Humidity for cold winter? ( like MN)

[ChameleonOnTheBrain]

Hi guys. I'm building a diy mesh enclosure. The size will be 36"w x24"d x 48"h. I live in MN and it gets quite cold here in the winter time.. My house is at a consist 73 degrees in the winter time. I don't want to cover it with plastic in the winter for the simple fact that it's in my living room.( don't want it to look trashy) I am getting a mistking and making a diy rain system. I was wondering if there can be anything done except for just bumping up the misting. Just don't want to mist to much that it won't dry out at night. If the humidity drops at night is that alright as long as he gets a good misting right away in the morning?

 

[Juliaf3]

I also live in MN. First, I'm far from an expert. I'll just tell you what has worked for me. This being my first my winter in Minnesota, and my first Cham. I originally had him upstairs. It's warmer up here, but I could not keep humidity up. Moved him down stairs, it's a lot better. Temps are fine down there. I have a small space heater set on 60 that comes on at night when the lights go off. I also have live plants in his cage. BUT from what I've read on here, humidity is not suppose to stay consistently perfect. It doesn't stay perfect in the wild. When it rains it goes up, and when it stops it goes down. Which is easily replicated in captivity lol so my only suggestion would be LOTS of live foliage. It could just be one big plant. Doesn't necessarily have to be a bunch of individual plants. It worked wonders for my Cham. I have a schefflera. Hope this helped, best of luck!

 

[Juliaf3]

Oh, I also have a cool most humidifier. I forgot to add that. Goes of at night though.

 

[Balizar]

If you get the right kind of plastic for the back it wont look trashy at all. LOL. Three of my males are in the family room and the cages look beautiful. Just have to know what to buy make sure you have it cut the same dimension as the back of the cage and screw it on with the same screws that came with he cage. Directly on to it. It looks like it came with the cage. Lowes Has really good white wall (cant think of the name of top of my head) but its 30 dollars a sheet and is used for walls and waterproof! And because its white it does help my lower plants and keeps the water off my walls!

 

[Jordyt]

Hi guys. I'm building a diy mesh enclosure. The size will be 36"w x24"d x 48"h. I live in MN and it gets quite cold here in the winter time.. My house is at a consist 73 degrees in the winter time. I don't want to cover it with plastic in the winter for the simple fact that it's in my living room.( don't want it to look trashy) I am getting a mistking and making a diy rain system. I was wondering if there can be anything done except for just bumping up the misting. Just don't want to mist to much that it won't dry out at night. If the humidity drops at night is that alright as long as he gets a good misting right away in the morning?

Just as an FYI if your living room is s high traffic area, it probably isn't the best spot for your Cham.

 

[Carlton]

Hi guys. I'm building a diy mesh enclosure. The size will be 36"w x24"d x 48"h. I live in MN and it gets quite cold here in the winter time.. My house is at a consist 73 degrees in the winter time. I don't want to cover it with plastic in the winter for the simple fact that it's in my living room.( don't want it to look trashy) I am getting a mistking and making a diy rain system. I was wondering if there can be anything done except for just bumping up the misting. Just don't want to mist to much that it won't dry out at night. If the humidity drops at night is that alright as long as he gets a good misting right away in the morning?

A few ways to keep a covered cage from looking trashy include:

Instead of using plastic sheeting, attach pieces of clear plexiglass to the outside of your cage frame...basically create removable "storm windows" and use them when needed. Attach the panels with velcro, toggles, magnets, etc.

Hang heavier weight clear shower curtain vinyl from the cage sides. They come with finished grommet holes across the top, the weight makes them hang straighter with fewer wrinkles and they won't billow around with air movement. Or you could cut the plastic into separate panels and stretch them on frames that are attached to your cage frame with double sided tape, velcro, toggles, magnets, etc. A simple wooden shim can hide the edges.

I've even used that stretchy indoor window plastic that you attach and shrink with a hairdryer if I know it won't be removed until spring.

 

[ChameleonOnTheBrain]

Thanks for the advice. I was planning on putting a piece of plywood on the back and making a diy 3d background. As for the living room, that is the only place I have to put it. It will be in a secluded corner and there isn't really to much traffic. During the day my wife is only home and at night my children are home. If I give him plenty of hiding spots I think he will be able to handle it. Any other have there cage in a semi traffic area?

 

[Juliaf3]

How old are your children? I also have children. Ages 7, 5, and 2. I put tons of "hiding spots" I'm my Jackson's cage. Like I said, he's down stairs, but the toy room is also down stairs. Different rooms, but still some traffic. He's actually in my laundry room. It's huge. With 5 people in my home, I'm in there a lot, and so are my babies. I've just explained it's ok to look, not ok to touch. Soft voices. I don't let them in the room the first two hours after lights kick on which isn't hard due to them kicking on at 6:30, and two hours before bed time. Giving him time to wake up, and wind down, peacefully. They've done great with him. He doesn't even run off and hide anymore when they are down there. Took about a solid month for him to get that way though. So I'm sure he will be fine. I think when there is a lot of cage smacking, bumping, and screaming, that's when you have issues. I think your Cham will do fine. Just explain how he is small and we are giants and we are scary to him. I think it's good to build those boundaries for your Cham with your children now. Why wait until they are older? You wouldn't keep kids from a puppy because they are rough, you teach them to be gentle and kind. Same with cham. Sit with them and watch the cham. Talk about all his funny features. Those crazy eyes. Funny feet. What it would be like to have such qualities. His curly awesome tail. His funny tongue. What his fears are, what it would be like to have those same fears. How you would want giants (humans) to be towards you. Kids have naturally inquisitive minds. You know this- I'm telling you nothing new! Just play into it! Make it fun to learn! Draw pictures of chams with them. Take those babies outside and let them find a stick for his cage. You know, make them as much a part of his life as he is theirs.

 

[Juliaf3]

Sorry it took so long to reply! Forgot about this thread then took me a bit to find it! My kids were with their grandparents last night so I've been trying to catch up on my forum chat!

 

[sandrachameleon]

Hi guys. I'm building a diy mesh enclosure. The size will be 36"w x24"d x 48"h. I live in MN and it gets quite cold here in the winter time.. My house is at a consist 73 degrees in the winter time. I don't want to cover it with plastic in the winter for the simple fact that it's in my living room.( don't want it to look trashy) I am getting a mistking and making a diy rain system. I was wondering if there can be anything done except for just bumping up the misting. Just don't want to mist to much that it won't dry out at night. If the humidity drops at night is that alright as long as he gets a good misting right away in the morning?

how low does the humidity get? If it doesn't often go below 30% between mistings, you may be totally fine with the screen cage and the mistking. Otherwise, I second the suggestion for plexi sides, along with your 3d sealed wood background.

have you considered letting the house temperature go down a little at night? perhaps 68F?

 

[RPCV]

Don't fixate too much on humidity. Maintaining above 30% RH in winter is a challenge. Closing off one side of screen enclosure is not going to help much.

Get a cool mist (ultrasonic) humidifier and have it dump mist into the cage. I have mine set on the same timer as my lights to turn off at night and on a shelf next to the enclosure so the mist falls in through the top. Have had this set up for years with no health issues.

 

[Big Gulp]

A few ways to keep a covered cage from looking trashy include:

Instead of using plastic sheeting, attach pieces of clear plexiglass to the outside of your cage frame...

This is what I did, except I put it on the inside of the cage. That way when the water hits it, it'll run down to the bottom of the enclosure instead of the outside of the cage.