped in there. How many monitors have you kept succesfully?

Other than crickets what are you trying to feed her? A few crickets is not enough food, she has a whole lot of growing to do so you should start feeding her the normal amount of food that baby giant monitors need.

Also please explain more about her broken tail, because it sounds like she needs to go to the vet. Never make the assumption that a new reptile "especially a monitor is tame" especially ones that are in slightly poor conidition.

qiksilver · #4 (**permalink**) 04-18-2008, 02:41 PM

I hate to be a downer, BUT, bigger cage, bigger water bowl, more heat, lots of food, get it healthy, don't expect it to be tame, etc. I hope you really know what you got yourself into.

ChrisW9586 · #5 (**permalink**) 04-18-2008, 03:25 PM

i am sorry, guys. i am sorry that i gave you guys a feeling that i dont know anything about water monitors. i have been reading caresheets, listening to personal experiences, and opinions of water monitor for at least half year. the reason that i asked about which tank i should use for him is that i have heard from some guy saying that he found out using a big tank for his baby salv. made his babe salv felt unsecured. his baby became active after he put his baby into a 10g or 20L tank. and when i ask questions, doesnt mean that i just take home something that i dont know about. i work in a pet store, which means i should have at least some basic knowledge about reptiles. and i also have customers who have water monitors. i have talked to them a lot about waters. But, thank you for yours concern. i understand what you guys are thinking cux i will do that sometimes to some other ppl.

Quote:

Originally Posted by boaterr

What kind of substrate are you using, and why does is look so damp? Also you might as well get a bigger cage because she already looks a little cramped in there. How many monitors have you kept succesfully?

Other than crickets what are you trying to feed her? A few crickets is not enough food, she has a whole lot of growing to do so you should start feeding her the normal amount of food that baby giant monitors need.

Also please explain more about her broken tail, because it sounds like she needs to go to the vet. Never make the assumption that a new reptile "especially a monitor is tame" especially ones that are in slightly poor conidition.

I am using mulch as a substrate. it looks so damp becux i used hot water to wash up the substrate before i put them in the tank. and he is actually my first monitor. i have had experience with ball python, redtail boa, veiled cham., bearded dragon, kingsnake, corn snake, burmese python, and green basilisk before. i fed him only few crickets becux that was his first day in his new enviornment. and he was kinda shy facing me. so i dont want too many left over crickets roaming around the tank overnight. and i will sure feed him the normal amount of food when i see him get back his appetite. i will post up some pics of his tail later today. i will handle him with care. thank you for your opinion.

i am the kinda person that always wanna make sure everything. i was just trying to make sure that i havent missed anything. but, thank you y'all. i really appreciate your help.

allergenic · #6 (**permalink**) 04-18-2008, 04:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ChrisW9586

i am sorry, guys. i am sorry that i gave you guys a feeling that i dont know anything about water monitors.

Does he have tail rot? Is that why it broke off?

florida 87 · #7 (**permalink**) 04-18-2008, 04:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ChrisW9586

the reason that i asked about which tank i should use for him is that i have heard from some guy saying that he found out using a big tank for his baby salv. made his babe salv felt unsecured. his baby became active after he put his baby into a 10g or 20L tank.

You're thinking right about cage keeping him in a "smaller" cage. Babies can get stressed out if an enclosure is too big for them. However, a ten is too small. Also, do you know what local he is? I know you get discount at the shop you work at, but if you dont feel like spending the money on a glass tank, start building (and yes, RAZE is deffinately the person to talk to about that). He's gonna grow really fast, so I personally wouldn't waste my money on a glass tank that he'll outgrow.

We get baby water monitors into our shop about every other month, and they are ALWAYS sweet (deceptively so, we sell WAY to many to people that probably dont know what they're getting into). These monitors have awesome personalities as far as monitors go, but when he starts getting bigger, dont let his feeding response scare you. Somebody brought in a 6 month old asian water monitor a few months ago because he was "too big and too mean". Turns out he just gets really excited every time you open the tank because he thinks hes getting fed, and hes really a big sweetie when hes out of the tank. He's at our apartment now, and lots of fun

.

Hope I helped a bit. I know I didn't answer any of your real questions, but I hope somebody more qualified does!

razeraze · #8 (**permalink**) 04-18-2008, 08:35 PM

Waters are large dangerous reptiles. They have been know to get longer than komodo dragons and should be considered just as dangerous. Soil substrate is what you need, and plan on a cage at least 9'L x 5'W x5'T; ideal would be 20'L x 10'W x8'T. There is no good care sheet for a monitor, and few good books. I recommend you search this site for the books I have recommended and get as many as you can afford. My water monitor left some nasty bite wounds, so be prepared to loose a digit, or even your life to this beautiful monitor.

jtmoney · #9 (**permalink**) 04-18-2008, 08:49 PM

20'L x 10'W x8'T

WOW Thats huge .... I do know that they get massive ... thats whats kept me away from them. Good luck man ... Hope you can make a HUGE tank for this guy as its going to need it.

razeraze · #10 (**permalink**) 04-18-2008, 09:00 PM

Most monitor keepers suggest a cage as wide as the monitor's length and twice as long as the monitor's length. The largest water monitor recorded was 10' 4". 7+ feet is pretty normal. My blackthroat is only a little over 5 feet and already his cage is looking a little small.

jtmoney · #11 (**permalink**) 04-18-2008, 09:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by razeraze

Most monitor keepers suggest a cage as wide as the monitor's length and twice as long as the monitor's length. The largest water monitor recorded was 10' 4". 7+ feet is pretty normal. My blackthroat is only a little over 5 feet and already his cage is looking a little small.

Ya I know that is why I am kinda staying away from the large guys. I totally agree with the HUGE cage. You almost need a full room just for them or a large straight wall in a basement.

spike06 · #12 (**permalink**) 04-18-2008, 09:12 PM

raise ur basking up to 130...and as stated many times before, bigger cage! if there are plenty of spots for the little one to hide it shouldnt be stressed out

DRZRider · #13 (**permalink**) 04-18-2008, 09:53 PM

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florida 87 · #14 (**permalink**) 04-18-2008, 10:00 PM

My roommate and her Ziggy

jtmoney · #15 (**permalink**) 04-18-2008, 10:06 PM

That pic is great

razeraze · #16 (**permalink**) 04-18-2008, 11:28 PM

Here was our little girl before she passed away:

allergenic · #17 (**permalink**) 04-19-2008, 12:16 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by razeraze

Here was our little girl before she passed away:

Off topic, I have those same socks. Nice1. Hanes ftw.

allergenic · #18 (**permalink**) 04-19-2008, 02:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by spike06

raise ur basking up to 130...and as stated many times before, bigger cage! if there are plenty of spots for the little one to hide it shouldnt be stressed out

Spike what monitors have you kept?

florida 87 · #19 (**permalink**) 04-19-2008, 02:07 AM

She was very pretty Raze. And I think everybody has those socks, or some knock off. And hanes ftl, fruit of the loom is so much better. Thats as far off topic as I'll go, I swear.

razeraze · #20 (**permalink**) 04-19-2008, 02:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by florida 87

She was very pretty Raze. And I think everybody has those socks, or some knock off. And hanes ftl, fruit of the loom is so much better. Thats as far off topic as I'll go, I swear.

Thanks she was a beauty. The socks and mat came in handy when I did not want to put my shoes on to go into the cage. When she wanted to she could stir up all kinds of fight and I would get covered in mud, dirt and water.

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