I’m getting a chameleon!

[Jessetip10]

I just bought everything I need for a chameleon and I’m wondering if I need anything else!
Cage: Zilla fresh air cage 18”x12”x20”
Lighting: Uvb- 18” t5 tropical light basking- is a fluorescent house bulb 29 watt it’s keeping the basking bulb around 85 degrees.
Branches- spider wood and vines
Plants- one pothos live plant and a silk plant
Substrate- paper towels
I will mist twice a day once in the morning once at night
Ambient temperature of the enclosure is around 76 degrees in still waiting for my humidity cage to come in but I’m sure the humidity is fine I have aquariums in here and in combination with the live plants and mistings I think the humidity should be okay.
Supplements will be calcium without d3 everyday reptivite twice a month and herptivite twice a month. I will be gutloading insects with a powdered gut load from the pet store and arugula leafy greens and carrots. Do I need a dripper? Is my lighting okay? I know the cage is on the smaller side but I’m getting a baby I’ve read some places it’s better to start them out in a smaller cage and then move them up when they are bigger. I know I need to wash the plants and put some rocks around the soil but should two plants be okay for this setup I can get more if need be.

 

[Jpeff]

That size cage only good for little baby like 2 to 3 months old. Would stick anything over 3 months old in it. Just because there a fish tank in room don't mean humidity is good. I have 200 gal tank in same room and still had problems with it in screen cage. Basking temp needs to be around 80.

 

[Beman]

Are you sure that is a T5HO fixture? Looks like the zilla T8 fixture. If so these are not good UVB fixtures... You will need to have a branch 3 inches below this fixture to ensure the baby can get the right UVB lighting. Make sure you took the plastic cover off the fixture over the bulb. If left on then no UVB passes through. Then switch to a T5HO and 5.0 bulb at 8-9 inches away when you move into a 2x2x4ft cage.

I agree with @Jpeff about the size of the cage... This one will not last long at all and only for like a 2-3 month old then you have to upgrade. Additionally the jungle vines that your using are not recommended for chams due to the coating flaking off and potentially getting in their eyes when they rub on them. Switch out for flukers vines. They have tiny ones as well for young chams.

Supplements may be incorrect. Can you tell me if the reptivite is with D3?

I would not have the cage above the tank... These cages leak which means you will have reptile yuck water going into your tank.

 

[Jessetip10]

Thanks you guys will look into getting a bigger enclosure and change the light out thanks for the advice!