Enclosure advice

Mattp1994

Member
I have about a 4 month old panther chameleon in a reptibreeze chameleon kit screened in enclosure I believe it 16x16x36, I have the zoo med dual lighting system with a 5.0 uvb light and a 60 watt blue day light, I keep the basking spot at about 85-90 and the bottom of the cage is about 75, at night the cage is anywhere from 65-72 degrees, I keep humidity as high as possible at night with a fogger and auto humidifier in the room during the day I mist heavily 2-3 times a day with no fogger or humidifer, as of now I have no live plants but looking to fill the bottom with some, I do have my cage near my tv but not near anything which would cause a draft it’s about 3.5 feet off from the floor, I am located in New York. I’m just looking for advice to better my chameleons habitat to make it live a good life any help is much appreciated
 

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OK, I can see a lot of room for improvement; not a criticism—we all start somewhere, and that you're asking for help is laudable.
  1. You really need a bigger enclosure—soon. As large as you can afford, but at least 24" x 24" x 48"H for an adult panther.
  2. I'm not familiar with that particular lighting unit, but you should have a T5HO linear UVB—either 5.0 or 6%, running the entire width of the (new) enclosure.
  3. Basking light can be a household incandescent (NOT LED). They're less expensive and do a great job.
  4. If you can manage it, provide gradient areas for basking & UVB, and provide some shade so your cham can be where he wants—or get out of the heat & light for a bit.
  5. Temps look good.
  6. Even though it's a panther, lose the fakes and use only live plants. Live plants help increase and maintain humidity. (They also grow, clean the air, and IMO look better. :) )
  7. An auto-mister (like a MistKing or Climist) would make life easier, but that's up to you; maintaining proper average humidities is the goal.
  8. The TV is OK as long as it doesn't keep him up nights or interrupt his sleep cycle. An opaque barrier between enclosure & TV can help if necessary.
 
Hi. As @Klyde O'Scope said, you need a T5 ho fixture with either a 5.0 or 6% uvb. The screw in uvb isn’t able to provide any range of adequate uvb levels past 2-3” away. If you’d like a full husbandry review, attaching to form. Do make sure either way to check out https://chameleonacademy.com/chameleon-husbandry-program-getting-started-with-chameleons/ and make sure to explore all the website has to offer, including the great podcasts. Neptune the Chameleon on YouTube is another terrific resource to learn. :)

Chameleon Info:
  • Your Chameleon - The species, sex, and age of your chameleon. How long has it been in your care?
  • Handling - How often do you handle your chameleon?
  • Feeding - What are you feeding your cham? What amount? What is the schedule? How are you gut-loading your feeders?
  • Supplements - What brand and type of calcium and vitamin products are you dusting your feeders with and what is the schedule?
  • Watering - What kind of watering technique do you use? How often and how long to you mist? Do you see your chameleon drinking?
  • Fecal Description - Briefly note colors and consistency from recent droppings. Has this chameleon ever been tested for parasites?
  • History - Any previous information about your cham that might be useful to others when trying to help you.

Cage Info:
  • Cage Type - Describe your cage (Glass, Screen, Combo?) What are the dimensions?
  • Lighting - What brand, model, and types of lighting are you using? What is your daily lighting schedule?
  • Temperature - What temp range have you created (cage floor to basking spot)? Lowest overnight temp? How do you measure these temps?
  • Humidity - What are your humidity levels? How are you creating and maintaining these levels? What do you use to measure humidity?
  • Plants - Are you using live plants? If so, what kind?
  • Placement - Where is your cage located? Is it near any fans, air vents, or high traffic areas? At what height is the top of the cage relative to your room floor?
  • Location - Where are you geographically located?

Current Problem - The current problem you are concerned about.

--------------

Please Note:
  1. The more details you provide the better and more accurate help you will receive.
  2. Photos can be very helpful.
 
I have a Male panther about 3-4 months old for about 3 days I’ve had it,I haven’t handled it yet at all, I feed it 5 crickets a day in the morning, I don’t know what gutloading is,I use repashy calcium superfood once a week,I have a dripper running constantly I mist for about 2 mins 2-3 times a day and have a humidifier and fogger I run at night,I haven’t seen any poop yet it’s only been a few days
 
And I have a reptile carpet for substrate I’ve heard bad things what’s a good alternative that’s easy to clean
 
You could also subscribe to Neptune the chameleon channel you tube she has lots of great videos
 

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I don’t know what gutloading is

I haven’t seen any poop yet it’s only been a few days
If he's eating, he's pooping—probably every day; you just haven't found it yet. ;)
It'll show up—either on the plants or the floor below.

A good alternative substrate is nothing or tile (ceramic, vinyl, etc. as long as it's waterproof)
I use an auto-mister, so I have a screen floor on top of ceiling egg crate (to support plant pots) that drains through to a drain pan below. The drain pan is slightly pitched, and drains into a 5 gal. bucket under the table the enclosure sits on.

You can get some good great ideas perusing the "Official Enclosure Picture Threads" at the top of this sub-forum (green shaded area).

For a crash course, read everything in the Resources section of this site before graduating to the Neptune videos on YT and Chameleon Academy. ;)

Gut loading. (Wikipedia)
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I have a Male panther about 3-4 months old for about 3 days I’ve had it,I haven’t handled it yet at all, I feed it 5 crickets a day in the morning, I don’t know what gutloading is,I use repashy calcium superfood once a week,I have a dripper running constantly I mist for about 2 mins 2-3 times a day and have a humidifier and fogger I run at night,I haven’t seen any poop yet it’s only been a few days
What type of Repashy Calcium do you use? Your supplementation schedule is off, as well
 
I have a Male panther about 3-4 months old for about 3 days I’ve had it,I haven’t handled it yet at all, I feed it 5 crickets a day in the morning, I don’t know what gutloading is,I use repashy calcium superfood once a week,I have a dripper running constantly I mist for about 2 mins 2-3 times a day and have a humidifier and fogger I run at night,I haven’t seen any poop yet it’s only been a few days
[/QUOTE hi gut-loading is providing your insects with a nutritional meal 24 /48 hours prior to your cham eating them (gutload page i have included) as my girl is an adult and I use less insects i continually provide them with fresh food every 2/3days. Can you plz post a pic of your repashy thanks I personally use arcadia. And also keep records i hope some of this is helpful until you fill out husbandry form and some of the good people here run through it with you 😃
 

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Thanks for all the feedback this is the calcium I use
 

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Repashy calcium plus is an all in one supplement... It has everything multivitamin including vitamin A, calcium with and without D3.
It is designed to be used as the only supplement and lightly dusted on all feeders.

I prefer the LoD version of it if this is the supplement someone chooses to go with.

Another option for use with the Calcium plus is that this would be used 2 times a month say the 1st and the 15th and then you would just use a phos free calcium without D3 for all other feedings.
 
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