Architortoise
New Member
Hi everyone,
Prepping for my first male ambilobe panther chameleon. I've had a few other reptiles before but this is a new endeavor. I just want to make sure I'm prepared for this guy, so I'd appreciate any constructive criticism regarding the homemade enclosure and setup while I have plenty of time to prepare.
I live in Brooklyn and space is tight, so I'm converting part of an IKEA wardrobe into an enclosure. I've replaced the front solid door with a DIY screen door, and have cut out the top and replaced that with screen as well. The remaining sides and back are solid with an applied non-toxic, PVC-free, plastic membrane for waterproofing and an easy clean. How do you feel about 3 solid sides (the room is well ventilated with multiple windows)? I've applied a similarly non-toxic wood tile background that I picked up for free. Total inside dimensions are 49"x22"x20" - a bit smaller than the recommended size.
Lights are in place and are currently running on a timer for initial temperature and humidity tests. Ambient temperature is consistently around 65 at night and 75 during the day. I'm using a household 60watt incandescent basking bulb, with a 5.0HO linear UVB flourescent by reptisun in a fixture from Home Depot, filtered through typical aluminum screen.
I have a mistking that I'll be hooking up with 2 nozzles, as I work late quite often and can't consistently most by hand. Splurged for the hygrometer timer so it kicks in when it drifts out of the desired humidity range. Everything is on fail-safe timers with grounded strips.
Four different live plants are on their way: a hoya , a pothos, jasmine vines, and some basil, and they will have plenty of time to mature before the little guy arrives in mid-January. I'll also be using 2 large flexible vines from Exo-terra and lots of horizontal perches made from sticks that I've de-barked and baked in the oven, with a light sand and rinse to clean them.
I plan on feeding about 50% Dubia roaches, 25% crickets, 20% silkworms/hornworms once older, and 10% various other treats. I'd love for him to eat a few bites of greens, hence the basil. Would like to add collards to the cage as I grow them in my windowsills already. I've got Repashy SuperCal Plus for daily dustings. I settled on using this as my sole supplement based on posts by Olimpia on her blogs. Seems easiest to maintain and keep track of, especially if I'm out of town on business and need to have others come by to feed and monitor.
I've attached a photo of the in-process enclosure just for reference; again, just a start. Thanks for the advice.
Prepping for my first male ambilobe panther chameleon. I've had a few other reptiles before but this is a new endeavor. I just want to make sure I'm prepared for this guy, so I'd appreciate any constructive criticism regarding the homemade enclosure and setup while I have plenty of time to prepare.
I live in Brooklyn and space is tight, so I'm converting part of an IKEA wardrobe into an enclosure. I've replaced the front solid door with a DIY screen door, and have cut out the top and replaced that with screen as well. The remaining sides and back are solid with an applied non-toxic, PVC-free, plastic membrane for waterproofing and an easy clean. How do you feel about 3 solid sides (the room is well ventilated with multiple windows)? I've applied a similarly non-toxic wood tile background that I picked up for free. Total inside dimensions are 49"x22"x20" - a bit smaller than the recommended size.
Lights are in place and are currently running on a timer for initial temperature and humidity tests. Ambient temperature is consistently around 65 at night and 75 during the day. I'm using a household 60watt incandescent basking bulb, with a 5.0HO linear UVB flourescent by reptisun in a fixture from Home Depot, filtered through typical aluminum screen.
I have a mistking that I'll be hooking up with 2 nozzles, as I work late quite often and can't consistently most by hand. Splurged for the hygrometer timer so it kicks in when it drifts out of the desired humidity range. Everything is on fail-safe timers with grounded strips.
Four different live plants are on their way: a hoya , a pothos, jasmine vines, and some basil, and they will have plenty of time to mature before the little guy arrives in mid-January. I'll also be using 2 large flexible vines from Exo-terra and lots of horizontal perches made from sticks that I've de-barked and baked in the oven, with a light sand and rinse to clean them.
I plan on feeding about 50% Dubia roaches, 25% crickets, 20% silkworms/hornworms once older, and 10% various other treats. I'd love for him to eat a few bites of greens, hence the basil. Would like to add collards to the cage as I grow them in my windowsills already. I've got Repashy SuperCal Plus for daily dustings. I settled on using this as my sole supplement based on posts by Olimpia on her blogs. Seems easiest to maintain and keep track of, especially if I'm out of town on business and need to have others come by to feed and monitor.
I've attached a photo of the in-process enclosure just for reference; again, just a start. Thanks for the advice.
