Collection of Articles and advice to help us keep our herps

[davo]

Just remembered this great online resource with all the monitor talk going on...
From this site there are links to many publications, regarding both wild and captive cared monitors.
http://varanidae.org/

You can download BIAWAK, which is a pdf journal freely available - http://varanidae.org/biawak

And they have an open literature section - http://varanidae.org/resources

Enjoy browsing, I do.
Cheers.

 

[malawi haps]

The last layer of crete I added some grout to make some color contrasts to give it some depth .

While the background was drying I knew I was going to add a mist system to the tank and wanted some kind of water proofer to put on the cement to keep water from penetrating it. I did a ton of reserch and spoke to a dozen or so companys and finnaly came up with a non toxic latex based product called "Seal krete".They have two kinds an oil based and a latex based .After a 45 min conversation with the company they assured me the latex based once fully cured was completly non toxic.And it impregnated the cement to permanantly form a water barrier. I masked the wood off with masking paper and I applied it using a cheap dollar store garden pump type sprayer.This stuff comes out like milk so you can tell what has and has not been covered and dries clear.

I did not cover the bottom stone with this product due to it being submerged in water and did not want to take a chance at somthing happening. I applied the sealer in 4 light coats to assure uniform coverage.

 

[malawi haps]

Let me back up b4 I continue b4 I lowered this approx 400 plus lb thing off of the bench I installed 4 super heavy duty casters on the bottom of the tank .Their is no way I could carry this thing around!!!

Next on the agenda is lighting .I built a light box seperately from the main cage due to it being 7 foot tall as is and I would not be able to get it inside if the house easily if not . In side the box I mounted a out let and three metal boxes .I used ceramic light sockets due to heat issues using 250 watt uvb uva bulbs .I also have it wired so the two outside lights will run off of a timer and the center will remain on as long as the tank is plugged in to a outlet(using a infarred bulb for nocturnal light phase) painted the inside with outdoor latex to keep humidity issues at bay I also previously installed blocking on the tank to hold egg crate flush at the top of the main cage to keep any escape artisit at bay and will be dowel pinning the light box to keep it from moving around and putting L shaped stainless brackets at the bottom to lock the egg crate down.

 

[malawi haps]

The front of the light box is hinged for easy access to programing timers and bulb replacement.


Since the whole front of this tank will be glass b4 I installed the 1x4 i cut a groove in the end and cut a groove in the bottom of the tank so I could in set a piece of fixed glass to the bottom for viewing swimming and above that I will have two hinged dors for full frontal access for feeding , cleaning , and maintanance. I am lucky enough to know a owner of a glass company and he came out took some mesurements for the fixed piece of 1/4 " glass .After 5 attempts of cutting this piece and failing he advised me I would need to get somthing other than glass for the bottom piece due to the only way to get this piece in glass would be using tempered and it would be very $$$$$$. So I just so happen to have a friend who has a acryllic company and has a lazer cutter he whipped it out of 1/4 " acryllic in 30 min to the tune of 100$ . I took it home and silaconed it in place (I told you I should have stock in this stuff) This is where I am at this point .I will probibly still get tempered glass for the doors for rigidity and they will set me back around 250 a piece x2 hinges good enough to hold such a piece of glass are around 50$ea x4 so I will be working on the mist system next and saving up for the doors .

 

[davo]

Not the most original of site names, but this was an interesting site for
Tree monitors - http://treemonitors.com/index.htm

 

[malawi haps]

Now thats dedication. LOL! I think you should have installed a drain on the bottom thought as it is gonna be hard to clean the water part.

Great job so far looking forward to the finished product.

I was gong to use a submersible filter and use a shop vac wet dry to suck the water out .I could still put a drain in the bottom with minimal effort but I figured that the shop vac route would be easier.

 

[malawi haps]

I say that because even tree monitors appreciate a good, deep, diggable substrate. And even so, I'd go bigger myself. And with something THAT expensive and rare, you will not be happy when it dies. Only a few people have bred them... I wouldnt risk a SINGLE point in my husbandry if I were to get one.

The tank is 7 1/2 foot high by 4 foot wide by 2 foot deep. Plus this is the largest my wife would givew me a hall pass to make.

 

[varanio]

Building enclosures is more than getting 5 sides of wood and viewing glass in the front. There are many things to consider. What species will it house? How the species is specialized, ground dwelling, semi aquatic, aquatic, arboreal, etc. Is it from drier parts, humid etc.... I hope people can contribute their diy ideas and or cages. This is for sharing of information so that we can then help eachother on whats worked and what hasnt before anything is etched in stone. Cage building is expensive if not done right or numerous amounts of time.

 

[varanio]

Ill start this off with a tree monitor design. Most of the cages are like this and are formatted to fit the animal. If the animal is more aroboreal as this is the case. More vertical space would be added. If the animal is more fossorial, then it would be longer with more depth and room to fit the amount suitable for deeper substrade. I highly recommed FRP outlining for any wooden cage, wood rots when exposed to too humid or wet conditions. Lining the wood with FRP greatly increases the years your cage can withstand the temp and humidity extremes.

The example below the tree monitor is something for more fossorial animals, ackies etc`

 

[varanio]

loco the last cage currently houses these I think..... I have 4 of those cages same design etc.... one has peachies one, has tristis, one has another pair of peachies, and the other one is empty waiting for my indicus to get full grown.