Exoterra enclosures .. what is your opinion?

Just wondering what people think about them from experience or otherwise. I know some, if not all, provide two spaces for coil uvb bulbs ... is this not recommended for chams? If so, why do they provide this type of hood when it is not suitable? I'm concerned ... the linear tubes are so pricey so I want to know if I need to invest in something that won't harm my girl.

Old coiled UVB bulbs used to cause blindness in chameleons. The newer ones do not. I would suggest going to your local pet store and seeing what brand they carry. Google it or mention it here and someone can tell you if its suitable or not.

However Reptisun 5.0 linear tubs 15 inch are only about 14 dollars + tax. Which is not that expensive, considering you are taking care of an exotic pet.

SpinyFranky said:

Old coiled UVB bulbs used to cause blindness in chameleons. The newer ones do not. I would suggest going to your local pet store and seeing what brand they carry. Google it or mention it here and someone can tell you if its suitable or not.

However Reptisun 5.0 linear tubs 15 inch are only about 14 dollars + tax. Which is not that expensive, considering you are taking care of an exotic pet.

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Well my brother in law runs an exotic pet store Tail and Scales in Toronto and he carries ExoTerra lighting. I have a 100W tight beam for basking and UVB coil bulb. I am not sure how reliable ExoTerra products are ...

Leilaskeeper said:

Well my brother in law runs an exotic pet store Tail and Scales in Toronto and he carries ExoTerra lighting. I have a 100W tight beam for basking and UVB coil bulb. I am not sure how reliable ExoTerra products are ...

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Exo-terra is really good. I wouldn't use that coil bulb, use one of these.

http://lllreptile.com/store/catalog/-/zoo-med-18-repti-sun-100-fluorescent-bulb/

LinkinParkRulez08 said:

Exo-terra is really good. I wouldn't use that coil bulb, use one of these.

http://lllreptile.com/store/catalog/-/zoo-med-18-repti-sun-100-fluorescent-bulb/

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I hope they have short ones - my hood has two spaces smaller bulbs. I am guessing I have to replace the hood to accomodate the linear bulbs...?

I like them for certain species: https://www.chameleonforums.com/everyone-who-knows-you-cant-keep-chameleons-glass-31937/

Chris

Chris Anderson said:

I like them for certain species: https://www.chameleonforums.com/everyone-who-knows-you-cant-keep-chameleons-glass-31937/

Chris

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Wow!!! Thanks Chris. That's exactly what I was looking for. I feel more confident that my cham will live well in her enclosure. One question: what do you use for drainage beneath the soil?

You have an adult female veiled don't you? What size is it? Glass is fine but I don't think exo Terra makes them big enough for adult female veileds.

pssh said:

You have an adult female veiled don't you? What size is it? Glass is fine but I don't think exo Terra makes them big enough for adult female veileds.

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Sure they do.
You shouldn't have drainage issues .. go to the pygmy enclosures forum and set up the enclosure as described in threads there.

Pssh,
I know keepers in Canada who have successfully kept females in smaller glass enclosures with great results.
Lynda has used glass for female veileds with a height of 24"
The 18x18x24 would work fine as long as the keeper closely moniyors temps.

-Brad

Ahh, that's weird. So many people argue that not even an 18x18x36 is big enough. So many contradicting things.

Exo-Terra makes up to a 36"x18"x24" enclosure.

Chris

SpinyFranky said:

Old coiled UVB bulbs used to cause blindness in chameleons. The newer ones do not.

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How can you tell the difference between the old and new coil bulbs so you can be sure you get the new one?

The date. I think it's just not worth it. Might as well stick to the good stuff and get a reptisun 5.0 linear.

Leilaskeeper said:

I hope they have short ones - my hood has two spaces smaller bulbs. I am guessing I have to replace the hood to accomodate the linear bulbs...?

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Stick with the linear tubes. I trust Reptsun 5.0 for sure. I'm assuming you can get those in Toronto. Order on line to get a better price. They ARE pricey in pet stores. I used Exo-Terra glass cages for all by Crested Gecko groups. I buy combo hoods that hold one linear tube and two screw in type bulbs. You can screw in a low watt day time basking bulb. You would order that on the internet too. Our sponsor, LLL reptile has all this stuff. Or you can put the tube in an aquarium style hood and buy a small size dome for a basking light. The first option looks cleaner though.

pssh said:

Ahh, that's weird. So many people argue that not even an 18x18x36 is big enough. So many contradicting things.

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18x18x36 is the biggest enclosure I keep female veileds in.

-Brad

pssh said:

Ahh, that's weird. So many people argue that not even an 18x18x36 is big enough. So many contradicting things.

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I hear you on this. I would never subject my female panthers to a 18x18x18 or even a 36"x18"x24" cage. They roam around a lot, and are generally more active than the males. They make good use of the space I give them, which is 2'x2'x4' - same as the males get. I personally think the small cages are cruel, like keeping a human in a jail cell (survivable, but not enjoyable). But really, that could be said of ANY cage.

sandrachameleon said:

I hear you on this. I would never subject my female panthers to a 18x18x18 or even a 36"x18"x24" cage. They roam around a lot, and are generally more active than the males. They make good use of the space I give them, which is 2'x2'x4' - same as the males get. I personally think the small cages are cruel, like keeping a human in a jail cell (survivable, but not enjoyable). But really, that could be said of ANY cage.

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Sandra,
We are talking about a female veiled.
They do not roam like the males and actually (in my experience with them) act very nervous and uncomfortable in too large an enclosure.
Mine have been happiest in 16x16x30 and 18x18x36 enclosures with the back and sides covered with wood or cardboard.
This allows them to position themselves high in the enclosure and easily survey their territory.
They utilize about 1/4 of the space provided.

-Brad

I use an Exo Terra terrarium for my female veiled. My first girly cham spent her whole life in one and I have never had any problems with it. In the UK there are 2 different 'tops' that contain the heat and UV bulbs. One is the 'Compact Top' which houses the coil bulbs and the other is a 'Dual Top' which houses the linear UV bulbs.

my female is in a "BETTA RANGE" which is very similar to the EXO TERRA its 100x45 x100 its huge . Her laying bin is inside all the time withlots of real plants and she has different places to hide ,sleep,poo and mist.It takes all her skills to catch the bugs. keeping them humid is easier.and you can always leave the glass doors open when needed but ive never had a problem with drainage or airflow

I'd have to check my copy when I get home but does anyone recall the size enclosure that Dr. Gary Ferguson recommended for Panther chameleons in his book? As I recall it was quite a bit smaller then what is typically recommended on the forums but guess what, the animals did well in them and no one has systematically looked at how captive replication of their natural environment effects breeding in panther chameleons like Dr. Ferguson has.

Chris