# Sparky, some questions



## Bawb2u (May 27, 2004)

Answer these and we'll see if we can keep your monitor alive.

How big is your cage?

How are you heating it?

Do you have a hot spot?

What are you using for substrate?

Do you have UV lighting.


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## blackmaskelongatus (May 25, 2007)

Bawb2u said:


> Answer these and we'll see if we can keep your monitor alive.
> 
> How big is your cage?
> 
> ...


How big is your cage? well right now he's in a tank 3'L 2'W and 1/5' T because he's small but when big 7'L 5'W 1'-5'T

How are you heating it? i have a heat pad under the tank my light and a heatin rock that i did some custome work on that make's it warm for her at night!

Do you have a hot spot? yes it's 98* i can make it hoter but i don't want to!

What are you using for substrate? dirt!

Do you have UV lighting. yea and i have a little tank set up near a window to get some sun!

so how am i doin?


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## blackmaskelongatus (May 25, 2007)

and to add i take mine out side for a run every day and got mine trained like a dog to go the bath room out side! but how i managed it it's because she doesin't like to smell it in her house but some time she does but i clean it out dayly if she does!


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## Mettle (Dec 29, 2003)

UVB does not travel through glass. Putting the tank near a window will only serve to heat up the tank further, possibly altering temps.

Have any pics of the set-up?

Where are you getting the dirt from?


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## blackmaskelongatus (May 25, 2007)

Mettle said:


> UVB does not travel through glass. Putting the tank near a window will only serve to heat up the tank further, possibly altering temps.
> 
> Have any pics of the set-up?
> 
> Where are you getting the dirt from?


Have any pics of the set-up? no if i did i would have this site crawing with pics!

Where are you getting the dirt from? back yard!

UVB does not travel through glass. Putting the tank near a window will only serve to heat up the tank further, possibly altering temps.
but i do take her out side everyday so that will help!


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## cueball (May 24, 2005)

ya you take you r lizard out doors your either gonna sun bake it or the extra rays from then sun is gonna make her more pissed off,,,

thay seem to go back to a natural state when put under the sun


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## blackmaskelongatus (May 25, 2007)

yea i do take her out side i let her run around got the wash room! so far i know what you mean about that go to natural state but he you keep her near you she doesin't mine now has stoped that!


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## ChilDawg (Apr 30, 2006)

How do you ensure that the tank doesn't overheat from being in the sun?


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## blackmaskelongatus (May 25, 2007)

i have know lid and i have a place where she can go to get away from the sun half in the shade and a bit in the sun and it's just there to get natural uv!

i don't put her there all day! like a hour or so at max but mostly i take her out side and let her run!


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## Bawb2u (May 27, 2004)

!sparky! said:


> Answer these and we'll see if we can keep your monitor alive.
> 
> How big is your cage?
> 
> ...


How big is your cage? 
*well right now he's in a tank 3'L 2'W and 1/5' T because he's small but when big 7'L 5'W 1'-5'T*

OK that's a green light. Decent size for a while. I'm assuming it's glass, right? You should also have a screen cover. It helps prevent escapes and gives you a place for lights.

How are you heating it?
* i have a heat pad under the tank my light and a heatin rock that i did some custome work on that make's it warm for her at night!*

That's a red light. Heat pads and heat rocks are not good, they can have spots that get way Too hot and can burn your lizard. Best is an overhead heat source. Clamp lights with ceramic sockets and heat emitters are the best. Under the heat source build a platform about a foot high at least as long as the sav. A good way is a piece of slate, raised up with bricks on each side, it give the animal a platform to bask on and a heated hide spot underneath.

Do you have a hot spot?

*yes it's 98* i can make it hoter but i don't want to!*
That's a red light. Monitors run on heat. They need it to be active and for digesting their food. The hot area should be at least as big as the animal and should be between 110F and 130F. They should also have a cooler area so they can move between the two to self-regulate their body heat. You also need a water dish at least the length of the monitor and 2/3 times it's width at least 2" deep.

What are you using for substrate? 
*dirt!*
That's a yellow light. Dirt can be good and bad. Good points are if it's deep enough they can burrow which savs like. Bad part is their feces and urine can cause it to sour and let bad bacteria build up. Dirt NEEDS to be changed on a regular and frequent basis.

Do you have UV lighting. 
*yea and i have a little tank set up near a window to get some sun!*
Red light. Glass blocks beneficial UVA and UVB rays. Monitors need UVB to use the calcium in their food to build up their bones, lack of calcium adsorbtion causes metabolic bone disease, a softening and weakening of the bones. Using the window is bad both for the fact it blocks the UV rays and it can cause the entire tank to get too hot. Get a 2' flourescent light fixture and a Repti-Sun UV tube, that'll give you decent UV without adding too much extra heat.

*so how am i doin?*
C-/D You'll need to spend some money and you need to learn a LOT more about monitors. You seem to be attributing human behaviour to your monitor that it doesn't have by thinking it can be trained not to defecate in it's cage, it's going to go whaen it needs to either in the cage, out of the cage or on you. You should never let a monitor run loose outside, it's a real good way to lose it and you need to STOP feeding it shrimp and fish and feed more appropriate and properly sized food.

That's all I have time for now, read all that and I'll come back later to answer more questions and give you some suggestions on what to do to make things better for your monitor. 
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## blackmaskelongatus (May 25, 2007)

ok i will make thease changes and for feedin i have everythin cut up! even for my fish i have it cut up!


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