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 #1726661


Audio
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 Substrate question

With the crapload of substrate you have to use for large monitors, do you really have to sterlize all of that? I see people with cages the size of a room... Do you replace the whole substrate every certain number of months the way you do for small reptiles?

Outside of sterilizing bug infested things you found outside, how important is sterilizing really? I do it (for my gecko) but I’m just not really sure what’s important and what isn’t about it.
05/06/08  12:07am

 #1726666


Sidbarvin
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   Message To: Audio   In reference to Message Id: 1726661


 Substrate question

Well, seeing as how monitors and other animals have existed for millions of years in environments that are far from sterile, I can’t see much use in sterilizing substrates or cage fixtures. There are beneficial microbes and other organisms (roly polys, centipedes, millipedes, earth worms) that aid in the breakdown of the waste produced by animals. My only concern when I collect substrates and cage fixtures from outdoors are ants. I hate ants. If I find ants on anything I either bag it up in black trashbags and leave them in the hot sun for a few days and cook them or with dirt or leaflitter, I spread a large tarp on the ground in the sun. The ants soon look for cooler places and leave.



05/06/08  12:17am

 #1726894


Jtmoney528
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   Message To: Sidbarvin   In reference to Message Id: 1726666


 Substrate question

I hear you on ants and that is why I dont use outside dirt. I had an ant problem and they took out two hatchling geckos :(
05/06/08  10:30am

 #1726945


Mikes Monitors!
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   Message To: Audio   In reference to Message Id: 1726661


 Substrate question

Everything goes in!
What can’t take the heat and humidity soon scramble to get out of the enclosure.
Then...I KILL EM!
It’s funny how for snakes I don’t want anything living in their enclosures, heck I don’t even use branches with bark on them for snakes!
Yet for my Monitors it all goes in with the exception of a live bee’s nest.
Like Roger said in a "forest" Monitors cage all of the millipedes, centipedes and roly polies are the only lil things that stay for very long periods...and they earn their keep so to speak!
What ever fecal matter you miss soon gets brokn down by these "lil work horses"!
I love them!
Mike
05/06/08  12:11pm

 #1727337


Norf
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   Message To: Mikes Monitors!   In reference to Message Id: 1726945


 Substrate question

I bet we all really dislike ants in our enclosures, but what can they possibly do to a monitor if it is not just a few weeks old or less? Can they do a significant amount of damage? because if so then I have some work to do...
05/06/08  07:03pm

 #1727364


Audio
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   Message To: Norf   In reference to Message Id: 1727337


 Substrate question

thank you guys for the great replies (that rhymed...)

i didn’t get the same quality answers on the tegu forum >.>
05/06/08  07:25pm

 #1727404


Sdslancs
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   Message To: Norf   In reference to Message Id: 1727337


 Substrate question

Quote:

Can they do a significant amount of damage? because if so then I have some work to do...

Do you have a big problem with them? I had some for a while and it took several weeks for them to disappear. I didn’t notice any problems with my monitor, but he’s quite big. I would not have left them in with a younger/smaller monitor, as they might stress them.
05/06/08  07:54pm

 #1727418


Norf
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   Message To: Sdslancs   In reference to Message Id: 1727404


 Substrate question

It’s not too bad right now but I’ve noticed a lot of ants in my backyard(thats where his enclosure is). I just don’t want to wait till it gets really bad for me to react.
05/06/08  08:08pm

 #1727449


Sdslancs
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   Message To: Norf   In reference to Message Id: 1727418


 Substrate question

Quote:

I’ve noticed a lot of ants in my backyard(thats where his enclosure is).


You leave him out 24/7? In SoCal? When I lived there, we had fire ants. I wouldn’t let them near my monitor! Hopefully, they’re not your problem?
05/06/08  08:30pm

 #1728390


Norf
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   Message To: Sdslancs   In reference to Message Id: 1727449


 Substrate question

Thankfuly no, they’re not fire ants. If they were I would have gotten rid of them immediately.
05/07/08  05:33pm


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