chameleon tank?

[ilovereptile]

hi guys.. i really want a chameleon but... i can afford everything. im looking for a tank that 80-120 pounds cuz i live in uk. i dont mind shipping. i was gonna buy the reptarium but i dont know how and i cant ship it. its american. then i found exo terra. there is medium size, large size and small size which one should i get. the sizes for medium is 24x18x18, 24x18x24, or 24x18x36. large is 36x18x18, 36x18x24 and 36x18x36... im not going to mention the sizes for small because i want a 80-120 pound (money) exo terra tank that is full of space and has stuff like rainforest, etc... also just one more question. which light should i get for the chameleon. hope u reply because i really need a answer fast. btw the for the chameleon im not buying a tank for when its a baby and then buy a new when its adult. i just want a big tank thats full of room (20-180 pound)

 

[DavidBuchan]

Hello and welcome A few points - Don't be buying a Chameleon and be planning on doing things cheap (uv bulbs need replacing every 6 months!) Some gutload stuff can be expensive, buying and looking after feeder insects takes time and money too.
Now that's out the way though - I strongly recommend building your own. you can make it the size and shape you want...... All you need is a wooden frame and some mesh, really....plan it out properly of course, but there is loads of inspiration for design and layout on this forum.........
The best uv light is a Reptisun 5.0 tube. For a basking light use an ordinary household bulb, or a spotlight.....

 

[ilovereptile]

thanks for the help. i decided im getting a reptarium 260 gallons. i found out how to order it and its only 88 pound (28+ shipping).

 

[Pilotman800]

thanks for the help. i decided im getting a reptarium 260 gallons. i found out how to order it and its only 88 pound (28+ shipping).

260 gallons? Thats ginormous. Mine is 68.

 

[xanthoman]

here i go again

here i go raining on the parade a again, but better to realize now than regret after the fact

the reality check here is, chameleon keeping cost money. not just the cage, or the lighting or thermometers/hygrometers, multiple supplements, but other should have husbandry items like a nice viewer, a digital scale , mister(s), pump sprayer(s)etc.
another thing to consider is chams need live feeders, a variety of them, usually a larger variety than your local petstore can provide, and petstore feeders are often infested and sometimes even unavailable.
even for a single cham, petstore feeders can get pricey, especially if someone is on a low budget. a single adult cham could easily go through $5-10 week in feeders, sure, you can buy cheaper through the mail, but that means larger purchases, it also means. you need even more equipment to house and maintain (even raise) your feeders.

another harsh reality is that it is not uncommon for chams to get sick, and the symptoms often require vet care. generally speaking, chams should ideally have a vet checkup every 1-2 years anyway, so figure probably $75(US)for that, plus fecals. its also not unreasonable to assume that your cham could get sick at anytime, and require an emergency vet visit, so figure another 75 for that, and if it requires a fecal test, or blood test then thats even more money, plus likely meds and follow up visits. imo it would be prudent to budget at least the cost of one vet visit per year, and your reptisun should be replaced every 6-12mths or so too.(depending on who you ask)

understand, not trying to dash your dreams or harsh on your situation. its just that many (most) new keepers dont fully give thought to, or recognize, the full overall cost of keeping a chameleon. its often more than they anticipated or are prepared for. another thing to consider is if your cham needs $ spent on it (like for vet care or meds, tests, or equipment it doesnt have) and doesnt get it, then it will likely perish. if your cham needs an emergency vet visit. it likely wont survive 2 weeks until you get paid.

i hope you view this post as helpful not critical, its not my intention to criticize, i just dont want to see another "help my chameleon is dying, but i cant afford to take care of it" thread, something we see all to often here on cf. jmo
ps imo, you would be better off in the long term if you bought an aluminum framed cage, jmo

 

[pssh]

Alrighty, so I suggest getting everything that the chameleons needs AND putting away a good sum of money for emergency vet visits. (Perhaps 100 pounds or even more if you can.) Then and only then get the chameleon and you're set! It's important to have an emergency fund established if you dont always have access to large amounts of money readily.

 

[kfactor]

all is i can say is do lots of research i did my research for like 4mouths befor getting my first cham and i built my own cage and made sure all my basking temps were good and everthing first these guys and girls help me out a tone and i still read tones of post and what not i learn somthing new every day am still new to this ... read everthing u can nothing is better then a happy healthy cham