CruelFennec
Member
How do i raise it of the floor?
Fertilizer problem
- Thread starter CruelFennec
- Start date
Extensionofgreen
Chameleon Enthusiast
Most people use a small parsons table, table, slop sink, bathroom cabinet, or something similar. His basking areas should be above your eye level. Look through the pinned enclosure threads.
CruelFennec
Member
Well i just put the basking lamp and uvb light on on top of the cage like on the screen.
Also is there any other way to do it with out having to put a table in the cage if i change it every other day then the water will go away and can i have a picture of your cage please?
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Extensionofgreen
Chameleon Enthusiast
Not in the cage. You need to raise the cage up off the floor. Chameleons want to be higher and look down on you, so they feel safe and secure. Raising the cage gives you drainage options, which you need, if you are watering correctly, which you can't be, if the enclosure is sitting on a carpeted floor and has a flat bottom. I think you need to review some caresheets and the enclosure threads, I suggested and you will understand what I mean. Post a photo of your set-up and see what others have to say. Start a new thread and ask them to critique your set-up, don't rely on me alone for feedback.
CruelFennec
Member
I just realized what you mean now about the table i was thinking you mean in the cage not outside. Okay well can i have a picture of your cage to see how its done? Also what do you mean im not watering correctly because my cage is on the floor? Also can i just put some substrate in the bottom that hold humidity or like some hydroballs or something like that because i cant put it on anything because of my roof?
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Extensionofgreen
Chameleon Enthusiast
My enclosures are not typical. They won't help you. I go big or go home and I have a lot of horticultural and reptile experience, so what I do is a bit different than most keepers.
I will share photos however, because you asked.
If your roof is low and your can't raise the cage up, I suggest you orient the enclosure vertically, so that the cage becomes longer, rather than taller and you give him some higher space and more room to roam.
Veileds are very active and sun loving creatures. My veiled uses every inch of his enclosure, from top to bottom and my enclosure is likely 4 times larger than 98% of the keepers here. That's not to say that you need a cage that big, but I'm trying to get you to train your mind to understand and think like and animal that lives in the branches of trees and shrubs.
I see a dripper and a hand mister. You can't possibly commit to misting that chameleon for 5 mins or more 3x a day, every day. If you are, there is lots of water you need to account for or you'll have a wet carpet. That chameleon needs 3 mistings, minimum of 2-5 mins each, every day and it would be better to have a few 15 min mistings a few times a week. You aren't providing this on a carpeted floor, with no drainage.
Browse the stickied enclosure threads and you will see TONS of cages similar to yours, how they are raised up and how they are drained.
Most are adequate, some are awesome, a few make me sad for the chameleon.
You can go to Home Depot or Lowes, buy some lighting grid, some plastic cement mixing tubs, and a small plastic table and sit your horizontally oriented cage on the lighting grid, over the cement mixing bins, and that will collect the water. You may need some crates or boxes to get the cage up a bit higher. Remember, he should be able to look down on you.
I will share photos however, because you asked.
If your roof is low and your can't raise the cage up, I suggest you orient the enclosure vertically, so that the cage becomes longer, rather than taller and you give him some higher space and more room to roam.
Veileds are very active and sun loving creatures. My veiled uses every inch of his enclosure, from top to bottom and my enclosure is likely 4 times larger than 98% of the keepers here. That's not to say that you need a cage that big, but I'm trying to get you to train your mind to understand and think like and animal that lives in the branches of trees and shrubs.
I see a dripper and a hand mister. You can't possibly commit to misting that chameleon for 5 mins or more 3x a day, every day. If you are, there is lots of water you need to account for or you'll have a wet carpet. That chameleon needs 3 mistings, minimum of 2-5 mins each, every day and it would be better to have a few 15 min mistings a few times a week. You aren't providing this on a carpeted floor, with no drainage.
Browse the stickied enclosure threads and you will see TONS of cages similar to yours, how they are raised up and how they are drained.
Most are adequate, some are awesome, a few make me sad for the chameleon.
You can go to Home Depot or Lowes, buy some lighting grid, some plastic cement mixing tubs, and a small plastic table and sit your horizontally oriented cage on the lighting grid, over the cement mixing bins, and that will collect the water. You may need some crates or boxes to get the cage up a bit higher. Remember, he should be able to look down on you.
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CruelFennec
Member
I see where you are coming from, when you were typing i did do some research on it all. And i found that people like drill holes in the bottom of the chameleons cage then put a bin under it to catch the water. I will try to get rid of the paper towel and bowl that sits under the plant pot and drill some holes in and a bin under it. Also what is that like white flooring in the chameleons cage that has holes in, i just have this black flooring that came with the chameleons cage the repti-breeze ones? I really like your cage i wish i could have a cage like that you seem to take time on doing all these and trust me i try my best and i know i can go on with stuff its just that i want everything to be ok for my cute little chameleon
Extensionofgreen
Chameleon Enthusiast
So, my veiled cage, the picture that looks sort of like a lighthouse, the bottom does not have any drainage holes. The enclosure sits on a plywood form, on wheels, and the plywood is covered with polywall. The cage is given a generous line of silicone along the inner and outer seams where the wood meets the polywall and that seals it. Because the enclosure is so large and I position my mist nozzles where the spray waters the potted plants, water does not accumulate at the bottom. In the other enclosure, there is a pond liner in the bottom, with a pvc coated grate, raised by cinder blocks, and then I laid landscape fabric over that, so water collects beneath the soil and I act a pipe and pump to drain it, when it's needed.
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CruelFennec
Member
This sounds very confusing for me, can I just use (at the moment) paper towl and change it daily and also have the pot just sitting on the paper towl or on a object map it catches the water and I will try and get a stand so my chameloen is little bit higher. And as I have 4 feet tall large cage on zoo meds cages I think he's ok with the hight.
But anyways thanks for the help
Extensionofgreen
Chameleon Enthusiast
You don't need anything on the cage bottom.
I told you what I did, but that's in a cage much larger than most.
I told you what I did, but that's in a cage much larger than most.
CruelFennec
Member
Ok but should I just clean the pop with paper towel then give it and disinfectant every month or so?
Extensionofgreen
Chameleon Enthusiast
If it were me, I'd cut a piece of linloleum an fit in the bottom. I'd spot clean as needed and if it got dirty, I'd pop it out and scrub it clean with hot water and a bit of bleach.
CruelFennec
Member
What does the linoleum do?
Extensionofgreen
Chameleon Enthusiast
It gives you a surface that's easy to spot clean and sterilize, when it gets beyond spot cleaning. It's also cheap, easy to cut, easy to put a drain through in the future, and it's water proof.
CruelFennec
Member
Ok is that the white stuff then in the bottom of the cage?
Extensionofgreen
Chameleon Enthusiast
Poly wall is a lot like linoleum and basically the same thing, so I'll say yes.
CruelFennec
Member
My one comes with this black flooring but it might be poly wall, i was just saying about the white floor because a lot of chameleon keepers have it. Do you think i can just use the black flooring that it comes with, with no paper towel?
Extensionofgreen
Chameleon Enthusiast
There's no reason you can't use the floor it came with. The stuff you see in other people's cage, was likely installed by the manufacturer if the cage and not added later.
CruelFennec
Member
Ok well im going to do this. First of all im going to just have bear bottom with no paper towel or substrate of any kind, the pot with the plant in will just sit on the floor (at the moment) with no pan or nothing to catching the water. And later on i will be trying to get a desk and have kind of draining system may be a few tiny holes with a bin under it or if the bin is large, i might use it as a table as well as to catch the water. Also do you think its ok to have a dripper system dripping in the soil of the potted plant?
CruelFennec
Member
You still here?
