Looking for help!

Iluvlizards1234

Iluvlizards1234

New Member
Hey there. I have a lot of questions and im worried that I wont have a good terrarium for my chameleon once i recieve him. Im planning on getting a Veiled Chameleon soon but im concerned I wont have all the right supplies and such. I live in Canada and some of the things some people have down in the states i dont have. Its very cold in the winter, especially now and Im worried that having a screened cage will make my Cham cold. I worry a bit too much but I have some questions on what would be a better home for him, a glass terrarium or a screen one? But Ive been thinking on getting the ZooMed Reptibreeze chameleon kit but then I feel im more comfortable with a glass one and getting my own decorations for him and especially with the bottom and misting systems, I really just need basic information about getting stuff for my terrarium and what would be best for my cham. I cant get live plants at the moment also since its winter!
 
I have the same struggle for live plants! It's very cold down here, and super dry. I also considered purchasing a glass cage over a screen one, but I ended up going with the screen. If you are concerned for humidity, the glass one is the one to go for. Also, if your house gets cold, the glass cage will also help in retaining a bit of the heat. A lot of live plants help with the humidity and they sort of insulate the tank with their soil, I have found. For the bottom of the enclosure, you should probably put in a drainage system if you have a glass cage or even a screen cage because the misting might pool at the bottom, which chameleons do not like.
I need to get more live plants at the moment, which is why winter makes me sad right now :( but I keep the humidity and heat up by using a warm mist humidifier. It works well with a screen or glass cage, and my chameleon loves when I turn it on. What feeders are you using?
 
If you fill this out, we could provide some more detailed help. Specifics are very helpful, as are pictures.

Chameleon Info:
  • Your Chameleon - The species, sex, and age of your chameleon. How long has it been in your care?
  • Handling - How often do you handle your chameleon?
  • Feeding - What are you feeding your cham? What amount? What is the schedule? How are you gut-loading your feeders?
  • Supplements - What brand and type of calcium and vitamin products are you dusting your feeders with and what is the schedule?
  • Watering - What kind of watering technique do you use? How often and how long to you mist? Do you see your chameleon drinking?
  • Fecal Description - Briefly note colors and consistency from recent droppings. Has this chameleon ever been tested for parasites?
  • History - Any previous information about your cham that might be useful to others when trying to help you.

Cage Info:
  • Cage Type - Describe your cage (Glass, Screen, Combo?) What are the dimensions?
  • Lighting - What brand, model, and types of lighting are you using? What is your daily lighting schedule?
  • Temperature - What temp range have you created (cage floor to basking spot)? Lowest overnight temp? How do you measure these temps?
  • Humidity - What are your humidity levels? How are you creating and maintaining these levels? What do you use to measure humidity?
  • Plants - Are you using live plants? If so, what kind?
  • Placement - Where is your cage located? Is it near any fans, air vents, or high traffic areas? At what height is the top of the cage relative to your room floor?
  • Location - Where are you geographically located?

Current Problem - The current problem you are concerned about.
 
They don't have the chameleon yet lol ;)

I live in Minnesota, where it is also horribly horribly cold in the winter. I have no problem keeping my chameleon in his screen cage and I think screen is much preferable! Just my two cents
 
Oh whoops :) Got a little ahead of myself there lol. Also I like the screen cage better as well because I can carry the cage easily and it is well ventilated when I take it outside in the summer.
 
I live in Canada and have kept chameleons for over 30 years...and j have used aquariums (although I wouldn't advise using them now), wooden cages with screen front and lids, cages with screen lids and doors and glass with screen lids and vents in the front...and a few more different types.

I prefer the exoterra glass with the screen lids and vents in the front. You do need to make sure you don't leave water laying stagnant in them and watch the temperatures in the summer if you don't have air conditioning though...but then if you get a screen one you have trouble keeping the humidity up and you have more trouble keeping them warm enough in the winter.
 
Syreptyon said:
They don't have the chameleon yet lol ;)

I live in Minnesota, where it is also horribly horribly cold in the winter. I have no problem keeping my chameleon in his screen cage and I think screen is much preferable! Just my two cents
Click to expand...

I'm in MN too. I'm curious, how do you keep the humidity up in the screened cage? When I had my cham, it was difficult to get the humidity up to 50, even with humidifier running 24/7, with an exo-terra glass cage.
 
Julia777 said:
I'm in MN too. I'm curious, how do you keep the humidity up in the screened cage? When I had my cham, it was difficult to get the humidity up to 50, even with humidifier running 24/7, with an exo-terra glass cage.
Click to expand...

I use a humidifier which I refill at least once a day (works better when it’s fuller), 8 live plants in his enclosure, a mistking system supplemented with hand misting when I feel so inclined, and the room he’s in is also quite small so it takes less to keep it humid - especially if the door is closed. I also have a fogger, but it’s pretty much useless in screen so I’ve stopped using it except for the best effect
 
Syreptyon said:
I use a humidifier which I refill at least once a day (works better when it’s fuller), 8 live plants in his enclosure, a mistking system supplemented with hand misting when I feel so inclined, and the room he’s in is also quite small so it takes less to keep it humid - especially if the door is closed. I also have a fogger, but it’s pretty much useless in screen so I’ve stopped using it except for the best effect
Click to expand...

That's really helpful info. Thanks for sharing the details of how you pull that off in MN!
 
Thanks for the tips! I havent gotten my chameleon yet but im getting all my supplies and such this week. I belive the Veiled Chameleon Im purchasing is around 5/6 months old, they were bred in captivity. For the pooling at the bottom I might be able to make my own drainage system into the old dresser Im using to place my terrarium on. I havent thought on feeders, Im just thinking on dumping crickets in the tank twice or three times a day if thats okay? Unless a feeding dish would work but if they are crickets or roaches they may roam out of the dish. But the most im concerned about is the lighting, I know i should get a White light UVB but I just dont know which one would be best, Im trying to get most of my supplies from petsmart and petland since a lot of the stuff they have is what I need but I dont know exactly. Any suggestions?
 
Iluvlizards1234 said:
Thanks for the tips! I havent gotten my chameleon yet but im getting all my supplies and such this week. I belive the Veiled Chameleon Im purchasing is around 5/6 months old, they were bred in captivity. For the pooling at the bottom I might be able to make my own drainage system into the old dresser Im using to place my terrarium on. I havent thought on feeders, Im just thinking on dumping crickets in the tank twice or three times a day if thats okay? Unless a feeding dish would work but if they are crickets or roaches they may roam out of the dish. But the most im concerned about is the lighting, I know i should get a White light UVB but I just dont know which one would be best, Im trying to get most of my supplies from petsmart and petland since a lot of the stuff they have is what I need but I dont know exactly. Any suggestions?
Click to expand...

A lot of people install their own drainage systems and have good luck with that! Do a little searching in the search bar and you'll find a bunch of helpful suggestions. As for feeding, I would recommend starting with cup feeding. Get a plastic cup or something similar that is deep enough the crickets won't be able to jump out easily. Keep it in plain sight so your chameleon will know where to go. You can also release crickets free range, but in my experience, free range crickets just hide and don't reliably make themselves visible and readily accessible to my chameleon. I like to free range house/blue bottle/black soldier flies as well as hornworms to give my guy exercise and hunting practice
 
Hi! I have a very stupid question. Sorry to barge in but I'm new and I can't figure out how to create my own post (ask a question) instead of replying to a thread. Can someone guide me? Thanks!
 
thertz said:
Hi! I have a very stupid question. Sorry to barge in but I'm new and I can't figure out how to create my own post (ask a question) instead of replying to a thread. Can someone guide me? Thanks!
Click to expand...

Click on "Forums" at the top of the page, then click on what subject you want to post in, then click the "post new thread" button
 
Most Home Depots carry tropical plants that are safe for chameleons year round. A room humidifier and a space heater are what I use to keep my chameleons room at desired levels.
 
@Iluvlizards1234 said..."I know i should get a White light UVB "...it's the basking light we keep saying should not be colored light but should be white...the UVB is always white. For years I've used the long linear Repti-sun 5.0 tube UVB light...but there are other good ones out there too.
 
Syreptyon said:
A lot of people install their own drainage systems and have good luck with that! Do a little searching in the search bar and you'll find a bunch of helpful suggestions. As for feeding, I would recommend starting with cup feeding. Get a plastic cup or something similar that is deep enough the crickets won't be able to jump out easily. Keep it in plain sight so your chameleon will know where to go. You can also release crickets free range, but in my experience, free range crickets just hide and don't reliably make themselves visible and readily accessible to my chameleon. I like to free range house/blue bottle/black soldier flies as well as hornworms to give my guy exercise and hunting practice
Click to expand...

Thanks for the information! Would a cricket feeding rock work? Like you said they can escape and hide but its not like im consistently feed them crickets. It sounds stupid but how would I feed my chameleon meal worms? From a dish? Free range? Or from tweezers?
 
Chameleons are born hunters and free range works just fine. You can even cup feed or hand feed if you want. I love hand feeding as it's a good way to build trust with your chameleon.
 
Syreptyon said:
I use a humidifier which I refill at least once a day (works better when it’s fuller), 8 live plants in his enclosure, a mistking system supplemented with hand misting when I feel so inclined, and the room he’s in is also quite small so it takes less to keep it humid - especially if the door is closed. I also have a fogger, but it’s pretty much useless in screen so I’ve stopped using it except for the best effect
Click to expand...
Hello! Also from MN here - we struggle with keeping our veileds humidity up in our mesh enclosure.. Thanks for sharing! I've been contemplating a Mist King for a while. Maybe it's time to pull the plug.
 
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