Suitable for a panther?

Hey guys,

I have been wanting a panther chameleon for quite some time now and have finally committed to the cause. I went out last night and bought all my plants, lights, bulbs, and enclosure. I had originally planned on using an Exo Terra glass terrarium but after lurking on the forums for a few weeks, I opted against it. I would love if you could take the time to provide me feedback or improvements for my current setup. I want to make sure it is in tip top shape before I get a panther.

Specs:
18" Repti Glo 5.0 - may swap out for a reptisun 5.0
30" T8 Fluorescent light (keep plants at the bottom sunned and living)
40w Basking (to raise overall temperature; its cold in my house)
75w Basking (actual basking spot)
Large ReptiBreeze 18"18"24"
Paper towel substrate
Large dracaena (plant in the back)
Medium dracaena front (white edges)
Small croton (front right)

Pics - Attached.

Looks great so far. think about adding some branches etc to climb on. also consider a misting system. My opinion is that your cage is great for a baby but small for an adult

Are all the plants are Cham friendly? And yes add some branches and as for a mist king it's only needed if your not around for long periods of time, I managed without one for years, its expensive as it is first starting up without extra cost

According to a list I found on the FL Chams website, all species of DRACAENA are safe. However I did read on here that it could be unsuitable for Yemens as they eat plants.


Edit: Forgot to ask what size enclosure you would recommend for an adult male ambilobe?

Hi! An adult male would need nothing smaller than a 2x2x4 enclosure. They can get quite big and you may even want to go bigger than that! My female veiled is in a 2x2x4 and I wouldn't go any smaller for her.

The setup looks really nice as mentioned you would want to add a lot of branches (diagonal, vertical) around the enclosure for him to climb on. Although dracanea are nice plants they don't offer any branches or vines to climb so you would need to add some.

As for the two basking bulbs, that's up to you but it's important to have good temp range in the enclosure so he can move to cool down. With babies it's really important to not overheat them so they only need a basking spt of 80-84f. Have you measured the temps in all areas of the enclosure?

The temps are fairly steady. Basking area is around 83 and the ambient temperature is around 76. The area under the 40w bulb statys around 79. As you move to the back or down the enclosure the temps decrease to around 74-76. That sounds like a good gradient, yes?

As for the sticks and vines. I wasn't sure if he would be able to use the plant as a place to climb. I have a few bendy vines I can through in there tonight.

Took your advice and made a few changes. Temps are a little low as I just misted. Basicly added a timer for lights, digital thermometers, and more vines.

On and unrelated note: Does anyone know of an reputable breeder that has Blue Bar's or Sambava's? I've been looking around and see tons of babies, and I know their color will develop but I want to ensure I get one that has very vibrant colors. I have been watching the classifieds on here, kingsnake, and FaunaClassifieds. Is there another site I should be keeping an eye on as well? Can anyone point me in the right direction?

Anyhow, take a look at the pics and tell me what you think.

Thanks!

Ssimsswiss has some sambavas right now. The kammers usually have ambilobes and sambavas available too. Also check out flchams.