Caging?

[CauseNAffect]

So I am a newbie to this whole thing.
I contacted eric from chameleons101 and he seems to have a great handle on finding me a good panther cham mate that I shall have very soon...

However, I am now looking to set up a cage and living environment before he arrives.

I am very attracted to the exo-terra setups because I like the clean look of the acrylic and the viewing on all sides as well as the front gate style opening which I like. However I heard they are not that good for the health of the cham

....What should I be looking to purchase cage wise and from where? for my baby cham

 

[Bizzle90]

So I am a newbie to this whole thing.
I contacted eric from chameleons101 and he seems to have a great handle on finding me a good panther cham mate that I shall have very soon...

However, I am now looking to set up a cage and living environment before he arrives.

I am very attracted to the exo-terra setups because I like the clean look of the acrylic and the viewing on all sides as well as the front gate style opening which I like. However I heard they are not that good for the health of the cham

....What should I be looking to purchase cage wise and from where? for my baby cham

DIY cages is a site sponsor (check top right corner of page "view our sponsors") They are your cheapest bet.

I use a Reptibreeze, found at most pet shops - they work very well for me also.

 

[HerbsForMyChameleon]

That cage should work, do you know what lighting, plants, food you will need??

 

[CauseNAffect]

The exoterra medium-large terrarium is what i really like in terms of quality and style of the environment and accessibility. Is that ok?

I am not sure what is a must have,
Obviously substrate, branches, plants, and twigs are needed

But what full spectrum lights, mister, or anything else will I need?

 

[HerbsForMyChameleon]

You should get a ficus or an umbrella tree. some branches and vines. get a fluorescent fixture and a reptisun 5.0. also a basking spot light. temperature and humidity gauge. temps should be around 80 F at most in the basking spot. Feed it cockroaches if you can get them or just crickets. also give him occasional SAFE bugs from outside and different kinds of worms from the store (wax worms, superworms, ect.)

 

[HerbsForMyChameleon]

NO substrate and you can hand mist!

 

[HerbsForMyChameleon]

at first you should use the small crickets, not roaches. roaches are too big

 

[Bizzle90]

The exoterra medium-large terrarium is what i really like in terms of quality and style of the environment and accessibility. Is that ok?

I am not sure what is a must have,
Obviously substrate, branches, plants, and twigs are needed

But what full spectrum lights, mister, or anything else will I need?

The exoterra enclosures...if they are glass, then no you should not use it. For babies, it is okay. But, as juveniles-adults, they should not be housed in glass and it can be stressful on them. I'd go with something a bit larger, such as an all mesh/aluminum cage that is 2'Wx2'Lx4'T. They need the screen to allow good air ventilation and ease of climbing and so on.

Substrate is not needed and many are against it. It creates a harder to clean surface, can be toxic to a cham if eaten, etc. You can house real or fake plants in the enclosure, as long as they are non-toxic. Ficus Benjamina, Pothos, dwarf umbrella tree's are good examples.

You will need a regular household bulb for heat (25-60W) depending on how high the basking spot is.

UVB light: Reptisun 5.0

You can buy a cheap sprayer at a dollar store, or if you have the money you can buy an automatic mister.

 

[Elizadolots]

The exoterra enclosures...if they are glass, then no you should not use it. For babies, it is okay. But, as juveniles-adults, they should not be housed in glass and it can be stressful on them. I'd go with something a bit larger, such as an all mesh/aluminum cage that is 2'Wx2'Lx4'T. They need the screen to allow good air ventilation and ease of climbing and so on.

As long as the ventilation is good, with bottom to top air flow, and the lights can be safely set so they do not go through glass, there is no reason a primarily glass enclosure would be a problem. Some of the most experienced keepers here use glass.

 

[HerbsForMyChameleon]

Glass isnt the problem with glass enclosures, just lack of airflow, heat/humidity escape and reflection might piss em off xD

 

[paigesc]

I think the glass enclosures should be utilized only by the more experienced keepers, IMHO. Reptibreeze, DIY, etc are more suited for the beginner cham owner.

 

[sophiechameleon]

I think most would agree that you should start out with a reptibreeze would be best to start your chameleon off with.

 

[Carlton]

The exoterra medium-large terrarium is what i really like in terms of quality and style of the environment and accessibility. Is that ok?

I am not sure what is a must have,
Obviously substrate, branches, plants, and twigs are needed

But what full spectrum lights, mister, or anything else will I need?

One thing to consider is your water. If it's hard, you'll be cleaning hard water spots off the glass constantly. If you have hard water either put in an RO filter so you don't have to buy demineralized water, or consider a screen cage. You can always cut and fit plexiglas panels or clear plastic sheeting to go on the outside of the cage to help with humidity.

No loose substrates that can be picked up on the tongue and swallowed.
ReptiSun 5.0 UV light
Regular house light bulb for heat. Start off with a lower watt and experiment to make sure the Exoterra doesn't overheat. You'll need a temp gradient in the cage and the solid sides will tend to keep it warmer.
Live plants will help with humdity and air quality.

 

[Carlton]

They need the screen to allow good air ventilation and ease of climbing and so on.

Actually, you don't really want your cham to climb on the cage screen (if it's window screen type) because they can and do get their claws snagged in it. Leads to claw damage and loss, toe infections if not treated.

As long as the Exoterra has good cross ventilation options you could use it (I'm not very familiar with this cage), but it might be snug for an adult. Larger cages are often easier to manage because you can get larger bushy sturdy plants, its easier to create a range of microclimates, there's more space for drippers, plant pots, feeding bins, a good climbing network...simply more living space for the cham.

 

[Olimpia]

If you're getting a baby, get a cheap screen cage for him now and then consider ordering or making your own adult cage to be as attractive as you'd like. You can make the front panel acrylic, for example, the two sides and top screen, and the back wood or plastic in a wooden frame and you'd have yourself a furniture-looking addition to the house. Just a thought for the future.

Hopefully this helps, it's a quick sort of visual guide so you get an idea of what to put in a cage. The one pictured is a DIY wood cage, but the basics still apply:

 

[Elizadolots]

Glass isnt the problem with glass enclosures, just lack of airflow, heat/humidity escape and reflection might piss em off xD

That's why I mentioned airflow and many, many primarily glass cages have excellent airflow.

I think the glass enclosures should be utilized only by the more experienced keepers, IMHO. Reptibreeze, DIY, etc are more suited for the beginner cham owner.

It depends. Some experienced handlers here started using glass and stick with it.

The OP doesn't disclose a location, but something about "panther cham mate" makes me think "UK" and glass is typical in that sort of climate.

 

[Benton1576]

Glass enclosures are fine, as long as they have vents in the bottom and top for airflow. I personally use coco humus as substrate but i seive it first to make sure there are no lumps or fibers left in it (it has to dry out before you can do this), its good for holding humidity and sometimes they may eat a bit, there must be some benifit from doing that as they do it in the wild too. I have never had any problems with impaction. Chameleons tend to hang out at the top of the cage, very rarely coming into contact with the substrate anyway. Its personal choice, but bear in mind you will have to replace the substrate every few months in case of bacteria build up and spot clean EVERY day to try to prevent the bacteria. I also use springtails in my substrate as they eat the dead skin, feaces etc that you might accidentaly miss when cleaning.

 

[harkonk]

Live plants will help with humdity and air quality.

Hey my name is charlie i live in Greece
I havent bought my cham yet, im reading this forum for quite long and im thinking of getting started soon. i have a question. im going to make an aluminum mesh cage, which is going to be located next to my bed( i really cant place it anywhere else due to lack of space). I dont want to put a live plant in the cage( because of they absorb oxygen at night and emit CO2). I m going to use reptile carpet. What do i need to do to maintain the humidity level? will they spraying system be enough if i set it to spray more often? shall i put wood on any of the sides of the cage?

thank you

 

[Olimpia]

Hey my name is charlie i live in Greece
I havent bought my cham yet, im reading this forum for quite long and im thinking of getting started soon. i have a question. im going to make an aluminum mesh cage, which is going to be located next to my bed( i really cant place it anywhere else due to lack of space). I dont want to put a live plant in the cage( because of they absorb oxygen at night and emit CO2). I m going to use reptile carpet. What do i need to do to maintain the humidity level? will they spraying system be enough if i set it to spray more often? shall i put wood on any of the sides of the cage?

thank you

To be honest, your chameleon will be happiest with plants in the cage. If their natural habitat in the wild, to not have plants to hide in and drink off of will probably make them unhappy. It is a myth that you could be in danger from sleeping in a room full of plants - http://indianapublicmedia.org/amomentofscience/sleeping-with-plants/ - the amount of oxygen 2-3 plants breathe is really nothing to worry about.

Although to keep himidity up you can make the back solid wood, or even the back and both sides, leaving only the front and the top as screen. This would keep in a lot of humidity.

 

[harkonk]

i see your point. a couple of plants wouldnt be so bad after all. i sleep with open door anyways so i asume i would be ok.? and put plenty of foliage
And i basically build the frame and make botom and back out of wood then the sides and top would be aluminum mesh. does it sound right? Would a 18x18x24 inches cage be appropriate for a 4 -5 month chameleon?