Hi! It’s so great that you’re ‘doing your homework’ before getting your chameleon!
You’ll need either a ReptiSun 5.0 or Arcadia 6% uvb for your T5 fixture. I prefer Arcadia as they are good for a year vs 6 months for ReptiSun.
What wattage basking bulb are you thinking of getting? As ideal temps for a baby shouldn’t exceed 80f, I’d say start with a 40 or 60w.
Temp guns are great for measuring surface temps. You’ll need a digital thermometer or two with a probe to measure air temps.
You’ll also need a hygrometer to measure humidity...digital is best.
Try some roaches as feeders - dubia or discoid are great. Much easier to start a breeding colony and they are much cleaner and quieter than crickets. Also I think are more nutritious. Silkworms are also a terrific feeder. You can start breeding your own, but it takes a little skill and trial and error.
Live plants! Live plants! Live plants! While Panthers don’t eat their plants like veileds do, it’s much nicer and beneficial to use real plants. Attaching some safe plant lists.
Dragon Ledges! Wonderful for hanging branches, vines and plants in a screen enclosure.
https://dragonstrand.com/dragon-ledges/ Is easiest to install them before you assemble the enclosure.
For the health of your live plants, you should invest in some sort of plant lighting. I use these and they are strong enough even for light hungry hibiscus.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07TKKG8Q3/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1
I use this one for my leopard geckos plants (succulents) and it works great.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00AKKULI6/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Of course you’ll need branches and vines. I like using natural branches that I collect outside. I wash with dish soap, blast with the hose and sun dry. Avoid the black Exo terra vines as the finish of them can flake off.
How will you be managing drainage? There’s oh so many ways to manage it and it all comes down to how creative you are and your individual circumstances. Many use the Dragon Strand drainage trays. In 2 of my enclosures, I use other drainage trays and have the bottom as full as I can get it with plants, which suck up the extra water. This does make cleaning more of a chore, but I don’t mind. My other 2 are bioactive and I’ve really had no excess drainage issues.
Last thing that I can think of is a stand to elevate your enclosure. Chameleons feel safest when they are above us and being too low (such as on the floor) is stressful for them.
Oops! I lied! Supplements are super important! You’ll need a phosphorus free calcium without D3 for use with every feeding. Then you’ll need a multivitamin without D3 and a calcium with D3...or you could get a combo like Reptivite with D3. If you use the 2 separate multivitamin and calcium with D3, you’ll alternate using those for one feeding every week, so that each is given once every other week. If you use the Reptivite with D3, you’d use that one feeding every other week.
You’ll need some good healthy stuff to feed your feeders. I don’t specifically mean gutloading as I personally prefer to keep my bugs well fed all the time to keep them healthy and therefore, more nutritious.
