First Time Owner… Advice Needed!

[sillylily]

Hello all! I am planning on purchasing a chameleon later this August (2020) after I move into the apartment that I'll be getting, and would love any and all suggestions that you all might have! This will be the first cham I've ever owned, and I have been wanting one for about three years now! I am majoring in Fine Arts with a concentration in Sculpture (hopefully furniture design) and have sketched out some plans for a chameleon cage that I would like to hopefully build over the summer. I just want to make sure that I do it right so my lil' buddy can have a long and well-lived life…

I'm planning on making it some kind of corner piece so that it won't take up as much room when I move into my apartment. I would like to purchase some materials from Ikea to be the "skeleton" of my enclosure. The pieces I would purchase would be 5 posts (with holes in the sides to adjust the "shelves" of the enclosure), and about 5 or 6 shelf pieces to separate the cabinets I would like to include for extra storage, food, etc. ALSO I would be able to adjust the height for the appropriate room needed for when he/she starts to grow.

I guess my main questions would be:
1. Does this sound like a solid plan, and would I need to seal the wood with a protective finish of some sort?
2. I tried conceptualizing a drainage system for the bottom leaf layer that I would like to include, but I’m a little stumped on ideas/how I should go about building it.
3. Any suggestions for lights? I've done my fair share of research, I just don't want to buy too much/too little for the size of the finished enclosure.

If anyone has answers to the questions above/any more ideas in general, I would highly appreciate the feedback!

PS, I have no idea if the math/dimensions I have drawn out are right at all, AND I'm looking at purchasing a panther chameleon… probably should have mentioned that beforehand oops...

Thanks,
-Lily

 

[sillylily]

@GoodKarma19 I saw your enclosure post/pictures from January on another user's page, and I would love some more advice from you (if you don't mind)! Your enclosure looks like a total dream come true lol. I'm still kind of new to all of this, so I was kind of confused reading your post about your drainage system.

 

[lexiexxox]

I suck at building so 1 and 2 are out of my reach?
Here’s a video that I found to be really helpful for lighting your enclosure-
Lighting 101 Video

It should be the same length as the width of your enclosure.

 

[Beman]

Hello all! I am planning on purchasing a chameleon later this August (2020) after I move into the apartment that I'll be getting, and would love any and all suggestions that you all might have! This will be the first cham I've ever owned, and I have been wanting one for about three years now! I am majoring in Fine Arts with a concentration in Sculpture (hopefully furniture design) and have sketched out some plans for a chameleon cage that I would like to hopefully build over the summer. I just want to make sure that I do it right so my lil' buddy can have a long and well-lived life…

I'm planning on making it some kind of corner piece so that it won't take up as much room when I move into my apartment. I would like to purchase some materials from Ikea to be the "skeleton" of my enclosure. The pieces I would purchase would be 5 posts (with holes in the sides to adjust the "shelves" of the enclosure), and about 5 or 6 shelf pieces to separate the cabinets I would like to include for extra storage, food, etc. ALSO I would be able to adjust the height for the appropriate room needed for when he/she starts to grow.

I guess my main questions would be:
1. Does this sound like a solid plan, and would I need to seal the wood with a protective finish of some sort?
2. I tried conceptualizing a drainage system for the bottom leaf layer that I would like to include, but I’m a little stumped on ideas/how I should go about building it.
3. Any suggestions for lights? I've done my fair share of research, I just don't want to buy too much/too little for the size of the finished enclosure.

If anyone has answers to the questions above/any more ideas in general, I would highly appreciate the feedback!

PS, I have no idea if the math/dimensions I have drawn out are right at all, AND I'm looking at purchasing a panther chameleon… probably should have mentioned that beforehand oops...

Thanks,
-Lily

Check out this thread for the construction info. https://www.chameleonforums.com/threads/bioactive-mentor.167174/
Your going to have to probably use flex seal for your walls inside so that you can waterproof them to prevent rot.
This thread will give you ideas for drainage https://www.chameleonforums.com/threads/drainage-systems-for-cages-get-creative.102038/

I believe @GoodKarma19 is taking a break from the forums right now so she may not respond.

All lighting you want on the outside top of the enclosure. So you want to build the top out of screen and a wood frame. As far as adjusting height... you do not need to worry about putting a baby into an adult enclosure. You just need to make sure that the branches are a small enough diameter that it can grip them.

Lighting is going to depend on the shape it is... You need UVB T5HO to run the width and to be centered on the top... This will be different for you with the angle so it would need to come slightly forward but should not be put at the very front of the cage. UVB bulb will most likely be a 5.0 unless it is very planted out with areas for the cham to retreat to. Lighting for plants you may want to look at something besides T5 daylight bulbs. I heard the jungle dawn is good.

 

[sillylily]

I suck at building so 1 and 2 are out of my reach?
Here’s a video that I found to be really helpful for lighting your enclosure-
Lighting 101 Video

It should be the same length as the width of your enclosure.

Thank you! I just want to make sure I get everything right… the first time! ?

 

[sillylily]

Check out this thread for the construction info. https://www.chameleonforums.com/threads/bioactive-mentor.167174/
Your going to have to probably use flex seal for your walls inside so that you can waterproof them to prevent rot.
This thread will give you ideas for drainage https://www.chameleonforums.com/threads/drainage-systems-for-cages-get-creative.102038/

I believe @GoodKarma19 is taking a break from the forums right now so she may not respond.

All lighting you want on the outside top of the enclosure. So you want to build the top out of screen and a wood frame. As far as adjusting height... you do not need to worry about putting a baby into an adult enclosure. You just need to make sure that the branches are a small enough diameter that it can grip them.

Lighting is going to depend on the shape it is... You need UVB T5HO to run the width and to be centered on the top... This will be different for you with the angle so it would need to come slightly forward but should not be put at the very front of the cage. UVB bulb will most likely be a 5.0 unless it is very planted out with areas for the cham to retreat to. Lighting for plants you may want to look at something besides T5 daylight bulbs. I heard the jungle dawn is good.

Thank you very much for your response! Glad you said something about the baby in an adult enclosure. I was worried that if I decided not to use a feeder that it may not be able to find it's food or something.

 

[Beman]

Thank you very much for your response! Glad you said something about the baby in an adult enclosure. I was worried that if I decided not to use a feeder that it may not be able to find it's food or something.

No, they will find their food. I recommend this feeder in the Large size it hooks to your screen. Put the feeder high in the cage so they see it from their basking level.

I would not free feed for two reasons... 1. the feeders can bite baby while it sleeps. 2. If you ever have to deal with a parasite issue it is really hard to ensure that they do not reinfect themselves while you are medicating.

https://www.chameleonforums.com/threads/chameleon-shooting-gallery-screened-cage-feeder.169011/

 

[Thehippie]

you're probably going to want a 2x2x4, imho that's the best size for a panther. the feeder cup should be established in one spot, it might confuse them if you move it when theyre still small, put it high up since they feel more secure that way. as Beman mentioned they should see it from their basking level. if you plan on having live plants suggest a dual fixture or quad fixture t5 to house a plant light or two. the chameleons also benefit from the brightness. also make sure that you establish a strict schedule, changes will stress out a chameleon big time. its best to have younger chams on a schedule so theyre aware of what will happen when it happens. this also helps if you come up to the enclosure every day around lets say 10am. they know that you aren't coming to bother them but instead going to feed them.

 

[sillylily]

you're probably going to want a 2x2x4, imho that's the best size for a panther. the feeder cup should be established in one spot, it might confuse them if you move it when theyre still small, put it high up since they feel more secure that way. as Beman mentioned they should see it from their basking level. if you plan on having live plants suggest a dual fixture or quad fixture t5 to house a plant light or two. the chameleons also benefit from the brightness. also make sure that you establish a strict schedule, changes will stress out a chameleon big time. its best to have younger chams on a schedule so theyre aware of what will happen when it happens. this also helps if you come up to the enclosure every day around lets say 10am. they know that you aren't coming to bother them but instead going to feed them.

Good to know! I have recently been trying to come up with new plans for the enclosure, because the Ikea I live nearest to (2 hours away) doesn't even sell the pieces that I would need to buy! So I would have to pay *drumroll please* $120 for shipping ALONE! So yeah, now that those plans are out of the window, I can deeeefinitely be able to draw up some new 2x2x4 plans. There are some pretty significant gaps in my schedule for next semester, so I will be able to make a pretty solid schedule for feeding/handling. Thanks for your advice!

 

[Thehippie]

Good to know! I have recently been trying to come up with new plans for the enclosure, because the Ikea I live nearest to (2 hours away) doesn't even sell the pieces that I would need to buy! So I would have to pay *drumroll please* $120 for shipping ALONE! So yeah, now that those plans are out of the window, I can deeeefinitely be able to draw up some new 2x2x4 plans. There are some pretty significant gaps in my schedule for next semester, so I will be able to make a pretty solid schedule for feeding/handling. Thanks for your advice!

yikes $120?! wow!! maybe try home depot or lowes. its much easier I find to make a cage from scratch instead of trying to transform an ikea one. not to mention the wood from ikea will not stand up to much aka misting and stuff like that. I would suggest pvc. I'm currently working on an outdoor enclosure out pf pvc, it withstands weather well and is super light and portable. best of luck with figuring everything out though!! (btw pvc is like large adult legos haha, a bunch of connecting pieces, put them together and bam! skeleton for the enclosure!

 

[Beman]

Convert an old hutch and save yourself the stress of building from scratch....

 

[sillylily]

So I've drawn up some new plans, and hopefully they'll be easier to understand… I know they are for me!

I've been watching Neptune the Chameleon on YouTube and I just opted for a bare bottom with a shower drain instead of a bioactive layer. The owner of Neptune (I have no idea what her name is oops!) says she's been doing that for a while, so I think I'll just stick with that for the time being. @Beman I found a light fixture on Ebay that I think might be useful for both a UVB bulb and a light for the plants, I'm still not completely sure though, what do you think?

 

[Beman]

Yes, @Gingero is who you were watching on Youtube. She is one of our forum members.

As for the lighting placement that would be correct. I do not have any first hand experience with that fixture. Might be a better idea to get them like this in single bulb and add as many as you can. 1 for uvb. Right now due to covid we are seeing stuff being out of stock... But this is a good single fixture https://www.pangeareptile.com/store/t5-uvb-light-fixture.html

You can get the jumper cable that hooks them together or run each on its own timer or shared timer.

As far as your basking you can get one that is a 5.5 diameter instead and that will save you some room.

Great job wit your plans... Looks awesome.

 

[Gingero]

Glad you've been finding my videos helpful Your designs look awesome!! Can't wait to see it all come together.

 

[Klyde O'Scope]

One thing I notice (and being new myself, I don't know if this is an issue or not) is that the footprint of this design is something less than 4 sq. ft. It's about 3½ sq. ft.

If this is an issue, a relatively easy fix is to make the long sides 30" instead of 24", and increase the 12" dimension to 15". This would yield the same proportions as the original design, so the rest of the math shouldn't be a killer. This would make a footprint of (if my math is correct ) ~5½ sq. ft.

If that ½ sq. ft. is not really an issue, then... nevermind! ?

I also notice that the original design is very close to the dimensions of a corner display cabinet, which might make a core structure—replacing glass sides with screen. If one isn't opposed to repurposing, cabinets like that can sometimes be found at places like Habitat for Humanity ReStores, CraigsList, etc.

 

[sillylily]

One thing I notice (and being new myself, I don't know if this is an issue or not) is that the footprint of this design is something less than 4 sq. ft. It's about 3½ sq. ft.

If this is an issue, a relatively easy fix is to make the long sides 30" instead of 24", and increase the 12" dimension to 15". This would yield the same proportions as the original design, so the rest of the math shouldn't be a killer. This would make a footprint of (if my math is correct ) ~5½ sq. ft.

If that ½ sq. ft. is not really an issue, then... nevermind! ?

I also notice that the original design is very close to the dimensions of a corner display cabinet, which might make a core structure—replacing glass sides with screen. If one isn't opposed to repurposing, cabinets like that can sometimes be found at places like Habitat for Humanity ReStores, CraigsList, etc.

I will totally keep those new dimensions in mind! Can you tell I haven’t taken a math class since high school...? ? And yes, I’m trying to make this as close to a corner display cabinet as I can! I’ve noticed that every one that I can find (that is of proper size) is waaaaay too expensive to buy and then repurpose! I’ve been talking with my dad a lot about plans and getting advice from him (he repurposes basses as a hobby), and he said that it’s probably cheaper to try and make it myself. I’m trying to concentrate in furniture design as well, so this is going to be a fun challenge for me to build from the ground up

 

[Klyde O'Scope]

I’ve noticed that every one that I can find (that is of proper size) is waaaaay too expensive to buy and then repurpose! I’ve been talking with my dad a lot about plans and getting advice from him (he repurposes basses as a hobby), and he said that it’s probably cheaper to try and make it myself.

Just some personal experience; it may or may not apply. I did a LOT of looking for pieces to repurpose, and like yourself, found them too expensive, and went the DIY route. By the time I got finished, it definitely would have cost me less to buy a commercially available enclosure.

To me, the experience had value; I was able to do some things that just weren't available ready-made, but between using quality materials, custom dimensions & features, custom decor, quality finish, and incidentals, I really didn't save anything, and wound up exceeding my budget by several hundred dollars. I also learned some things I'd do again, instead of, or never again. But none of it applies to my current situation. Bearded dragon enclosures are long (wide) and low, for an arid terrestrial lizard, while a chameleon is a tropical arboreal lizard that requires much more ventilation. Apples & oranges.

If you have an interest in going into cabinetry and/or furniture making, I expect the experience will have value for you too—hang the cost. Consider it another investment in your education.

 

[sillylily]

I keep forgetting to upload pictures of my progress, but here it is so far! I've been busy with work/helping around the house, so I haven't gotten a WHOLE lot done… So far, I've just attached the top and bottom to the enclosure and coated the interior with 2 coats of flex seal.

I might do one more coat, but I don't think it will be necessary because I’m planning on foaming in a background with sticks and stumps that I can collect from outside (I am aware that they will need to be cleaned and/or baked!). We have a massive sycamore tree in my back yard, and as I have mentioned before, my dad does some carpentry for fun, so he has a lot of scrap pieces I could use in his garage.

Also, should I sand and stain the exterior for a natural wood look, or should I just paint it black? My inner emo self is screaming at me to just go ahead and paint it, but my artist side would appreciate the stained wood…

 

[Klyde O'Scope]

Also, should I sand and stain the exterior for a natural wood look, or should I just paint it black? My inner emo self is screaming at me to just go ahead and paint it, but my artist side would appreciate the stained wood…

It took me a second to realize it was sitting on its side with one side missing.

There is a third option: sand the exterior, and finish with urethane or lacquer.

I would say it depends on the decor where the enclosure will ultimately reside (so it fits in), and whether you have a time crunch.

Water-based stains have a quicker drying time, but tend to raise the grain, causing other challenges.
Oil-based stain won't raise the grain, but take longer to dry completely in order to apply finish. You could also opt for one of the combined stain-finishes (e.g. Minwax); they have their own pros & cons.

I had intended on staining my first enclosure to match the furniture in the room, but a time crunch pressed me just to sand & urethane. In retrospect, I wish I'd taken the extra few days. It's fine in itself, but natural blond birch doesn't exactly blend with medium oak.

 

[bobnbrittnchamey]

Hello all! I am planning on purchasing a chameleon later this August (2020) after I move into the apartment that I'll be getting, and would love any and all suggestions that you all might have! This will be the first cham I've ever owned, and I have been wanting one for about three years now! I am majoring in Fine Arts with a concentration in Sculpture (hopefully furniture design) and have sketched out some plans for a chameleon cage that I would like to hopefully build over the summer. I just want to make sure that I do it right so my lil' buddy can have a long and well-lived life…

I'm planning on making it some kind of corner piece so that it won't take up as much room when I move into my apartment. I would like to purchase some materials from Ikea to be the "skeleton" of my enclosure. The pieces I would purchase would be 5 posts (with holes in the sides to adjust the "shelves" of the enclosure), and about 5 or 6 shelf pieces to separate the cabinets I would like to include for extra storage, food, etc. ALSO I would be able to adjust the height for the appropriate room needed for when he/she starts to grow.

I guess my main questions would be:
1. Does this sound like a solid plan, and would I need to seal the wood with a protective finish of some sort?
2. I tried conceptualizing a drainage system for the bottom leaf layer that I would like to include, but I’m a little stumped on ideas/how I should go about building it.
3. Any suggestions for lights? I've done my fair share of research, I just don't want to buy too much/too little for the size of the finished enclosure.

If anyone has answers to the questions above/any more ideas in general, I would highly appreciate the feedback!

PS, I have no idea if the math/dimensions I have drawn out are right at all, AND I'm looking at purchasing a panther chameleon… probably should have mentioned that beforehand oops...

Thanks,
-Lily

I love your enthusiasm and you will probly turn out to be a great owner because you have a very important trait that will help you and your chameleon,... the intelligence to ask more experienced owners a lot of questions instead of having an to much ego and thinking “it’s no big deal, I’ll figure it out as I go”. All I would like to say is to not underestimate how delicate and fragile these lil guys can be. The proper environment is crucial for chameleons, don’t slack or cut corners with their environment and diet. And try to understand the “stress” factor as best as you can. I belive stress is the least understood issue with new owners and it can shorten their lifespan drastically. I don’t think I really need to tell you this stuff, I feel that you are already ahead of most becuse you are smart enough to ask and listen. I wish you the best of luck and I hope you have a relationship like we have had with ours!