I would, might as well. I mean the fact they are separate is better than most do, but separation panels would be best.
I agree. You have gone through all this work you may as well go the final step and give them visual barriers. It will complete the isolation which is how they fare best. You can achieve this easily by getting Rustoleum spray paint for plastic and making a white wall (paint from the outside!). Just make sure all fumes are gone before using it. Of course, you can use pieces of cardboard, plastic, shade cloth, etc... you can accomplish this in many different ways!
I am working on a Chameleon Breeder Podcast episode on raising up babies and this "double bin clam" is a DIY cage method I am working on a tutorial for because it allows an acceptable maintenance including minimal gradients, drainage, and cleaning. I have used these bins extensively so can say that the system can work well. It takes a lot of work to maintain, but your babies will grow up quicker and healthier. So, although I would hate to steal the thunder of the podcast episode, you need the info right now! The method you choose is a very great one and here are some suggestions as to how to use it most effectively. This info will be in the podcast, but I have personalized it to your situation as shown by the picture above. Remember that even in a small space you still need to create those living gradients of heat, UVB, exposure, and humidity (if possible).
1) I would move the light fixture above them. You can hang them from the shelf above. That way you have your UVB going through the top hole unfiltered by the plastic (is that screen or just open?). I do not know how much that plastic filters the UVB, but your little guys are going to need that UVB. Also there is theory that chameleons are designed to receive UVB from above and that getting it from the side may hurt their eyes. I am not sure how much of this is proven, but it makes sense so until shown otherwise I am doing that in my set-up.
2) The top opening. I would suggest opening up the complete top to allow as much access to the cage interior as possible. You'll need this for your UVB and heat lamp. Hot glue window screen over it so you do not get escapees.
3) Branch network. I would utilize more of that space by hot gluing screen over the top hole and then hot gluing a branch network throughout the space. That way the baby has three dimensions to move about and get closer to the lights or farther away depending on their needs at the moment. Interlace plastic vines to make sure that there are plenty of open areas and shade areas. We would like the babies to spend as much time in the top portion as possible as we want them away from the moist floor which will have poop and, thus, bacteria.
4) Drainage. Drill many very small holes in the bottom of the "cube" for drainage. Then line the shelf with either a plastic liner that is commercially available for that shelf size or else create a liner yourself by using plastic tarp from your home improvement store. Use a small piece of wood, plastic, or anything to lift your cage just a centimeter off the floor so the cage is not sitting in the drainage water.
5) Basking. You should have some sort of basking option for them and producing heat on that small scale without overwhelming them will be a balancing act. One low wattage bulb could service two compartments, but you will have to control the amount of heat by both distance from the compartment and time that it is on. I use a bulb under 30 watts on my Nursery Cage System cages and keep it on for two hours. I adjust the duration depending on the behavior of the babies. If they stay in the heat then I leave it on longer. If they are done after 15 minutes then I know to shorten the duration.
6) Watering. A gentle spray from a hand sprayer should do the job nicely. Beware of hitting the lights with water.
7) Cleaning. The double piece "clam" cage method allows for easy cleaning. If you have created that branch network in the top half so that it is an attractive place for the baby to hang out then cleaning the cage is as easy as lifting the top piece off and putting it on a temporary bottom while you clean the cage out. You could use a different clean bottom each time you do your cleaning to shave some time off the process, but I suggest keeping the same plant per chameleon as to not spread any disease that may pop up. This is a remote situation, but it is always smart to make cleanliness protocols second nature. It will serve us well when we are not electing that we needed it.
8) Feeding. We want to keep the food items off the floor. Make a feeding station that containers you feeder insects as best as possible. A cup with a small piece of fruit in it will remove the fruit flies' desire to escape. For bean beetles and other insects that are hard to contain feed right after cleaning the cage so there is much less that the feeders can get into.
I hope this helps! I extracted this from a rough outline so the details are not fleshed out totally. So ask any questions and those questions will help me make a better episode! You are doing a good thing by putting in all this effort. The work will continue, but you'll definitely see results from your time investment!
Bill
So what's the vote keep them single or housed together?
.
