First Setup For Panther Cham.. Need advice

[melovation]

Hey guys my name is Chris and i just picked up a one and a half year old ambanja panther chameleon. He is really nice and i just hope my setup is good enough for him. Its a 2x2x4 cage with a fake ficus tree and vines. I am currently spraying the leaves. I do not have a humidity thermometer but I do have a thermometer for his basking spot. I do plan on getting him a real plant/tree .I also plan on getting a dripper and im thinking of getting him a feeding cup. He eats from my hands at the moment. I'm not too happy with the location of the thermometer so if anybody has any advice im willing to take it. I am not expecting great comments because this is my first attempt but any advice will not be taken the wrong way.

 

[crocky]

First if all welcome! Why would you not expect great comments, I think it looks great. . Real plants will do really well though with holding humidity better than fake but a mixture is ok too. I can't see your guy real well in the pic but he looks very handsome! I think it is a great start!!!

Is that the green styrofoam stuff in the planter? If so I would probably cover it with some rocks so he does not accidentally get a piece of it if he is down that way and hunting.

 

[jshaffer740]

Hey guys my name is Chris and i just picked up a one and a half year old ambanja panther chameleon. He is really nice and i just hope my setup is good enough for him. Its a 2x2x4 cage with a fake ficus tree and vines. I am currently spraying the leaves. I do not have a humidity thermometer but I do have a thermometer for his basking spot. I do plan on getting him a real plant/tree .I also plan on getting a dripper and im thinking of getting him a feeding cup. He eats from my hands at the moment. I'm not too happy with the location of the thermometer so if anybody has any advice im willing to take it. I am not expecting great comments because this is my first attempt but any advice will not be taken the wrong way.

So far I would say you are off to a good start. Live plants will definitely be an improvement and help stabilize humidity levels. A hygrometer (can be purchased cheaply online or at Wal-Mart, Lowe's, Home Depot, etc.) will be helpful to ensure your humidity levels are appropriate.

What basking temp are you currently seeing? Also, try to see what the ambient (lower down in the enclosure) temp is. You'll probably want to thermometers, or you can also purchase an infrared thermometer which will give you instant readings anywhere you point it.

A dripper will be good, and allow him to drink at his leisure.

You have a nice amount of vines and branches which will be good.

A feeding cup is helpful, as you can monitor when/if he is eating.

Keep up the good work.

 

[jshaffer740]

Oh, one thing I forgot to add. What kind of lighting other than your basking light are you using? You'll want to make sure you have a source of UVB. The Reptisun 5.0 UVB fluorescent tube light is good, and available in most pet stores.

 

[melovation]

Well I see some enclosures on this site that just look so amazing and put my to shame really but if your saying its a good start then I'm more then happy for my first attempt. If by styrofoam stuff in the planter you mean the stuff in the pot its actually some sort of cement or something.

 

[jshaffer740]

The cement should be fine, as long as it isn't loose in any way. As far as comparing your enclosure to others, you'll notice a big improvement if you add some live plants. Those really go a long way towards making it a lush, natural environment. And also, don't be afraid to provide a good amount of plant cover. It will help make your guy feel secure and calm.

 

[melovation]

Oh, one thing I forgot to add. What kind of lighting other than your basking light are you using? You'll want to make sure you have a source of UVB. The Reptisun 5.0 UVB fluorescent tube light is good, and available in most pet stores.

The basking spot temp it at 85.2 f which i have a feeling should be a little bit higher and right now i have a 13w repti glow 5.0 uvb light but i had a feeling i was supposed to get the longer thin uvb bulb

 

[jshaffer740]

The basking spot temp it at 85.2 f which i have a feeling should be a little bit higher and right now i have a 13w repti glow 5.0 uvb light but i had a feeling i was supposed to get the longer thin uvb bulb

No, your temp is right about where it should be. And that is a good UVB light. If you do add live plants, you may want to consider adding a second fluorescent bulb that is around 6500k (color temperature - will be on the box).

 

[SMCNARY]

Welcome to the forum. I agree with crocky please do put some rocks in the plant,well washed and to big for your cham to eat as the (or something) part of what is in the plant pot would bother me. I have used artificial plants but have had to cover both sides and back of screen cages to get the humidity even close. I now use a combination of both as the real thing helps with humidity soooo much. It is hard to see your guy very well in this picture but from what I can see he looks very good and you have done a nice job with his cage. As has also been mentioned UVB is critical,some here are happy with 5.0 reptisun and others like the 10.0 as alot is lost through the screen. You will need to do your own reading on that one and do what you think is best. Many here (including me) have re done our cages several times until we were convinced they were the best we could do for our chams but it looks like you are off to a fantastic start.

 

[melovation]

No, your temp is right about where it should be. And that is a good UVB light. If you do add live plants, you may want to consider adding a second fluorescent bulb that is around 6500k (color temperature - will be on the box).

Ok sounds good. Yesterday around 6pm he went to the center of the cage underneath some leaves in the shade and went to sleep. He is at the same spot right now with his tail rolled up and looks likes its time to sleep again. Is this the time where i should turn off the lights?

 

[jshaffer740]

Ok sounds good. Yesterday around 6pm he went to the center of the cage underneath some leaves in the shade and went to sleep. He is at the same spot right now with his tail rolled up and looks likes its time to sleep again. Is this the time where i should turn off the lights?

There are slightly differing views on this. Many believe that the Chameleon will adjust his sleeping schedule based on changes in the seasons. So he may go to bed a little earlier than normal (this can also change based on the sun level outside if he is near a window). Also, they do try to get to a sleeping position before the lights go out, as they have limited low-light visibility. I'm of the opinion that you can just stick with your schedule and he will adjust to it. Going to sleep slightly before the lights go out is perfectly normal behavior, and is different than sleeping all day and not being active.

I should ask, what time do you currently have your lights set to come on and then go off?

 

[melovation]

There are slightly differing views on this. Many believe that the Chameleon will adjust his sleeping schedule based on changes in the seasons. So he may go to bed a little earlier than normal (this can also change based on the sun level outside if he is near a window). Also, they do try to get to a sleeping position before the lights go out, as they have limited low-light visibility. I'm of the opinion that you can just stick with your schedule and he will adjust to it. Going to sleep slightly before the lights go out is perfectly normal behavior, and is different than sleeping all day and not being active.

I should ask, what time do you currently have your lights set to come on and then go off?

I turned off the lights yesterday at 8pm and turned them back on again at 8 in the morning. The temperature was in the mid 70's before i turned the lights back on

 

[SMCNARY]

12 hours a day of good light is what most people do. I do about 13 a day as my uv lights come on first and then the basking light comes on later and it is the reverse at the end of the day. I have found that my chams also take there q to go to there sleeping spots from the evening light change and I feel that it gives them more time to go to the best spot to sleep. Before I did the light change I noticed my chams often seemed to get caught where they were so to speek and did not allways sleep where I thought they should. ( like I should know where they want to sleep ??? ) Now they seem to allways sleep in about the same spots. again this is just IMHO. good luck and post lots of pictures!!!