Glass Tank??

[boothy]

you can pretty much use anything as a enclosure aslong as it keeps your animal in the enclosure and HAS proper ventelation , if you have proper ventelation then your animal has fresh air to breath and there shouldnt be any bacteria build up if cleaned properly to so aslong as you got the proper ventelation then it would be suitable for any animal

 

[boothy]

sorry forgot to toss in , good drainage is also very important in glass enclosures because if its allowed to collect some where then a stagnant pool of bacteria will form , and in the long run cause health problems for your chams so good drainage is very important

 

[Maddycam]

Hello! I am looking for advice!
To those who have used glass cages for your chameleon.
I found that the reflection in the glass was bothering and stressing out my chameleon. So I got this great green "wallpaper" to put on two of the four walls of the cage to help with the reflection. Since I have added them she has been VERY upset just staring at the wall in one spot, huffing and puffing, and swaying back and forth like she is going to fall over.
Should I not have done this? Is the wallpaper pissing her off more than her reflection? Should I remove the wallpaper as soon as possible or will that change just stress her out more?!

Chameleon Info:

• Your Chameleon - Veiled chameleon, 4-5months old, female
• Handling - None since the first day I brought her home
• Feeding - Mostly crickets and 1 meal worm. She eats about 5 a day right now ? She likes eating in the morning shortly after her lights come on and won't eat in the late afternoon after 3-4. I remove crickets she doesn't eat at night.
• Supplements - calcium dusting on crickets
• Watering - I mist about 3 times a day for 2-3 minutes each. I also have a humidifier. I have seen her drink only a few times, and she does get water drops off the walls and not the plants. She does not like to be misted and gets very angry at that as well so I avoid misting her. I am in the process of purchasing a water drip system.

Cage Info:

• Cage Type - Glass screen combo. Glass 2 panels, screen 2 panels. 2'x2'x3'. I find it easier to keep the humidity up in a partial glass cage. Last night I added a green "wallpaper" to the 2 glass sides of her habitat, because she was often seeing her reflection in the glass and I read that can stress her out because she thinks she is living with another chameleon. She was often trying to touch the glass reflections and I was worried about her. I also read that putting a wallpaper in their habitat can make them feel closed in, and I definitely don't want that either. I am hoping to upgrade to a larger, complete mesh cage as soon as possible but I am nervous all this change so quickly will really stress her out. I am looking for feedback about what the right move is. She seemed very unhappy with the "wallpaper" this morning just staring at the wall. Do you think her attitude About the wallpaper is a big concern? How long should I wait before re locating her ?
• Lighting - 12 hours light.1 5.0 UVB light and 1 basking heat light (not sure the wattage at this time).
• Temperature - I have thermometer at the top and bottom of the tank. The top by her basking lamp is around 80 degrees, and the bottom is around 75. At night both lights go out and it doesn't get below 71. Temperatures are pretty warm right now in the Midwest.
• Humidity - Humidity levels around 70-80
• Plants - a bamboo plant which is her favorite. And a golden pathos that I have only seen her on once.
• Placement - Cage is by a large window. In bedroom which is relitively quiet, low traffic. Only about 6' high right now, definitely need to raise the placement.\

Please help I am very worried!

 

[kinyonga]

Maddycam...welcome to the forum and the world of chameleons!

You now have at least four threads with the same question about the wallpaper....this makes it hard for us to follow.
Give people here some time to answer your question please...we all have family, jobs, other obligations so we can't always answer right away.

I doubt that the wallpaper is bothering the chameleon. It's not common for their reflections to bother them either.
Your cage hasn't got enough foliage somshe has no place to hide to feel safe.

At that age she should be eating more and you need to make sure the insects are the right size.
They should be dusted with a phosphorous-free calcium powder at almost all feedings... and twice a month with a phosphorous-free calcium/D3 powder and twice a month with a vitamin powder that contains a beta carotene source of vitamin A.

 

[walzy444]

I personally have both of my Veileds in Glass exoterra enclosures.. My male is about 4 months old and only like 3" long in a 12x 12x 12 glass cube w screen top, and my female is about 8 months old and 7" long in a 24x 18x 24 screen top. Both have front opening doors. I use a fogger during the day and a dripper in both. I also water them after they eat to make sure they get enough water, but I also do see them drink drops off the glass. I also manually mist with a spray bottle in the morning and when I get home. My house is kept at 75-78 degrees and it is super dry, especially during the winter right now. (I live in New Hampshire, USA) With out a spray mister right now its really hard to keep the humidity up with a screen cage, plus they are both pretty small. When i get home, i open the front doors up and put my hand at the opening and they both come down and get on my hand to eat. If they dont come out onto my hand, they dont eat. Cant be having anti social beings n my house! lol Also if they ever puff up or hiss at me as im about to return them to their enclosure, I sit there and wait until they relax and go back to happy green. Cant be making them think if they hiss and puff up that means i put them back in a hurry. After eating I offer water drops to their mouth, they drink and most evenings I let them free range (separately) and yes they have basking lamps to digest. So they get plenty of fresh air, and their enclosures never smell bad.

I have 2 - 24x24x48 screen cages. I just need to build a base and set up the drainage. I found a nifty 48' x 26' drip pan that i can sit them side by side instead of 2 individual washing machine pans. only 38$ on amazon! I just want to wait until they are a tiny bit bigger to go into the new enclosures. its hard enough to find the little guy in the 12x12 haha. so i might move my bigger female to the screen first and the little man to the bigger glass enclosure for a bit. I also am running my mister tubing thro the screen cages. With the misters, the humidity should be ok with combo of live plants. Its funny everyone freaks out saying they need all screen but I see sooo many people wrap 3 sides in plastic or shower curtains to "keep the humidity up" lol While mine are still growing and shedding so often, i just want to make sure they have the most humidity to help in their sheds and to grow w out being too dry. So at the moment in my conditions, glass works perfect for me and my 2 lil ones.

 

[Salmona]

I personally have both of my Veileds in Glass exoterra enclosures.. My male is about 4 months old and only like 3" long in a 12x 12x 12 glass cube w screen top, and my female is about 8 months old and 7" long in a 24x 18x 24 screen top. Both have front opening doors. I use a fogger during the day and a dripper in both. I also water them after they eat to make sure they get enough water, but I also do see them drink drops off the glass. I also manually mist with a spray bottle in the morning and when I get home. My house is kept at 75-78 degrees and it is super dry, especially during the winter right now. (I live in New Hampshire, USA) With out a spray mister right now its really hard to keep the humidity up with a screen cage, plus they are both pretty small. When i get home, i open the front doors up and put my hand at the opening and they both come down and get on my hand to eat. If they dont come out onto my hand, they dont eat. Cant be having anti social beings n my house! lol Also if they ever puff up or hiss at me as im about to return them to their enclosure, I sit there and wait until they relax and go back to happy green. Cant be making them think if they hiss and puff up that means i put them back in a hurry. After eating I offer water drops to their mouth, they drink and most evenings I let them free range (separately) and yes they have basking lamps to digest. So they get plenty of fresh air, and their enclosures never smell bad.

I have 2 - 24x24x48 screen cages. I just need to build a base and set up the drainage. I found a nifty 48' x 26' drip pan that i can sit them side by side instead of 2 individual washing machine pans. only 38$ on amazon! I just want to wait until they are a tiny bit bigger to go into the new enclosures. its hard enough to find the little guy in the 12x12 haha. so i might move my bigger female to the screen first and the little man to the bigger glass enclosure for a bit. I also am running my mister tubing thro the screen cages. With the misters, the humidity should be ok with combo of live plants. Its funny everyone freaks out saying they need all screen but I see sooo many people wrap 3 sides in plastic or shower curtains to "keep the humidity up" lol While mine are still growing and shedding so often, i just want to make sure they have the most humidity to help in their sheds and to grow w out being too dry. So at the moment in my conditions, glass works perfect for me and my 2 lil ones.

Just a quick question how are you lights positioned? I work 9 to 5 here in FL. So I spray the cage down before work and I have a Dripper running. I spray at lunch time, when I get home and an hour before bed. I don't want to fry my baby either. Do you have any helpful advice? There are 4 plants and 1 vine in the 10 gallon tank with my panther.

 

[Maddycam]

Your glass enclosures sound awesome!

I just moved my about 7 month female veiled to a 52inch high screen mesh enclosure I build myself! (As her adult cage) and the humidity hasn't seemed to be a problem thus far.

Anyways, in my old glass enclosure I had the UVB light showing through the mesh top of the enclosure, because UVB does not travel through glass! The heat does pretty fine though through glass. However I had both my lights at the top of the enclosure, because she usually liked to bask up there. The key is to have multiple different temperatures throughout the enclosure.
Hope this is helpful.

I wish my veiled was friendly I haven't been able to handle her since I first brought her home. Your strategy with the food is good, I should have tried that.

I have recently gotten her to eat off my hand, but still not climb on it, and I'm too afraid to grab her. She hisses at my hand every time. Any suggestions on how to handle an angry female would be helpful!

 

[Setth]

Hey, very helpful topic. But when i read it, i think i'm back at the beginning with my new (and hopefully permanent) enclosure. I tried custom made glass enclosure, only to buy 18*18*36 reptibreeze, because i read everywhere that "this is the way to keep veiled".
I can't made custom build enclosure myself, due to lack of time and skill. I was convinced, that Reptibreeze XL (24*24*48) is my only option (i would love to have dragonstrand but i'm from europe). Can cost me 160 euros. But now after reading so many people have had luck with exoterra glass...i need to ask. Can exoterra 24*18*36 (60x45x90) be enough for adult veiled male? (price could be little less than 150euros )
I have place for something 60x60x120 in corner of my living room, my room temp is about 24-25 celcius and humidity is 55%.

 

[Goose502]

I keep my adult male panther in the largest glass Exo Terra offered. Works great, can’t say enough about it. Bioactive, all live plants, and zero issues, ever.

 

[McClouds]

Im Confident its based on Clement control . so if you have High humidity in your room, then its better to go for screen , and if you have a really dry room its better to go glass to hold in humidity , IMO I use a Half Glass half screen terrarium , I have the Front as glass so I can clearly peer in to his cadge , and the rest of the sides are Screen

 

[RcManChild]

that sounds like a very good idea but i am worried that if i do cut out the bottom, i might not seal it back in properly. i wouldnt want my cage leaking ornothing. i might just do the glass bit part and drill a hole into the bottom for drainage. and even if i do this, im afraid i might break the whole glass panel. now THAT would suck

There are a few things here but it can be done...

1) fully support the back of the glass to ensure no chucks come off once you are almost through
2) keep the glass cool, use some putty and put some water around it... This also helkps keep the dust done..
3) take nice and slow the weight of the drill should be enough pressure
4) the rule is 1/3. Do not drill near a corner or edge, measure a 1/3 and 1/3 and put the hole there..



rather than duct tape on the back side I would of used another piece of wood though

 

[RcManChild]

Keep in mind your safety... safety glasses....

 

[hopps31]

We run a woodstove for about 8 months of the year, it is extremely dry, all of my guys are in Exo Terra’s and we love them. We have never had any troubles. We have a veiled, panther, Jackson, and
furcifer verrucosus. I did not drill my tanks, I just suction out every day. Here is a picture!