# How keeping a Bosc monitor has changed.



## happyherm (Sep 19, 2013)

As the title suggests, I had a pair of sav's going back 8 years ago now. Unfortunately had to sell them as the misses wasn't to keen on big lizards with the little ones. Well the kids have grown and love my collection of balls so I have aquired a juvenile Bosc.
I'm currently pricing up a nice big viv (much the misses dismay):lol2: and have been re-researching substrates and heating methods and can't believe how much it's changed from before. 
I'm pretty certain I'm going to go with a bio active substrate at a minimum depth of 12" rising to 2ft. Those of you with sav's what ratio of soil/sand/leaf litter are you using and would you use sterilised top soil or just soil from the garden/woods. Also any tips from your own experience on this would be great.:notworthy: 
In regards to lighting I have seen a lot of people now use multiple low wattage par38 flood lamps, do you use these on a dimmer stat or just install enough to give you the required basking temps across the length of your lizard. I'm also going to use a 10.0 uv tube does this need to be at any particular height to be of any benefit to the sav. 
Any other suggestions you may have to ensure I have a active and mentally stimulated Bosc would be great. :2thumb:

Thanks all.


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## Ex0tic (Sep 12, 2016)

I don't do large terrestrial monitors but ask Bearwolf he has a Argus and probably has some advise. Welcome back to Monitors


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## bearwolf (Jul 17, 2015)

Hi there happyherm

I am by no means an expert on monitors but i can give you advice based on my experience.

I have a 12ft x 8ft x 6ft enclosure with around a foot to a foot and a half of substrate depending how he moves it around. The soil itself is a mix of wickes sterilised top soil and coco coir blocks both of which were sterilised, i would definitely recommend you use sterilised the list of potential issues for found soil is long and it is difficult to sterilise at home, at around a half and half mix with a bit more in soil, its difficult to say as i add bags every so often. I use springtails in the soil, i also added earthworms but plan on getting a farm as i have found him digging them up and eating them now.

As for lighting i would first ask how big the enclosure you are planning is? I personally would go for something stronger than a 10.0 UV but really the person to talk to about that is arcadiajohn he is far more knowledgable than i on this matter, and will be able to point you in the right direction for the lighting.

All the lighting is on a timer to give day and night for him.

As for heating i use a bank of 3 Swell halogen spotlamps i have used standard spots before but found that they do not heat evenly a large enough area and create a small band of intense heat/light which actually burns, had very minor burns on Bruce's back once only a slight discoloration but quickly removed the spots and replaced with the swell repti ones the only difference is they have a diffuser in the bulb which creates a wider more even patch. 

I use 3 ceramic heat bulbs on a stat which are on 24hrs to provide background heat for him as well.

Check out this care sheet i wrote for more and good luck bud i love my snakes but none are as fun or rewarding as my big monitor and none as challenging, let me know if i can help anymore.

http://www.reptileforums.co.uk/foru...714-amateur-argus-caresheet.html#post12680378


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## happyherm (Sep 19, 2013)

Thanks for the response bear wolf, good read through your caresheet, that's one hell of an enclosure for your boy.
The viv I'm currently having built is 7x3x3.5 lxwxh. Do you run the swell lamps in ceramic holders and after switching to the bulbs did you choose to stat them. Also have you wired all 3 lamps into 1 power supply?
I'll drop Arcadiajon a message and see what his thoughts are on uv.
Do you feel your monitor gets more enrichment from a bio active substrate. 
Thanks again.


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## bearwolf (Jul 17, 2015)

The halogens are unstatted I use an ir temp gun to measure the surface temp of basking spot and alter height of lamps to suit. The lamps are in ceramic holders and are all wired up to the same supply as the UV tubes which are all on a timer the ceramics are on a separate supply and are statted also in ceramic holders. And personally yes I think bioactive is better for him let's him dig and gets rid of most of his waste I sometimes pick large piles of it out especially if I'm sat in there and it's fresh aha but yeah definitely better and it is much easier for you in the long run as well

Sent from my SM-N910F using Tapatalk


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## Ex0tic (Sep 12, 2016)

Someone who is actually going to look after a Bosc monitor correctly compared to all those kids that go out and buy them and put adults in 5 x 18 x 18s


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## happyherm (Sep 19, 2013)

Thanks Exotic. I'm going to give it a good go, I feel that having previous experience of monitors and an understanding of how big they can get is invaluable. 
Bear wolf What humidity level do you find ideal. Do you reckon 6 70mm vents along the top of a 7ft viv will make maintaining them to difficult?
Also what wattage are your spots and approx how high from your monitor are they to give me an idea of what wattage I need :lol2::2thumb:


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## bearwolf (Jul 17, 2015)

I'd say they are around a foot and a bit not sure I just use the temp gun to measure it and adjust but will check it with a tape when I get back working away from home atm as for wattage I think they are 100w each again will confirm when I get back though I do not know if 100w bulbs will be too much for your setup maybe 75w would be better lower wattage helps to maintain humidity maybe someone can weigh in on this and give a better opinion as I only have experience with my monitor so not sure the temp and humidity requirements are the same . The vents should be OK though I'm not certain I use a ducted heat exchanger to supply fresh air and extraction as for humidity I try and keep it around 70% sometimes drier sometimes wetter but 70 is my average I try to maintain he seems to thrive in it but honestly I don't know if it is the best again maybe someone more knowledgeable than I could weigh in on this. You sound like you are putting the right amount of effort in though bud I am sure you will do amazing  

Sent from my SM-N910F using Tapatalk


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## happyherm (Sep 19, 2013)

Sorry to drag up my previous post, I've got a couple of questions now that my viv is complete and will be delivered this week.
Bear wolf how many bags of top soil did you require as I've used a soil calculator and its come out that I'll need about 1 bulk bag of soil/sand to achieve correct depths. (Little apprehensive putting that much weight upstairs:whistling2: 
I'm going to run 3 basking lamps and a ceramic heater. Also have a t5 uv to install.
I've got a temp gun to check basking spot and have a digital thermometer with 2 temp probes and a humidity probe where would you reccomend I place the probes for best reading of hot/cold temps and humidity.
I'm going to mix soil sand and a couple of blocks of coconut coir for My bioactive substrate and get a culture of springtails and woodlice and also add some worms I know they'll probably get eaten eventually but would like to do as much as I can to ensure a successful substrate. Those running bio do you see any issues with my plan and do you have any advice. 
Thanks. : victory:


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## happyherm (Sep 19, 2013)

Bump!


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## Whosthedaddy2 (Oct 24, 2016)

Yes you're right, it will weigh the best part of half a tonne


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## bearwolf (Jul 17, 2015)

Hi Happyherm sorry for delayed reply havent been online much lately due to work family etc but yeah i used around a tonne of top soil plus another dozen large blocks of coco coir plus some sand but only a couple of bags as for number of soil bags i dont know around 40/50 but i bought small bags from wickes because i wanted sterilised soil and its very difficult to get sterile soil in bulk without spending a fortune. I would strongly suggest you move the viv elsewhere as it is a large amount of weight to put in the upstairs of a house i am no structural engineer but i severely doubt that it will take it with no problems if you are sure you want it upstairs you may want to get a building surveyor to have a look or someone with the correct knowledge and experience. My build was originally intended to go upstairs when it was going to be smaller, similar size to yours, and i have a friend who is an architect who told me the most likely outcome if i built it was the viv falling through the floor, granted that is my house and not yours you may have a stronger house but domestic dwellings were never really designed to take that kind of weight upstairs because on top of the soil, and i think you will end up needing more than you think the soil calculators are crap, there is the weight of the hides, the waterdish the bosc itself and then the weight of the viv itself it is a huge amount of weight to expect a house to be able to hold i know that my enclosure weighs around a ton and a half maybe more.

As for the substrate sounds good i myself use springtails and worms i dont bother with woodlice myself just dont know much about them. from a bio point of view sounds good


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