couple noob questions

[doaflip21]

Is bamboo and lipstick plants okay for the cham's cage?

I know that screened cages are ideal, but what if I were to use a glass tank, add ventilation, and make it so that the walls are non reflective?

I know I shouldn't switch my cham to a larger cage but can I expand the previous cage?

I'm still a little confused about the lighting, the lady at the pet store told me to have a regular florescent as if in a fish tank and a red heat lamp for daylight and blue night light. Is that right? Can't i just use a Reptisun by zoomed 5.0? What wattage is necessary?

Sorry about all of the questions, I have just been getting mixed answers and I want some clarification before getting my new Jackson's Chameleon.

Thanks Everyone!!

 

[dodolah]

people often mistook Lucky bamboo (Dracaena sanderiana) with Bamboo (Bambusa vulgaris).
Lucky bamboo is toxic. It is a family of dracaena made to "look like" bamboo.
The real bamboo is ok to use.
Here are some pics:
LUCKY BAMBOO

REAL BAMBOO

The lady at the pet store knows nothing about chameleon.
So, it is best for you not to listen to her anymore.
You need reptisun 5.0 Linear tube like this:

and an incandescent lamp for heat:

as far as how big a wattage will depends on how cold your local climate is.
I lived in SoCal, I never have the need to go any higher than 60 watt bulb.

 

[doaflip21]

thanks for the quick reply

So at night I can just go with no light?

also, the cham at the pet store seemed very active and healthy except they were both dark brown, and in the same cage, I know that this is an indicator of stress. Should I still buy them?

 

[serenitystarlite]

I'm a little confused by your questions. Are you buying your first chameleon? How old is the chameleon you're talking about?

 

[doaflip21]

I'm sorry for being unclear...

Yes this will be my first chameleon and he is a Jackson Chameleon. I'm not sure of the age but judging by the size him and his friend seem pretty young... but by no means a baby.

They are both darkish brown, one was kinda chillin in the corner while the other was very active climbing along the branches. They both looked like healthy animals in a glass tank.

As for the tank.. I have a large glass tank that I was planning on using. I was planning on blacking out the sides, having the top set with a computer fan and a drip system... Along with the reptisun 5.0 and an incandescent light bulb.

For vegetation I have a plant that the guy called a "mini bamboo" but it definitely isnt bamboo even though it kinda grows similarly. He called the other plant a lipstick plant. I was wondering if you knew if either of these are poisonous?

I am planning on putting an addition on the tank in the near future.. A netted tower coming off the top. Would this be cool?

does everything seem alright?

Thanks for reading and any advice is happily accepted by me and my new cham!

 

[serenitystarlite]

I've had bad experiences using glass tanks. I used them for both of my senegals and both developed infections. My current senegal, Kami, recovered and is now in a screen cage. What you're describing is exactly how I had Kami set up while I was building her big screen cage. She was in a glass tank with a screen addition built onto the top and she still developed some sort of bacterial infection in her mouth. I had to spend $250 on two vet visits for her.

I plan on housing my baby jackson's in a screen cage as well. He'll be in a glass tank until he's big enough for a screened cage, but that's because he's very tiny.

The other reason that a glass tank is a bad idea is that it's really hard to use a dripper because there's nowhere for the water to drain. When my veiled was tiny and still in her little tank, I tried to use a dripper and caught the water in a plant saucer. It was really hard to empty and hard to keep from overflowing.

So in short, I would recommend a screened cage with a drainage system

 

[doaflip21]

thanks serenity..

Just Curious though, did you have any ventilation fans when you had the glass tank?

Any other opinions or answers? thanks a lot!

 

[pssh]

When keeping a chameleon in a glass cage I would not use an aquarium that was not made for aboreal animals unless you are keeping pygmies. If you were to use a glass cage I would suggest an exo Terra or zoo med terrarium so that there is adequate air flow. It would be terrible if your chameleon became sick and died because you wanted to save a little money and use a fish tank.

The computer fan should not blow air into the cage but draw it out. Remember that.

 

[serenitystarlite]

No I didn't have any fans set up with the tank itself, just one in my room on the opposite corner. I don't remember having any fans when I had my first chameleon. I would go with with Pssh said if you would rather use glass than screen and get one of those nice glass cages that are meant for reptiles. You can always build your own as well. I built all of my cages myself and they're pretty cheap to build if you don't go with fancy trim like I did

 

[serenitystarlite]

forgot about this thread, check it out

https://www.chameleonforums.com/everyone-who-knows-you-cant-keep-chameleons-glass-31937/