HELP Glass Enclosure advice

[sterlingrob]

Hello im pretty new to owning chams. I was just want to make sure im doing everything right in my glass enclosure(screen cage isnt an option at the moment for me) I have pink sand at the bottle of the cage and im not sure if I should have that or If I should have a mat. Also, since I have a glass cage im going to buy a little compute fan so that the air flows nicely throughout the enclosure. The bulbs are a heat/basking light 60 watt and the other is a UVB light. I also mist them 3-5 times a day.

If you can give me any advice at all that would be great thank you!

 

[Andy Jester]

Hi.i got.my set up and Yemen only last week.prior to that I spent a fortnight researching and joined this forum for any tips etc I can pick up on to make sure colin is happy and I do this right.im also in the UK

If what I have researched is right your set up is a fair bit off the requirements needed.chams are arboreal so housing needs to be high rather than wide.substrate needs to be course,orchid bark.and a small fan is not the way to go for airflow.
Now being in UK I have got an exo terra glass housing as opposed to screened housing.personally don't see the point in buying screened and then blocking off with plastic.The exo terras use a unique airflow system where the screened top allows air out and the slots near the base of the front allow air in kinda like a chimney.
Now as a newbie myself if I'm wrong I will obviously take any comments on board and rectify my set up

 

[Nursemaia]

I can tell you that's a horrible setup with so many things wrong.
1. No substrate
2. Not enough foliage and coverage
3. Chameleons shound not be kept in an aquarium meant for fish
4. How are you going to manage water and drainage in there?
5. A little computer fan isn't going to give you the proper air flow plus you don't want air blowing on them.
6. You're just setting your cham up to get a uri and a short life in there.
7. My soapbox, don't have an animal if you can't take care of it properly

 

[Katacara]

You should not have 2 chams in the same enclosure!

@Nursemaia I compleatly agree with you!!

@sterlingrob Your cham/s are in need of help! They are not going to last long in your setup! Please fill out the "how to ask for help" form. People here can take a look to see the things that need improvement or tweaking. Please use as much detail as you can! The more information we have the better we can help you and your cham! Pictures are always helpful also.

https://www.chameleonforums.com/threads/how-to-ask-for-help.66/

@Andy Jester You can also fill out the "how to ask for help" form, but please start your own thread with it. It is a great way for new keepers to make sure they are on track to provide the best care for their cham!

 

[hopps31]

I 100% agree with @Nursemaia and @Katacara!

You will definitely need to fill out the "how to help" form.

Just from the picture here are the things that need fixing ASAP.
No water dish, as they don't drink from sitting water. They need to be misted. No sand, it is going to get gross and most likely will cause impaction. Chameleons are solo animals they do not live with one another. They have no foliage at all, they need hiding places to feel safe. No fish tanks, they do not get enough air movement, plus they need height over length. Coil UVB should be replaced with a linear/tubular bulb. The temperature/humidity gage is not reliable at all, it will not tell you any accurate temps/humidity.

I am not trying to be mean but you also said a screen enclosure is not an option now, you are going to have to put out some money to fix these issues and having two you will need two of everything.

Chameleons are fantastic, but they require work, dedication and money, if you want them to be healthy and live to their potential. They also need various feeders, which you have to have some sort of setup for as well. Also buy food for the feeders too!

 

[Goose502]

Please return them from where you purchased. Do a lot of research, then use your money to purchase and furnish a proper enclosure. This new enclosure needs to be set up months in advance. Yes, I said months. During this time, you need to work out your misting schedule, and figure out how to deal with any drainage you encounter. Your gonna have to set up different climate zones, and know exactly the temp and humidity of each zone. During this time(months), you can let live plants grow, and work out any kinks in your system. I'm sorry to be blunt, but it's unfortunate that pet stores sell veiled chameleons for $40, when an "ok" enclosure will cost hundreds of dollars. No one told you that part of the story. You can definately get a chameleon, eventually. But first, you have to do a lot more research.

 

[Rogue]

Sadly, this is the perfect set up for health problems and ultimately death. They can (and will) poop in that water dish, sand substrate will likely get eaten and cause impaction or worse, glass causes air flow and UVB issues.... the list is just endless.

Please, if you have any love for these animals, find a better home/ return them until you are fully prepared and educated on proper care and enclosures. I can't agree with @Goose502 @Nursemaia @Katacara and @hopps31 enough on this.

 

[kinyonga]

@sterlingrob Welcome to the forum and the world of chameleons!
How old are they?
I know sometimes we seem harsh on here but we really just want to see the chameleons do well and to teach their owners how to have that happen.

I'll write more in a bit.

 

[kinyonga]

@Rogue said ..."glass causes air flow and UVB issues"....airflow can be dealt with with proper positioning of the lights to create a chimney effect. Re UVB issues...what do you mean?
I agree with removal of the sand due to possible impaction and the water dish needs to be removed or cleaned daily.

@sterlingrob what sex are the chameleons? IMHO you don't need to return them...you just have a steep learning curve to keep them healthy!
Before long I would replace the plants with real non-toxic plants that have been well washed, both sides if the leaves because veiled chameleons like to munch on plants at times.

Depending on their age and sex you may be able to keep them temporarily in that tank but it needs to be set up properly and it will get too small too fast...and at about 4months of age they should be separated because if thats a male and a female, as soon as they are sexually mature they will mate and there will be stress on them both as well.

To set that cage up properly you need the heat and UVB both as close to one end as possible to create a chimney effect and to allow the chameleons to move out of the heat and UVB at will.

You need to create proper temperature in the basking area (low 80'sF).
You need more cover/foliage for them.
You will need to prevent water from standing stagnant in the cage from misting.

Do you know about supplements? Feeding/gutloading the insects? Appropriate size of insects to use?

Once you answer the questions about age and sex and the ones in this post we can talk more!
Hang in there!

 

[paleopossum]

Glass tanks can be used, but not aquariums! Vivariums are the only glass enclosures imo that should be used since they are designed for reptiles and air flow. For my panther female I use the Zoomed skyscraper and it's perfect. It is around $130, but if you want a pet you pay whatever it takes. Side note it was purchased originally for a uroplatus fimbiouses, but I found out the shop only did wild caught so obviously I dropped that real quick. The tank has the screen top of air flow and lower to the bottom there is air flow holes to keep everything cycling. Seeing the sank makes me upset because my vet told me of a chameleon she had to treat that was rubbed raw because the people though sand was a good idea and his scales had been rubbed so far down and the sand irritated everything even more. Just use paper towels or nothing. My girl has nothing except for a corner that has coco fiber for the real plants growing. Plus chameleons really shouldn't even be able to see each other in different tanks, they get to worked up mentally and cycle down from there.

 

[kinyonga]

Paleopossum said..."Glass tanks can be used, but not aquariums!"....although I don't know why anyone would use an aquarium in this day since the exoterra cages are now readily available when I first started keeping chameleons many years ago there was not really any other option. It can be done but it takes work and knowledge to make them work. You have to understand the chimney effect, know how to prevent stagnant water from laying in the cage, etc.

 

[paleopossum]

Paleopossum said..."Glass tanks can be used, but not aquariums!"....although I don't know why anyone would use an aquarium in this day since the exoterra cages are now readily available when I first started keeping chameleons many years ago there was not really any other option. It can be done but it takes work and knowledge to make them work. You have to understand the chimney effect, know how to prevent stagnant water from laying in the cage, etc.

Trust me I have heard of and seen people use fish tanks and honestly no reptile should be in a fish tank. I think it's cuz you can get a 20gallon fish tank at a yard sale for $5 instead of paying $80 for a vivarium. In my experience glass works better for my panther than a screen did, it's much simpler IMO.

 

[kinyonga]

Aren't the only differences between exo Terra cages and "fish" tanks with screen lids the small area if vents in the exo Terra and the dimensions of both?

 

[paleopossum]

Aren't the only differences between exo Terra cages and "fish" tanks with screen lids the small area if vents in the exo Terra and the dimensions of both?

The small vents are the difference of air flow and being healthy. Also the front opening doors make it so their isn't a big scary creature reaching into your space and scaring the animals and one coming head on where they can see it all. They are more secure as well with the locks and latches as well.

 

[Carlton]

To our overwhelmed OP....so sad that you may have been "sold" this completely inappropriate setup by some clueless pet shop. That's what it looks like. I hope you can return all of it for a refund. You can keep a cham(s) healthy, its just going to take a lot of modifications to do so. If you need something basic for a cage, consider a second-hand or freebee bird cage. You can cover the wire with window screen to keep insects in and your cham from getting trapped between the bars.

 

[haydenm14]

obviously you have seen all those replies but id like to point out that most people get a chameleon afters months of research and help. ive been doing research on them for about 8 months and i still am not ready to own a cham. please do your research before buying a LIVE animal.

 

[Gbaby]

I can tell you that's a horrible setup with so many things wrong.
1. No substrate
2. Not enough foliage and coverage
3. Chameleons shound not be kept in an aquarium meant for fish
4. How are you going to manage water and drainage in there?
5. A little computer fan isn't going to give you the proper air flow plus you don't want air blowing on them.
6. You're just setting your cham up to get a uri and a short life in there.
7. My soapbox, don't have an animal if you can't take care of it properly

 

[Gbaby]

I just wanted to say. Give advice without being a jerk. Honesty without compassion is brutality. Especially don’t tell somebody who is trying (and who will modify his enclosure accordingly.... that’s WHY THEY ASKED IN THE FIRST PLACE!) that they shouldn’t have a pet. You’re a monster.

 

[Gbaby]

Hello im pretty new to owning chams. I was just want to make sure im doing everything right in my glass enclosure(screen cage isnt an option at the moment for me) I have pink sand at the bottle of the cage and im not sure if I should have that or If I should have a mat. Also, since I have a glass cage im going to buy a little compute fan so that the air flows nicely throughout the enclosure. The bulbs are a heat/basking light 60 watt and the other is a UVB light. I also mist them 3-5 times a day. View attachment 191362 View attachment 191363 View attachment 191364 If you can give me any advice at all that would be great thank you!

 

[Brodybreaux25]

I think we scared him off!

Something I tell all people thinking about getting a Cham as a pet is that they are not a pet, they are a hobby! A very expensive one!