Improving air flow.

[gabe-p]

Hi everyone, I am a new panther chameleon owner and am looking for some help…. We got our boy Rango around 8 months ago and have him set up in a wooden vivarium which was recommended by the reptile store. He has a bioactive environment with 6 real plants and the appropriate soil, draining etc. He has a basking light set around 33°c on during the day and due to our old house has a night heater that kicks in whenever the temp drops below 19°c overnight. Due to our custom viv being made up of two 3ft x 2ft vivs stacked on top of one another with the conjoining bottom and top cut out to make a whole one, it actually has 6 ventilation ports. However, a month back he started getting raspy a raspy breath every so often. We took him to an exotic vet who specifically specialises in chameleons and he doesn’t believe it is an infection but a husbandry issue, we have narrowed it down to humidity level due to after speaking with the vet who asked if we had a hygrometer (we didn’t as the reptile shop said we didn’t need to worry about one). However, we got one straight away and have been tweaking our sprays etc to try and get the humidity level right, however, no matter what we do we are unable to get the humidity level below 70 during the day which after reading I realised that is far too high. I am debating putting two new vents in the enclosure to help cross ventilation, but am worried that this will affect the temperature.

I am looking for any advice, I am fully aware that I am probably doing a few things wrong and are open to learning how to give my boy the best life I can. I have attached two recent photos of the enclosure and Rango!

Thank you.

 

[Lucas00-]

You can buy a pc fan and sit it on top of your enclosure in the back corner so it cycles new air through the bottom and out the top to create the chimney effect. I was dealing with something similar a while back and it’s helped out a a lot. They aren’t too loud and are easy to set up. They make reptile ones but they pretty much do the same thing.

 

[gabe-p]

I did think about doing that after I install these larger vents, but I was put off as the reptile place I got him from advised not too? But I think I will as there is no harm giving it a try.

Thank you!

 

[Carlton]

I did think about doing that after I install these larger vents, but I was put off as the reptile place I got him from advised not too? But I think I will as there is no harm giving it a try.

Thank you!

Based on some of the less than stellar advice that "reptile place" gave you (no hygrometer needed when keeping a humidity-sensitive herp?? A wooden viv?? Don't use a vent fan??), I would be skeptical about things they recommend. You wouldn't necessarily need to run a small vent fan 24/7. You could control it with a simple programmable timer that creates lower and higher humidity cycles and air exchange within a 24 hour period. This forum would provide a much more knowledgeable place to get a critique of your setup and husbandry. Run it by us!

 

[Lucas00-]

I did think about doing that after I install these larger vents, but I was put off as the reptile place I got him from advised not too? But I think I will as there is no harm giving it a try.

Thank you!

I’m definitely not a pro but I was given that information from some people on here, I don’t have air directly blowing into the cage disturbing him though. It’s more just promoting air flow and keeps the air from being stagnant.