New vivarium questions

[JJSupreme]

Hi, I'm planning on getting a new mesh vivarium for my two year old panther chameleon and want to turn it into a bioactive setup. This will be my first time making a bioactive setup so i have some questions.

The cage I'm getting is the zoo med reptibreeze screen cage, 2ft x 2ft x 4ft.
I live in the UK and I am worried about maintaining humidity and heat in a mesh cage. I am also planning on making a custom background and heard that you can use expanding foam to make these.

Questions:

• Would it be ok to cover three of the mesh walls to help maintain humidity?
• What materials are safe to use to make a custom background for the vivarium?
• Should I make a drainage layer at the bottom of the cage and if so how?
• Will the plants in the vivarium need any extra forms of light?
• What is the best way to move a chameleon into a new cage?

His current vivarium is a wooden vivarium that is 22" x 19" x 36".

 

[MissSkittles]

@cyberlocc made a very thorough guide to going bioactive. https://www.chameleonforums.com/blogs/intro-to-bio-activity.2429/
There’s several ways to make your Repti Breeze bioactive. Some have built a wooden planter-type box and water-proofed it, setting the enclosure on top. I’m going to try the bioactive bags from the bio dude (I’m not handy enough to build planter boxes). Most use Great Stuff pond & stone expanding foam, which is water-proof and safe to create backgrounds. You’ll need to have something to put it on to provide adequate support. Another commonly used item is egg crate type light diffuser (available at most hardware stores). If you use the search feature of the forum, you’ll find loads of info and members who have posted step-by-steps of what they did.

 

[Lennoncham]

I’m curious why not a glass enclosure?

 

[cyberlocc]

Seconded,

Also whats wrong with your wooden one? That is the size of the common used glass vivariums, that and the 36x18x36.

Why are you trying to switch to screen?

 

[JJSupreme]

I've read that adults chameleons are meant to have minimum 2ft x 2ft x 4ft and I have been unable to find any wooden/glass vivariums in this size.

 

[Lennoncham]

That’s not really true. A 36x18x36 is about the same size. I’m my opinion wider is better then tall. Most chams only use the top couple feet of the enclosure. With your climate glass or wood or a combo of both would be better.

I have 3 reptibreeze cages with spray foam background and they are honestly crap. I will be upgrading to Exo terras this year. Your money would be better spent not on a reptibreeze

 

[JJSupreme]

That’s not really true. A 36x18x36 is about the same size. I’m my opinion wider is better then tall. Most chams only use the top couple feet of the enclosure. With your climate glass or wood or a combo of both would be better.

I have 3 reptibreeze cages with spray foam background and they are honestly crap. I will be upgrading to Exo terras this year. Your money would be better spent not on a reptibreeze

Ok thanks for the advise, would u say my current vivarium size is big enough for an adult chameleon or should i get a wider version?

 

[cyberlocc]

I've read that adults chameleons are meant to have minimum 2ft x 2ft x 4ft and I have been unable to find any wooden/glass vivariums in this size.

That's a generalization based on the sizes of screen cages, like Lennon said.

The 36x18x36 is superior to 24x24x48 IMO, and a 24x18x36 is just fine. As a matter of fact there is a few large breeders of Panthers that keep males and females in 18x18x36s.

Panthers are not that big. Your wood cage is fine. If you want to replace it you can but you don't have to.

 

[JJSupreme]

Ok thank you both for the advise, I shall stick with my current vivarium, I want to add more branches and plants to my setup as I don't think I have given him enough cover and things to climb on, would it be ok to turn my wooden vivarium into a bioactive set up and add custom backgrounds to the walls of the vivarium? And if so should I do it gradually to avoid freaking him out?

 

[Lennoncham]

Ok thank you both for the advise, I shall stick with my current vivarium, I want to add more branches and plants to my setup as I don't think I have given him enough cover and things to climb on, would it be ok to turn my wooden vivarium into a bioactive set up and add custom backgrounds to the walls of the vivarium? And if so should I do it gradually to avoid freaking him out?

ya it would be fine to turn into a bioactive.

I’m not sure how you will add the background to the walls without having to take out what’s already in there. Unless you can make them outside the cage in sections then add them in somehow.

I’m not sure if the gradual approach is better then a sudden change. May just be prolonging the stress of him get used to new stuff. But I’m sure others can give you a better answer on that.

 

[JJSupreme]

ya it would be fine to turn into a bioactive.

I’m not sure how you will add the background to the walls without having to take out what’s already in there. Unless you can make them outside the cage in sections then add them in somehow.

I’m not sure if the gradual approach is better then a sudden change. May just be prolonging the stress of him get used to new stuff. But I’m sure others can give you a better answer on that.

I am thinking of building the walls ouside of the cage and then adding them in once there made, this way i think I think i can take them out at any time to make any changes/add plants and branches.

With the approach to how i change his setup (gradual vs sudden) should i create a new post asking about that?

 

[Lennoncham]

With the approach to how i change his setup (gradual vs sudden) should i create a new post asking about that?

I’ll tag some members to get more opinions for you. @kinyonga @Beman @jamest0o0 @JoXie411 @AnamCara @Kristen Wilkins what do you guys think gradual changes or just get it over with so they can adjust.

 

[jamest0o0]

That's a generalization based on the sizes of screen cages, like Lennon said.

The 36x18x36 is superior to 24x24x48 IMO, and a 24x18x36 is just fine. As a matter of fact there is a few large breeders of Panthers that keep males and females in 18x18x36s.

Panthers are not that big. Your wood cage is fine. If you want to replace it you can but you don't have to.

Come on cyber, breeders are doing this for money or to provide lots of CB animals, they're not looking for optimal cage sizes for animals. Anyone not lying to theirselves knows most Panthers tend to be very active animals. I agree with the 36x18x36 being viable, but any less than that idt is smart to recommend. Breeders get a pass because they're (hopefully) providing healthy CB animals rather than us ripping WC out. I'm okay with it and don't fault them, but I'm not going to suck up and act like that makes a small cage size fine to recommend to everyone. The objective of a breeder and keeper are different, and outside of a few here, most breeders do not impress me with their knowledge. Not hard to breed or even keep panthers/veileds alive. Doesn't mean they're thriving.

 

[jamest0o0]

I’ll tag some members to get more opinions for you. @kinyonga @Beman @jamest0o0 @JoXie411 @AnamCara @Kristen Wilkins what do you guys think gradual changes or just get it over with so they can adjust.

I would do it all at once

 

[cyberlocc]

Come on cyber, breeders are doing this for money or to provide lots of CB animals, they're not looking for optimal cage sizes for animals. Anyone not lying to theirselves knows most Panthers tend to be very active animals. I agree with the 36x18x36 being viable, but any less than that idt is smart to recommend. Breeders get a pass because they're (hopefully) providing healthy CB animals rather than us ripping WC out. I'm okay with it and don't fault them, but I'm not going to suck up and act like that makes a small cage size fine to recommend to everyone. The objective of a breeder and keeper are different, and outside of a few here, most breeders do not impress me with their knowledge. Not hard to breed or even keep panthers/veileds alive. Doesn't mean they're thriving.

I didnt suggest he used a 18x18x36, just stated its done.

I'm not talking about breeders with 24x18x36. Dragonstrand old breeder cages are 22x17x42, so 6 inches shorter and its suddenly too small? When most folks waste more than 6 inches with huge plant pots anyway, and Bio would buy room?

Most of the screen users have their basking branch 12-14 inches down anyway. Pu that branch 6 inches down, and you have made up for it.

The 36x18x36 is very new, and tons of articles and people have used the 24x18x36 before that. Lots of people not breeders are suggesting the exoterra 24x18x36 screen cages because they are better quality than the Reptibreeze.

As to no smaller than 36x18x36? The Dragonstrand Atrium was 30x18x30, the medium one, was that too small? Kammers have been pushing 30x18x30 for a long time.

30x18x30 is 24x18x36 just a diffrent layout.

You think he needs to throw away his Nice wooden cage and buy some screep crap, because his cage is 36 tall instead of 48? Come on now.

 

[Beman]

I’ll tag some members to get more opinions for you. @kinyonga @Beman @jamest0o0 @JoXie411 @AnamCara @Kristen Wilkins what do you guys think gradual changes or just get it over with so they can adjust.

@JJSupreme Yeah I would do it all at once as well. But you have to have a place to put the cham while you work on it.... Depending on items used like pond foam they have to dry and cure over a 24 hour period. So that is where it gets stressful. Your on a time limit for trying to get the current viv done so that he can go back in.
But that is about all I can contribute here. Bio active is not my area of expertise.

 

[JJSupreme]

@JJSupreme Yeah I would do it all at once as well. But you have to have a place to put the cham while you work on it.... Depending on items used like pond foam they have to dry and cure over a 24 hour period. So that is where it gets stressful. Your on a time limit for trying to get the current viv done so that he can go back in.
But that is about all I can contribute here. Bio active is not my area of expertise.

Thanks for the advice im thinking of building the walls outside the cage and installing them once there finished to avoid having to move my chameleon somewhere else for a long time