Flexarium (Mesh Viv) help

MissYemen

New Member
I live in the UK and keep my Veiled in a Flexarium. The temps have been great throughout the summer and he has been very happy in his Flexarium. However, as I live in the North of England our summers are usually very cold and I don't have central heating. Therefore the Flexarium will leave him cold if I have a cold room right? How could I give him additional heat through the winter? Would it be better to move him into a different enclosure?

Any suggestions would be great
 
I would make sure he has a basking spot which reaches ab out 85-90 degrees during the day. I would keep it on as long as your UVB bulb is on. Be sure he can walk away from the basking area in case he gets too warm. Turn on the light first thing in the morning before he eats so he has a chance to warm up before trying to digest his food. Night temps can go down to 50 and he will be ok.

You don't need anything more for basking then a regular household bulb in a shop light type fixture. (the type with a metal collar.)

Good luck
 
Just thought i'd say I live in london and the weather this year as been TERRIBLE, every where..especially up north where you are. I honestly cannot see how he has been able to stay outside the whole time.
 
Just thought i'd say I live in london and the weather this year as been TERRIBLE, every where..especially up north where you are. I honestly cannot see how he has been able to stay outside the whole time.

He isn't outside, he's kept inside in a flexarium. I could never keep him outside the foxes would have had him by now.

I would make sure he has a basking spot which reaches ab out 85-90 degrees during the day. I would keep it on as long as your UVB bulb is on. Be sure he can walk away from the basking area in case he gets too warm. Turn on the light first thing in the morning before he eats so he has a chance to warm up before trying to digest his food. Night temps can go down to 50 and he will be ok.

You don't need anything more for basking then a regular household bulb in a shop light type fixture. (the type with a metal collar.)

Good luck

He has a basking spot that already does the job, and this really isn't the problem. I'm really concerned about what night-time temperatures will do in the winter when his light is off. And it will get a lot lower than 50, if I'm right that's what 10 degrees? We'll be hitting minus numbers here.

Has anyone else got any advice? :(
 
It sounded to me as if you was hinting he was outside as the summer was good. (Which it wasn't lol). My bad.
 
You could use a heat source that doesn't give out light for night time use. But you're going to have to experiment a little to make sure you get the correct temp drop at night.

You could get a ceramic heating bulb, which is not ideal as it gives out radiant heat and would still create a hot spot in the flexarium. Or heating pads, but they don't really like too much moisture.

How about covering the sides of the flexarium at night just after your main heat/light goes off to insulate it & minimise the heat loss. You'll obviously need to leave some ventilation to prevent stagnant air.


I would suggest your best option is to insulate at night & add a thermostat controlled ceramic heater. So that you can try & reduce the temp drop at first & then if it does fall too low the ceramic heater would kick in to raise it up a little, to keep it within the parameters you set on the thermostat.
You'll obviously need to be carefull you don't start a fire this way !!
 
Try covering two or three sides of the cage with plastic or cardboard. This will keep moisture and heat inside the cage. Next you should buy a heat emitter. This is a ceramic heating element that does not produce light. I am having to use one on my young Melerri at night. Do not use this heater during the day in place of a normal basking lamp. Chams look for a bright place to bask, the light signals them that there is heat. You will need to experiment with the heat emitter. Treat it like you would a basking lamp. Place a temp gauge under the heater and adjust as needed. You do not need a very hot spot. Chams can see night time temps drop into the mid 60's before you really need to worry. What you will need to worry about is if the temp drops to the 60's and then he doesn't have a way to heat up the following day.

Here are some pics of my Melleri in front of his heater tonight. I am using a 100w zoomed ceramic heater and the distance is about 7".

IMG_8384.jpg


IMG_8385.jpg
 
He isn't outside, he's kept inside in a flexarium. I could never keep him outside the foxes would have had him by now.



He has a basking spot that already does the job, and this really isn't the problem. I'm really concerned about what night-time temperatures will do in the winter when his light is off. And it will get a lot lower than 50, if I'm right that's what 10 degrees? We'll be hitting minus numbers here.

Has anyone else got any advice? :(

i don't understand. you're worried about the inside of your house getting down to 50 degrees? turn your heat on. your cham is fine w/ temps down to 60 or so. if you can't keep your house warmer than 50 in the winter, you don't need a reptile.
 
in the winter i make sure the room im in all the time is heated to min of 70F..surely when its winter your not sitting in a room thats colder than 70f?why not house your flexi in there?i live in west of uk..gets dam cold here but like i said 1 room in the house is heated to 70-75f all year round.
 
You can also try this stuff i got at homedepot. It is a foil material with bubble wrap sandwiched in between 2 layer of the foil. They use this in many places in houses for insulation. It comes in a roll and you cut to fit. I have it wrapped around 3 sides of my cages and the foil reflects heat back into the cage. Its also great cause it doesnt hurt it to get wet .
 
You can also try this stuff i got at homedepot. It is a foil material with bubble wrap sandwiched in between 2 layer of the foil. They use this in many places in houses for insulation. It comes in a roll and you cut to fit. I have it wrapped around 3 sides of my cages and the foil reflects heat back into the cage. Its also great cause it doesnt hurt it to get wet .

This person lives in the UK...... no Home Depot there;)
 
I've lived in cold houses that didnt have central heating, and I live in Canada, so I believe I somewhat understand your predicament.

You will want to keep your chameleons night time temperature at 14C minimum, and 16C or 17C is a better night time temp. The average July/Aug (winter) low for Ambanja and for Nosy Be is 18C. The occasional dip lower happens, but keeping a chameleon at 10C consistantly wouldnt be good.

Covering the cage will help a little, but not enough if your home is consistently going down to 10C.

Covering the part of the cage with a heating blanket, so long as you are keeping an eye on the temperature within the cage, would be an option, but not a particularily efficient one.

The ceramic heat bulbs (which emit no light) are what I used at the time, as well I didnt use a screen cage, rather one made from peg-board and acrylic (which I still prefer to screen as it retains heat and humidty better, while still allowing air flow) and I covered the sides and back with a blanket on cold nights. But the ceramic bulbs do tend to heat one area more than the entire enclosure, so you have to be careful to ensure it both doesnt get too hot in one area or too cold in the rest of the enclosure.

I have since moved and grown my collection of chameleons, such that they now have their own room. Although the rest of the house is allowed to get down to 61F at night, I heat the one chameleon room with a portable oil radiator such that it doesnt go below 64F/17.5C. I would suggest that this is the ideal solution - heat one room (perhaps your smallest bedroom) to the appropriate temperature using an oil radiator (thermostatic control vs high/med/low settings), electric wall panel heater or electric forced air ceramic or similar, and house your chameleon there. The oil rads cost only about 40 pounds.
For example: http://www.meaco.com/products.asp?cat=52
http://www.comet.co.uk/shopcomet/product/282677/DIMPLEX-OF500
http://www.radiatorsuk.com/p/553900/the-dimplex-cadiz-eco-range-of-eco-radiators---portable.html
 
You will want to keep your chameleons night time temperature at 14C minimum, and 16C or 17C is a better night time temp. The average July/Aug (winter) low for Ambanja and for Nosy Be is 18C. The occasional dip lower happens, but keeping a chameleon at 10C consistantly wouldnt be good.

She has a veiled chameleon.
The night time temperatures in their natural habitat approach (and reach) freezing. (0 degrees celsius).

I will repeat a question asked earlier ... what are the night time temperatures in your home in the winter?
I keep a space heater in the basement room where my veileds are kept. It has a thermostat and is set to turn on when the temperature drops to 60 degrees f.
I am going to lower that setting by a couple of degrees this winter.

-Brad
 
i don't understand. you're worried about the inside of your house getting down to 50 degrees? turn your heat on. your cham is fine w/ temps down to 60 or so. if you can't keep your house warmer than 50 in the winter, you don't need a reptile.

in the winter i make sure the room im in all the time is heated to min of 70F..surely when its winter your not sitting in a room thats colder than 70f?why not house your flexi in there?i live in west of uk..gets dam cold here but like i said 1 room in the house is heated to 70-75f all year round.

I don't have heating - I've only just moved here and that's why the predicament has come about now. Studio flats with central heating aren't exactly cheap. That's why I'm asking about this now before the winter sets in. I'm happy to spend whatever it costs to make sure he's happy, even if it meant finding another place to live again!

I've lived in cold houses that didnt have central heating, and I live in Canada, so I believe I somewhat understand your predicament.

Thanks for understanding, I'm glad someone knows what its like :( I do have an oil filled radiator and its ace...will definitely give that a go if anything.

And Brad Ramsey...I don't think my room with get lower than zero in here...couldn't possibly say how cold it gets as I haven't been here for a winter before. Sorry :(

Thanks Summoner for the great pics :) Has definitely made me more optimistic.
 
I don't have heating - I've only just moved here and that's why the predicament has come about now. Studio flats with central heating aren't exactly cheap. That's why I'm asking about this now before the winter sets in. I'm happy to spend whatever it costs to make sure he's happy, even if it meant finding another place to live again!



Thanks for understanding, I'm glad someone knows what its like :( I do have an oil filled radiator and its ace...will definitely give that a go if anything.

And Brad Ramsey...I don't think my room with get lower than zero in here...couldn't possibly say how cold it gets as I haven't been here for a winter before. Sorry :(

Thanks Summoner for the great pics :) Has definitely made me more optimistic.

wow, no heating at all? that's crazy. i'd buy some xtra ceramic heaters and strategically place them in the house.
 
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