Need help with new enclosure

[Cain]

Ok I got a Veiled Chameleon. The enclosure is Exo Terra 18*18*24. I know some people are gonna tell me glass isnt good for Chameleons and all that good stuff so we can just skip that.
What im trying to find out is stuff like, are my plants to high? Giving my chameleon the ability to get to close to the lights.
Im using one Repti Glo 5.0 Compact and one 60W Sun Glo Neodymium Daylight lamp. The Repti Glo is in the left part of my compact top and the sun glo is on the right side. Are these the right type lights i need? Do I need to get another dome for a basking light? If so what type should I use. The cool side of my enclosure is steady at about 72 and up higher is about 80-85 but that is withing 6 inches of the heat bulb which seems to close for my chameleon to be in my opinion.
Im pretty sure from reading some other post that I should take the waterfall out.I put it in there to try to keep the humidity up but I have a Monsoon on the way that im told i should used distilled water in so I think I have that part covered. Unless someone has some input on that.
Was also wondering if there was something I could use such as a small LOW spinning fan to help circulate the air.
Im sure I have more questions but ill wait for a response to these. Thanks

 

[Meow Kitty]

Ok I got a Veiled Chameleon. The enclosure is Exo Terra 18*18*24. I know some people are gonna tell me glass isnt good for Chameleons and all that good stuff so we can just skip that.
What im trying to find out is stuff like, are my plants to high? Giving my chameleon the ability to get to close to the lights.
Im using one Repti Glo 5.0 Compact and one 60W Sun Glo Neodymium Daylight lamp. The Repti Glo is in the left part of my compact top and the sun glo is on the right side. Are these the right type lights i need? Do I need to get another dome for a basking light? If so what type should I use. The cool side of my enclosure is steady at about 72 and up higher is about 80-85 but that is withing 6 inches of the heat bulb which seems to close for my chameleon to be in my opinion.
Im pretty sure from reading some other post that I should take the waterfall out.I put it in there to try to keep the humidity up but I have a Monsoon on the way that im told i should used distilled water in so I think I have that part covered. Unless someone has some input on that.
Was also wondering if there was something I could use such as a small LOW spinning fan to help circulate the air.
Im sure I have more questions but ill wait for a response to these. Thanks

my veiled climes on the metal mesh on top ... aslong as ur mesh or the lamp isnt really really hot u should be fine
also ur setup looks pretty good u might wana add like a stick or a vine connecting the two bush/vine things on the side and maybe add a real plant

 

[camimom]

Because you are u are using glass, you dont have to worry about humidity as much. So please remove the waterfall. the reason we dont like them is because they can breed bacteria. chams can sometimes poop in the water, and if your cham somehow drinks that water, he can become sick.

I would add some more plants in the middle, the more hiding spots for your cham, the happier he will be.

as for your lights, the uvb bulb is good, i am not sure about the other one. I just use a regular house bulb for his basking light.
is the sunglo bulb a colored bulb? I dont know this brand so thats why im asking. If it is, please get rid of it and replace with a regular house bulb.
other than that it seems good.
are you supplementing your cham?
also, keep in mind that the cage you have now is not big enough for him once he becomes an adult.

 

[Cain]

Sunglo is not a colored bulb it looks just like a house bulb. Its made by Exo Terra.
Using calcium w/o d3 every other day
calcium w/ d3 twice a month and
muliti-vitamin twice a month all are Rep-cal products
This is just what i have been reading not sure if this is good or not

 

[ks123]

Sunglo is not a colored bulb it looks just like a house bulb. Its made by Exo Terra.
Using calcium w/o d3 every other day
calcium w/ d3 twice a month and
muliti-vitamin twice a month all are Rep-cal products
This is just what i have been reading not sure if this is good or not

i would use calcium without d3 almost every feeding... like 6-7 days a week...
and if he is a baby the glass is fine but wen he is older i would definetly get the screen cage

 

[SilverDragoness]

Looks pretty good overall. Good job with having fake plants on either side it seems to make them more comfortable. My guy started to come out lots more with them on either side. I agree that a leaf highway would be great for movement as well. I would lower the plants some as well never hurts to be cautious.

From what I hear on the forums take the waterfall out it's a breeding ground for bacteria. Also I'd take the substrate out. Chameleons can ingest the substrate causing impaction. Have fun with your new buddy. It's addictive I now figure I'll move my guy into a larger enclosure when he gets bigger and then get a panther. >.>

 

[NOP]

i currently have an Exo Terra 18x18x24 cage just like yours and its an ok starter cage my guy is just about the size to upgrade though but enough about me..
yes calcium w/o d3 every day and twice a month for bolth d3 and multi vita,
if you have a the Exo terra monsoon system coming i will warn you now....be careful of the spray on that thing because it does a crap job of an actual mist especially for such a small cage..it has a habit of instead of a mist shooting a small jet of water(or atleast mine did even after i called in and they sent me new nozzles for free) so youl want to be careful where it aims as to not spray your cham directly. Also youl probably want to get rid of the substrate you are using maybe get cage carpet or not use substrate at all because the cham can sometimes injest the substrate while hunting for the crix and things can get complicated..and i had the worst time ever trying to get my humidity up in that thing untill i got a Zoo Med Aquarium Reptile Fogger Terrarium Humidifier they are not that hard to find and the prices very but it drastically helped with my humidity..but i actually do have a large rotating fan in my room thats a good 8ft from the cage and it helps to regulate the fog that the humidifier gives off or else it would fill his cage...but laletly i have just been leaving the cage open for him and the fog just rolls out btu it still helps sooo much for humidity. and laslty the compact lights are good i use them as my backup backup if bolth my zoo med tube lights blow out (it happened...sucked) you should look into getting a Reptisun 5.0 tube light for the little guys cage they are better there are alot of mixed reviews about the compact lights and i dont use them unless i have to..well im sure i could ramble on for ever about stuff but i think this should be enough for now so good luck and hope you enjoy your little guy
also forewarning...beware NEW CHAM SYNDROME!!! i freaked out sooo much over little things and the stress lvl was just way tooo high

 

[Cain]

Thanks everyone for there input. Just wondering want most people keep there humidity at mine drops no lower then 50% but I try to keep it at 70% as much as I can. And with the setup that I have do I need another light for basking? And is there a type a substrate that I can use that will be ok for my cham? My jungle vine is hard to keep form without anything there.

 

[allencg101]

get rid of the substrate on the floor the cham can ingest this and can cause problems i use paper towels other then that plus the water fountain you are good

 

[DavidBuchan]

You don't need the waterfall, they are just too much trouble to keep clean.....I would have extra twigs and branches (really small, so he can just get his whole tiny foot round them). A bit more foliage would be better too - he'll be more comfortable imagining he's hidden, and you'll have more fun playing 'hunt the Chameleon'....
As for substrate, you don't need any at all. I use soil with a bit of sand (quite firm, not loose soil), and also some big wood chippings (I've had a bit of moss in before too, but that seemed to be easier for the cham to accidentally eat). If I ever had a problem with a Cham eating any substrate I would just remove it. The only benefit you get is that it looks nicer, really. Here is an excellent blog with all the basic info you need for a Veiled Cham - https://www.chameleonforums.com/blogs/chameleonsinmyhouse/395-veiled-chameleon-care-sheet.html

 

[brandychams]

def. get rid of the substate and waterfall, i would get a 5.0 tube and run it length way across the enclosure also those gauges you have are very inaccurate at accurate temps and humidity good luck

 

[Cain]

Is there a certain type of soil that is recommend? What types of smaller plants (small enought for my currant terrarium) are best for Chameleons? Does it matter what kind? Like are there only certain ones that are Cham safe?

 

[hinoco1225]

Welcome to the forums.

Since chams live rarely come down to the bottom of their enclosures (if they do, it's usually a sign there's something wrong), they really don't need any substrate at all. All substrate does for a cham is create the unnecessary risk of impaction. Just use paper towels or newspaper on the bottom of your enclosure.

Glass is fine btw, as long as it is a ventilated terrarium, which yours is. EDIT: Just remember that it is very difficult to find a tall glass enclosure that is big enough for an adult cham. Chams grow very quickly so it won't be long before you'll need to buy a 2'x2'x4' screen cage (or build your own).

I also recommend you remove the waterfall.

If you do use a fan, don't point it directly toward your cham or enclosure. They are quite sensitive to dust, etc flying around the air. A fan pointing in the general direction of your enclosure but not directly on it will help with the air circulation if you are concerned about that.

 

[hinoco1225]

Im using one Repti Glo 5.0 Compact and one 60W Sun Glo Neodymium Daylight lamp. The Repti Glo is in the left part of my compact top and the sun glo is on the right side. Are these the right type lights i need? Do I need to get another dome for a basking light? If so what type should I use. The cool side of my enclosure is steady at about 72 and up higher is about 80-85 but that is withing 6 inches of the heat bulb which seems to close for my chameleon to be in my opinion.

The compact bulbs are a subject of much debate. Many people (including myself) don't like them because: 1) They emit too much UVB in one small area and can cause eye problems, 2) They don't cover a broad area, so if your cham spends a lot of time on the other side of the enclosure he may not get enough UVB, and 3) They don't last very long (They can stop emitting UVB as soon as 3-4 months, and many people wait too long to get a new bulb since they continue emitting regular light even when they are no longer producing UVB). So I would recommend replacing the compact bulb with a Reptisun 5.0 tube light and hood. You can buy them for much cheaper online than you will find in stores.

I don't know anything about the Sun Glo. Does it produce heat? Is it a white light? If so, it sounds like it's fine. Your temps look right for a juvenile veiled.

 

[hinoco1225]

Is there a certain type of soil that is recommend? What types of smaller plants (small enought for my currant terrarium) are best for Chameleons? Does it matter what kind? Like are there only certain ones that are Cham safe?

The most common cham-safe plants are pothos, ficus, schefflera, and hibiscus. More than likely, the only plant you can easily find small enough for your current terrarium would be a hanging pothos. Ficus, schefflera, and hibiscus are popular choices for adult cham enclosures because most garden centers don't sell really small ones. (I recently bought two new scheffleras for my 2'x2'x3' enclosures, and even though I bought the shortest ones I found, I still had to trim them.)

 

[jannb]

Welcome to the forums. I keep veileds and have a blog that tells you what has worked great for me and my veileds and panthers. It will give you links to all that you need to keep your new cham healthy and happy. The links will have pictures of each item you need and where you can buy them. Most pet stores do not carry the items that you need to keep a chameleon.
https://www.chameleonforums.com/blo...-keepers-young-veiled-panther-chameleons.html

 

[Cain]

What type of Thermo/Hygrometers do you all use? I was looking at the Exo Terra Combination Thermo/Hygrometer. I have found good reviews on it, but then I have found bad reviews.