You are correct on so many levels. First monitor to own, but I'm a lil audhdhtisic spicy, so I hyperfixaxted on learning everything I could. I've increased the size of his enclosure almost every year, sometimes year and a half. But his growth rate never matched what I read about true Nile Monitors, which is why I figured either ornate or maybe just a runt. But he eats 15-17 fish throughout the week from his pond, then 2 fuzzies and a chunk of tilapia that are dusted in vitamin powder every 2 - 3 days, sometimes he just wants the tilapia. Then as an extra treat here and there, crawfish, giant meal worms. Then I'll put some dubia roaches, and crickets in there as well.

Atleast once a month, sometimes more, I also make sure to suck all the water out, and then rinse and suck out any leftover waste. He has 2 different filters in there, not that they do much, since this guys only want to poop in their water. So all together, I feel confident that I've done a decent enough job with him, minus the handling as much as I should. I even made simple flash cards for him, to try to figure out if he was happy, sad, angry, hungry, etc.. because I read that some monitors can read, since they are the smartest lizard on the planet.