DIY terrarium?

[KarmaChameleon1337]

I want to start breeding and I've heard it's best to keep the babies in a terrarium rather a mesh screen cage. How can I cheaply make one? I saw a decent sized Exo Terra one but it was 65 bucks.

 

[KarmaChameleon1337]

Are they made of glass and where can I buy it cheaply?

 

[chino]

I think plexiglass will do the job. I believe is cheaper and easier to work with...

 

[KarmaChameleon1337]

Can I find sheets in Home Depot or Lowes?

 

[ChameleonsInMyHouse]

this is in no way insulting your ability, but i personally do not think you are ready for breeding. it is a lot of work, a lot of money, a lot of care, a lot of food, a lot of patients, a lot of everything. it is a rewarding experience, but i personally do not think you are ready for that, as neither are your parents i would imagine. i hope you don't think I'm being mean.

[EDIT:] Note that female veileds can lay up to 75 eggs in a clutch, in common cases, more than that. If you want to breed, geckos are usually easy species to breed and incubate (crested and leopards)

 

[chevyluv]

honestly the best method I have found for raising babies in a cheap effective way is Rubbermaid containers. deep ones and large you do away with the lids lay the branches in so they have those for basking and heat moderation basking light on one end and a 4 foot uv tube light that should span across around 4 of these tubs so you can split the babies up into smaller groups.

You will have to watch them very carefully as the days pass and much or less sort them as to how they progress so the weaker ones are not out competed by the stronger babies.


I do agree with ChameleonsInMyHouse that they are definitely not a good reptile to be the first ones to start breeding as with so many babies they are financially demanding as well as a large time commitment.

just my 2 cents.

 

[KarmaChameleon1337]

this is in no way insulting your ability, but i personally do not think you are ready for breeding. it is a lot of work, a lot of money, a lot of care, a lot of food, a lot of patients, a lot of everything. it is a rewarding experience, but i personally do not think you are ready for that, as neither are your parents i would imagine. i hope you don't think I'm being mean.

[EDIT:] Note that female veileds can lay up to 75 eggs in a clutch, in common cases, more than that. If you want to breed, geckos are usually easy species to breed and incubate (crested and leopards)

IMHO you don't know my state for these, I never said I was starting right away, this is most likely a year or more from now, I can easily get money, saving money doesn't mean you're incapable of affording, I'm going to breed the food, I have patience and as much time as I need as well as a helping older brother who can watch while I'm at school, I know which species lay certain amounts if eggs, different incubation times, how to easily get them to survive, etc. I've researched for 2-3 years on chameleons, and when I do something I make sure to do it right.

Also, no, I don't think internet people are mean.

 

[hbskeet]

Well as your going to do what your going to do, all I can do if offer suggestions. Working with acrylic isn't the easiest thing to do. It can get fustrating cutting it exactly to your liking. I would suggest using a small screen cage as they are cheaper and already made. You can buy acrylic sheets and cover two of the sides by just taping it on with Gorilla Tape. I use this technique for the back of my screen cages to block the mist from shooting out the back.

 

[chamguy]

I remember someone saying they used a plastic garbage can. Place a plant in there and put a light on top. You will need to modify your own lid and possibly add holes half way up the can. It holds in humidity, heat, and reduces stress.

If you want something more "showy" then grab a roll of livestock grade wire ( comes in rolls of 4ft) and buy some furniture plastic found in the fabric/crafts section at walmart with different thivknesses. Form the wire into a cylinder and wrap it in the plastic. This may cost 30-50$ but you will beable to creat many cages. Watch out though, since plastic is not heat tolerant.

But I do agree, chameleons are not a species to experiment with. ( to a point)

 

[Thompson]

this is in no way insulting your ability, but i personally do not think you are ready for breeding. it is a lot of work, a lot of money, a lot of care, a lot of food, a lot of patients, a lot of everything. it is a rewarding experience, but i personally do not think you are ready for that, as neither are your parents i would imagine.

I remember when clea bred his chameleons and some people pretty much said the same thing. He did just fine and raised all his babies up very well and he's only like what? 14 or 15? Imo if you do enough of your research and explain to your parents the amount of time and money is put into breeding and raising chameleon babies and they are up to the task, then why not? It could and most likely cost over a thousand to raise them up and you may end up with babies left over. I'm 16 going on 17 and well I'm up for the task 14 isn't that young. Now someone 12 years and younger would be to young.


To answer your question, I agree with chevyluv about the tubs. I think the terrariums were only easier to keep humidity up., but I'm not sure.

 

[KarmaChameleon1337]

It's pretty interesting with my parents, my dad believes if anyone tries hard enough they can do anything and is all for me breeding, even willing to get me started if I can sell them and pay him back, my mom on the other hand doesn't believe anyone can do anything and that everyone will eventually f everything up.

 

[Thompson]

Well you probably won't make a profit at all. So the amount it takes to raise and feed the babies will be way more than you make off of selling them. Like I said, you need to be prepared to end up with some of them left over if you aren't able to sell them.

 

[VeiledChams]

Im 19 and have had my first clutch already hatch and I have 2 ambanja clutches cooking. So as Thompson said, as long as you do enough research and have the adequate resources, you'll be good to go.

to the OP, use a rubbermaid box. Jann has a thread on it somewhere on here. Search through her threads from last year.

 

[JackP308]

If your stressing $65 for a tank you might want to really consider what you are getting into. I bet you think you have but you probably have no idea. People dont buy as much as you think. It takes a lot of spending before you even see a red cent in profit. I enjoy my animals I guess thats my profit.


I bet you could breed them no problems but I doubt your making money, its all in fun though and gives us goals.

 

[KarmaChameleon1337]

I never said I was stressing, so please don't assume. It's just smarter to save money for future more important things in the process.

 

[JackP308]

well looking for something cheap usually means that. Use rubbermaid totes if you want to be cheap

 

[Chris Jury]

Agreed, rubbermaid style plastic totes are about the cheapest option, and are very functional.

If you're seriously intending to breed chameleons, perhaps the most important thing you must do is first get very good at breeding crickets. After at least 6 months or so of reliable production you can reasonably take the next step towards breeding.

The alternative, of course, is buying food, which will very quickly run up costs, making one lucky just to break even.

 

[KarmaChameleon1337]

I'm already used to breeding crickets, and again, two things to say.

1. This thread was not about whether or not I should breed.
2. I said I'm not going to breed right away, it's probably a year or more from now.

 

[Chris Jury]

I'm already used to breeding crickets, and again, two things to say.

1. This thread was not about whether or not I should breed.
2. I said I'm not going to breed right away, it's probably a year or more from now.

Four things:

1) If you've already started breeding crickets, great. Already having started vs. starting in the near future doesn't change my advice one iota.

2) I didn't tell you either that you should or should not attempt breeding, I gave you a few bits of advice to help you if you seriously intend to attempt it. I bought my first Veiled chameleons at age 14 and had my first clutch of hatchlings when I was 15 or 16. I think I have an idea of what some of the pit falls are.

3) You started this conversation thread by asking a question. Don't for a moment think you have control over the conversation or the right to tell people which opinions they may and may not share. No one here has said anything even approaching out of line with you. If you don't want the advice of the people here, stop asking us questions. This forum doesn't exist for the purpose of telling you what you want to hear.

4) I know you said you aren't going to breed right away, and that you intend to breed crickets, and the rest of what you wrote. I read what you wrote and responded to it. Please listen more and jump to conclusions or become offended less.

Best,

Chris

 

[KarmaChameleon1337]

I wasn't specifically talking to you only and I don't get offended over the internet, I started the thread to ask a question about terrariums, and it'd be more helpful to tell me the answer to the question rather than telling me things I've been told before plenty of times.