veiled chameleon tank

tony5787 · #1 09-29-2008, 10:51 PM

hi guys im new here. im planning on buying a female veiled chameleon. as of now i have a 30 gallon tank that is about 3 feet long by 1 1/2 feet tall and about a foot deep. i am thinking about buying a tank topper but am afraid that the holes from the wire may let crickets and other insects escape. also if i do buy this topper it should make the height of the tank around or exceeding 3 feet. should this be tall enough for the chameleon??? i used to own two pygmys but one was diseased when i bought it and within hours it died. the second contracted the same disease or was stressed and couldnt acclimate and after about a month, died. they were wild caught as are most pygmys but they seemed to thrive in the normal tank. but veiled are much much larger so i am scared that it wont have enough room. but maybe with the combination of 3 feet of horizontal and vertical room to walk in, it may thrive. let me know what you think.

cgslim · #2 09-29-2008, 11:00 PM

Hi Tony :-)

First thing, Veiled Chameleons really need a fully screened enclosure, not a tank. This is for 2 reasons...

1. Veileds need the extra air ventilation to ensure health.

2. Veileds are extremely territorial and will commonly fire up (stress) at their own reflections.

For a female, you really only need about 2 x 2 x 3 screen cage. For a male, 2 x 2 x 4 at least. Hope this helps :-)

-Dave

tony5787 · #3 09-29-2008, 11:03 PM

meh so wut type of cham would you recommend for this type of enclosure??? i was also looking at jacksons because they are slightly smaller. also if i do keep this tank but cover it in plants would that help to make it seem less stressed. lol maybe i should just tint the glass to save me some trouble.

royden · #4 09-29-2008, 11:04 PM

I'd encourage you to spend a few more days researching tony. Welcome to the boards, this is one of thebest places to research!

Aquariaums/terrariums are great for many reptiles including some species of chameleon like pygmies. However it's less then ideal for a veiled chameleon. Veiled's as most chameleons need vertical space, plus horizontal airflow.

A veiled in a fish tank has very decreased chance of survival. Even if the lid is screened. The whole cage should be screen. LLL Reptile sells some great cham cages, but so do some of the sponsors on this forum.

This is just the starting point.

You should look into misting, how will you achieve a regular misting schedule?
How will you provide drainage? It is suggested that you don't use substrate because of risk of comsumption and compaction.

What kind of lighting are you going to use?

What will be your vit and mineral supplimentation schedule?

What will be your feeder rotation? Do you know how much they eat and how much that will cost you a month in feeders?

I highly recommend you don't buy a female. A female will lay eggs and you will need to recognize the signs when she's ready to dig to lay a clutch (fertile or not) you'll need to provide her with a temporary place to dig.

As you can see there are many issue, maybe you know the answers to most of these, but if you don't you'll find them here on this forum. Please use the search tool whenever you can, you'll find mountains of info.

Welcome to the boards tony! This is one of the best forums I've ever been to.

Brad Ramsey · #5 09-29-2008, 11:05 PM

Here is a link to my site:

http://raisingkittytheveiledchameleon.blogspot.com/

I hope you will find the information helpful.
Good Luck!

-Brad

royden · #6 09-29-2008, 11:07 PM

Pygmies only for that enclosure.

The stress factor has nothing to do with a place to hide (though that's helpful) It's about ability to climb up and away. Nothing but pygmies in that tank because they require an enviroment that emulates their natural habitat of a moist jungle floor.

All other chams require an enviroment that emulates the tops of trees.

Quote:

Originally Posted by tony5787

meh so wut type of cham would you recommend for this type of enclosure??? i was also looking at jacksons because they are slightly smaller. also if i do keep this tank but cover it in plants would that help to make it seem less stressed. lol maybe i should just tint the glass to save me some trouble.

tony5787 · #7 09-29-2008, 11:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by royden

I'd encourage you to spend a few more days researching tony. Welcome to the boards, this is one of thebest places to research!

Aquariaums/terrariums are great for many reptiles including some species of chameleon like pygmies. However it's less then ideal for a veiled chameleon. Veiled's as most chameleons need vertical space, plus horizontal airflow.

A veiled in a fish tank has very decreased chance of survival. Even if the lid is screened. The whole cage should be screen. LLL Reptile sells some great cham cages, but so do some of the sponsors on this forum.

This is just the starting point.

You should look into misting, how will you achieve a regular misting schedule?
How will you provide drainage? It is suggested that you don't use substrate because of risk of comsumption and compaction. i wouldnt use substrate because of this

What kind of lighting are you going to use? one heat lamp and a large uvb light (i still have the lights from the pygmys)

What will be your vit and mineral supplimentation schedule? preferably twice a week with repcal

What will be your feeder rotation? Do you know how much they eat and how much that will cost you a month in feeders? i would feed mostly 1/4 in crickets with ocasional wax and silk worms.

I highly recommend you don't buy a female. A female will lay eggs and you will need to recognize the signs when she's ready to dig to lay a clutch (fertile or not) you'll need to provide her with a temporary place to dig. thats also a reason i was leery on buying a female. males just grow too large which as you can see is the main problem

As you can see there are many issue, maybe you know the answers to most of these, but if you don't you'll find them here on this forum. Please use the search tool whenever you can, you'll find mountains of info.

Welcome to the boards tony! This is one of the best forums I've ever been to.

ive researched for months on what type to get but cant seem to find the right type. im staying away from pygmys after the last two because they are primarily wild caught. i wish peacock chams were easier to care for because they are perfect size and seem to have a nicer disposition than the veileds

tony5787 · #8 09-29-2008, 11:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by royden

Pygmies only for that enclosure.

The stress factor has nothing to do with a place to hide (though that's helpful) It's about ability to climb up and away. Nothing but pygmies in that tank because they require an enviroment that emulates their natural habitat of a moist jungle floor.

All other chams require an enviroment that emulates the tops of trees.

so should i sell the tank? if so for how much? id imagine they cost upsides of 80 so maybe sell it for 60??? i just dont think my parents will want me to do this because they already dont want me to get one and i dont think my parents will let me sell it. my father thinks that you can keep them in the tank after ive told him that they get very stressed and need ventilation. also mesh tanks dont smell at all do they??? chameleons seem to be very clean animals so i doubt that.

Brad Ramsey · #9 09-29-2008, 11:17 PM

Tony,

I think you would be really happy with a veiled.
What you need to decide though, is if you want to create a proper set up for a chameleon, or if you want to find an animal that can live in the tank you have.
A tank with a topper really is (in my opinion) a poor choice for an old world chameleon.

-Brad

Brad Ramsey · #10 09-29-2008, 11:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tony5787

. also mesh tanks dont smell at all do they??? chameleons seem to be very clean animals so i doubt that.

You are correct.
They are very clean and do not smell.
You need to maintain the environment (of course).

I have never had much luck getting $$$ out of a tank.
Good Luck

-Brad

Thread Tools
Show Printable Version Email this Page
Display Modes
Linear Mode Switch to Hybrid Mode Switch to Threaded Mode

Similar Threads
Thread	Thread Starter	Forum	Replies	Last Post
how to know the difference between veiled & Mediterranean chameleon	mohamed	General Discussion	11	09-28-2008 03:16 PM
Veiled Chameleon "sounds"	TikiTimer	General Discussion	10	09-04-2008 10:30 AM
Help on a Veiled chameleon	palmersmith	Enclosures And Supplies	3	08-14-2008 03:58 PM
Veiled Chameleon Breeding Question...	elishkamo	Chameleon Breeding	2	05-19-2008 05:30 PM