Best forums to learn/talk about Ackies?

[NorCalAl]

This forum has been invaluable in learning about and ask questions about tegus. I'm looking for a community as well versed (and friendly!) in Ackies. I've been to KS and Varanus.net, but they aren't that popular and KS in particular can be downright hostile. I learned that asking questions about my chuckwalla. I want multiple opinions and I don't mind someone sticking by their convictions, but I don't appreciate attacks.

Anyway, I don't want to get off topic in the Off Topic forum - where's the best forum for monitors and Ackies in particular? Really hoping you all can point me in the right direction.

 

[dicy]

This forum has been invaluable in learning about and ask questions about tegus. I'm looking for a community as well versed (and friendly!) in Ackies. I've been to KS and Varanus.net, but they aren't that popular and KS in particular can be downright hostile. I learned that asking questions about my chuckwalla. I want multiple opinions and I don't mind someone sticking by their convictions, but I don't appreciate attacks.

Anyway, I don't want to get off topic in the Off Topic forum - where's the best forum for monitors and Ackies in particular? Really hoping you all can point me in the right direction.

 

[Dana C]

I have gotten some decent information from the Varanid section of the BP forum and some from the Fauna forums as well. I don't however post anything any longer nor do I ask anything. The rudeness and hostility of almost all the monitor forums is beyond belief and extremely off putting.

I would love to see more monitor posters here so we could develop a friendly, non threatening source of feedback, ideas and interchange of ideas.

 

[NorCalAl]

I agree! I enjoy the attitude here very much. Even when someone does something that perhaps does deserve a bit of an attack ("Hey, I just bought three tegu babies! What do I feed them? Should I build a cage?"), they are - for the most part - given helpful, friendly information. On one of the forums I mentioned, I asked about feeding my chuck some superworms. Since I've been on the internet since 'The Well' and AOL, nothing really surprises me when it comes to replies, but I was disappointed at the level of attack posts I received.

I am pretty sure I've read most of what I can trust on my incoming ackies and I'm fairly confident I will make a good ackie owner. What I'm more interested in is sharing ideas and observations and getting suggestions when things go south. I'd love to see what you're suggesting, Dana, and have this community become a destination for monitor owners also. At the same time, I would not want to see the attitude change.

I've belonged to forums related to my hobbies for many years and I've only discovered two that have the sense of community this one has. One was a home theater group, back in the late 90's. Awesome, smart and helpful people. The other was more recent and related to using server products in home networks. The amount of time and effort some of those people put into helping was amazing. The people here remind me of those forums.

 

[Dana C]

Hopefully Josh will read this.
I think that breaking Lizards out of the other reptiles catagory and creating a sub forum entitled "Monitors and Other Lizards" would be good start. As long as there is a moderator that stops hostile replies, name calling and attacks, the word would get around and a lot of Monitor owners who are either new or more experienced owners that find the hostility and being called stupid off putting would flock here.
The sub forum could contain "sticky's" as well.
People need to feel like they can ask a question, relate an experience or share a "treasured moment" with their monitor or ?? without derision, or snide "come backs". Even people new to Monitors can contribute gems of information if they feel comfortable doing so.

What the other forums don't do, is encourage thoughtful feedback from new owners or anyone else for that matter. For instance, I shared my version of the SD diet which was enhanced with organ meats including fish. What I got back was, I am stupid, your monitor is going to die, taming your monitor is a mistake, leave it wild, we all know better and we worship FR and anything he says is always correct. I am not trying to say that Varanus.net doesn't have some good stuff if you search the posts but God forbid that you post anything. King Snake, Ball Python forums are also not friendly places to go either.
I observe my Tegus and Monitor very closely. Outside of husbandry, the captive behavior of these intelligent creatures is what really fascinates me. It is only here and on Tegu Community that I feel like I can post thoughts, suggestions, ask for same and not be made to feel stupid, ignorant or neglectful of my animals.

 

[TegusRawsome80]

If you want legitimate advice from people with experience go to varanus.net. Sure, monitor keepers on there can be hostile but they actually know what they're doing. What setup do you have for your ackies? I saw those three on bay area craigslist haha.

 

[Dana C]

If you want legitimate advice from people with experience go to varanus.net. Sure, monitor keepers on there can be hostile but they actually know what they're doing. What setup do you have for your ackies? I saw those three on bay area craigslist haha.

I have to disagree about Varanus.net. If you search posts for information you will get some good stuff. On the other hand, there are other ways of doing things. Most of the posts ignore current studies and peer reviewed data. One PHD, or so he claimed, suggested that a supplemented ground meat diet was far inferior to whole prey when in fact I offered sites that covered blood chemistry, nutrient content and long term results, all of which were ignored. I was told that my diet did not contain roughage.
What???? What roughage is in mice...hair? a tiny bit of grain in their gut?.
Of course the person being a worshiper of Frank Retes, was hailed for his comments.
That is why a more active forum on here would be a good thing. It could be an inviting place to share ideas, feed back, thoughtful suggestions and great stories. ALL the other Monitor forums are not that way. Just my humble opinion...after all, what do I know about anything?

By the way, I was also crucified for "taming" by Black Throat. According to them, my boy should be wild and intolerant of handling and not desirous of climbing on me or sleeping on my chest. In their opinion, we should observe their wild behaviors even thought they live in a box, using FR's own words. Such nonsense.....

 

[TegusRawsome80]

How many monitors have you bred? How many monitors have your "scientists" bred? Breeding and hatching monitors = success in captivity. Once you do that to the extent FR and others on there have then you can talk about how wrong they are. I'm not saying they're always right, but they sure do seem to be successful. I hope you're not saying that you're more experienced than they are or are qualified to give advice. I don't want to be to rude to you but you posted on here saying your monitor was having problems so you raised the cool end of his cage to 110 degrees. I don't think you're qualified to give someone advice yet. Also, most posters on here don't seem to have a lot of monitor expertise so I don't see why this site would be a better source of information on the captive care of monitors. I don't have monitor expertise, but I do know the basics of keeping ackies. However, I wouldn't consider myself qualified to give advice beyond the basics.

 

[james.w]

Check out reptileforums.net Look through the lizards section for Slayer's posts.

 

[Dana C]

How many monitors have you bred? How many monitors have your "scientists" bred? Breeding and hatching monitors = success in captivity. Once you do that to the extent FR and others on there have then you can talk about how wrong they are. I'm not saying they're always right, but they sure do seem to be successful. I hope you're not saying that you're more experienced than they are or are qualified to give advice. I don't want to be to rude to you but you posted on here saying your monitor was having problems so you raised the cool end of his cage to 110 degrees. I don't think you're qualified to give someone advice yet. Also, most posters on here don't seem to have a lot of monitor expertise so I don't see why this site would be a better source of information on the captive care of monitors. I don't have monitor expertise, but I do know the basics of keeping ackies. However, I wouldn't consider myself qualified to give advice beyond the basics.

Wow, you sound just like Frank.
I have never bred a monitor nor do I plan to. I don't claim to be an expert and never have. I appreciated your in put when I needed it by the way.
For the record, I didn't plan to give advice, just create a "friendly" forum for those that have or want a monitor. I personally think that there are many who would contribute if they felt that they could do so without snotty, judgmental, rude attacks.

As for the science, if you look for it you can find interesting material about nutrition. In fact I posted the links on this site. I don't know if any of the people that wrote the papers and actually did the science have bred monitors. I don't really think it matters anyway. Breeders breed animals and are experts at a large part of husbandry. Of course their success stories are important buy what didn't work is just as important. What they don't tell you is that many monitors used to suffer from renal failure and fatty liver. The ground meat w/ supplements addition to monitor and tegu diets has worked well now for several years. Yet, the majority on a couple of forums claim that it will kill a varanus ionidesi, which it won't.

I really dont want to argue the point anymore as it is becoming pointless.

 

[TegusRawsome80]

Just saying that people who haven't successfully kept and bred a species can't give any first hand experience as to what works to raise the species to size and successfully breed it. It's hard to argue with success.

 

[Dana C]

Jeffrey Lemm formulated and used the SDZ diet, (never endorsed by the zoo) to successfully raise juvenile Komodos and
Ackies which bred vary succesfully. His contribution to the keeping of many of the large lizards has been proven and is highly valued by most herpetologists.

 

[Josh]

I can definitely start a dedicated sub-forum here and when the time comes we can move the threads/users to a separate domain and forum, if that's what's needed...
How many others here would be interested in spreading the word about a dedicated Monitor Subforum? I'm talking like linking through signatures on other sites, Facebook, etc
Oh - and you all would have to help me sort through all the existing monitor threads and flag them so they can be moved...

 

[Bntegus]

you can just type in ackie anywhere and get anything you need or want to know. im sure there is just is much info here as you will need to no also.

 

[Dana C]

I can definitely start a dedicated sub-forum here and when the time comes we can move the threads/users to a separate domain and forum, if that's what's needed...
How many others here would be interested in spreading the word about a dedicated Monitor Subforum? I'm talking like linking through signatures on other sites, Facebook, etc
Oh - and you all would have to help me sort through all the existing monitor threads and flag them so they can be moved...

You will have my help and I think Norcalal as well.

 

[Deac77]

Just because Something will breed doesn't mean it's right bearded dragons will breed without UVB light does that mean its ok to keep them without it? Leo geckos will breed being fed once every 2 weeks is that ok? Would you call the ppl that have bred under those circumstances "experts"? Would you want them handing out advice? He's not claiming to be a expert he's simply stating what's worked for him and still being attacked even though he has a healthy black throat me personally I don't breed beardies anymore but a co worker does and his females only live 5-6 years were I've had 2 females last 16 years but he's a better keeper?

 

[Josh]

Less debate about what constitutes expertise and more talk about helping other monitor keepers!

 

[Deac77]

You got it btw I got some good stuff off reptile channel but also some fishy temp/humidity overall was good learning though

 

[LizardzRock]

I would help as well. I am not a big fan of of the monitor forum environment. To get what you think might be good info you have to sort through a bunch of arguments and personal attacks. I think a big part of it is because monitor care/husbandry/breeding is so controversial.

 

[NorCalAl]

You certainly have my buy in. And I have time to help as well. I think what Dana is trying to say is 100% on target. Ironic that the thing we were complaining about - the attacks - happens right here in this thread.

I'm not some warm and fuzzy guy - no one who knows me would say that - but I think many people want to ask questions, want to learn the right way to do things and want to correct the things they are doing wrong, but do NOT want to get attacked doing those things. So instead, they remain quiet and search the web for help. I'm as certain that animals suffer and die for that reason alone.

I'm not asking nor wanting everyone to agree or support people who need to make changes. Rather, I'm asking that it's done in a positive way where people can ask the most basic questions without worry that they become a target. A successful forum would be like going to a group of your close friends for help, not the town square. (Man, do I sound wussy here....)

If we really could create a more helpful community here, I would love to be a part of that.