Couple of free range questions

[kearth]

With a move coming in my near future I had been tossing around some ideas.

Which ever new house I end up with, 1/2 or more of the basement will be mine for the "frog" room. Depending on size I would like to set up a free range for a couple mellers. The only reason I have not done this currently is I do not have door on the current frog room and having 2 cats worry me.

Which is better Fake or real plants? I use real plants on all of my frog/ gecko tanks but was not sure how well most would stand up to a large chameleon.

Is hand misting ok or should I set up a mister system? I had mist the frog tanks 1-2 times a day so more misting would not really be an issue.

Now on to feeding - Do you cup feed or hand feed?

And lastly lights - if I provide a couple different places with basking lights will they use them?
This will not be happenning for atleast another 6-8 months so I have plenty of time for planning and getting the set up right.

Thank you in advance for the help

 

[Olimpia]

I personally use all live plants because it helps keep humidity up. Now, my guys are much lighter than a Mellers so you would have to also consider maybe making sturdy pathways and such with wood dowels or thick branches between the plants so he still has the natural plant cover, but he has something a little sturdy to hold his weight.

I have a misting system hanging nearly from the roof and this makes life easier for me, but mandmisting will work just as well. So this is completely personal preference, I feel.

I do both types of feeding. I have a feeding station with crickets and roaches, but will handfeed worms when I have them.

I keep 4 chameleons together and I had three basking areas set up and they all wandered between them when they wanted some heat/uv. When it's just one animal in a FR I just put up a single light area and they will come and go as they see fit. But yea, I would provide about one basking area per animal in the FR, so they can all bask separately if they want to.

 

[sdheli420]

I personally use all live plants because it helps keep humidity up. Now, my guys are much lighter than a Mellers so you would have to also consider maybe making sturdy pathways and such with wood dowels or thick branches between the plants so he still has the natural plant cover, but he has something a little sturdy to hold his weight.

I have a misting system hanging nearly from the roof and this makes life easier for me, but mandmisting will work just as well. So this is completely personal preference, I feel.

I do both types of feeding. I have a feeding station with crickets and roaches, but will handfeed worms when I have them.

I keep 4 chameleons together and I had three basking areas set up and they all wandered between them when they wanted some heat/uv. When it's just one animal in a FR I just put up a single light area and they will come and go as they see fit. But yea, I would provide about one basking area per animal in the FR, so they can all bask separately if they want to.

couldnt have been worded any better...i use almost one basking site per cham, seems to make them happy..good luck with the "frog" room sounds pretty cool!

 

[Lingling]

You might want to go with a misting system for mellers - they drink like no other. Those are big chams that need a lot of water, and it would be much easier on you to spend the $180 and get a good misting system. That's the only reason I don't have a mellers. I'd love one, but I can't use a misting system on my current free range, and I think that it would be pretty essential.

 

[sdheli420]

You might want to go with a misting system for mellers - they drink like no other. Those are big chams that need a lot of water, and it would be much easier on you to spend the $180 and get a good misting system. That's the only reason I don't have a mellers. I'd love one, but I can't use a misting system on my current free range, and I think that it would be pretty essential.

they do have a big water need..kinda like the parsons, drink like damn dogs..but as for the system go for the mistking basic setup with the plus pack..you will be good from there..only 169.00 for that set up. lil cheaper and get good mist for the price..just get a huge bucket and mod the top, fill it a the 35 cent purification machine in front on vons or ralphs..

p.s. i have heard of people using huge resivoirs for the misting systems that have circulation\filter pumps in them to keep water fresh and oxegenated...

 

[kearth]

Thank you Olimpia - That is exactly the kind of info I was looking for.

Hand misting will have to do for the time being. Depends on how much the free range ventures over to the frog racks.

My hand mister is one of those garden spray pumps so it is still a bit better than the hand spray bottles.

Feeding station I can do...

Ok as soon as the place is picked I will start posting some pics. It will be a few months but I am very excited and will be reading all I can in the mean time,

 

[kearth]

The house has been found and we are going to check it out this weekend.

So I am a tad bit closer to getting there.

Do mellers do well in groups?

I am going to go with some fake and some live trees.

I also plan to have some sort of outdoor enclosure for them during the warmer months.