hi i am trying to find out as much info as i can before considering getting a ackie (ridge tailed monitor) i did have a look at a few threads and got a little bit of information but wanted to find out some more now i saw basking temps should range from 50-60 degrees and saw a few people say that night time heating is not required is this true for babys or more for older monitors? also couldnt seem to find anywhere stating how large they actually get in length. would a single do they do better with a friend or happy to be solitairy? and if so would a 3 foot melamine enclosure be good for them and im assuming that they would also need a uv source? would a heat emitter be ok or would i be better off obtaining the required temps using a differnet heat source any and all help is greatly appreciated thanks in advance.
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Scleropages
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I keep and breed them , I don't use heat at night in brissy , baskin spot is around 60c in the daytime with UV , I use a 4x2x3H enclosure with rock wall for my 3 adults , I use 35W down lights to get the temp up , cheaper to run than ceramics...
They seem fine on their own or in groups , males will tend to fight wile breeding and females will tend to attack others after they have layed their eggs.
Pic:
They seem fine on their own or in groups , males will tend to fight wile breeding and females will tend to attack others after they have layed their eggs.
Pic:
Night time heating will depend on your location. I'm in the ACT so temperatures at night can get very low, so I usually have something in place (ceramics) for the really cold nights in the middle of winter (>15°C). In summer, even for the juveniles I don't provide night time heat.
Off the top of my head, without them in front of me, I'd say the average size of my adults is about 200mm SVL, with a total length of about 500mm.
While they are young they do well in groups, however, they can become aggressive when they get older (depending on the individual).
For a pair I'd recommend 4ft enclosure minimum, but the more space you give them the better. You can add in rock walls, branches, etc. to increase the usable space.
The general thought is that they don't need UV. However, I'm with Scleropages and I supply it anyway. There have also been suggestions that UV enhances their colours.
I also use down lights, but 50W. Getting the basking temperature up to 50-60°C is a matter of matching: the distance between the light and basking site, and the wattage. I use 50W at about 170mm (ish) at two different locations in the enclosure.
Here's a pic of the enclosure for my trio, dimensions are 1800Lx1200Hx700D.
Off the top of my head, without them in front of me, I'd say the average size of my adults is about 200mm SVL, with a total length of about 500mm.
While they are young they do well in groups, however, they can become aggressive when they get older (depending on the individual).
For a pair I'd recommend 4ft enclosure minimum, but the more space you give them the better. You can add in rock walls, branches, etc. to increase the usable space.
The general thought is that they don't need UV. However, I'm with Scleropages and I supply it anyway. There have also been suggestions that UV enhances their colours.
I also use down lights, but 50W. Getting the basking temperature up to 50-60°C is a matter of matching: the distance between the light and basking site, and the wattage. I use 50W at about 170mm (ish) at two different locations in the enclosure.
Here's a pic of the enclosure for my trio, dimensions are 1800Lx1200Hx700D.
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I don't use a thermostat for monitors, and there aren't many that will go up to the temperature you need for the basking spot. To be clear, you're not looking to heat the air, but objects under the light. This is what infrared temperature guns are good at measuring, but you can also place the probe of a digital thermometer at the basking site.
You want to create a basking spot between 50-60°C, but you want to have the ambient air temperature close to room temperature. Down lights work well, but you can also use a globes which have a reflective coating on the top half. Rather than increasing wattage (which will increase the ambient air temperature), decrease the distance between the light and the basking site. You shouldn't need to go above 75W.
3ft should be ok for an adult, just give it plenty of stuff to climb to increase the uasble space (this is why I put a shelf in my enclosure). Rock walls work great!
You want to create a basking spot between 50-60°C, but you want to have the ambient air temperature close to room temperature. Down lights work well, but you can also use a globes which have a reflective coating on the top half. Rather than increasing wattage (which will increase the ambient air temperature), decrease the distance between the light and the basking site. You shouldn't need to go above 75W.
3ft should be ok for an adult, just give it plenty of stuff to climb to increase the uasble space (this is why I put a shelf in my enclosure). Rock walls work great!
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Andrew_thompson
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hi people i am also getting a sandfire ridge tailed monitor this christmas which is in 14 days so i need help and fast! i have built a 6x2x2ft enclosure out of white melamine wood with perspex front sliding doors. just wanted to know theres alot of different opinions on heating and light solutions i was wondering what lights/emitters/wattiage/fittings/thermostats anything at all i need will help what is the tempreture that the enclosure should be what should the cold end be at and also the hot end. whats the best substrate and also anything else i have left out thanks alot and i will also upload some pictures of my enclosure where would the best spot for the lights to go. do use recommend i put a shelf in or a foam backwall or anything? cheers would help alot
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black_headed_mon
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i use a thermostat at the cool end set for 36 mainly for summer.(depends here u live)i use it as a kill switch!!!
Andrew_thompson
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i currently have a thermostat for my bluetounges which ill be using for the monitor if it is needed. i purchased it for around the $100 dollar mark and it says on the box advanced reptile thermostat - electronic thermostat with timer is this good enough? also what lights are the best for day and night and how many will i need how close do they need to be to the surface and whats the hot basking temp meant to be thanks
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