Best Cham enclosure

[YigosFlower]

Im sure this post is like a broken record on here, but i thought i would ask anyways just to be certain im getting direct up to date info.

Im planning to get my first EVER chameleon in the coming months. I want to get all of my set up purchased little by little & have it set up a few weeks before i bring my fella home.

Anyways, im getting a panther & have been looking around for a few weeks at different cage options for 'him.'

Obviously i want something safe, light weight, easy to clean, inexpensive, & something that my little fella will be happy to call home. (an appropriate size cage will be used while growing of course.)

Im SO nervous about getting a cham to begin with so i dont want to worry & be hassled around because i didnt buy the 'perfect' cage from the start. I want to get 'The one' on the first try so i dont make things any harder for myself cleaning, feeding or stress my fella out being moved.

I have seen custom cages & MANY versions for sale online & in stores. Build or buy? Did anyone purchase a starter kit from anywhere? Any recommendations would be greatly appreciated!

What do you have & why do you think thats the best cage for you & your cham?

Any photos?

Thank you so much in advance.

 

[Julirs]

Hello Fellow Hoosier! (Although I am now lucky enough to call Florida home to esape all that cold weather!)

You just cannot beat LLLReptile for supplies. They have the most affordable screen cages, and if you are looking for price, quality, and ease of cleaning, etc. their screen cage is the way to go. Here is a copy of a shopping list. This would get you everything you need to start-you would only need to upgrade to a larger cage at around 8 months or so depending on how fast your Panther grows...http://www.julirschameleons.com/chameleonshoppinglist.htm

 

[YigosFlower]

Thank you so much, that will be very helpful!

Im so excited every step closer i get. I've been day dreaming about the day my husband would agree for such a LONG time. I think he might even be debating getting one to call his own a some point. haha We will see how things go!

(Lucky you staying nice & warm!)

 

[nick barta]

Several vendors supply the full screen cages, and I found that LLLReptile and Reptile Depot have the best pricing for a light, easy to assemble, bug escape proof cage (if there is such a thing). Both vendors have the bottom swing-out front for easy cleaning-a must!

Some thoughts that can save you considerable money are:

1) If you might go to 2 Chams, you can get 2 cages 24"wide by 24" deep that are the same heigth, you can place them side by side, and then you can use one 48 inch flourescent fixture and bulb for your UVB light, spanning both cages. You also can use one heat light for both cages, placing it above the 2 walls that touch. At the price of bulbs and fixtures, this will reduce your initial cost, and you will replace 1/2 of the bulbs you would if each cage had its own lights. By the way, side by side cages will need a visual block so the Chams don't have direct visual contact.
2) If you are only doing one Cham, buy a cage that is a standard size to double up later, and also larger than you need, and feed enough feeders that the Cham can find them, or cup feed. This will keep you from buying 3 cages during the life of your Cham.
3) Hand misting would be what I would recommend for a new Cham person, it is a nice interface between Cham and keeper, and it keeps you aware of the Chams condition. I would go to a automatic watering system if you have days you are not at home, but I have raised 60 Chams without the automatic systems, and am only going to start using a system from Jason @ Herpmist because I am doing more traveling now.

Good fortune in this adventure, and one final word of advice: Don't sweat being perfect in this husbandry; much is still to be learned, and if you give the Cham the basics, you have done well.

CHEERS!!!

Nick Barta
Puyallup Washington

 

[Chameleonboy]

You can also check craigslist.com for used cages maybe but make sure to clean them extremely well.



EDIT: im sorry I did not see that you already recommended reptiledepot

 

[YigosFlower]

Thank you all so much for such kind & encouraging words. Im SO worried about bringing one home, i've been debating getting one for over a year now. =]

Ive just heard SO much about them being so sensitive im going to be a nervous reck that i will kill him.

I do have a lot of other animal experience, but those are unscaled animals, so this will be quite the dramatic jump for me. (Although i do have three leopard geckos) hehe Im looking forward to it, but boy am i nervous. (I cant stress that enough really..)

What about the set ups that Kammerflage Kreations offer? I was thinking about just purchasing their set up with a cham, but i didnt see until the other night they WILL ship the caging & supplies a bit before the cham will be shipped.

Keeping two that close together wouldnt cause any issues with one another? I know my hubby said he MIGHT one day be interested in one to call his own, but im pretty sure we will wait a few months before purchasing another.. We want to know we have a clue what we are doing first. So we will just be preparing for one for now. =]

 

[nick barta]

The Kammerflauge kits make it easy for a new keeper. Go for it! Ed and Liddy are reputable and they have great Chams and supplies.

CHEERS!!!

Nick Barta

Puyallup Washington

 

[panthercham]

Welcome to the forum

My first cham (Panther) came from Screameleons and I got their starter kit which they shipped a week before my cham so that I could set it up, read all the info they sent etc and get ready and very nervous!

Kammerflauge kits are the same where they send you everything you need and you dont need to worry about anything but live safe plants.

I was the same as you with my first cham, he was a gift and I was not expecting him and was sure I was going to kill him and I broke every rule in the book (not intentionally) but he still survived.

You will be fine as long as you ask questions and learn here

 

[YigosFlower]

OOO such choices i have. =]

Are the set ups(caging anways) from each place the same? I will more than likely purchase from one of those two breeders depending on what they have available when im able to bring "him" home.

Im thinking that i might have my husband make the full adult cage when the time comes because i will know the cham's needs a lot more & perhaps what works for 'us' best.(of course safe as well.) How large should i expect my adult Panther's cage to be minimal & maximum size?

 

[summoner12]

Good luck and welcome!

1) If you might go to 2 Chams, you can get 2 cages 24"wide by 24" deep that are the same heigth, you can place them side by side, and then you can use one 48 inch flourescent fixture and bulb for your UVB light, spanning both cages. You also can use one heat light for both cages, placing it above the 2 walls that touch. At the price of bulbs and fixtures, this will reduce your initial cost, and you will replace 1/2 of the bulbs you would if each cage had its own lights. By the way, side by side cages will need a visual block so the Chams don't have direct visual contact.
2) If you are only doing one Cham, buy a cage that is a standard size to double up later, and also larger than you need, and feed enough feeders that the Cham can find them, or cup feed. This will keep you from buying 3 cages during the life of your Cham.

I like Nick's advice but I would like to add some things. The idea about the 48" UV lamp for two cages is great. I use a dual 48" over my cages. I have one 5.0 reptisun and then a 'grow light' from home depot for the plants. UV lights don't put out a ton of light so the grow plant really brightens things up. I would not use one heat lamp for both cages though. Some chams like more heat than others and you can't adjust very easily if they are sharing. Plus the hot spot of the lamp will be wasted by it being pointed at the divider of the cages. A normal house hold lamp is fine for heat, they are pretty cheap last I checked. The extra cost of two different heat lamp bases shouldn't break the piggy bank. He is right about the divider between cages. If two males can see each other they will show off to one another and may even try to attack through the screen if tensions are high. Stress is bad for chams so allowing them to see one another is a bad idea. The same goes for females being seen my males. These are solitary animals and are quite fine never seeing another cham or you for that matter as long as they have heat, UV, water and food... and every once in a while they do like to mate .

About cage size. If you get a very young cham you could tub it or use a small screen cage. If you have any intention on keeping more than one cham there isn't anything wrong with buying a smaller cage... then a larger one in a few months and keeping the small one around for your next little guy. You will find others might be willing to buy your small cage or could be loaned or rented to someone local. Putting a young cham in a large cage is not a good idea. They need to find food... not wander around all day hungry looking for it. Lots of feeder crickets running around a cage can also bother the small cham. When a cricket has nothing to eat and comes across a sleeping cham......... Plus a large cage for a little cham who falls won't be good. The smaller the better, you'll be able to keep track of food consumption and poop deposits. Try looking for small little poops in a 24"x24"x48" cage with a huge ficus to look through.

 

[summoner12]

OOO such choices i have. =]

Are the set ups(caging anways) from each place the same? I will more than likely purchase from one of those two breeders depending on what they have available when im able to bring "him" home.

Im thinking that i might have my husband make the full adult cage when the time comes because i will know the cham's needs a lot more & perhaps what works for 'us' best.(of course safe as well.) How large should i expect my adult Panther's cage to be minimal & maximum size?

and adult panther will fine a 24"x24"x48" cage large enough. You could even make it wider and deeper and a tad shorter. Males like to walk around the cage 'patrolling'. My mail Steve is ALWAYS walking up and down and around his vines and ficus.