Cage Cleaning Frequency
- Thread starter Brad
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PardalisGirl
Avid Member
My Routine......
I'm just about ready to start my daily routine........I try to clean the cages every day. I clean up chameleon doo doo with a paper towel that is moistened with a safe anti-bacterial soap solution. I pick up fallen leaves, dead crickets, etc. I completely wipe the cage bottom surface with the moistened towel to get cricket doo doo. I then mist the cage and watch the chameleon drink. I wipe the bottom dry with another dry paper towel. I do this with each cage in a room. If I see that one chameleon is extra thirsty, I mist them again.
During the rest of the day I will try to pick up any fresh doo doo material that I see. Especially from the big adult males. I can't stand seeing those big doo doos sit there. It's easier to do when it is fresh too. My cages that house one to three month old chams usually get cleaned twice a day. They have three to four chams in them and they poop about twice a day. I like to keep these clean during the day because these juvies are very active and I don't want them crawling on doo doo. I mist the babies and juvies two to three times per day.
After I clean all the cages in a room I distribute crickets and hand feed things like silkworms or hornworms. Once a week I water the potted plants and groom them. I use my routine as a daily health check. While I am cleaning the cage I am checking the condition of each chameleon. I check the eyes, the mouth and the consistancy of it's poop (yeah, gross), and if the crickets from the day before have been eaten. Every couple of days I take the young juvies out to see if they seem strong and sturdy. It's hard to tell in the cage. I spend extra time checking out gravid females and females that have just laid eggs. My routine takes four to five hours per day. I don't mind the time though because it's the time I "bond" and interact with the chams. All there different behaviors and personalities are very interesting to me.
I'm just about ready to start my daily routine........I try to clean the cages every day. I clean up chameleon doo doo with a paper towel that is moistened with a safe anti-bacterial soap solution. I pick up fallen leaves, dead crickets, etc. I completely wipe the cage bottom surface with the moistened towel to get cricket doo doo. I then mist the cage and watch the chameleon drink. I wipe the bottom dry with another dry paper towel. I do this with each cage in a room. If I see that one chameleon is extra thirsty, I mist them again.
During the rest of the day I will try to pick up any fresh doo doo material that I see. Especially from the big adult males. I can't stand seeing those big doo doos sit there. It's easier to do when it is fresh too. My cages that house one to three month old chams usually get cleaned twice a day. They have three to four chams in them and they poop about twice a day. I like to keep these clean during the day because these juvies are very active and I don't want them crawling on doo doo. I mist the babies and juvies two to three times per day.
After I clean all the cages in a room I distribute crickets and hand feed things like silkworms or hornworms. Once a week I water the potted plants and groom them. I use my routine as a daily health check. While I am cleaning the cage I am checking the condition of each chameleon. I check the eyes, the mouth and the consistancy of it's poop (yeah, gross), and if the crickets from the day before have been eaten. Every couple of days I take the young juvies out to see if they seem strong and sturdy. It's hard to tell in the cage. I spend extra time checking out gravid females and females that have just laid eggs. My routine takes four to five hours per day. I don't mind the time though because it's the time I "bond" and interact with the chams. All there different behaviors and personalities are very interesting to me.
Dan
New Member
Every morning when I wake up, I first go through and pick up any poop, fallen leaves, dead crickets ect. from the cage floor. I then mist the cage really well, and lastly I dust the crickets and put them in. I make sure to spray the cage before I put the crickets in because I think that if you sprayed after you would wash all the dusting off the crickets. Throughout the day I pick up any poop, leaves and crickets I see. I empty the tupperwear that collects my drip water three times, once in the morning, once in the afternoon, and once in the evening. When I empty the tupperwear I will also hand spray the cage. In the earlier evening I will put another batch of crickets in. Lastly, before I go to bed at night I will check the cage one more time for crickets, poops and leaves.
Once a week, typically on the weekends, I do a thorough cleaning. I first take the chams out of the cage and put them on plants for a while. I remove everything that isn't attached to the cage including the plants, drip tupperwear, and terr-o-liner. Still left in the cage is the biovines, fake plants and feeding cup that are twist-tied to the cage. I take the cage outside and with a hose spray down the whole cage, and everything still in it. I am trying to wash off any poops that i didn't see hidden in the leaves, cricket poop, leftover calcium dust, and anything else that might have accumulated over the week. I also spray down the real plants themselves. I hose off the plants really well, and wipe down the pots themselves. I also clean out the inside of the feeding cup with a wet paper towel. Next, I clean the drip tupperwear to make sure nothing starts to grow in it. I place all that in the sun to dry for about an hour. While that is all drying I throw the reptarium liner in the wash and wash it without soap, and then stick it in the dryer to get it completely dry. Laslty, I reassemble everything, Making sure that the water from the drip system is landing in the tupperwear, I make sure the plants are well watered, I spray down the cage, put some dusted crickets in, and the finally put the chams back in.
Once a week, typically on the weekends, I do a thorough cleaning. I first take the chams out of the cage and put them on plants for a while. I remove everything that isn't attached to the cage including the plants, drip tupperwear, and terr-o-liner. Still left in the cage is the biovines, fake plants and feeding cup that are twist-tied to the cage. I take the cage outside and with a hose spray down the whole cage, and everything still in it. I am trying to wash off any poops that i didn't see hidden in the leaves, cricket poop, leftover calcium dust, and anything else that might have accumulated over the week. I also spray down the real plants themselves. I hose off the plants really well, and wipe down the pots themselves. I also clean out the inside of the feeding cup with a wet paper towel. Next, I clean the drip tupperwear to make sure nothing starts to grow in it. I place all that in the sun to dry for about an hour. While that is all drying I throw the reptarium liner in the wash and wash it without soap, and then stick it in the dryer to get it completely dry. Laslty, I reassemble everything, Making sure that the water from the drip system is landing in the tupperwear, I make sure the plants are well watered, I spray down the cage, put some dusted crickets in, and the finally put the chams back in.
dodolah
Retired Moderator
i pick the poop out of the cage immediately as soon as I see one.
i do major cleaning cage once every 2 weeks to avoid stressing him too much from the activity.
(while cleaning, i put him in a spare tiny cage outside my house and let him bask in the sun- although he basically bask in the sun everyday in front of my bedroom window)
i clean everything with antibacterial soaps.
i do major cleaning cage once every 2 weeks to avoid stressing him too much from the activity.
(while cleaning, i put him in a spare tiny cage outside my house and let him bask in the sun- although he basically bask in the sun everyday in front of my bedroom window)
i clean everything with antibacterial soaps.
I take a wet paper towel to the bottom of the cage daily.
If I'm feeding silkworms or greens I clean out the bowl each day, wash it with soap, rinse and dry before re-use.
About every other week, I shake the plant, and take out any leafs the fall, water the plant, re-arrange anything that needs it, and basically piss Butter off by touching his things.
If I'm feeding silkworms or greens I clean out the bowl each day, wash it with soap, rinse and dry before re-use.
About every other week, I shake the plant, and take out any leafs the fall, water the plant, re-arrange anything that needs it, and basically piss Butter off by touching his things.
Treetop Chameleons
Established Member
i do basic cleaning everyday,but do a realy good cleaning once a week normaly when i have a day off. i start out buy puting the cage's in the shower and give the chams a nice watering, then when the bathroom is all steamy i clean off all the fake plants and vines with hot water and a safe non toxic anti bactereal soap. then i hang the vines from the top of the shower and let the chams hang out in the humid bathroom well i clean out the rest of the cage. then i take any wood branch's and put them in the oven at 375 deggrees to kill all bacterea. its a process but it work and the chams love it the air can get kind of dry this time of year hear so they love chillin in the bathroom in all the humidity.
RhettusMaximus
New Member
spot cleaning
I do an "official" cleaning once a week and spot clean daily for any poop i may find.
I do an "official" cleaning once a week and spot clean daily for any poop i may find.
MdngtRain
New Member
I do spot cleaning daily, as needed, and wipe the cage down every week. I do a "water-down" cleaning in the shower about once a month, except with my large cage, that just gets the spot-clean & wipe-down. In the warmer months, I tend to leave the cages outside on the patio, and they get cleaned as needed, and soaked by rain storms.
DarkRapture
New Member
i have only had my chameleon about 3 weeks but i have a cleaning routine already. everyday i spot clean poops, leaves, etc., and then i mist. i use a towel at the bottom of the cage when i mist to collect all the runoff. then when i'm done i use the damp towel to wipe the bottom and make sure things are nice 'n clean. then i dust all the critters and offer Marley his feeding cup near his fav spot. each week i wipe everything down and every 2 weeks i do a thorough clean (plants stix etc.).
i am almost finished building my full sized cage (cedar, aluminum screen and vinyl floor tiles) and will be using a water based sealant on all the wood so that i can take it outside and give it a good wash down once every month or so. - i can't wait till it's done!
i am almost finished building my full sized cage (cedar, aluminum screen and vinyl floor tiles) and will be using a water based sealant on all the wood so that i can take it outside and give it a good wash down once every month or so. - i can't wait till it's done!
Dankmeleon
New Member
my irrigation gives my cage a pretty thourough washing daily bring the poop in my tree leaves to at least soil level and then every two weeks or so i swap the chams into clean cages and give theres a thourough nozzle spray and disenfecting a long with thourough rinse
FOREVER ENDEAVOR
New Member
i spot clean daily when i feed, and deep clean every 2-3 weeks. When i deep clean and the weather is right(i live in az, the summers are rediculous) i let them bask in the sun under my misters.
desultadox
Established Member
I've fashioned a small mop and broom with customized chameleon-hand grips. I give these to my female Panther cham and she cleans up for her and her boyfriend while he sits on a branch and watches football. He's a bit chauvinistic, but far be it from me to interfere with nature!
mary prefontaine
New Member
daily for sure
ya i too clean my cage daily it just keeps me from having a mess by the end of the week let alone disease that can come from waiting a week
ya i too clean my cage daily it just keeps me from having a mess by the end of the week let alone disease that can come from waiting a week
Billyjack187
New Member
Weekly...you gotta have a life.
nekrosoft13
New Member
spot-clean daily (sometimes every 2 days) deep clean every 2 weeks.
FOREVER ENDEAVOR
New Member
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