Need Info on Chams :)

Y

yojon3000

Member
hello I'm researching before I buy a chameleon so heres my questions if you can give me links and info Thank you:)
Ok on lllreptile Im going to buy a flapneck cham and probably this
http://lllreptile.com/store/catalog...-cage-packages/-/65-gallon-chameleon-package/
after that what I havnt found on the internet is about the bottom of the reptarium do i need like bedding for the ground? stuff i know about is misting and a dripper but i need to know if i would need any other different lights. last thing i heard about but i can't find out what it is, what is a substrate?

sorry if I sound dumb :/ but Im trying to research before i buy. thank you :)
 
Basically substrate is bedding. Like soil and stuff for the bottom of the cage(for humidity and for looks). What type/size cage are you gunna put the little guy in? And I do not use any substrate or bedding for my veiled. You can just put a plant in the cage which will keep up humidity but I have some vines going to the bottom incase she falls so she can get back up. Your cham might eat the substrate which can cause impaction which is BAD
 
thanks :D I will be putting my cham in a 65 gallon cage. but on the bottom like of the cage is it solid or wired?,like will the substrate go through?
 
Do you have a glass or screen cage? And my cage is 18x18x36 screen cage that I bought and when you put it together it has a solid white panel for the bottom soo no the substrate won't fall out of the bottom. Go to this link, this is what I got and it is like next to nothing prices for them. I'm not 100% sure about flapnecks but it is best for chams to have the airflow that screem cages provide cuz glass cages don't have very good ventilation which could cause respitory infections and also I forgot to say that substrate is a bacteria breeding ground. http://www.pet-dog-cat-supply-store.com/shop/index.php?page=shop-flypage-32028 go to this and tell me what you think about the cages
 
If you compare the small reptibreeze cage at say petsmart or something I thing is 70-80 bucks so its a pretty good deal
 
yojon3000 said:
hello I'm researching before I buy a chameleon so heres my questions if you can give me links and info Thank you:)
Ok on lllreptile Im going to buy a flapneck cham and probably this
http://lllreptile.com/store/catalog...-cage-packages/-/65-gallon-chameleon-package/
after that what I havnt found on the internet is about the bottom of the reptarium do i need like bedding for the ground? stuff i know about is misting and a dripper but i need to know if i would need any other different lights. last thing i heard about but i can't find out what it is, what is a substrate?

sorry if I sound dumb :/ but Im trying to research before i buy. thank you :)
Click to expand...

Welcome to the forum! Good to know you are looking for info before buying the cham. Very smart!

I cannot give you specifics on flap neck chams as I do not have experience with them, but I can help you with the basics.

You first need an appropriate cage for the cham. Screen is preferable because of the ventilation, though the humidity is a bit trickier to keep up. Some use terrariums (NOT aquariums) because they keep humidity up easier. I prefer screen cages.
You need a basking light and a UVB bulb. (Separate fixtures) Preferably, the Repti-sun 5.0 linear tube for the UVB bulb.
You also need plenty of walkways (vines branches) along with foliage. Foliage may include live and fake plants. Live plants are great since they help to keep the humidity up and some chams sometimes eat them (veileds especially)
You need a dripper system for water. Chams do not recognize still water as a source of water. Their drinking instinct is triggered when rain falls, so having a dripper will trigger it in captivity. Along with a dripper, you want to mist the chams cage a few times a day. (There are some very sophisticated misters such as the mistking in order to help in this) Misting will help keep the humidty up and hydrate your cham.
You will need to have the feeders. Most use crickets as they are the easiest to gut load. Gut loading means to fill them up with plenty of veggies and fruits because all the nutrients you feed your crickets are what you chams get. Aside from crickets, there are a variety of worms, roaches, matids, etc.
With the feeders, you'll need plain calcium (w/o D3), calcium (w/ D3), and multi vitamins. These will help your cham to get the nutrients and minerals that they do not receive in captivity that they usually get in the wild. You will want to dust every day with calcium w/o D3. twice a month with the calcium with d3 and twice a month with multi vitamins. the easiest way to remember is every sunday alternate between calcium with D3 and multi vitamins.
You'll need temperature and humidity gauges to measure your temperature and humidity all over your enclosure in order to be sure you have everything right.

I'm probably missing some other stuff, but this are the somewhat basics. Others will elaborate on the specifics for flap necks
 
Also a good idea to purchase a cricket keeper and give the crickets and other feeder insects a variety of veggies and something as a water source. As for the foliage id go with some fake leaves on vines and also a live plant (pothos or ficus are good) something that might be a good idea is cup feeding your cham. After you dest the insects put them in a cup or container for him to eat out of
 
I looked at the link you posted for the cage package. And 100 watt might be to hot for ur cham and it didn't say who makes the fourescent light fixture. Id also go with the reptisun 5.0 uvb linear bulb instead of the reptiglo and id suggest using a different thermometer and also getting a hygrometer for the cage. I would say just look around the website I posted because I bought my supplies from there and it is low prices and has everything that ull need. Ill post the things id suggest in a little bit(:)
 
chamzilla91 said:
Also a good idea to purchase a cricket keeper and give the crickets and other feeder insects a variety of veggies and something as a water source. As for the foliage id go with some fake leaves on vines and also a live plant (pothos or ficus are good) something that might be a good idea is cup feeding your cham. After you dest the insects put them in a cup or container for him to eat out of
Click to expand...

I use a schefflera since since they have plenty of leaves and strong branches. The scheffleras grow nice and cover up plenty (they also dont lose their leaves as the ficus do). I use some fake vines and just one thing of fake leaves. I also do not cup feed my chams; i'd rather them not be lazy and chase the crickets all around their cage. If you have a baby, then yes, it is easier for them. But if you stay looking at your cham while he eats, as I did with mine, I put in one cricket at a time and watched my 3 month old veiled chase it around every time. Now they are almost a year and a half and they are still chasing the crickets.
 
Yes I meant cup feeding for babies. I looke through the site and would suggest the following things: 1. Terrarium hygrometer and thermometer 2. Reptibreeze medium size cage 3. Reptisun uvb linear tube 18" 4. Flourescent hood for terrarium-20" (its a zoo med fixture) 5. Combo deep dome lamp fixture or mini deep dome lamp if you aren't gunna use a nighttime heat source 6. Repti basking spot lamp 50watt. And then just go to a local pet store and get a cricket keeper and calcium without d3, repcal with d3, and reptivite. Also get a spray bottle. Maybe a dripper unless you wanna make your own. Goodluck with your soon to come cham:)
 
No. Just don't even use any substrate. And if you didn't already know you need to get vines throughout the cage and have fake leaves on vines and a live plant is good to. In my screen cage to put the vines where I want I use wire and put the vine against the screen then put the wire through the holes in the screen to hold the vines in place
 
i do the same when you get the vines i go to micheals arts and craft stores they have the leafy vines that are like chain link they are tuff and can hold a full grown oustalate chameleon so you don't have to worry about it breaking put the vine through every 5th link. my chams love it and like to hide in them all the time. just be carefull i ordered a pair of flapnecks through them and the female died on the way here. but they are sending me another female so they are good on their word. flap necks are awesome i love my male flapjack,
 
Although a little more expensive, i'd go with the screen cage since you can see your cham better and looks better. But dont get me wrong, a mesh enclosure works fine also.
 
Here is a shopping cart from ReptileSupply.com that shows you most of the supplies you will need to get started. I did not add a cage as these vary in type, size, and price. Screen cages and Reptariums are highly recommended. After that the only other things you would need are a live plant (Shefflera, Pothos, or Ficus), a regular household light bulb in a wattage to get your basking temperature where you need it(commonly 60-75 watts), a spray bottle for misting or a misting system, and of course a chameleon!





My Shopping Cart

Product(s) Qty. Remove Total
Exo Terra Repti Glo 5.0 fluorescent light - 15 Watt -18"
$11.99
REPTISUN TERRARIUM HOOD 20” - holds (1) 18" Fluorescent Bulb
$26.85
Premium Reflector Dome 8.5 Inch
$11.60
ZooMed Digital Terrarium Thermometer
$5.55
Bend - A - Branch Medium
$5.69
Exo-Terra Jungle Plant Amapallo - Large
$4.04
Rep-Cal Calcium - Ultrafine with Vitamin D3 - 4.1 oz
$4.99
Rep-Cal Calcium - No vitamin D3 - 4.1 oz
$4.79
Reptivite Reptile Vitamins - 2oz
$4.49
Checkout
[ add coupon code ]
Sub-Total: $79.99
Total: $79.99
 
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