Enclosure helpp

[Toroumi]

Hi everyone I'm preparing my enclosure and I'd like some advice on where to place sticks and where to put things n stuff cuz I'm not creative at all so its kinda hard lol
My questions are:
1. What sticks should I put in there and where (labeled the sticks in the pic for convenience lol)
2. Are the plants OK should I place them differently or trim some leaves off
3. Where should I place the basking area

 

[MissSkittles]

Hi. How tall is that enclosure? What type of chameleon will be going in it?
For stick placement, you need to start at what will be the basking area. That will depend on what type of uvb fixture you’re using (T5 or T8) and what the strength of the uvb bulb is.

 

[Toroumi]

Hi. How tall is that enclosure? What type of chameleon will be going in it?
For stick placement, you need to start at what will be the basking area. That will depend on what type of uvb fixture you’re using (T5 or T8) and what the strength of the uvb bulb is.

It is 3ft tall and wide(long?) The chameleon is gonna be a 3 month old panther the uvb light is the Arcadia D3 6% UVB T5 Bulb

 

[MissSkittles]

It is 3ft tall and wide(long?) The chameleon is gonna be a 3 month old panther the uvb light is the Arcadia D3 6% UVB T5 Bulb

Ok, good. So you’ll want to start by having a basking branch at about 8-9” below your uvb light to provide the correct uvb level. However, since babies love to walk along the screen top, you are going to need to raise all of your lights off the screen by at least a few inches to prevent burns. You don’t need to trim back the plants unless they are interfering with a clear area for the lights to reach the basking branch.
Where you place the rest of your branches is up to you. I usually work around the plants and if there is a chance I’ll need to remove a plant, try to not have a branch in the way of that. You’ll want to create a nice little roadway so that your cham can easily go from one branch to another. Once I get my large main horizontal branches in, I’ll then go back and add some smaller ones to make needed connections between branches and just more area for my cham to travel and explore. I try to use only branches, but sometimes a nice little vine is perfect for creating your branches into a cham roadway. I set vines up in a spiral, circling up/down connecting branches that way and I also make sure to have at least one vine or branch very close to the floor of the enclosure.
Here’s a 2x2x4’ that I set up last year for my adult panther. I later did add more smaller branches.

 

[Chameleoking]

Hi everyone I'm preparing my enclosure and I'd like some advice on where to place sticks and where to put things n stuff cuz I'm not creative at all so its kinda hard lol
My questions are:
1. What sticks should I put in there and where (labeled the sticks in the pic for convenience lol)
2. Are the plants OK should I place them differently or trim some leaves off
3. Where should I place the basking area

I don't see a basking bulb. Are you using one?

 

[Toroumi]

I don't see a basking bulb. Are you using one?

Oh yea I have one but it's not in the pic cuz I was asking where to place it lol

 

[Chameleoking]

Ok, good. So you’ll want to start by having a basking branch at about 8-9” below your uvb light to provide the correct uvb level. However, since babies love to walk along the screen top, you are going to need to raise all of your lights off the screen by at least a few inches to prevent burns. You don’t need to trim back the plants unless they are interfering with a clear area for the lights to reach the basking branch.
Where you place the rest of your branches is up to you. I usually work around the plants and if there is a chance I’ll need to remove a plant, try to not have a branch in the way of that. You’ll want to create a nice little roadway so that your cham can easily go from one branch to another. Once I get my large main horizontal branches in, I’ll then go back and add some smaller ones to make needed connections between branches and just more area for my cham to travel and explore. I try to use only branches, but sometimes a nice little vine is perfect for creating your branches into a cham roadway. I set vines up in a spiral, circling up/down connecting branches that way and I also make sure to have at least one vine or branch very close to the floor of the enclosure.
Here’s a 2x2x4’ that I set up last year for my adult panther. I later did add more smaller branches.
View attachment 321103

If you don't mind me asking. What's the light in the back corner? I see UV light in middle and I see basking light in front corner of pic.

 

[Chameleoking]

Ohhh. Lol. Okay

 

[Sonny13]

If you don't mind me asking. What's the light in the back corner? I see UV light in middle and I see basking light in front corner of pic.

That´s a led plant light, I belief the square one from Sansi (https://www.sansiled.com/collections/led-grow-lights/products/70w-led-grow-light)

 

[Chameleoking]

That´s a led plant light, I belief the square one from Sansi (https://www.sansiled.com/collections/led-grow-lights/products/70w-led-grow-light)

Is that what that is. Okay thanks.

 

[Klyde O'Scope]

Hi everyone I'm preparing my enclosure and I'd like some advice on where to place sticks and where to put things n stuff cuz I'm not creative at all so its kinda hard lol
My questions are:
1. What sticks should I put in there and where (labeled the sticks in the pic for convenience lol)
2. Are the plants OK should I place them differently or trim some leaves off
3. Where should I place the basking area

Lets put the sticks aside for a moment... and get the lights positioned.

No lights should go directly on the screen; the weight will eventually deform the screen.
Plant & UVB lights only need a small gap between lights and screen, so lights can be placed on a frame that will transfer their weight to the enclosure frame.
https://www.chameleonforums.com/threads/simple-uvb-fixture-supports.177896/#post-1692470

TEST: If you can hold the back of your hand or fingers on the screen directly below any light indefinitely, you're fine. If it's too hot to leave your hand/fingers there, the lights need to be raised slightly, then repeat the test.

I would start with the plant light. It's the brightest, and your chameleon will try to bask under it even if it isn't the warmest place. You also want it centrally located so the light is best distributed to reach as many plants as possible.

Next, you want the UVB close to the plant light so that your cham gets the benefit as s/he tries to bask under the plant light.

Now back to the sticks. The highest should be the basking perch/site, between the UVB and plant light.

Then you can place the basking light—mounted at an angle so that it shines & heats a spot on the basking perch directly under the plant & UVB lights.

Now you can continue placing branches & sticks at different angles from flat to vertical (chams can climb anything in either direction—up or down.

I'd say to place branches within reach of each other, but experience has taught me that if they want to get someplace, they'll figure out a way to do it, and exercising their minds this way isn't bad either.

 

[bruce the cham]

are you going to raise it of the ground they feel more safe when high up

 

[Beman]

I would look at trimming down the Taller plants in the back. You need space for light fixtures. And they need a clear path from the light to the branches below. Also plants will burn if they are too close to the heat lamp. The ones in the front will make the baby feel more secure.