Let the Chameleon fun times begin

[pennington]

Hello to the Chameleon Forum,

Currently I have no Chameleon, all I have is a brand new, large exo-terra tank.

If I had put a little more thought into it I would have bought the taller tank, mine is 90 x 45 x 60. Could of got the 90 tall one. We will call that mistake one and move on, as I reckon my tank is already bigger than some peoples chameleon vivarium/terrarium.

Tonight I will research lighting, heating, UV, substrate and planting.

Tomorrow I will buy the above. I will read through the posts and threads and aim to provide the best captive environment for a panther chameleon. The chameleon is ready and waiting for picking up.

All advice on starting out is welcome as I will no doubt miss something whilst reading through posts.

Thank you in advance of your comments,

Pennington

 

[jojackson]

Pen, not such a mistake in my book, I beleive even baby chams appreciate some climbing/exploring room. The only real issue related to cage size for babys, is to ensure that its not so huge the lizard needs to catch a yellow cab to chase its food!
A few safe live plants and sticks will see a comfy environ for your lizard and crawling insects tend to migrate toward warmth, which ofcourse will be at the top of the cage, so provide the bugs a means of climbing up and your cham will find its food.
Best Wishes
P.S I do recommend that you atleast have a source of food and a clean spray bottle for misting, and perhaps a desk lamp with a low wattage bulb, few sticks/twigs ready before you pick up your lizard.
Beyond that you should have time enough to gather what you want as you research further.
Cheers

 

[jannb]

Welcome to the forums. I have a blog for new keeper that you might find helpful attached below.
https://www.chameleonforums.com/blo...-keepers-young-veiled-panther-chameleons.html

 

[Ekproject]

also i would like to add not to use substrate. i just use paper towels on the bottom of the terrarium. also i believe some people use newspaper..newspaper is obviously more cost effective and just as easy to clean up...my gf says it doesnt "look good" so we use paper towel.lol i would recommend a 5.0 linear tube for uvb lighting..and i use a basking heat light but i believe most people just use a household bulb. either way just make sure you have the right temperature at his basking spot. good luck!

 

[pennington]

Thank you for your response jojackson. Posotive comments about my terrarium are filling me with confidence. I bought some stuff today but didn't get a misting bottle so I will buy one tomorrow. I have ordered some flexivine and some artificial plants until my live plants are established.

Thanks again.

 

[pennington]

Jannb, I will check out your blog after doing my replies. Thank you.

 

[pennington]

Ekproject, I bought a 2.0 reptiglo tube and a 5.0 reptiglo bulb. I did this becuase Exo-terra website told me too and from what you have said I'm along the right lines. It's good to hear from practical keepers as well as the commercials.
The paper thing, I'm in two minds here already and I don't even have a chameleon yet! I like the idea of easy clean but I really wanted to create a biosphere. I wanted a little cube of jungle in my house. Is this still possible? Could I use a growing material for plants and still keep it hygienic for the Chameleon?

 

[jojackson]

Hi Pen,
sure I dont see why not, though practically, it may be tricky once you realise drainage will be required later as your lizard grows and requires a more voluminous source of water, such as a dripper, in which case the glass bottom cage may prove problematic, unless you can drill the glass.
Time a plenty though, if you wait till your lizard starts outgrowing its cage, you could plan for a larger cage with a different design more accomodating to the idea in mind.
Folks here who keep different species report great success with biosphere type setups
and live growing plants.
Im guessing they have some horticulture knowledge, getting the drainage/soil mix etc just right, adding microfauna etc.
I have heard some great ideas here, but being in Oz im not familiar with their materials and sources, but folk will be more than happy to help you.
A look through the pygmy cham/ enclosure forums is sure to give you lots of ideas, many are kept this way.
Best Wishes

 

[pennington]

Jojackson, I'm most certainly not put off by a challenge and I'd like it to look really good. As you say, I have some time so I'll plough on with some more research. I have my UVB bulbs (2.0 & 5.0) but nothing to put them in yet. I'm really taken by the Exo-terra light cycle unit becuase it says (in the media spin) that it gradually introduces the light each day and dim the light to 0% in the evening which would lower stress on the Chameleon. I've seen a thread on the forums here about the light cycle unit so I'll give them a read.

 

[jrh3]

Ekproject, I bought a 2.0 reptiglo tube and a 5.0 reptiglo bulb. I did this becuase Exo-terra website told me too and from what you have said I'm along the right lines. It's good to hear from practical keepers as well as the commercials.
The paper thing, I'm in two minds here already and I don't even have a chameleon yet! I like the idea of easy clean but I really wanted to create a biosphere. I wanted a little cube of jungle in my house. Is this still possible? Could I use a growing material for plants and still keep it hygienic for the Chameleon?

When you say bulb for the 5.0, if it is a bulb and not tube it will harm your chameleons eye's. what species are you looking at.

 

[pennington]

I've bought an Infared heat lamp and bulb (150w) with a dimmer stat night/day so I can set the temperature. Do I need a basking light too? do I need a different way of heating the terrarium.

My confusion is here, do I use the Exo-terra 90cm canopy that has space for my two tubes and it has 3 halogen bulbs for heat but this would only heat throughout the day. So do I plug my infared heat lamp for the night heat?

Or do I forget the canopy and buy a lighting unit and reflectors? then add basking lights or would my heat lamp be the basking light?

Oh the different set ups! I love it!

 

[pennington]

Jrh3, my apologies, it is indeed a tube. I bought a 2.0 tube and a 5.0 tube. Haven't decieded what to plug them into yet as I posted a second ago. A canopy or lighting unit and reflector.

 

[pennington]

(JRH3 it is a Panther Chameleon)

 

[jojackson]

Pen unless your home falls dangerous cool (below 60f) at night, you wont need any night heating at all, certainly no incidental lighting.
Basking light and heat source are one and the same, just called so, only one needed.
150watt is quite hot but if it has a dimmer its fine, just pretest the settings and measure the temperatures before your lizard goes in.
Halides do provide uv but they also output heat, so can be used for both uv and heating, just be sure of those temps.
Can get confusing but months from now I think you'll be helping new pens!

 

[pennington]

My house will fall below that temperature. I will run the terrarium using the infared bulb on the dimmer and see what temperatures I'm getting at night.

 

[jojackson]

Ok that may work well, if it should be a problem (your bulb will still output visible light) for the lizard sleeping, another night heating option is to use a ceramic heat Emitter, these give heat but no visible light.
If its possible to run two fittings from the dimmer, you may have it switch to the heat emitter at night.
Photoperiod (light/dark) is important for your lizards wellbeing too, the more consistant (like natural light) the better, to that end you could run the the lighting on a timer, ofcourse the heat emitter would need to be on different power circuit.

Confused yet?

 

[WyteAnjal]

My best advice as being a new owner recently myself. Give them space to get used to the environment. When I first got Tia I kept trying to peer in on her and touch her but all she ever did was turn black. I gave her time, only fed and watered her and talked to her a bit, never opened her enclosure other than to clean it out. After a while I noticed she stopped going black and was totally relaxed when I went around her.

Also I read that if you wear sharp colors they get frightened easier when in a new environment so I wore a lot of pastels at the beginning while at home.

And about the heat, I have a digitally controlled space heater that is very quiet and hold a constant temperature. I have it about five feet from her enclosure facing it and works pretty well for me

 

[pennington]

Jojackson, I'm going to our reptile place today so I will see what options they have. They may sell the ceramic heat emitter. I only bought the infared bulb becuase I have a lot of dealing with hoof stock and they can't see infared light. So I think I'm just about sorted on the heating. If I use the ceramic heater for heat and add a basking light.

I am using two tube lights to give a good amount of light, (2.0 and 5.0) the terrarium will eventually be situated by a large patio door so it will be in a very light room but not in direct sunlight. Away from any radiators and heavy traffic areas.

I will put the tube lights on a timer as you say and the heater will be plugged in to the dimmer.

I think I'm getting somewhere.

 

[pennington]

WyteAnjal, all very good advice and I will take it on board for when the Chameleon (eventually) arrives.

Nice to recieve so many positive comments and advice as forums usually just shout read the threads! However on that note, I have looked through many but there are so many! Its good to get help this way.

Thanks again WyteAnjal.

 

[jojackson]

If I use the ceramic heater for heat and add a basking light...

Pen mate I think ive confused you a bit, sorry. If your going to use the tubes (just the 5 will be sufficient) This covers both your uv and photoperiod requirements, you put this on the timer.
If you use a ceramic emitter (because its cold at night) this will also serve as your basking light during the day (though it emits no visible light).
'Basking light' is a bit misleading, used only because so many heat sources are light emitting bulbs. Basking refers to thermoregulating (warming up) which your lizard will only do during the day, since you have a separate uv source (the tubes) its not nessesary that your heat source itself emits light.

The question you need to ask if the dimmer you intend to use is compatible with ceramics and if it has dual settings (night/day temp differences).
Since you alread have the infrared, you may aswell use that instead of a ceramic for your heat source and see how you go.
Its claimed reptiles dont see infrared but the issue is that that many so called bulbs may not actually be infrared spectrum emitting, but in many cases the glass is simply tinted.
The bulb will by nature still output some visible light and you will need to experiment to see if it bothers either the lizards sleeping or your own.

I hope I havent confused you further.

P.S the above poster has a good idea which may be simpler for you at night, the heater wont be too bright and will raise the ambient air temperature in the room to a comfortable level (not below 50-60f) without the need for a night heating device above the cage, and as a bonus, your warm too. Just dont have it too close to the cage .