Hello

[Shimizoki]

Hi everyone, I'm Shimizoki. I just turned 21 years old, live in Florida, attending UCF for Computer Science, and am slowly turning my house into a zoo.

Animals I have:
3 Dogs
2 Cats
2 Rabbits
Triops
Fish (Including bettas)
Plants (Including carnivorous ones)

After a little thought I realized that I need now birds, rodents, reptiles (That should cover pretty much the basics)

I did a bit of soul searching and found that of the reptiles the Cham would probably be the one I like the most. I am here to read up on them and amass all the knowledge I can to decide if Chams are the right friend for me.

After all the last thing I want is to own an animal that won't get the care it deserves.

 

[DavidBuchan]

Hello, and welcome, here is a very good place to start--------


https://www.chameleonforums.com/blo...-keepers-young-veiled-panther-chameleons.html

It's written by a legend of the forum, and has all the basics you need to know.

 

[krknieriem]

Welcome to the forums, you have come to the right place. This site is a wealth of information and everyone is usually very helpful on any questions you may have.

 

[Shimizoki]

Thanks both of you for the welcome.

@DavidBuchan - I have been reading alot of the pages and stickies already on this site, thanks for providing this link... I didn't yet know some of it. Most of the items mentioned for new owners is offered in the Screamelons Ultimate Setup Kit. Is this a good setup for the price? (Baby cage + good lights, automatic mister, vitamin powder, etc) $255, however then its another 120 for the adult cage 6 months later.

They offer it with a female panther for 325, however if I were to get a panther I would prefer a male (you know... colors and all that). Veiled Chams are pretty cool too.

I was also wondering about the smell from a chameleon... you don't read much on that. Any animal is bound to have droppings that stink... I have rabbits and know if I go a day or 2 without changing the litter it will stink something fierce.

 

[krknieriem]

Thanks both of you for the welcome.

@DavidBuchan - I have been reading alot of the pages and stickies already on this site, thanks for providing this link... I didn't yet know some of it. Most of the items mentioned for new owners is offered in the Screamelons Ultimate Setup Kit. Is this a good setup for the price? (Baby cage + good lights, automatic mister, vitamin powder, etc) $255, however then its another 120 for the adult cage 6 months later.

They offer it with a female panther for 325, however if I were to get a panther I would prefer a male (you know... colors and all that). Veiled Chams are pretty cool too.

I was also wondering about the smell from a chameleon... you don't read much on that. Any animal is bound to have droppings that stink... I have rabbits and know if I go a day or 2 without changing the litter it will stink something fierce.

Alot of people here on the forum say that the habbamist is junk, I use a mistking which you can get a starter system for $99, I have my chameleon in my bedroom and I literally detect no smell, The only thing I notice is its a little more humid and the crickets that sometimes chirp when Im going to bed. It can be an expensive hobby to get into but once you have everything set up right its not bad,

 

[DavidBuchan]

Thanks both of you for the welcome.

@DavidBuchan - I have been reading alot of the pages and stickies already on this site, thanks for providing this link... I didn't yet know some of it. Most of the items mentioned for new owners is offered in the Screamelons Ultimate Setup Kit. Is this a good setup for the price?

Well, I don't understand that funny American money, and I don't know your budget, but I reckon that for the space and money you can't go wrong with building one yourself....look at the link in my sig........do you have a spare wardrobe? Lots of people here can give you advice on prices for a store bought one, or even building from scratch...........
Obviously the droppings do smell, but hardly at all. The slight plant/compost smell more than covers it up.

Here's a pic of the Wardrarium.....https://www.chameleonforums.com/mem...-finished-setup-picture10631-big-viv-002.html

 

[Shimizoki]

Alright, so then is there a sticky anywhere of what the people generally prefer as the best starter kit? Whether it be a DIY thing or an all in one package. As I have school / work like most of you do I would prefer an automatic misting system if at all possible.

I would love to pick it up as a baby since they apparently have a short lifespan (5 years?). I also noticed quite a few people in the classified section selling off some guys. (Most are way out of my price range).

If some people could be honest with me, what would they assume it the initial start up cost, as well as the yearly cost (food, bulb replacements, vitamins, etc)


EDIT::
Wow david, thats a little cage, I could make one of those for next to nothing. I'd still need to buy the other necessities though.

 

[krknieriem]

Alright, so then is there a sticky anywhere of what the people generally prefer as the best starter kit? Whether it be a DIY thing or an all in one package. As I have school / work like most of you do I would prefer an automatic misting system if at all possible.

I would love to pick it up as a baby since they apparently have a short lifespan (5 years?). I also noticed quite a few people in the classified section selling off some guys. (Most are way out of my price range).

If some people could be honest with me, what would they assume it the initial start up cost, as well as the yearly cost (food, bulb replacements, vitamins, etc)



EDIT::
Wow david, thats a little cage, I could make one of those for next to nothing. I'd still need to buy the other necessities though.

FLCHAMS has some complete kits with the better misting systems, the good thing about the nicer ones is that when you decide to get another chameleon you can run multiple cages off 1 pump.
http://www.flchams.com/extreme-complete-chameleon-cage-setups-for-sale.asp
You would still need to purchase a cham though

 

[Shimizoki]

Thanks krknieriem, the only problem I see is that the setup in that link is 200 more, and the main difference that I can find is it has the $200 version of the misting system (which I don't think I need more than the 100 version) Also as David pointed out it may be much cheaper to just build the cage.

I will look into it however.

 

[suzi]

Welcome to the forum

 

[Shimizoki]

Ok, so after a bit more hunting on actual prices of chameleons I think I will be forgetting that panthers exist. (Unless a breeder wants to give me a 90% discount) I will most likely be getting a baby veiled chameleon (LLL has them for 40) and that will probably mean I will have to breed crickets (or some other insect) so I can have a constant supply of itty bitty ones.

Building my own screen cage seems like the way to go. I already have a kajillion sq feet of window screen I need to use. (I read that chams could rip their toes in screen, is this true? Should it stop me from using screen?)

If thats the case I can get the mistking, All I need is the UVB light fixture (I already own 2 or so of the heat lamps), and some of the vitamins. Is there anything for the setup that I am missing?

If that all works out like I am thinking it would only be about 250 for the complete setup + cham. (A much more reasonable price)

 

[krknieriem]

If you already have the screen then why not, you may want to look into breeding dubia roaches, they dont smell like crix do and people say its less work. I dont know yet as I am currently trying to establish my own colony

 

[Shimizoki]

ohhhhhhhh I love you krknieriem, the cricket smell was my biggest worry... granted roaches are kinda gross comparatively . Not sure how my girlfriend will feel about me breeding them.

Geez, the more and more I talk to you guys the easier and easier this ends up sounding

 

[DavidBuchan]

ohhhhhhhh I love you krknieriem, the cricket smell was my biggest worry... granted roaches are kinda gross comparatively . Not sure how my girlfriend will feel about me breeding them.

Geez, the more and more I talk to you guys the easier and easier this ends up sounding

I breed crickets and locusts, as well as mealworms (they are just too easy!). I have bred specially gutloaded blue bottle maggots, and feed wild caught spiders and woodlice and moths and and etc. The smell from the maggots meant I kept them in the shed, but crickets don't smell too bad it you clean up after them every day. The chirping can be annoying if you keep them in the bedroom tho
I have some calciworms on order too, now. You will want to spend as much time looking after insects as the cham, because you can't play with them...
It will be easy, but it is pretty time consuming. I have 2 Chams and a Monitor though, so you can get away with just buying them in for a while, won't cost too much...........

 

[krknieriem]

My girlfriend thinks its disgusting that Im trying to breed them and if I had asked before I started I dont know that I would have them lol, One day after I had set it up she said honey whats that, I kinda laughed and said you probably dont want to know. I tried to reassure her that they wouldnt get out since they dont climb walls but she wasnt buying it, not after the crickets she sees walking around on occasion, or the incident I had that the lid was partially off my supers causing them to be crawling around all over the place when we walked in that led to the big beetles that were walking around after the supers gestated...lol, I guess she does have the right to be concerned though

 

[DavidBuchan]

My girlfriend thinks its disgusting that Im trying to breed them and if I had asked before I started I dont know that I would have them lol, One day after I had set it up she said honey whats that, I kinda laughed and said you probably dont want to know. I tried to reassure her that they wouldnt get out since they dont climb walls but she wasnt buying it, not after the crickets she sees walking around on occasion, or the incident I had that the lid was partially off my supers causing them to be crawling around all over the place when we walked in that led to the big beetles that were walking around after the supers gestated...lol, I guess she does have the right to be concerned though

As a kid I once had a nightmare in which the room was crawling with escaped crickets and mealworms......there was a huge 'queen' mealworm in the corner (big enough to eat me, lol). I woke up and there were about 10 small mealworms chewing through some polystyrene and making such a loud, sinister noise...........If you have a girlfriend you def. can't keep this stuff in the bedroom (unless she's a weirdo too....)

 

[Shimizoki]

Thanks for the info, I didn't know however that you couldnt play with chams. I mean I read they were solitary animals, but I didn't know that meant to people as well. I figured like most lizards and snakes you could take them out of the cage occasionally and hold them. I mean I know i wont be playing fetch and stuff with him cause its a cham, not a dog.

Also... lol at both of your stories... you guys are just silly

 

[DavidBuchan]

Thanks for the info, I didn't know however that you couldnt play with chams. I mean I read they were solitary animals, but I didn't know that meant to people as well. I figured like most lizards and snakes you could take them out of the cage occasionally and hold them

Yeah, like most Lizards and snakes, you can handle them. And it is good to get them out in the summer Sun for a bit......an excuse to make a video for the youtube annual......The less you handle them though, the better for them (in general - there are some friendly Chameleons).
If you want to play with a pet Lizard then go for a Savannah Monitor, they are easier, and puppyish when tamed ( or get both like me, and you'll be plenty busy )

 

[Shimizoki]

Whoa those things are massive... There is no way I would be allowed to hang onto one of those yet... not until I get my own house. (I live at my parents while going to school... its just so much cheeper.)

I thought about what you said about buying the feed, at my local petstore they are 10c per cricket. That would add up to be a fair amount over the course of a year. If I buy them in bulk they are cheaper, but will grow to be too large for a baby before he can eat through them all. Hmmmm.

 

[lisa h]

If you want a lizard you can handle more, I hear Bearded Dragons are really good about that. Totally different care and setup than a cham, of course. If you end up getting a chameleon, just realize it may be something that doesn't want to be handled, and you might end up with an animal that you can only look at. If that bothers you, then you may have to rethink. If not, then you're well on your way to chameleon ownership.