fans for air flow?

Does anyone use a small fan next to their enclosures for extra air flow? Seems like it couldn't hurt if it was a small fan, plus the added air flow would be great for live plants. Any thoughts?

I think it's ok to have a fan in the room but I wouldn't put it right next to the enclosure.

I read that if the fan is blowing cool or warm air into the enclosure then it can mess with the temperature gradients and in turn make it difficult for your little buddy thermoregulate.

Good point on affecting the heat gradient, I didn't think about that. If I deside to try using one on my new setup I'll have to keep an eye on temps across the cage.

AngieL said:

I think it's ok to have a fan in the room but I wouldn't put it right next to the enclosure.

I read that if the fan is blowing cool or warm air into the enclosure then it can mess with the temperature gradients and in turn make it difficult for your little buddy thermoregulate.

Click to expand...

I am using two small fans that I took out from my old computer case. They have the USB ports and I use the USB cell-phone charger to power them up. I put them at the bottom of the cage, one on the left blowing to the right, and one in the front blowing to the back of the cage. Since the temp at the bottom of the cage is lowest, adding the fan won't hurt and having more ventilation is better, IMO. Sometimes I see my chameleon standing in front of the fan and enjoy a little breeze )

I have a fan just like this that has never been used, It not very powerful, My cage build in in a closet so I can mount the fan on the wall pointed towards the bottom of the cage and that would put the fan about 12-14" from the side of the cage. The cage is a lllreptile 2x2x4, so I think a little added air flow will be a good thing.
http://www.walmart.com/ip/Holmes-4-Mini-Fan/21439321

The fan itself seems to be ok. However, my main concern is that you said "pointed towards the bottom of the cage". Does it mean it blows air from the top of the cage down to the bottom? And you have the basking spot on top of the cage? That would mean blowing hot air down to the bottom and making the whole cage ... hotter, and maybe dryer. It would be bad unless you mist the cage regularly or setting up an automatic misting system to keep the humidity up. Or you may need to adjust the angle of air flow to make sure it blow cool air into the cage. It also depends on what type of chameleon you have to adjust the right temp and humidity.
Moreover, you said you have your cage inside a closet so ventilation seems to be very limited, and using fan to create air flow is definitely good.

iv just ordered some lucky reptile terra fans, one to go at the bottom to blow air in and one to go at the top to blow air out to create a bit more ventilation, they should be here tomorro so il let you kno how i get on

This setup will be for a panther, My idea is for the fan to set about a foot away from the side of the cage pushing air left to right along the bottom third of the cage, I will also have a mistking system to maintain humidity. As I said the cage is in a closet, but the closet is 4 foot wide with no doors and the cage is 2 foot wide so it's not like it trapped with no ventilation, I just thought some extra could be good for the cham and plants. I will have umbrella plants, pothos, hibiscus and maybe a jasmine.

I use a fan at night a few feet away to try to get a good temp drop since we just started keeping Jax.