BrandonVeenstra
09-01-03, 01:29 PM
Well, recently I have been intrigued by monitors. I've had some basic herps in the past, Cal Kings, Corns, Emperor Scorpions, and enjoyed them all. But because of this sudden change of heart toward monitors, I'm going to be selling my king and giving my corn away in order to start the building of a habitat for a monitor. How’s my idea so far...
This habitat will be for a peach-throat monitor which I believe will suit me best. I have roughly sketched out and wrote down some ideas on the cage. Here’s what I have so far. I may decide to scan up my rough sketch and jotted down ideas, but they are very sloppy (never passed art in public school, didn’t take during high school (and wont start)
I will build it myself. The cage being 9.5' by 4.5' possible 5' if I can conjure up some more room. A depth of 4'. I will use a reptile-bark substrate which I have used for all my passed herps, Little expensive but I like it. Going to have about 8-10" possible 1' of substrate, not sure if I need it that deep. The southern end of the tank I will have as the hot spot. In the right corner, I will have a handmade den. On the left side a large hiding box. The central part of the cage I will have a basking pond. Roughly 5" in depth. As it goes north, I will have it change into a swimming/hunting pond of about 1' in depth. An idea I think would work, maybe you can tell me otherwise. I would like a small lip around the water, roughly 1.5" or so. Trying to limit the amount of debris that will be thrown into the water =(.
Probably going to use a filter for the water, instead of doing it by hand. Trying to keep it as clean as possible. Use some aquatic plants to oxygenate the water. In the northern left hand corner, have a semi-vegetated area for hiding. To the right have larger rock. Through out the rest of the cage, have limbs of trees and so on for its juv-adult life for arboreal activities.
On the southern wall, I am going to make a hatch door, that will be locked from the outside. Hopefully when its older I can get it a lil more tame it may use it hehe. The lid will also be wood but designed differently. Obviously, I will have large air holes through the whole lid and possible the higher parts of the sides. The bottom and top (length wise) will have a large whole in both. I will cover the holes with chicken wire and that’s where my heat lamps would sit. The middle 4ft of the lid, would be another hatch I could use to access the monitor for handling. I may also make the two other parts hatches, since I doubt it will be easy access getting a hold of the monitor during the first stages...
That’s my basic ideas at the moment. I am yet to buy any of this, but I want a good plan so I know what I am doing. I have roughly 1 year to get the tank done. Although I do have one question, is there something I could do to the wood or certain types of woods I could buy, that would stop the urine stench from leaking through the wood? Well... looking forward to hearing anyone’s thoughts on my project
This habitat will be for a peach-throat monitor which I believe will suit me best. I have roughly sketched out and wrote down some ideas on the cage. Here’s what I have so far. I may decide to scan up my rough sketch and jotted down ideas, but they are very sloppy (never passed art in public school, didn’t take during high school (and wont start)
I will build it myself. The cage being 9.5' by 4.5' possible 5' if I can conjure up some more room. A depth of 4'. I will use a reptile-bark substrate which I have used for all my passed herps, Little expensive but I like it. Going to have about 8-10" possible 1' of substrate, not sure if I need it that deep. The southern end of the tank I will have as the hot spot. In the right corner, I will have a handmade den. On the left side a large hiding box. The central part of the cage I will have a basking pond. Roughly 5" in depth. As it goes north, I will have it change into a swimming/hunting pond of about 1' in depth. An idea I think would work, maybe you can tell me otherwise. I would like a small lip around the water, roughly 1.5" or so. Trying to limit the amount of debris that will be thrown into the water =(.
Probably going to use a filter for the water, instead of doing it by hand. Trying to keep it as clean as possible. Use some aquatic plants to oxygenate the water. In the northern left hand corner, have a semi-vegetated area for hiding. To the right have larger rock. Through out the rest of the cage, have limbs of trees and so on for its juv-adult life for arboreal activities.
On the southern wall, I am going to make a hatch door, that will be locked from the outside. Hopefully when its older I can get it a lil more tame it may use it hehe. The lid will also be wood but designed differently. Obviously, I will have large air holes through the whole lid and possible the higher parts of the sides. The bottom and top (length wise) will have a large whole in both. I will cover the holes with chicken wire and that’s where my heat lamps would sit. The middle 4ft of the lid, would be another hatch I could use to access the monitor for handling. I may also make the two other parts hatches, since I doubt it will be easy access getting a hold of the monitor during the first stages...
That’s my basic ideas at the moment. I am yet to buy any of this, but I want a good plan so I know what I am doing. I have roughly 1 year to get the tank done. Although I do have one question, is there something I could do to the wood or certain types of woods I could buy, that would stop the urine stench from leaking through the wood? Well... looking forward to hearing anyone’s thoughts on my project