Manual Misting or Misting System?

ChamQuestions said:
Okay, so I just seem to have more and more questions: Where would be a good source to buy small chameleon cage before I upgrade? What size should it be? Why is it necessary? Or, as a beginner, should I alter my specifications and start with an eight-month-old chameleon?
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I bought a 18 x 18 x 18 screen exo terra cage from a local reptile store. You can check amazon if local stores are too pricey. I just like to spend local if i can afford to. You'll either need a double lamp (1 for heat, the other for UV) or 2 separate ones. Depending on how old the chameleon is, he will out grow it and then you'll need to upgrade to something much bigger. While he's growing in the small cage, you can work on your ultimate setup ;-)

You'll also need a mister of some sort, or be available to mist your pet and it's cage twice a day. I have this thing but will be getting a mistking set once for a custom cage i'm building. https://www.amazon.com/Evergreen-Pe...r=1-1-spons&keywords=reptile+humidifier&psc=1

I have the humidifier tube flowing down through the top of the cage onto some live plants i have. the vapor creates droplets and dripping water from the screen and plant the comes in contact with it. I still manually spray him and some of the other plants each morning, though he will be ok without it.

You'll also need something to keep crickets in. I use a simple medium plastic storage bin. I keep all the paper towel cardboard rolls and cardboard egg cartons to use in the cricket bin. You need to keep the crickets CLEAN (tip). I clean out all dead crickets and any rotting food each day.

You'll need to make sure the basking branches are in the correct range so your pet gets the right temperature.
 
For beginners, I always recommend an older chameleon because if you do have any mistakes, they’re a little more forgiving and it hopefully won’t affect them for the rest of their lives, as it is with babies most of the time
 
SirWilliamj said:
I bought a 18 x 18 x 18 screen exo terra cage from a local reptile store. You can check amazon if local stores are too pricey. I just like to spend local if i can afford to. You'll either need a double lamp (1 for heat, the other for UV) or 2 separate ones. Depending on how old the chameleon is, he will out grow it and then you'll need to upgrade to something much bigger. While he's growing in the small cage, you can work on your ultimate setup ;-)

You'll also need a mister of some sort, or be available to mist your pet and it's cage twice a day. I have this thing but will be getting a mistking set once for a custom cage i'm building. https://www.amazon.com/Evergreen-Pe...r=1-1-spons&keywords=reptile+humidifier&psc=1

I have the humidifier tube flowing down through the top of the cage onto some live plants i have. the vapor creates droplets and dripping water from the screen and plant the comes in contact with it. I still manually spray him and some of the other plants each morning, though he will be ok without it.

You'll also need something to keep crickets in. I use a simple medium plastic storage bin. I keep all the paper towel cardboard rolls and cardboard egg cartons to use in the cricket bin. You need to keep the crickets CLEAN (tip). I clean out all dead crickets and any rotting food each day.

You'll need to make sure the basking branches are in the correct range so your pet gets the right temperature.
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I started my 3 month old cham in an 18” by 18” by 36” cage. Preferably get an automated misting system and a t5HO linear uvb
 
ERKleRose said:
You can start off off your cham in his full grown cage. It depends how confident you are with your husbandry to not mess up your baby cham for the rest of his life.
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What would it take for a cham to be messed up for the rest of he or she's life because of being in a large cage? :wideyed:
 
ERKleRose said:
Sorry, those were two separate answers to your question
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Full grown cage is fine. If you go with a baby cham, if your husbandry isn’t spot on, there’s a greater chance of messing them up for life; an older cham has a lesser risk of that
 
ERKleRose said:
Full grown cage is fine. If you go with a baby cham, if your husbandry isn’t spot on, there’s a greater chance of messing them up for life; an older cham has a lesser risk of that
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Oh, okay, gotcha. So, maybe the six-to-eight month range then? I want to see the chameleon grow up and maximize my time with him, but don't want to mistreat him.
 
ChamQuestions said:
Oh, okay, gotcha. So, maybe the six-to-eight month range then? I want to see the chameleon grow up and maximize my time with him, but don't want to mistreat him.
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You can get a baby if your husbandry is 100% correct. A great way to check is to post all your info once everything is set here, and fellow members can help you out if your heart is set on a baby cham. If you want one a little older for ease of convenience, get a retired breeder or something ~8 months or older
 
Decadancin said:
Worms... Silk worms are great, but this time of year you may only get eggs available. Easy to raise though. You can use superworms as part of the diet, but try to limit them. Hornworms are great, but get big very fast, so may not be ideal for a young chameleon.
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Can these be found at pet stores or should they be ordered online? And what combination of feeders would be most nutritional?
 
ChamQuestions said:
Can these be found at pet stores or should they be ordered online? And what combination of feeders would be most nutritional?
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Roaches, silkworms, snails, bsfl and pupated bsf are most nutritional. The more variety the better. I feed orange-headed, ivory-headed, dubia, green banana, and red runner roaches, silkworms, hornworms, butterworms, bsfl and bsf, painted lady butterflies, and crickets. I’m looking into stick insects, mantids and snails, too.
 
ChamQuestions said:
Can these be found at pet stores or should they be ordered online? And what combination of feeders would be most nutritional?
Click to expand...

Some stores will sell them, but you will find better prices online. When getting the silk eggs and chow it isn't too expensive for shipping either. Superworms are readily available, and again likely cheaper online. I have seen some crazy prices for hornworms in stores. Look for some hornworm deals from feeder suppliers. They will often run specials when they have too many!

Best diet is a varied one. As many different feeders as you can would be my recommendation. I would use crickets, roaches, silkworms, Black Soldier Flies, hornworms, superworms, and a few others if you can get them. Key is to gutload them well the day before you feed them off when possible.
 
ERKleRose said:
You can get a baby if your husbandry is 100% correct. A great way to check is to post all your info once everything is set here, and fellow members can help you out if your heart is set on a baby cham. If you want one a little older for ease of convenience, get a retired breeder or something ~8 months or older
Click to expand...
I wasn't thinking a super young chameleon, just a couple months old would be ideal.
 
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