Heating a 6'x2'x2' fish tank for monitors

[mrs_davo]

Here is a couple of pics of one of our ackies that we used to have and their enclosure...

We found that they were extreme heat seekers - 50-60 deg in summer ( sitting on top of their rocks )
and in winter about 10 deg or so less ( due to lower ambient tem )

cheers Ian

[Robo1]

The advice that's been given is good. Ceramics don't project heat well, they heat the air around them instead. Most of my enclosures use 50W GU10 globes, but I have some I haven't converted yet. They use 75W Phillips spot globes (30°). I recently found a Nelson 50W halogen globe which has an ES fitting in Bunnings, but I haven't tested them yet.
The wattage will depend on the distance between the globe and the basking spot and the ventilation arrangement. The globe should be of a low enough wattage that it doesn't increase the ambient air temperature too much, even on hot days. The wattage should be high enough to provide the desired basking spot temperature. Normally the ventilation is fixed, restricting the maximum globe wattage in smaller enclosures (not such a problem here). So your wattage will only depend on the distance from three globe to the basking site. For the 75W spot globes I have a distance which varies from about 70 to 140mm. I don't use any other heating, but these enclosures are in rooms where the air temperature doesn't drop much below 15°C on winter nights.

[Frozenmouse]

+1
and you dont need the UV batton

Sorry it seems to be accepted on aps that uv is not needed for monitors but there is overwhelming evidence to suggest to the contrary.
Vitamin D is needed by reptiles especially monitors to metabolize calcium correctly and diet can affect the uv requirements of monitors greatly so to play it safe all of you anti uv for monitors people should reconsider.
Unless your monitor has direct sunlight where they are housed you really should have at least uv5.0 for them .
Immediate problems with lack of uv are not evident but it can drastically affect adult size and longevity.

[blakehose]

What evidence do you have that suggests UV is needed for monitors?

[Sinners121]

i base mine on reading. i am yet to find any conclusive evidence saying they do need uv. they do need a good diet and without do have many problems however i have not yet read any material suggesting that when fed an appropriate diet they still end up with UV based problems. but i have read many posts on here and other forums by respected monitor keepers and they dont use UV and are keeping their collections healthy and in top condition. if i am wrong i would love to read about it or hear from a keeper.

also what do you base their reduced longevity without UV on?

[SA_Goannas]

but there is overwhelming evidence to suggest to the contrary.

Show me.... & I don't mean a comment from a teenager on a forum.

UV is not needed. I've kept monitors for many years & rarely used a UV lighting source. My pair of Panoptes & Varius are nearing 10 years old & have never seen a UV globe. As long as they're regularly being fed whole prey items (rodents, quail etc.) they will be fine.

[Frozenmouse]

UV is not needed. I've kept monitors for many years & rarely used a UV lighting source. My pair of Panoptes & Varius are nearing 10 years old & have never seen a UV globe. As long as they're regularly being fed whole prey items (rodents, quail etc.) they will be fine.

What if they are not eating whole prey items?

[SA_Goannas]

What if they are not eating whole prey items?

That's when I have used a UV globe... & also dusted crickets & cockroaches with a calcium additive.

[Frozenmouse]

What are panoptes like as captives do they tame well ?, i used to have a resident wild panoptes when i was living in nw wa it was massive in fact bigger than any lacey or perentie i have ever seen most books say 1.4 m but this one was 2 m and bulky as.

[SA_Goannas]

What are panoptes like as captives do they tame well ?, i used to have a resident wild panoptes when i was living in nw wa it was massive in fact bigger than any lacey or perentie i have ever seen most books say 1.4 m but this one was 2 m and bulky as.

Mine are quite tame, well as tame as one can expect from a monitor. The male is especially good, he'll come to the glass door & almost ask to be lifted out, both are happy to be held occasionally. You need to remain wary though, come feeding time & my Panoptes have a feeding response like nothing I've seen before, my Varuis included.

[Frozenmouse]

my Panoptes have a feeding response like nothing I've seen before, my Varuis included.

Count your fingers after feeding times

[SA_Goannas]

Count your fingers after feeding times

I'm more worried about losing my hand than just a finger