Another Newbie/Worried Dad

Hi everyone

Short story, I'm a father of a 7yrd old girl that just received a great report card. As I was at the fish store buying supplies (two 55gallon tanks), I thought a gift was in order for a great job! Instead in pointing to a fish! She pointed over to a Flap Neck Chameleon. Having a empty 35 gallon tank at home I foolishly said yes!
(all lizards live in tanks) right?!?!

With the forums great help I have set off on a educational and very expensive adventure LOL! Being handy I thought I would build my own enclosure! The last week I have constructed a 24"x 32"x 6ft tall all aluminum enclosure that should make any chameleon happy! Pics below. I have purchased a Hibiscus tree, Mass Cane(corn plant), potho plant and two fake 9ft long leafy vines. In front of my house I had a branches endangering my home, so I cut it!

Question- If I pour boiling water over it and sun dry it will it be OK to use? As you can see in the pics the enclosure is right beside one of my 55 gallon tanks will this stress out the chameleon? and to the right of the cage is my stereo and TV will this stress him too?

I have a reptisun 24" 5.0 florescent tube(forums help), and I was told by a young kid at a store a 50 watt bright white flood light is good for basking!?!?true??
I'm making my own dripping system (a container with a hole with a aquarium air regulator for dripping control) and have put a drain hole in the floor with a catcher. The floor is laminate with vinyl tiles on top with silicone sealing the seams and sides.
A digital thermometer for temps and a hydrometer for humidity.

Question- I don't know how to keep 500 crickets alive for a long period of time! if you feed them the stuff I read here, its gut loading isn't it? I will be purchasing a big container for the larger numbers, and a small one for gut loading night before! In the large community container what do I feed them to survive a long time?

My family and I love animals (German Sheppard king, two 55 gallon fish tanks, 7yrd girl and a 2yr old boy they can be animals too LOL)
So we want this experience to be a good one! I would appreciate all opinions and criticism, I'm still learning! (bad first experience with fish!) please educate me so my girls' reward doesn't become a bad memory!

The Flap neck has been sold! Caught in the wild worried about parasites anyways! So we are on the hunt for a good sturdy domestic bread Veild Chameleon!

P.S. I have read raising kitty a few times thank you Brad Ramsey and anyone that responds to this!
Will post pics with plants and cham after

A grateful Dad

Your new screen enclosure looks awesome...can't wait to see it with the plants in it!!!
I think your choice of a veiled is a good one. If you're worried that the cham will be stressed by the TV or your fish you can always hang a towel or something to block it's view for the time being and when it's more acclimated you could probably remove it.

I use an ordinary 60 wat household bulb in a dome for basking. If you get a baby veiled you don't want the basking temps to be to hot.

Good luck with your new project and keep posted with lots of pics

Tv and stereo won't bother it sound wise as they generally can't hear, but vibrations might wake it up at night. The fish tank should have a barrier between it and the cage so it won't stress the chameleon out.

Personally I gutload my crickets 24/7. It's just easier for me (and with only 1 chameleon I would not suggest keeping 500 at a time unless it's a baby and eats a lot.) I buy 400 total a month for 2 large chameleons (veiled/panther) and some pygmies. The die off rate it generally sort of high with crickets anyways, but I find smaller crickets that are fed well, kept clean, and have a water supply that they cannot drown in or spill stay alive better. also, I find pre-blending some leafy greens, a veggie or two, and some fruit with a dry gutload mixed in and freezing it is easier.

Thanks JaxyGirl, I hoping to find a Veild that is 6 months or older so he doesn't get lost in such big enclosure. The towel ideal is awsome, what do stress signs look like anyways??

Azoriain said:

Thanks JaxyGirl, I hoping to find a Veild that is 6 months or older so he doesn't get lost in such big enclosure. The towel ideal is awsome, what do stress signs look like anyways??

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I have a Jackson's cham "Triton"..and he's my baby. When he's stressed he gets dark in color a very dark green-black and mottled. For him I know that when he's bright green he's happy. A veiled will get dark also when they are scared or threatened. The longer you have it the easier it will be to recognize its moods. I also have fish and I have a couple of bearded dragons and can honestly say that owning a Cham is a whole different ball game but so far he is one of the most intriguing and interesting pet I've ever owned

I would not use a towel as it would get wet and become a breeding ground for bacteria.

Maybe if i use a black weed control mat (gardin) between the tank and cage! Music stops around 8:30-9 and its only once in awhile anyways not much listening with kids bedtime!
One 6 month veild being fed 5 crickets everyday should be a healthy rate? what do you think? Pssh being a senior member will boiling water work on the branches??
Thank you

Azoriain said:

Maybe if i use a black weed control mat (gardin) between the tank and cage! Music stops around 8:30-9 and its only once in awhile anyways not much listening with kids bedtime!
One 6 month veild being fed 5 crickets everyday should be a healthy rate? what do you think? Pssh being a senior member will boiling water work on the branches??
Thank you

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That's a good idea about the garden cloth. I think that would work really well.
About the branch..It depends on what type of tree it came from? For instance I wouldn't do a pine branch because it could weep sap and irritate his eyes or skin.

I'm going to try to get mine to be used to be handled! My daughter understands that its not hamster! that we put it on us, and let it do what it wants! no quick movements and that its fragile! My daughter told me that she would care for it, but i have learned that lasts about 2 weeks so taking care of it will become part of the routine with all other animals hopefully not to challenging! thanks for the stress insight signs!

^ditto. Generally, many members just use live branches straight off the tree (as long as it isn't leaking stuff and it's a safe tree.) pouring boiling water on it won't hurt, nor will baking it.

If you buy a male you might want to even feed more than 5 crickets (or equivalent of) a day. Buying them once every two weeks might be easier (with less deaths!)

edit: I would buy an adult that is already known for tolerating handling well, with a young one going through maturity it may end up being very agressive and may try to bite your daughter. (which can cause lots of bleeding and a very traumatic memory. trust me, it hurts!)

I went to WalMart and got a cheap $4 plastic table cloth with a nice design and used it for my divider. It has some fabric on one side just put that side away from the cage. You can cut it to shape and the fabric doesn't come off.

Crickets need a well ventilated enclosure and a source of heat
to keep the die off rate low

when a cricket dies they will release a gas
that will kill other crickets if there is not good ventilation

my cricket container is a rubber-maid bin that has screen on the lid
and on one of the large sides to keep the crickets from dieing


where do you live??
because natural sunlight is very beneficial
for the cham to get once in a while
if the temps are permitting

I completely agree with you. i have a catch bin underneath the cage and paper towel will clean up the mess! I'm planning in putting sand over top of the plants soil and stone what do you guys think?

I was told at the pet sore that a bite isn't bad. But if you pull your hand away you will tear skin! Not true?
When you say old 6 months and older or more like a year and older?
The branches seem very dry all leafs have been removed and they have been drying out in the garage for the last week or so. I have cut and sanded all sharp edges. they dont carry parasites do they?!

$4 dollars I'm in! i ca'nt believe how its been adding up and don't even have the cham yet!

I live in Ontario Canada super hot summers 104 with the humidex today! Air conditioning is geat! set at 75F. Cold winters sometimes as low as -4F! The cage is on wheels so I was planning to put him by the window sometimes but i would leave the uvb light on,but turn off the basking light! he would have shade under plants and the AC wouldn't ever let him over heat right?

You could check with Chameleon Nation (site sponsor) they are great to deal with.
The only thing is if they have what you want at the age you want.

You mention, they release a gas is it harmful to us??

Goggles said:

You could check with Chameleon Nation (site sponsor) they are great to deal with.
The only thing is if they have what you want at the age you want.

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I think Drew 99% of the time can sell all his babies and rarely has anything older left.

But still, he may be able to up-sell you a nice panther he has !

Harry (ChromaChameleons) might have something as well, give each of them a call, great people to deal with.

Thanks goggles I was talking to them last week, but I think they are on holidays or just busy, I was supose to see them last weekend but had problems with completing the cage! I'm completed now and my daughter is getting excited, hopefully they will call me back soon! I talked to the owner she was super helpfull, but didn't have a chance to talk to the husband.
Daughter is getting impatient! I hope I buy from them!! and not from a local pet store where they start with ughh!! and end their sentences with I think!!