Making plans

So I am considering buying my 1st chameleon. I'm thinking either a veiled, panther or jacksons. I will be building an enclosure at some point in the next week or two. It will be done well before I buy the cham.
I have been keeping PDF for several years now as well as a few BD.
The place I want to put it will fit a 34x14x48. Will this be large enough?
Also while doing my reading I saw that many care sheets say to only supplement a couple times a week.
I use Repashy calcium plus. Would this be good for them as well and would I still only do it a couple times a week?

Welcome to the forums. It's really nice to see people here doing their research before they get a chameleon. I recommend a male for your first chameleon so you don't have to deal with the egg laying. What age chameleon are you planning to get? I have kept panthers and veileds along with a couple other species but never a Jackson. You can see my current veileds here: https://www.chameleonforums.com/my-beautiful-veileds-142194/ I have a friend that's a small time breeder that had some veileds for sale and she will probably still have some left when you get ready. It's good to buy from a small time breeder that spends more time with their pets than larger breeders.

I do know that Jacksons like it a tad cooler and they don't require as much supplements. A 48 inch high is the minimum hight for an adult veiled or panther. I have a blog about veileds and panthers that you might like to check out attached below and also the forums care sheet for Jacksons.
https://www.chameleonforums.com/blo...-keepers-young-veiled-panther-chameleons.html
https://www.chameleonforums.com/care/caresheets/jacksons/

The calcium plus would not work for a chameleon. It is calcium with multivitamin. That's to much multivitamin for a Cham. The most common supplement schedule would be
Calcium no d3 at every feeding
Calcium with d3 2x per month
Multivitamin 2x per month
To be given alone. Don't mix the multivitamin with the calcium. For example You should skip the calcium on the day you give your multivitamin.
This schedule would change for a Jackson I believe. I will let someone else answer that since I have a Panther.

The enclusure would work for over 6 months but under 6 month you would want something smaller. A baby would have a hard time hunting in that size enclosure.

Calcium with D3 and multivitamins only once a month for Jax. The two times a month schedule is for Panthers and veileds.

The 14" dimension is very small. You will have a hard time getting things to fit in such a small size. Horizontal space is just as important as vertical space in my opinion, making 2x4 really the smallest size I would put a chameleon in, even a smaller one like a Jax. Chameleons don't climb only up and down but around, diagonal, across, etc. They can be very active climbers and always appreciate the space.

I may be able to stretch it out to 20" but I would be overhanging a bit for where it may go. As for the height 48" was just what I saw as common. I can go up to 72" before hitting the ceiling. Since I'm making this at work I can do any size.
As for the one I buy it will most likely be local. We just had a reptile show and people always impulse buy at those then a month later regret it and rehome the pets. I will try and find one that has become unwanted. I use those shows as a what I want viewing and then begin a several month process of getting everything the way it needs to be for the chosen critter.
I will be keeping this in my frog room which at night gets to 73. Will I need to supply a CHE for those times.

No heat needed at night at that temp.
No lights either, not even red ones. Totally dark at night.

48" is a common size for commercially produced cages. 2x2x4 would be a decent size for an adult chameleon of almost any species except the largest ones. I'm just saying don't neglect horizontal width in favor of height. They go hand in hand.

Lathis said:

No heat needed at night at that temp.
No lights either, not even red ones. Totally dark at night.

48" is a common size for commercially produced cages. 2x2x4 would be a decent size for an adult chameleon of almost any species except the largest ones. I'm just saying don't neglect horizontal width in favor of height. They go hand in hand.

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Sounds good. I don't use the red lights on anything. Don;t like an cages looking like the pits of hell while I'm sleeping. Thats why I use the CHE

Went to a show today and spent an hour pestering a breeder haha. I resisted the urge to buy one even though they kept lowering the price. Building the viv hasnt happened yet so didnt want to do a mad rush setting up.
Still torn on what one to get. Im down to veiled or panther. Leaning more to the veiled at this point but the colors of the panthers can just be so intense.
Anywho the real reason im posting is more knowledge.
When setting up a free range area for evenings 4ish till 8 should i buy an extra uv strip for there?
Should i set up a basking spot in it as well and if so would a MVB work so that i could do both at once?