Breeders : Hatchling caging setup

[shea]

Do any breeders here have pictures of their hatchling enclosures they could post? I used to have racking of dozens of critter keeper plastic cages, but I couldn't say if they were a good option or not - this is 8-10 years ago and I don't think I had the best rate of survival for one reason or another - then again, I'm not exactly sure what was a good mortality rate with these guys (pardalis / calyptratus).

Does anyone have pics? Someone who has successfully reared many many hatchlings with low mortality rates? ...if anyone replies to this post, could you include your mortality rate?

I'm looking to get back into chameleons, but I remember being frustrated with raising up hatchlings and was always searching for a better way - a better way to do everything : house, feed, water, heat/cool, etc for my little guys. I did end up raising and breeding 2 generations of pardalis, but I never felt confident I could continue to raise and breed these guys without massive losses - losses of adults and babies.

Thanks !!
Shea Peterson

 

[Eric Adrignola]

~20 gallon translucent tupperware/steralite container. Cut a hole in the lid, replace with screen. If you want, just keep the lid off.

I put mostly fake plants in it, spray it down a few times a day. To clean, I just move the buggers to one side, wipe, move them to the clean side, wipe. Works well for all species, and works well up to the sub adult size.

Simple simple simple - and CHEAP.

I tell people to take the money they'd spend on a small screen cage and put it into a larger one for the adult.

 

[ChromaChameleons]

Of my last 75 hatched , I have lost 4 babies. Thats less than 6% mortality .Two of them were from a lapse of misting and excessive heat.

I use 12x12x18 exoterras for the first 8 weeks. No more than 10- 15 babies per cage. One umbrella plant and fake silk plants and some sticks for furnishings.

Mist 4 times daily . I use a 15 watt appliance incandescent and watch the temps.

 

[shea]

Thanks for the responses guys. Much appreciated.

Are you guys sticking to a basic diet of fruit flies and crickets for the first few months? Are you guys raising panther's and veileds?

Thanks !

Shea Peterson

 

[summoner12]

At what point is it good to provide UVB?

 

[SoCaliSon]

At what point is it good to provide UVB?

Thats what I was thinking....????

 

[kinyonga]

I provide UVB from the beginning.

 

[krug1313]

My little 1 month old male veild cant get enough of his UVB light. He climbs the screen and will sit under it for ever.

 

[Vegas Chad]

From egg tub into plastic growing tub then add UVB light to said plastic tubs.

Feed FF, small crix, small roach and small silk worm. Or whatever combo of what you have...

 

[Ren]

What about temps?

 

[DNA]

I gave my babies FF, because FF cannot bite at the babies, and FF always fly. it can train the babies. But you have to note whether the FF you used is without bacteria. I get mine from lab.