Humidity

My panthers are kept between 50 and 70%, keeping humidity is easy but when you have to maintain temperature and also ensure the air is changed and doesn't become stale (I have wooden viv) it becomes a real challenge
 
Thank you for your reply. The cage i have ordered has 3 mess side a glass fron an 9inc glass bottom. Im now worried about drainage with the glass bottom.
 
Mine has a wooden bottom, wooden sides and a glass front, drainage isnt an issue as I don't add enough water to cause a.surplus, depends on your climate (I'm in the UK where it varies a lot), I was hand spraying for humidity but I'm afraid being present 4 times a day for the rest of.my.life wasn't going to happen, invested in a mister system and a humidity control which means I can now leave them.unattended for 3 days if I double feed on the first one, if you have mesh sides then airflow shouldn't be an issue whereas I have to use an extraction fan to change the air which means I also suck.out the humidity.i have a sterilised bark type substrate on the floor which soaks up any extra moisture and also acts to keep the environment humid, plenty of people on.here advise against anything on the floor but I know several panther owners who have been doing it for years without any issues.
There is a wealth of good advice and information on this site learned through years of experience but there are also a lot of Bs opinions and fairy tales so use it as guidance and add some common sense, the trick is to know which info is good and which is bs!, you could always add some newspaper to the bottom.to soak up any excess as a temporary measure until you work things out
 
Thanks again. Im also in the uk. What mister do you have? And do you just replace the bark when you have a thorough clean? Is it a particular kind of bark?
 
I got a super rain 2 system, supposed to handle several viv's at once if the need.arises, think it was about £130. It doesn't come with any control system though so could be used with a timer, I also got an evo pro 2 Controller for humidity and temperature control that was the same price, the bark was pro rep coarse bark chips that I was advised to change every 3 months, i wouldn't db imagine your problem will be heat in winter if you have mesh sides
What cham do you have? Where are you in the UK?
 
Im in london. I dont have the baby yet as they are only just born so trying to sort the living arrangements b4 i get him. He will be a panther chameleon. Im so nervous about doing things wrong. I beleuve if yiu have an animal you need to do the best by it.
So when you have the bark in the tank do you scoop the poop regularly?
 
Mine only do one poop a day which I remove when I see it, not sure if you know they don't recognise standing water or not? I got a dripper plant from.ebay for about £30 and a bowl.to stand it in as they only drink dew from.leaves, you will probably have to hang a plastic shower curtain on two sides of the mesh or you will have problems maintaining humidity levels as it will evaporate, you can manually spray the inside with a hand mister for humidity but you'll need to be there to do it 3 or 4 times a day. Personally I don't think mesh sided viv's are suited to countries with climates like ours. You'll need plenty of branches to get them.climbing and plenty of plastic plants or leaves for them to hide behind until they feel a little more secure, uvlamp, basking lamp, calcium powder to dust the locusts with daily and nutribol vitamin powder for a once weekly dusting, crickets will come out at night and nibble at your pet which is why I prefer locusts. Crickets will also keep you awake at night with the noise!
 
Thank you your a wealth of info an i appreciate all the advice. Have you had chameleons long? Do they get sick easily?
What do you mean re the shower curtain? Do i need that on the cage at all times? I was wondering when i mist does the water just not spray all through the mesh?
The tank i brought was 2nd hand so has all lights an plastic plants an vines included it also has a dripper plant that catches the water in a bowl an just re circulates it. Im dreading getting it wrong. I dont want the cham to get ill.
 
Do you feed other stuff as well or just locusts? So the locusts wont bite the cham at night? An do you free range feed or cup feed? Sorry for all the questions
 
Are those ok?
 

Attachments

  • Screenshot_20160806-145839.png
    Screenshot_20160806-145839.png
    590.6 KB · Views: 105
I haven't had mine long at all but have spent a great deal of time researching as you can probably tell, the first thing I would say is you have no idea what the previous occupant of the cage had disease wise or bacteria wise, may not be an issue but I would clean everything as thoroughly as I could and if you have access to a small hand steamer use that to kill any bacteria. The problem with chemicals is that you don't know what residue they leave behind that may be harmful. From what I have learned.the most common.illness with panthers are upper respiratory diseases caused by bacteria and poor air, your mesh cage will allow good air circulation but won't keep heat in of humidity, reading forums.the best suggestion is people hang a shower curtain round two irnthree of the mesh sides to stop the humidity escaping, they get stressed very easily which causes illness and ate not deemed suitable for beginners. Locusts don't bite them and I dust then with calcium and throw them.in the tank daily, I have a pair and it costs me.around £20 a week to feed them on locusts, you can feed other worms and insects as well and a varied diet is always preferable, it's also advisable to gutload the food with cauliflower leaves and stuff several hours before you feed then to your chams so they get the extra nutrition, there is a panther care sheet on this site somewhere that has lots of useful info, use the search facility for feed and gutloading, you will also need some reptisafe which you add a couple of drops to the water before spraying and fir drinking water that removes the chlorine which is harmful, is it a male you are getting or a female?
DSC_0213.JPG
 
Ur female is lovely. Roughly how much a day does she eat? The locusts on ebay dont seem too badly priced. Do they manage to stay alive until you use them all up? That seems like a challenge in itself lol
 
It's quite involved, I'm.happy to help in whatever way I can so feel free to ask, they are fascinating creatures but quite a responsibility, not sure what you paid but going rate is around £250 for a male and £80-100 for a female, poop is a good way of judging health as they don't urinate so you get a multi coloured feces with white at the end, humidity is important as they shed skin which humidity makes easier
 
The photo is the male, he will eat about ten locusts a day and they will live for about a week, Try and get them.from a reputable source and they will be fresh and live longer, i get 4 tubs for £9
 
Back
Top Bottom