Monitor enclosure discussion thread - Page 17

Rudiman · 09-23-12, 07:09 AM

My new vive will have no vents, I should get enough air exchange with opening the 30"x50" door every day for general maintenance.

Scott

infernalis · 09-23-12, 07:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rudiman

My new vive will have no vents, I should get enough air exchange with opening the 30"x50" door every day for general maintenance.

Scott

exactly! Once I ran beads of glue along every seam, and put weather strips on the door, my cage environment stabilized and holds steady.

With the insulation, we had a 24 hour power outage, and the cage never fell below 80 degrees inside.

Rudiman · 09-23-12, 07:20 AM

We will be putting weather strip around the "airlock" to the door. Plus the humidifiers draw in a small amount of fresh air from the outside of the vive.

Scott

infernalis · 09-23-12, 07:26 AM

sounds like a cunning plan...

Rudiman · 09-23-12, 07:28 AM

I figure it's like building a ship inside out.....

Scott

infernalis · 09-23-12, 07:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rudiman

I figure it's like building a ship inside out.....

Scott

.............

..............

Pirarucu · 09-23-12, 09:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by varanus_mad

At what point does a savs level of constant dehydration become a problem?

i wouldnt like to say.

Id stick with the tried and tested method of no vents.

if its losing humidity in there on a regular basis no matter how small its still leaching from your savs system.

That statement is vague at best and im not entirely sure id feel comfortable saying something like that...

If the water in the soil goes into the air faster than the humid air leaves the cage, then the sav will not become dehydrated, and the cage will stay just as humid as it would if it was sealed. The only difference is that you need to water the soil more to ensure that it is keeping the air humid. I'm not denying that completely sealed isn't better than having leaks, but a small leak is nothing to get on someone about if their cage stays humid enough.

Look at PE's cages. They have leaks where their lamps are, and those are on top, right where the heat will be rising. They still do great.

simpleyork · 09-23-12, 02:19 PM

Was looking through a Lizard keeping book I bought 12 or so years back, It has one paragraph on Savannah Monitor care and I quote "If the humidity is kept low, plenty of sunshine is provided, and the correct diet is fed to this lizard ,it should prove to be very hardy." end quote
Poor savs that are kept because of this book, My first sav was one of them.

infernalis · 09-23-12, 03:13 PM

Don't feel bad..

I have an issue of "Reptiles" magazine from 1998 that has an article about Savannah Monitors in it, says about the same thing, recommends "chicken coop" type enclosures with an inverted ice chest for a hide.

This was read by thousands of lizard enthusiasts.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Daniel Bennett

He used this to suggest a rethink of savannah monitor husbandry that should have landed him in prison.

Lobretto · 09-30-12, 10:55 PM

This is my first post here. I came here because of you Wayne, everywhere I look I see your name as a top notch savannah keeper. I have kept a lot of reptiles in my life, some easy some tougher. I have a pair columbian red tail boas that I've had for 11 years, a 3 year old Brazilian rainbow boa, several bearded dragons ranging from a year old to 5. I felt like I was ready to take care of my favorite of all, MONITORS. I've read and read and then read more then finally I got my first, my lovely Ridex, destroyer of roaches, worms, and all things that creep and crawl.

Ridex is about 6 months old and roughly 12-14 inches. I have her in a custom built 6x3x3 enclosure. I there is minimal venting which keeps the day time ambient temp around 85 with a cool area around 78. Night time temp is always around 75 with just 1 ceramic heat emitter. Humidity is kept between 65-75% although near her large water tub for swimming its near 100%. I keep heat tape under the swimming tub to help with the all around humidity and she loves swimming in the 80-85 degree water. There is a ramp that goes up to her basking spot that is 130-150 degrees. There is 12 inches of soil now but when she gets bigger she will be moved into the 8x4x4 with 24 inches. She has a smaller water dish that she uses for drinking, it's amazing how smart she is. I have several hides for her made up of logs and plants on the ground level and one near her basking spot just incase she needs to hide while up top.

I would like to know if this sounds like the road to a happy healthy monitor free from the terrors of slowly dieing to gout. Any advise will be greatly appreciated or just letting me know that all is well is even better! Thanks much!

infernalis · 10-01-12, 12:15 AM

From the sounds of what you describe, you have a lucky lizard.

Thanks for the kind words.

Lobretto · 10-01-12, 10:54 AM

Awesome, I pray that she gets to be in that small group that make it well past 5.

Pirarucu · 10-01-12, 03:45 PM

That sounds like a lucky lizard to have you as an owner. Far luckier than most, she should live past five with no problems whatsoever.

Lobretto · 10-01-12, 04:42 PM

I went ahead and sealed the vent between the glass and the top with weather striping to better hold heat and humidity, the Nevada winter is fast approaching and it can get cold even in doors.

infernalis · 10-01-12, 04:57 PM

Insulate the enclosure, put a layer of foam board and build outer walls, like a house or a room would be built.

Went without power for 24 hours once, and my monitor enclosure never dropped below 80 degrees.(F)