from cage to glass

[manderson]

Hello,

Ive had my cham for a few months now, and i have noticed that it is getter harder and harder for me to keep humidity levels up now that winter is coming. During the summer months, everything was great, then i had to add bags to the side of the cage, and now, i can not keep humidity in no matter what i do.

Ive been looking into Glass Terrariums as i feel this is needed for me to keep my little guy happy during the winter months. I have actually noticed my Sambava Panther Leonard slow down on his eating habits and i am fairly sure this is due to the drop in humidity.

Currently i bounce from 30%-50%, 50 being right after a misting which is a little on the low side for a panther.... anyway, does any one have any suggestions in regards to brand ? drainage options? etc ?

It seems ExoTerra is all that comes up when i Google around.. i would also be wanting somthing farily large / tall.
Any input would be appreciated.

Thanks!

 

[camimom]

Most panthers don't need high humidity.

A screen cage is best because they need the air flow.

youd need a glass cage that is 2x2x4 for him as an adult, and if they even make one that big, a glass cage is going to be SUPER expensive.

 

[sandrachameleon]

nothing wrong with glass or other solid walled enclosures. screen is absolutely NOT a requirement or even a good choice in some circumstances.
I personally do not use screen cages because they would be a poor choice for my needs / my chams needs

that said, you may be able to keep your screen cage and just cover the back and both sides with plexiglass - might keep more in that plastic bags. 40-50% is adequate humidity, with spikes during mistings. A dripper going can help. Keeping a fish tank in the same room as the cham cage helps a lot. A jar of water with a sponge shoved into it (sponge partly protruding) secured on the bottom of the cage could help.

where do you live? your cage choices will vary depending on location

 

[manderson]

Im in Toronto. I could try and find plexiglass i like that idea a lot actually. I can also try the jar + sponge idea... but i dont own fish or fish tank so that one might not be the best idea for me right now.

I understand air flow is good, but with the electric heaters in the winter it just dry's the room out way to much to not consider these options...

Is it normal that i noticed him slow down with eating as the humidity in the cage dropped drastically ?


anyway, thanks for the great ideas !! much appreciated.

 

[KarmenCham]

Exo-terra while they are good as Sandracham said are quite expensive, you tried Komodo products seems similar to the exo-terra and slightly cheaper at £359 for the size i was after

 

[manderson]

How about using a moss or substrate that holds moisture?

 

[Carlton]

How about using a moss or substrate that holds moisture?

This will create problems and may not solve any. Keeping the moss/substrate wet enough to really raise your cage humidity will also harbor molds and bacteria blooms, especially as fecal matter, dead feeders, dead plant leaves will accumulate in it.

I also live in a cold climate that gets dry during winter heating (and I've lived at 9000 ft elevation in the Rockies and that's REALLY dry ...like RH at 10% in winter!)

I put as much live foliage in my cages as possible (the more surfaces available to hold water droplets and provide vapor exchange the better), wrapped the sides and even part of the fronts with shower curtains (there are still gaps for air exchange...its not a closed space), used an auto mister and an ultrasonic humidifier set to cycle between misting periods. The fogger doesn't soak the cage like the mister does, but it can really help slow down the evaporation rate and maintain higher humidity until the mister goes off again. You don't need constant high humidity, just cycles of higher and lower. The mister provides direct drinking opportunity, the fogger saturates the air more without creating more drainage problems.

 

[sandrachameleon]

Im in Toronto. I could try and find plexiglass i like that idea a lot actually. I can also try the jar + sponge idea... but i dont own fish or fish tank so that one might not be the best idea for me right now.

I understand air flow is good, but with the electric heaters in the winter it just dry's the room out way to much to not consider these options...

Is it normal that i noticed him slow down with eating as the humidity in the cage dropped drastically ?


anyway, thanks for the great ideas !! much appreciated.

there is a site sponsor that does plexi cages but they are in the USA. I know there are a couple places in Ontario - I've got them in a notebook somewhere and I'll look for the names for you. One in particular makes really good plexiglass enclosures in large sizes with screened vent ports you can open/close, wire tops so the UVB can get in. they weren't cheap though! you could get a plug hole in the bottom for drainage, or have a soil/planted bottom (not so commonly done with chams in north America but common in Europe). I think they ship flat packed and you assemble (silicon seams to make water tight)

a humidifier in the room might be something to consider and less expensive (short term) than a new cage. You only need a 10% boost.

if you cant find plexi for a decent price to add to your existing cage, consider inexpensive plywood, painted with zero voc latex acrylic. Cut to fit around the sides and back.

if dehydrated they will eat less - make sure there's plenty to drink. THey also eat a bit less in winter generally because they are a bit less active.

 

[manderson]

Would an Exo Terra Large - Xtra tall terrarium (36 by 18 by 36-Inch) be sufficient for a panther? it looks to be about the same size as the repti breeze i currently house Leonard in. He is some what on the smaller side for a panther but only a year old so he might grow a smidgen more.

Taping garbage bags all around the cage seems to have worked a bit but it looks awful and the cage is in my living room so its not exactly ideal.

Let me know your thoughts!

Thanks again for all the replies, attached a few photos of him.

 

[ridgebax1]

Before you go to all that expense (new cage, Plexiglass), try using the plastic window insulation that you shrink with a hair dryer. It comes with double sided sticky tape and goes on easily. Then just hit with a hair dryer to tighten it up and you can't even tell it is there. Only drawback is once up if you need to adjust branches etc for climbing it is a little tricky. Anyway it is not as expensive as a new tank or acrylic panels. But if it works and you want something sturdier or that you can take off and on at least you'd have an idea if it would work or not. It would suck to buy those panels and not have them work out.

 

[ChameleonMom]

Would an Exo Terra Large - Xtra tall terrarium (36 by 18 by 36-Inch) be sufficient for a panther? it looks to be about the same size as the repti breeze i currently house Leonard in. He is some what on the smaller side for a panther but only a year old so he might grow a smidgen more.

Taping garbage bags all around the cage seems to have worked a bit but it looks awful and the cage is in my living room so its not exactly ideal.

Let me know your thoughts!

Thanks again for all the replies, attached a few photos of him.
View attachment 89272

View attachment 89273

I am in Vancouver and previously had my chams in screen cages but due to chronically low humidity and constant health/shedding problems I made the switch to Exo Terra's. All 6 chams are in 24x18x36 (med, x-talls) and are thriving!!

I also tried the shower curtains around my screen cages and while it did help a bit my chams were having problems shedding and due to the all screen sides, would always stay in the basking area due to colder temps and didn't end up using the space in the cage anyways. Thus the switch to exo's. My chams get time on the FR, so they are okay with the space available to them in their exo's, and I love them.

Also, because I bought my exo's in bulk I got a very good deal per cage and paid $199.00 each. Not too bad considering the retail price on each!

 

[manderson]

Cool ! thanks for the info! i will be picking up an exo and will update with pictures etc.

Thanks again for all the input on the topic.