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hart8000
Guest
How does she seem to like it, and is that stainless steal mesh? What kind of plant do you have in the back ground? It looks tall and well leaved.
How does she seem to like it, and is that stainless steal mesh? What kind of plant do you have in the back ground? It looks tall and well leaved.
beeze
Avid Member
She likes it. She stays in the top most of the time. It's fiberglass window screen. I cup feed so I don't have free roaming crickets in the cage. The tall tree is a ficus....they work great in a cage.
Shimpy45
New Member
Um ya for the most part it pretty easy to make a cage mine has plybord for the floor and the backing im going to use 2"X2"X6' i guess you could call them bords or planks for the framing and then i just used Fiberglass netting its nicer for there feet for the 3 sides and the swinging hinged door then i used aluminum/coated/non-toxic mesh for the top so i can set lamp and what not on it without it catching a flame while im out and about then i used 12"X12"X3' Fence Posts for the bottom legs of the hole thing. and the live plants just get some of those hook that you could use in your window seal to hang a hanging plant from and put a few of them in there but make sure they are rounded and can't hurt your little fella buy ya just keep them in the pots that you bought them in and just put them in there and during the mistings they will get watered as well so you should be set im going to try and find you some blue prints of a cage i drew up my own for mine but i was also in computer drafting classes for 2 years so dont feel bad it seem hard to get all the messurments right its hard stuff. 
<--- i still like this face i also use a small glass salad dressing bowl for my feeding bowl and zem love it! now every time i clean the bowl of old water and put it back empty he still goes down to cheak it out... lol silly rabit tricks are for kids!
<--- i still like this face i also use a small glass salad dressing bowl for my feeding bowl and zem love it! now every time i clean the bowl of old water and put it back empty he still goes down to cheak it out... lol silly rabit tricks are for kids!
Shimpy45
New Member
The links on this page should help you with your idea to build one https://www.chameleonforums.com/how-make-screen-cage-1939/ such a shame you have to junk such a nice tank i have a 55 gal. saltwater fish tank i always wanted one that looks like your but could never afford it. shame lol but good luck with your building hope all goes well.
warpdrive
Avid Member
the problem with some people is that they don't read what you post and then just give advice without thinking things through...
personaly, that fish tank will do you and your chameleon well as long as you follow a bit of advice that you seem to already be doing.
what some people don't realise is that wire cages DON'T HOLD HEAT and HUMIDITY WELL in your winter months. heck, fall and spring too. I'm not too sure what your outside humidity is like in the summer, but if it's not 40% or better, then I would stick with the fish tank.
be well aware that a wire cage will require you to buy a cool mist humidifier to be used at least 6 months out of the year, and off and on for the rest of the months. they run dry fast. you'll have to refill them at least twice a day, and require alot of cleaning to prevent bacterea growth.
even with lots of large plants and towels covering the sides of a wire cage you will still need to run a humidifier...and what's the point of covering the back and sides of a wire cage with towels, then you can't see your chameleon, when glass will work just fine.
your chameleon is in a shop/work place, and I just don't see you going back to work late at night to add water to the humidifier you'll need.
just remove the substrate, get rid of the infra red lights you are using...no need. use a single, standard 25w or 40w bulb for basking. add a few live plants...if too short like a pothos, then buy a spare flower pot and turn it upside down in the tank and place the planted pothos ontop of it.
you can buy a large ficus at LLLreptile.com for cheap and they ship great...just repot it in a better pot and trim it a bit and place in the tank.
when misting, only do it for a minite or two as you don't want the tank to get too wet. mist only twice per day at the most.
if you would like to use a dripper once in a while make sure it doesn't last too long (2 hours max) and you have a catch bucket for all the water that will drip off the real or fake leaves.
start with this advice and then keep asking more questions...you are on the right path.
Harry
personaly, that fish tank will do you and your chameleon well as long as you follow a bit of advice that you seem to already be doing.
what some people don't realise is that wire cages DON'T HOLD HEAT and HUMIDITY WELL in your winter months. heck, fall and spring too. I'm not too sure what your outside humidity is like in the summer, but if it's not 40% or better, then I would stick with the fish tank.
be well aware that a wire cage will require you to buy a cool mist humidifier to be used at least 6 months out of the year, and off and on for the rest of the months. they run dry fast. you'll have to refill them at least twice a day, and require alot of cleaning to prevent bacterea growth.
even with lots of large plants and towels covering the sides of a wire cage you will still need to run a humidifier...and what's the point of covering the back and sides of a wire cage with towels, then you can't see your chameleon, when glass will work just fine.
your chameleon is in a shop/work place, and I just don't see you going back to work late at night to add water to the humidifier you'll need.
just remove the substrate, get rid of the infra red lights you are using...no need. use a single, standard 25w or 40w bulb for basking. add a few live plants...if too short like a pothos, then buy a spare flower pot and turn it upside down in the tank and place the planted pothos ontop of it.
you can buy a large ficus at LLLreptile.com for cheap and they ship great...just repot it in a better pot and trim it a bit and place in the tank.
when misting, only do it for a minite or two as you don't want the tank to get too wet. mist only twice per day at the most.
if you would like to use a dripper once in a while make sure it doesn't last too long (2 hours max) and you have a catch bucket for all the water that will drip off the real or fake leaves.
start with this advice and then keep asking more questions...you are on the right path.
Harry
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hart8000
Guest
Thanks so much harry, Maybe I will keep my tank. I have a very dry shop and its pretty cold. I think i will just work on the ventilations, and the basking area and see what that brings me..
I am haveing a hard time getting her to eat, maybe it was from the UVB light going through glass and lexan that stopped it from hitting her, but that is now resolved and hopefully it works.
warpdrive
Avid Member
just use window screen for the top and you'll be fine for ventalation...as long as it don't get too hot in the summer months, you'll be fine.
as for the eating, sometimes they take a day or two to settle in before they eat.
Harry
jamncristian
Established Member
you should buy or make a screen cage
if you want to make one, this website shows how you can. seach tutorials
http://melleridiscovery.com/index.html
if humidity is a probem grab a room a vicks germ free humidifier
http://www.vicks.com/products/humidifiers
ventilation is an important thing and can prevent respritory infections
if it gets too cold where live get a cerramic heat emmiter because chams not being able to see red is a myth they like it almost no light
good luck with your cham
if you want to make one, this website shows how you can. seach tutorials
http://melleridiscovery.com/index.html
if humidity is a probem grab a room a vicks germ free humidifier
http://www.vicks.com/products/humidifiers
ventilation is an important thing and can prevent respritory infections
if it gets too cold where live get a cerramic heat emmiter because chams not being able to see red is a myth they like it almost no light
good luck with your cham
Brad Ramsey
Retired Moderator
You do not need a humidifier.
-Brad
-Brad
pssh
Avid Member
Try to feed her superworms instead of mealworms. The chitin in mealworms can be hard to digest for chameleons. I would feed her well gut loaded crickets (calcium dusted also) as well to keep her nutrition up. Gaining weight is no good if theres no nutritional content in the food you eat.
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hart8000
Guest
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hart8000
Guest
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hart8000
Guest
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hart8000
Guest
So then how do i keep the heat up at night? Thats been my main goal. I have in a shopo right now, she will soon be at my house but not yet. My shop is cold. I have a hard time with two heat bulbs keeping up to temp, in fact i haven't been able to hit temp yet
GooglezNvincent
New Member
OK seriously people give credit where it is due, i see this guy posting and posting, and getting every one info and learning. I have to say AMAZING! you by far have been a great fast learner and put your girl in way better conditions from where she started off! GREAT JOB! i think people should be letting you know this so you dont get discouraged. That screen you made, simply amazing! I think she is going to be very happy and healthy!
Ow darn i missed that part sorry hart! Great job
Hmm.. Heat issues in a glass terrarium , Torn down the walls in your shop and isolate them from the beginning ? and put some heating inside it ;D No sorry man i dont know what to do then
Googlez, i wasnt being negative, i just know that chameleons need to be closer to the uv light when they are basking.
Hmm.. Heat issues in a glass terrarium , Torn down the walls in your shop and isolate them from the beginning ?
and put some heating inside it ;D No sorry man i dont know what to do thenGooglez, i wasnt being negative, i just know that chameleons need to be closer to the uv light when they are basking.
warpdrive
Avid Member
I have to agree, the work you have been doing is fantastic. I realy like what your tank looks like.
here is a good tip as to getting your tank temps up...
I have absolutly no idea just what you are using to read your basking temps but it has to be way off and not working.
turn off the side light, you don't need it.
slap in a standard 40w household lightbulb into the top basking light dome.
you're in a T-Shirt, so it can't be less then 60F in your shop. with a nornal household bulb (not a compact floresent) that tank will warm up fine.
if you happen to be using a fish tank temp strip made for water (looks like black tape with colored numbers on it), it wont be working for your needs, and will be throwing everything off temp wise.
goto any petstore and get a real digital thermometer or an analog one if that's all they have. put it inside near the basking spot and if you can get another one, near the far end of the inside tank you'll have far better readings...your cham would not be on the far side away from the basking light if it was that cold inside your tank. if anything, it would be sitting always right by the basking light, and that is clearly not happening.
Harry
warpdrive
Avid Member
ooops, as for nighttime, use a ceramic heater bulb.
http://lllreptile.com/store/catalog...ramic-bulbs/-/exo-terra-40-watt-ceramic-bulb/
now you might ask, why not just use the ceramic heater all the time for basking...well, first off, chams need the UVA light that a standard household bulb puts out, plus they need the light to tell them that is where the heat will be at.
Harry
http://lllreptile.com/store/catalog...ramic-bulbs/-/exo-terra-40-watt-ceramic-bulb/
now you might ask, why not just use the ceramic heater all the time for basking...well, first off, chams need the UVA light that a standard household bulb puts out, plus they need the light to tell them that is where the heat will be at.
Harry
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hart8000
Guest
Thanks man, I want the best for my girl. I need a name for her huh. I think my new cage without substrate and bamboo planting stakes is a good one. Let me know
