Monitor enclosure discussion thread

[psychocircus]

Originally Posted by infernalis

No harm to the monitors.

I have used bio active (living) tree limbs, dirt, leaves and sod for years, never had a problem.

would enjoy photos of your setup.

I'm in the same exact boat. I've read that you should use bleach and water to soak the branches, then soak in water several times to kill parasites. You find this unnecessary?

[infernalis]

Originally Posted by psychocircus

I'm in the same exact boat. I've read that you should use bleach and water to soak the branches, then soak in water several times to kill parasites. You find this unnecessary?

Not only unnecessary, but it defeats the whole bio active concept.

I don't even clean the poop out of my cage, the feces becomes more dirt almost overnight.

Monitors raised in bio active environments seem to flourish better than animals kept in sterile cages.

[psychocircus]

Originally Posted by infernalis

Not only unnecessary, but it defeats the whole bio active concept.

I don't even clean the poop out of my cage, the feces becomes more dirt almost overnight.

Monitors raised in bio active environments seem to flourish better than animals kept in sterile cages.

I will keep this in mind. Should I avoid pine like we do with snakes?

[infernalis]

Originally Posted by psychocircus

I will keep this in mind. Should I avoid pine like we do with snakes?

within reason, Pine needles are going to be part of the forest floor, but logs dripping with sap should be avoided.

Personally, I am a big fan of locust wood logs, Locust is a species of wood commonly called "Iron wood" because of it's rock hard tightly packed fiber cells.

Locust wood is commonly used by old world farmers to make fences, because the stuff never rots.

Same reason I like it in my enclosures.