New Cham, New Set up, Corrections?

Valsecchi

Member
Hello everyone!
I just recently set up and purchased a Chameleon, and I want to do the best I can for this little guy. I have some questions I can't find answers to and I'm hoping the community can assist me!
Here are some pictures for a visual:
20200608_174745.jpg
20200608_174818.jpg


If there is anything wrong with my set up you can notice right off the bat (or at all), please let me know asap and perhaps a way to correct it!
Some notes:
- I am looking for a Devil's Ivy plant to put at the bottom-center position. Hopefully will have soon
- I have a basking light, a night heat lamp, and a regular light. Both heat lights are 100W, and the regular light is a 5.0 UVB (13 W tropical).
- I have a hydrometer and a thermometer. The Thermo is placed on the upper half of the cage in the back, and the hydro is just a smidge below center.
- I have 2 live plants planted on the bottom, one is a jasmine and the other is a codaeum(croton) plant. The rest are fake.
- The cage is placed in the corner of the room about a foot or two away from the window. I placed it here since it doesn't get as cold as the windowless part of the room.
- I am using a mister and a humidifier.
- The table he is on is temporary until I find one which I can slid a tub under and allow drainage by putting small holes in the bottom. I wipe the bottom clean at least once every day to pick up excess moisture + I have a bowl to catch water from the dripper so as not to drown the bottom of the cage.

Questions:
- For dusting crickets, how much dust should I use? I don't want to under or over do it.
- I live in a very dry state, and the temperatures here can fluctuate sometimes wildly. I currently have both the night and day heat on simply because the house temperature has been reaching below 60F. Even with both on, I am still only getting to around 75F-80F. Is there a way to increase these temperatures?
- As stated above, I also have issues with keeping the humidity up. I am hoping the Devil's Ivy plant will help me out, but other than putting a film around the cage, are there any other options to getting the humidity up? I spray the cage with water at least 2-3 times a day and I keep the humidifier + mister going.
- Speaking of which, I read that its not good to keep those two running 24 hrs, but given that I haven't gone over 50% humidity, is it better to keep them going until I can raise it? My little guy seems to prefer climbing among the foliage and staying at the top of the cage, which makes sense. But he has some shed on his forehead I worry he's having trouble getting off due to low humidity.



That's it for now...I feel this is long enough. Any help is appreciated! <3
 
You are off to a good start and will be there with a little effort. A few thinkgs I see -

1. Ditch the red heat bulb. Chameleons need dark at night. The red bulb will cause problems with his sleep and therefore health issues. If you need night time heat, use a ceramic heat emmiter. These will keep him warm, but put off NO light.
2. The UVB bulb you have is not adequate. You need to get a linear T5HO fixture with either a Reptisun 5.0 or Arcadia 6% bulb.
3. You need more cover in there for the little guy. The more cover you provide, the more he will come out. Fake plants are ok, live are far better.

Fill out the form below and we will be able to help even more. The more info you can give the better. Be as specific as possible.

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.
 
Noted! I will change out the red bulb for a ceramic heat emitter as soon as I can.

As for the form:
Chameleon Info:
  • Your Chameleon - He is a veiled chameleon, and I got him when he was about the size of my thumb. He was only in the pet store 3 or so days prior to me purchasing him. He has grown noticeably in only 48 hours. He has tarsals on the back of his hind legs-which leads me to believe he is indeed, a he. The lady at the store told me he was too young to tell. I purchased him last Saturday on the 6th.
  • Handling - So far, not at all. I read somewhere it is best to leave him alone for a week before attempting any handling. I would like for him to explore and adjust to his new place before I try and interfere much more than I already have (with adding to his set up).
  • Feeding - Crickets with a little dust. I don't think I'm dusting enough but I also don't want to over do it. I put in about 5 a day and check in to see if they're gone or not after awhile. I've seen him eat only about 3 out of the 15 that have been in his cage so far. Most of them have disappeared but the cage is sealed enough they cannot escape. So I hoped he ate them. If I notice they are gone and he's heading a little further down the cage, i'll put 1-3 more in at a time. I had purchased mealworms today but he doesn't go down to the bottom, so I'm considering buying a cup holder to place on the side for him to snatch them out of. I don't have a schedule yet since he is young-, but I plan on feeding him in the morning between 7:30am and 8am everyday. For gut-loading, I am feeding the crickets collard greens, oranges, and I tried an apple the other day. I would like to add mustard + turnip greens if I can find them at the grocery store. As well as carrots, green beans and watercress.
  • Supplements - I am dusting with repti calcium from zoo med, and I picked up a multivitamin dust from Rep-Cal which I haven't used yet.
71MIrmguSgL._AC_SL1500_.jpg
f76f3070-4cc7-4008-a459-c413e11fcc58_1.346b242dc315301ec9bcea4f8a9bfcc5.jpeg

  • Watering - I use 1 humidifier,1 mister, and a drip system. I also spray the plants both real and fake in the cage about 3-4 times a day. I leave them all going. I finally bumped the humidity up to 70% by wrapping a film around 3 sides of the cage (not completely covering all 3 sides). The summers here get very hot and the air here is always dry. The humidity naturally here doesn't reach over 30%. So I'm not sure if I could keep leaving them on and just drying the bottom of the cage, or if I should do what I've read and have it on during the day and off at night.
  • Fecal Description - I do not know about testing for parasites. I purchased him from a Petco. I haven't really seen any droppings other than one and it looks normal- not watery.
  • History - No history that I know of yet.

Cage Info:
  • Cage Type - The cage is screen, and its 3ft by 1ft by 1ft.
  • Lighting - I am using a Repti Zoo Dual fixture linked here, with an additional Zoo Med single fixture. I am using a Reptisun 5.0 UVB white light, a Zoo Med 100w basking light, and a Zoo Med 100w nocturnal infrared heat light. Currently I use all 3 during the day since the house temperature has been dropping below 50 F, but ideally I will use 1 basking light and 1 white light during the day, 9pm they got off and I use a night heat light. They go back on between 7:30a-8a. The summers here get between 80-100 F, in which case I will not use any during the day and one during the night. (Night temperature can drop drastically).
  • Temperature - I need to get another thermometer for the lower half, but so far I know the top is between 75 and 80 F. At night it goes down to 60-70 with the heat still on. Without it it goes to 40 - 55 F.
  • Humidity - I use a hydrometer, a mister, a humidifier, and film around the cage. And spraying the leaves occasionally. It is currently about 68%. I am working to get it between 70-80% consistently.
  • Plants - I am using a jasmine, codaeum, and soon to be Devil's Ivy plant. In the picture above, the jasmine is in the back and the codaeum is in the front.
  • Placement - The cage is in my room, in a back corner. No fans, about 6-7 ft from an air vent. It's about 3-4 ft from the ceiling, and the top is 5'2.5" from the floor.
  • Location - I'm located in a populated desert. Lol. USA/NV.

Current Problem - I am worried about him not being able to shed his skin due to low humidity + not having enough heat.
 
Hi and welcome to the forum. :) I’ll put my feedback in red.


  • Your Chameleon - He is a veiled chameleon, and I got him when he was about the size of my thumb. He was only in the pet store 3 or so days prior to me purchasing him. He has grown noticeably in only 48 hours. He has tarsals on the back of his hind legs-which leads me to believe he is indeed, a he. The lady at the store told me he was too young to tell. I purchased him last Saturday on the 6th. Males will have little nubs on their back feet.
  • Handling - So far, not at all. I read somewhere it is best to leave him alone for a week before attempting any handling. I would like for him to explore and adjust to his new place before I try and interfere much more than I already have (with adding to his set up). Very good!
  • Feeding - Crickets with a little dust. I don't think I'm dusting enough but I also don't want to over do it. I put in about 5 a day and check in to see if they're gone or not after awhile. I've seen him eat only about 3 out of the 15 that have been in his cage so far. Most of them have disappeared but the cage is sealed enough they cannot escape. So I hoped he ate them. If I notice they are gone and he's heading a little further down the cage, i'll put 1-3 more in at a time. At his age he should be getting around 12-15 feeders a day. He may just need to settle in more. Crickets can bite your little guy, so if you aren’t sure that he’s eating them all, make sure to place a piece of something in there for the crickets to eat. I had purchased mealworms today but he doesn't go down to the bottom, so I'm considering buying a cup holder to place on the side for him to snatch them out of. Mealworms are not good feeders for chams. I’ll attach an infographic on feeders for you. It is important make sure his feeders are the right size. The rule of thumb is not to give anything larger than the space between his eyes. I don't have a schedule yet since he is young-, but I plan on feeding him in the morning between 7:30am and 8am everyday. Perfect! Gives him time to bask and digest. For gut-loading, I am feeding the crickets collard greens, oranges, and I tried an apple the other day. I would like to add mustard + turnip greens if I can find them at the grocery store. As well as carrots, green beans and watercress. Very good! Will attach gut load infographics too.
  • Supplements - I am dusting with repti calcium from zoo med, and I picked up a multivitamin dust from Rep-Cal which I haven't used yet. Both of your supplements are good. However, you only want to give those specific ones twice a month each. You need a calcium that does not have D3 for daily dusting.




  • Watering - I use 1 humidifier,1 mister, and a drip system. I also spray the plants both real and fake in the cage about 3-4 times a day. I leave them all going. I finally bumped the humidity up to 70% by wrapping a film around 3 sides of the cage (not completely covering all 3 sides). That humidity is too high for the daytime. You want it to be between 30-50%. At night when it gets cool you can have the humidity as high as 100%. Heat+humidity=risk of respiratory infection. The summers here get very hot and the air here is always dry. The humidity naturally here doesn't reach over 30%. So I'm not sure if I could keep leaving them on and just drying the bottom of the cage, or if I should do what I've read and have it on during the day and off at night. Yes, humidifier off during the day. You want the enclosure to dry out in between misting.
  • Fecal Description - I do not know about testing for parasites. I purchased him from a Petco. I haven't really seen any droppings other than one and it looks normal- not watery. It is always a good idea to have a fecal done to check for parasites.
  • History - No history that I know of yet.

Cage Info:
  • Cage Type - The cage is screen, and its 3ft by 1ft by 1ft. This is ok for now, but will be way too small when he grows. The minimum for an adult is 2x2x4’ or equivalent. They grow fast so start planning for it from now.
  • Lighting - I am using a Repti Zoo Dual fixture linked here, with an additional Zoo Med single fixture. I am using a Reptisun 5.0 UVB white light, a Zoo Med 100w basking light, and a Zoo Med 100w nocturnal infrared heat light. Currently I use all 3 during the day since the house temperature has been dropping below 50 F, but ideally I will use 1 basking light and 1 white light during the day, 9pm they got off and I use a night heat light. They go back on between 7:30a-8a. The summers here get between 80-100 F, in which case I will not use any during the day and one during the night. (Night temperature can drop drastically). This was already addressed. You need a linear T5 ho fixture with a 5% uvb bulb (or Arcadia 6%) in order to provide adequate uvb. No colored lights. A night time temp drop is a good thing. Veileds will be okay with temps as low as 55*. If it gets cooler than that, you will need to add a bit of heat, but not from anything that produces light. They need it dark at night.
  • Temperature - I need to get another thermometer for the lower half, but so far I know the top is between 75 and 80 F. At night it goes down to 60-70 with the heat still on. Without it it goes to 40 - 55 F. It could get a little higher during the day, up to 82-85*. When he‘s an adult, you’ll need basking temp around 85-90*. If he’s a she, keep the basking temps 82-85*.
  • Humidity - I use a hydrometer, a mister, a humidifier, and film around the cage. And spraying the leaves occasionally. It is currently about 68%. I am working to get it between 70-80% consistently.
  • Plants - I am using a jasmine, codaeum, and soon to be Devil's Ivy plant. In the picture above, the jasmine is in the back and the codaeum is in the front. Not sure if jasmine or codaeum are safe, but devil’s ivy (aka Pothos) is. Veileds nibble on their plants so it’s important to make sure they’re safe and non toxic. Is best to get the fake plants out. This is a good guide. https://chameleonacademy.com/plants/
  • Placement - The cage is in my room, in a back corner. No fans, about 6-7 ft from an air vent. It's about 3-4 ft from the ceiling, and the top is 5'2.5" from the floor. Height is preferred. Chams feel safest when they can look down upon us and their world.
  • Location - I'm located in a populated desert. Lol. USA/NV.

Current Problem - I am worried about him not being able to shed his skin due to low humidity + not having enough heat. Chams are dry shedders. While they need some humidity, more isn’t going to help shedding and too much can actually make their shedding harder. What will help shedding and everything else is correct husbandry, which is what I just went over. Lol.
If you do have a female, she will lay eggs whether mated or not and will need a lay bin when around 5-6 months old. Is easiest to make it a permanent part of her enclosure. If you post some more pics, especially of the back feet we can help you figure out male or female.
It’s a bit hard for me to see what is on the floor of your enclosure. Bare floor is best and easiest to keep clean. Water bowls, waterfalls etc are not needed and can cause problems. You should add more branches and vines to give more area for him to travel along.
You’re off to a good start. Ask as many questions as needed...is a great way to learn. Also, a forum member has a great informative YouTube channel, Neptune the chameleon. Chameleon academy.com is another great resource to learning not just what to do, but why to do it. Hope this helps. :)
641E004E-7B59-4BA9-9552-91A7CB9360AC.jpeg
D04B934D-58F4-4DDD-914F-A7B07838DD4D.jpeg
 
Hi and welcome to the forum. :) I’ll put my feedback in red.


  • Your Chameleon - He is a veiled chameleon, and I got him when he was about the size of my thumb. He was only in the pet store 3 or so days prior to me purchasing him. He has grown noticeably in only 48 hours. He has tarsals on the back of his hind legs-which leads me to believe he is indeed, a he. The lady at the store told me he was too young to tell. I purchased him last Saturday on the 6th. Males will have little nubs on their back feet.
  • Handling - So far, not at all. I read somewhere it is best to leave him alone for a week before attempting any handling. I would like for him to explore and adjust to his new place before I try and interfere much more than I already have (with adding to his set up). Very good!
  • Feeding - Crickets with a little dust. I don't think I'm dusting enough but I also don't want to over do it. I put in about 5 a day and check in to see if they're gone or not after awhile. I've seen him eat only about 3 out of the 15 that have been in his cage so far. Most of them have disappeared but the cage is sealed enough they cannot escape. So I hoped he ate them. If I notice they are gone and he's heading a little further down the cage, i'll put 1-3 more in at a time. At his age he should be getting around 12-15 feeders a day. He may just need to settle in more. Crickets can bite your little guy, so if you aren’t sure that he’s eating them all, make sure to place a piece of something in there for the crickets to eat. I had purchased mealworms today but he doesn't go down to the bottom, so I'm considering buying a cup holder to place on the side for him to snatch them out of. Mealworms are not good feeders for chams. I’ll attach an infographic on feeders for you. It is important make sure his feeders are the right size. The rule of thumb is not to give anything larger than the space between his eyes. I don't have a schedule yet since he is young-, but I plan on feeding him in the morning between 7:30am and 8am everyday. Perfect! Gives him time to bask and digest. For gut-loading, I am feeding the crickets collard greens, oranges, and I tried an apple the other day. I would like to add mustard + turnip greens if I can find them at the grocery store. As well as carrots, green beans and watercress. Very good! Will attach gut load infographics too.
  • Supplements - I am dusting with repti calcium from zoo med, and I picked up a multivitamin dust from Rep-Cal which I haven't used yet. Both of your supplements are good. However, you only want to give those specific ones twice a month each. You need a calcium that does not have D3 for daily dusting.




  • Watering - I use 1 humidifier,1 mister, and a drip system. I also spray the plants both real and fake in the cage about 3-4 times a day. I leave them all going. I finally bumped the humidity up to 70% by wrapping a film around 3 sides of the cage (not completely covering all 3 sides). That humidity is too high for the daytime. You want it to be between 30-50%. At night when it gets cool you can have the humidity as high as 100%. Heat+humidity=risk of respiratory infection. The summers here get very hot and the air here is always dry. The humidity naturally here doesn't reach over 30%. So I'm not sure if I could keep leaving them on and just drying the bottom of the cage, or if I should do what I've read and have it on during the day and off at night. Yes, humidifier off during the day. You want the enclosure to dry out in between misting.
  • Fecal Description - I do not know about testing for parasites. I purchased him from a Petco. I haven't really seen any droppings other than one and it looks normal- not watery. It is always a good idea to have a fecal done to check for parasites.
  • History - No history that I know of yet.

Cage Info:
  • Cage Type - The cage is screen, and its 3ft by 1ft by 1ft. This is ok for now, but will be way too small when he grows. The minimum for an adult is 2x2x4’ or equivalent. They grow fast so start planning for it from now.
  • Lighting - I am using a Repti Zoo Dual fixture linked here, with an additional Zoo Med single fixture. I am using a Reptisun 5.0 UVB white light, a Zoo Med 100w basking light, and a Zoo Med 100w nocturnal infrared heat light. Currently I use all 3 during the day since the house temperature has been dropping below 50 F, but ideally I will use 1 basking light and 1 white light during the day, 9pm they got off and I use a night heat light. They go back on between 7:30a-8a. The summers here get between 80-100 F, in which case I will not use any during the day and one during the night. (Night temperature can drop drastically). This was already addressed. You need a linear T5 ho fixture with a 5% uvb bulb (or Arcadia 6%) in order to provide adequate uvb. No colored lights. A night time temp drop is a good thing. Veileds will be okay with temps as low as 55*. If it gets cooler than that, you will need to add a bit of heat, but not from anything that produces light. They need it dark at night.
  • Temperature - I need to get another thermometer for the lower half, but so far I know the top is between 75 and 80 F. At night it goes down to 60-70 with the heat still on. Without it it goes to 40 - 55 F. It could get a little higher during the day, up to 82-85*. When he‘s an adult, you’ll need basking temp around 85-90*. If he’s a she, keep the basking temps 82-85*.
  • Humidity - I use a hydrometer, a mister, a humidifier, and film around the cage. And spraying the leaves occasionally. It is currently about 68%. I am working to get it between 70-80% consistently.
  • Plants - I am using a jasmine, codaeum, and soon to be Devil's Ivy plant. In the picture above, the jasmine is in the back and the codaeum is in the front. Not sure if jasmine or codaeum are safe, but devil’s ivy (aka Pothos) is. Veileds nibble on their plants so it’s important to make sure they’re safe and non toxic. Is best to get the fake plants out. This is a good guide. https://chameleonacademy.com/plants/
  • Placement - The cage is in my room, in a back corner. No fans, about 6-7 ft from an air vent. It's about 3-4 ft from the ceiling, and the top is 5'2.5" from the floor. Height is preferred. Chams feel safest when they can look down upon us and their world.
  • Location - I'm located in a populated desert. Lol. USA/NV.

Current Problem - I am worried about him not being able to shed his skin due to low humidity + not having enough heat. Chams are dry shedders. While they need some humidity, more isn’t going to help shedding and too much can actually make their shedding harder. What will help shedding and everything else is correct husbandry, which is what I just went over. Lol.
If you do have a female, she will lay eggs whether mated or not and will need a lay bin when around 5-6 months old. Is easiest to make it a permanent part of her enclosure. If you post some more pics, especially of the back feet we can help you figure out male or female.
It’s a bit hard for me to see what is on the floor of your enclosure. Bare floor is best and easiest to keep clean. Water bowls, waterfalls etc are not needed and can cause problems. You should add more branches and vines to give more area for him to travel along.
You’re off to a good start. Ask as many questions as needed...is a great way to learn. Also, a forum member has a great informative YouTube channel, Neptune the chameleon. Chameleon academy.com is another great resource to learning not just what to do, but why to do it. Hope this helps. :)
View attachment 268991View attachment 268992

I am pretty positive it is a male since he has tarsal's on the back of his feet. Those little nubs. For the light, it looks like the pet stores here have sold out all of the T5 linear lamps, I found this on amazon and was curious if this plus this is correct?
 
I am pretty positive it is a male since he has tarsal's on the back of his feet. Those little nubs. For the light, it looks like the pet stores here have sold out all of the T5 linear lamps, I found this on amazon and was curious if this plus this is correct?
Those are two same bulbs of different lengths. You need the first one, along with a fixture like this :
https://www.amazon.com/Zoo-Med-2605...zoomed+fixture+reptisun&qid=1591733822&sr=8-2
edit: and if the petstore is something like petco or petsmart, please buy online or at a local reptile shop to not support those stores.
 
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Those are two same bulbs of different lengths. You need the first one, along with a fixture like this :
https://www.amazon.com/Zoo-Med-2605...zoomed+fixture+reptisun&qid=1591733822&sr=8-2
edit: and if the petstore is something like petco or petsmart, please buy online or at a local reptile shop to not support those stores.
That particular light does come with a 5.0 uvb bulb, just FYI. It is the one that I’ve bought several of and have had no problems. When it was time to replace the bulb (after 6 months), I put Arcadia 6% in with no issues.
 
That particular light does come with a 5.0 uvb bulb, just FYI. It is the one that I’ve bought several of and have had no problems. When it was time to replace the bulb (after 6 months), I put Arcadia 6% in with no issues.
Oh yeah, I totally forgot. It's a shame the fixtures are not sold separately.
 
Will he be okay without the upgraded lamp for 1-2 months? I not sure how effective the dual lamp is, and if it will be a problem if I wait too long.
If the non-upgraded lamp is the t8, yes he will be perfectly fine. He may not be completely fine with the dual fixture, though. Veileds are especially prone to MBD.
 
Welcome to the forum!

You've had some good information given to you already...just a few more comments!

You asked..."For dusting crickets, how much dust should I use? I don't want to under or over do it"....you don't want the insects to look like ghost...just a light dusting is good.

You said..." I live in a very dry state, and the temperatures here can fluctuate sometimes wildly. I currently have both the night and day heat on simply because the house temperature has been reaching below 60F. Even with both on, I am still only getting to around 75F-80F. Is there a way to increase these temperatures?"... To increase the daytime temperature a bit above 80 use a item wattage white incandescent household bulb. Just make sure that if you hold your hand under the basking light...inside the cage, at the closest spot you can to the bulb and not want to move your hand it should be ok....not burn the chameleon.

Also...I would add a dripper that drips at the rate of one or two drips per second.
 
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Welcome to the forum!

You've had some good information given to you already...just a few more comments!

You asked..."For dusting crickets, how much dust should I use? I don't want to under or over do it"....you don't want the insects to look like ghost...just a light dusting is good.

You said..." I live in a very dry state, and the temperatures here can fluctuate sometimes wildly. I currently have both the night and day heat on simply because the house temperature has been reaching below 60F. Even with both on, I am still only getting to around 75F-80F. Is there a way to increase these temperatures?"... To increase the daytime temperature a bit above 80 use a item wattage white incandescent household bulb. Just make sure that if you hold your hand under the basking light...inside the cage, at the closest spot you can to the bulb and not want to move your hand it should be ok....not burn the chameleon.

Also...I would add a dripper that drips at the rate of one or two drips per second.

I got the Little Dripper even though i'm not a fan of them since they don't work well half the time. He had one in the pet store so I wanted something he was familiar with using to start. I may put together my own later down the road to get something that's a little more efficient. And thanks for the answer to my cricket question! (I made them look like ghosts today oop. But I don't think I dusted enough the past 2 days anyway).

Here is an update on the cage visual:
20200609_170627.jpg

I added a live Devil's Ivy in the middle!
Also changed out the lights and got a second set of temp/hydro readers to place at the top and bottom of the cage.

I think all the information given has answered my questions, thank you to everyone who has commented!
 
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