I've been learning a lot from this site. I'm getting my new Panther Chameleon in 2 weeks and been setting up his cage and making sure everything works. I have an umbrella plant and a UVB light on the top and a 75 watt basking light with a dimmer and have it turned down to about 85 degrees at the basking site. Also have a light with a ceramic heat bulb to warm it up if it gets to cold at night. Both lights are mounted above the screen. I touched the sreen below the lights and it's not to hot. I have a mistking installed to go off 3 times a day for about 3 minutes each time. The misting I'm not to sure about. At 3 minutes it seems like there is a lot of water dripping all over the floor which I have holes in with a drain pan underneath. I'm afraid I'm going to drown my plant. The leaves do dry up between misting but not all of the floor. The thing that worries me is him not getting enough to drink.
How does my cage setup look?
- Thread starter Rich P
- Start date
KarmaChameleon1337
Avid Member
Could use some more plants.
Lizardlover
New Member
Why do you have two light-domes? Looks good otherwise.
heartben
New Member
unless its really cold where you are at you probably wont need to heat at night.
i think it if were mine id prune the top a bit just to make sure it doesnt get TOO close - and thin it out a little bit so its easier to move.. thats just me.
also, you might want to put something on the very bottom so it can climb back up a bit easier..technically it can climb up the side, sure.. but it could help. this is just incase it falls (which, i hope it doesnt)
i think it if were mine id prune the top a bit just to make sure it doesnt get TOO close - and thin it out a little bit so its easier to move.. thats just me.
also, you might want to put something on the very bottom so it can climb back up a bit easier..technically it can climb up the side, sure.. but it could help. this is just incase it falls (which, i hope it doesnt)
lumbasammler
New Member
You could use a lot more plants and branches and get out the plant thats already in.
Kinda lokks like he can´t really climb a lot in there because there are so many leaves and too less branches in there.
Also the two branches you have look like they´re too thick for him to really grab them.
You don´t need to mist that much, 1.5- max 2 min are more than enough.
How about getting a dripper to give him the possibility to drink whenever he wants to?
Kinda lokks like he can´t really climb a lot in there because there are so many leaves and too less branches in there.
Also the two branches you have look like they´re too thick for him to really grab them.
You don´t need to mist that much, 1.5- max 2 min are more than enough.
How about getting a dripper to give him the possibility to drink whenever he wants to?
camimom
New Member
While its true the uvb bulb only goes so far, you need to make sure that he has lower spots to go n his cage for him to cool down.
Since they cant regulate their own body temperature enough, they have to move farther away from heat sources to cool down.
If you provide some more climbing spot lower in his cage, he can move away if he needs to cool off. JMO
Since they cant regulate their own body temperature enough, they have to move farther away from heat sources to cool down.
If you provide some more climbing spot lower in his cage, he can move away if he needs to cool off. JMO
lumbasammler
New Member
It´s important for him to have proper opportunities to get out of range of the UV-rays, otherwise he will get burned after some time.
It should be your goal to give him as many opportunities to move around freely as possible.
brooklynelizabeth
New Member
i think its a great setup, some stuff lower down would be good and maybe snip a few branches to open up some climbing territory, but a sharp looking setup.
lumbasammler
New Member
Just to give you some inspiration; that´s how a fairly well structred Pather-terrarium looks like.
It has a lot of branches of varying thickness, a lot of plants but still enough "empty space" for the chameleon to climb.
More plants will also make it easier to keep humdity at a good level.
It has a lot of branches of varying thickness, a lot of plants but still enough "empty space" for the chameleon to climb.
More plants will also make it easier to keep humdity at a good level.
Olimpia
Biologist & Ecologist
I actually wouldnt change a thing about how you have it set up right now. My chameleons can climb palm tree trunks that are over a food in diameter, I'm pretty sure those branches are not going to be too thick to hold on to. After all, not all branches in the wild are a comfortable inch or two wide! Thicker branches actually offer excellent places for a chameleon to go sleep, since they prefer a place that's more stable than a thin flimsy vine if given the chance. You can add a thinner branch or two towards the top if you want, but between the branches you have now and the tree branches themselves, I think you're fine. But see how the chameleon does when you get him.
If I were you, because the plant in the center looks so nice and there might not be much room for more planters at the bottom, I would actually hang something like pothos from each side near the bottom. Here's why - They don't need all that much light so they would do well under the canopy of the other tree, and they work really well hanging, so they would fill in that bottom space without cluttering up the actual floor space.
You can do this by taking a wood dowel the length of the top of the cage (so it rests on both edges of the cage) and use a thick fishing line (for example, you could use string or chain but this'll look like they're floating) and suspend the plants from that. One on each side of the tree would look good, I think. And then a couple more branches and I would consider your cage perfect.
(edit) I mist my panthers for about 45 minutes a day, so you're definitely not overdoing it with the water. I'm partial to really long mistings because it feels more natural. Mine won't drink for the first minute or two anyway, and then they stand under the mister the entire 15 minutes it's on.
If I were you, because the plant in the center looks so nice and there might not be much room for more planters at the bottom, I would actually hang something like pothos from each side near the bottom. Here's why - They don't need all that much light so they would do well under the canopy of the other tree, and they work really well hanging, so they would fill in that bottom space without cluttering up the actual floor space.
You can do this by taking a wood dowel the length of the top of the cage (so it rests on both edges of the cage) and use a thick fishing line (for example, you could use string or chain but this'll look like they're floating) and suspend the plants from that. One on each side of the tree would look good, I think. And then a couple more branches and I would consider your cage perfect.
(edit) I mist my panthers for about 45 minutes a day, so you're definitely not overdoing it with the water. I'm partial to really long mistings because it feels more natural. Mine won't drink for the first minute or two anyway, and then they stand under the mister the entire 15 minutes it's on.
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lumbasammler
New Member
They can surely climb it, no doubt about that, but this doesn´t make it the best possible way, does it? The thing i dislike, is that the cham won´t have any other possibility than using those thick branches to climb in the lower areas. I won´t say that 1-2 thicker branches are bad, but i think the cham should have the possibility to choose which one it preferes. BTW in the wild the chameleon can also choose where it wants to go and where not, which is very limited in captivity, so we need to make sure to give as many opportunities as possible.
3 minutes per misting is definitely way too long. There is a good reason the mistking timer can do one-second increments (home depot timers cant). You will probably be fine running it 3-4x a day for 20 seconds at a time.
Also, unless you live somewhere REALLY cold, you probably won't need the ceramic heater. They will be fine with nighttime temps into the mid 60s even, but if you are going lower then that, perhaps you'd want it.
I agree with most others comments on adding a FEW branches to the lower areas incase he wants to climb down, but you certainly don't need as many as you have in the top area.
Overall, looks great!
clarkrw3
New Member
Actually many people on this forum mist for 20min in the morning. My shortest misting is 3.5min and I mist 5 times a day. It all depends on the humidity levels etc. But I will tell you the important part is to allow it to dry out between mistings. VERY few chams will drink after just a 20 sec misting
Some chams drink well from a dripper and some don't. There is nothing wrong with having long mistings.Thanks for all the help. I thinned out some of the branches a bit so it's easier to climb around and I also added some lower thinner branches and one that extends to the floor so he can climb out. I will try and add a few pothos plants to the bottom. I was worried with so much foilage he won't be able to find food and the crickets would hide everywhere. Boy it's sure going to be a pain when I have to get the plant out of there to do a good cleaning. I guess I'm going to have to down all the vines.
SonTigerPantherCham
New Member
my quick tip for the day:
put 2 or 3, 4in potted ferns IN THE pot that has your larger plant.
a) they will help absorb some of the water
b) add to the aethetics
c)help with humidity
d)fills up the bottom of the cage
I would maybe put a couple of repti/bio vines in wraped in a spiral configuration, top to bottom, or vice versa. gives him a little more roaming room
I agree with Clark, I mist 4 times a day with my MK, for 3 to 7 min at a time. plus my AZ, plus very warm hand mistings, and a dripper
put 2 or 3, 4in potted ferns IN THE pot that has your larger plant.
a) they will help absorb some of the water
b) add to the aethetics
c)help with humidity
d)fills up the bottom of the cage
I would maybe put a couple of repti/bio vines in wraped in a spiral configuration, top to bottom, or vice versa. gives him a little more roaming room
I agree with Clark, I mist 4 times a day with my MK, for 3 to 7 min at a time. plus my AZ, plus very warm hand mistings, and a dripper
