New member starting from scratch

[Tony_S]

You might find my blog helpful. It’s older but it’s still what I recommend to new keepers and has worked for me and the keepers of my babies for many years.
https://www.chameleonforums.com/blo...-with-young-veiled-or-panther-chameleons.325/

Thanks for the link Jannb

 

[Beman]

ok, I'm starting to get my shopping list together but have a few questions. This will be for a male ambilobe panther chameleon.

I'm going to get the Dragon Strand 30x24x48 medium tall clearside with the drainage tray. I also talked to Jim and he will be making these again in August.
I plan on pluming a connector to have the tray drain into a bucket.

I'm looking at the Mistking 4th gerneration starter misting system for $129.00 This comes with one nozzle. Is that enough or should I get a different kit or add-ons?

for the light fixture. I'd like to get a 30" light to match the width of the enclosure. Should I get a 4 bulb fixture? I see some people have 1 arcadia bulb, 1 plant bulb, and 2 regular full spectrum light bulbs. Others seem like they only have 1 or 2 bulbs.

heat light, 65w bulb that lays on the top of the cage pointing down. I see some users using a dual bulb fixture. Not sure the differences in some setups I've seen online.

plants, I will be mounting the pots to the dragon ledges. Seems like I need a umbrella plant and ficus on the bottom. And pothos plant and another that hangs down on top.

Sticks are easy enough to get. But for the vines. What fake vines should I get that are good for them. I've seen threads about some scratching their eyes.

feeder cup. I planned on getting the magnetic camo feeder cup, but the shooting gallery looks cool. but my enclosure also only has one screened side to it.

Feeders, I do plan on raising some of my own, such as silks and dubia's and buying others such as crickets, hornworms and superworms.

supplements, repticalcium without d3 and one with d3. Do most use the all in one multivitamin?

I'd like to get two combo thermometer/hygrometer for the enclosure. One mounted by the basking branch and the other about halfway down the plants in the shade/hiding places.

For the nighttime. Is just turning off the lights enough? I see some pics of people having drapes/sheets against their enclosures to keep out the light.

I'd like to have most of the lights and misting on a timer/schedule so that my little guy gets used to the everyday schedule of things.

Do one nozzle in the front middle pointing toward the back right clearside corner. Trust me I started with two and it was like Noah was sailing through on his arch.

I really like the 30 inch fixture for mine. It provides a good deal of light which is needed with this large of a cage. I did choose to replace one of the 6500 daylight bulbs with a plant pro bulb. Your going to want to get the 12% arcadia uvb bulb if you do the quad. If you do a single or dual you will want the 6%.

The heat bulb you will not know appropriate wattage until you get it all set up. I would raise this up though mount it to a stand on the cage. Then if your lil guy decides to hang from the roof he will not be right on the bulb.

If you are getting the drip easy tray you can not have any weight sitting on the bottom everything has to be mounted to the dragon ledges.

Dont get the exo terra vines. They have pieces that come off.

supplements... Talk to your breeder we all do a variation of things here.

Get a heat gun as well. for temps in certain spots it comes in very handy.

The feeder cup from full throttle will work on the screen side of the enclosure.

Your mistking will have a seconds timer no need to have another timer for it. Get the digital timers for your other items like the basking fixture an the fogger if you choose to use one. The quad has its own timer as well.

I do have a black out drape for mine. The cage is in the living room and I am up well after his lights go off. I put the drape up and then remove when I go to bed.

Here is my build link. You will learn what not to do lol.
https://www.chameleonforums.com/thr...-side-aka-bemans-mansion.167884/#post-1459296