Rate my cage please?

[TheAmazingGerby]

Okay, so I have my cage pretty much set up. I'm still working on the decor, but I'd like to know what you guys think of it, and if you have any recommendations to make it better. I hope you can see the pictures I attached. I have some sandblasted grape vine and more vines and foliage.I'm also going to be buying live plants for the cage as well.

I live in a cold climate and have the Zoo Med chameleon cage kit, so I was thinking of getting a waterfall for the cage to help the humidity, or put some Plexiglas around the cage to keep the humidity in.

 

[Lennoncham]

You could add a small plant to help keep the humidity up as well and give them somewhere else to hide. You may also want a couple branches or wooden dowels to give them more places to climb around. Here is my cage of the same size(Will be adding more fake vines to it soon for more coverage). Hope this helps

 

[TheAmazingGerby]

You could add a small plant to help keep the humidity up as well and give them somewhere else to hide. You may also want a couple branches or wooden dowels to give them more places to climb around. Here is my cage of the same size(Will be adding more fake vines to it soon for more coverage). Hope this helps

View attachment 179198

Thank you! This helps a lot!

 

[Little_eazum]

I'd avoid a waterfall if possible, live plants help with humidity due to the soil retaining moisture, plus I've heard of charms falling and drowning from some local owners who had water falls. Plants vines dowels and branches are great ideas for climbing. Another suggestion for controlling humidity is a misting system.

 

[maryanne27]

The more plants, the better! You definitely have a good start, but these little guys love to hide behind leaves and climb around on branches. You can't go wrong with plenty of horizontal branches and leaves for cover. Live plants are really helpful to keep humidity up, but there is nothing wrong with the synthetic ones like you have going through there for cover.
Good call with the branch across the top in the middle for basking. I also have a thick vine that loops around the bottom because I noticed that my guy likes to walk down and poo in the morning hahaha Throw some more branches and leaves in there, and you'll be good.
The waterfall you suggested won't really be helpful... it would most likely just breed bacteria more than add benefit. Chameleons don't drink from standing sources anyways. To keep the humidity up and provide hydration, regular misting (with hand mister a lot or with a timed misting system) is your best bet. The live plants help to hold the humidity, as well. Some closed sides are beneficial; I cut up a plastic shower curtain and attached it over three sides of my enclosure, and it helps a LOT. I also keep a humidifier going in the room that I keep my cham in during dry winter months.

I see you have a paper towel down on the bottom... that may just end up being more annoying than anything. I tried it with my first cham. It lasted about 36 hours. Having a sort of drainage system in place is the easiest thing to deal with. For my first one, I had the cage set up on blocks, a few holes drilled in the bottom, and a plastic container under the holes that I emptied every other day. I have definitely upgraded since then! Mostly thanks to my crafty carpenter dad hahaha to clean up the bottom of the cage then, I was just able to wipe up anything on the bottom daily and disinfect on a regular basis.

Anyways, you are definitely on the right track. Rock on and good luck!

 

[ChamLB]

Glad you are going to add some live plants. That will help make it the jungle environment chameleons like.
Everyone I know that got a waterfall ended up ditching it because the maintainance is excessive. A misting system is the way to go. Get either a Mistking or a Climist both work great.

 

[TheAmazingGerby]

The more plants, the better! You definitely have a good start, but these little guys love to hide behind leaves and climb around on branches. You can't go wrong with plenty of horizontal branches and leaves for cover. Live plants are really helpful to keep humidity up, but there is nothing wrong with the synthetic ones like you have going through there for cover.
Good call with the branch across the top in the middle for basking. I also have a thick vine that loops around the bottom because I noticed that my guy likes to walk down and poo in the morning hahaha Throw some more branches and leaves in there, and you'll be good.
The waterfall you suggested won't really be helpful... it would most likely just breed bacteria more than add benefit. Chameleons don't drink from standing sources anyways. To keep the humidity up and provide hydration, regular misting (with hand mister a lot or with a timed misting system) is your best bet. The live plants help to hold the humidity, as well. Some closed sides are beneficial; I cut up a plastic shower curtain and attached it over three sides of my enclosure, and it helps a LOT. I also keep a humidifier going in the room that I keep my cham in during dry winter months.

I see you have a paper towel down on the bottom... that may just end up being more annoying than anything. I tried it with my first cham. It lasted about 36 hours. Having a sort of drainage system in place is the easiest thing to deal with. For my first one, I had the cage set up on blocks, a few holes drilled in the bottom, and a plastic container under the holes that I emptied every other day. I have definitely upgraded since then! Mostly thanks to my crafty carpenter dad hahaha to clean up the bottom of the cage then, I was just able to wipe up anything on the bottom daily and disinfect on a regular basis.

Anyways, you are definitely on the right track. Rock on and good luck!

Thanks so much. This was a lot of help! The bottom is actually an eco carpet that came with the cage kit, not paper towel. I may just get rid of it and do like what you said you did.

 

[Little_eazum]

Thanks so much. This was a lot of help! The bottom is actually an eco carpet that came with the cage kit, not paper towel. I may just get rid of it and do like what you said you did.

I use actual bedding on the bottom of my cage that holds more moisture, my reptile store here, locally ran, calls it the jungle mix it's a bottom layer of moss with an upper layer of bark. I can send exact names and types if u would like but it also helps keep insects from burrowing due to it being too heavy and thick to hide in.

 

[TheAmazingGerby]

I use actual bedding on the bottom of my cage that holds more moisture, my reptile store here, locally ran, calls it the jungle mix it's a bottom layer of moss with an upper layer of bark. I can send exact names and types if u would like but it also helps keep insects from burrowing due to it being too heavy and thick to hide in.

Thanks! I might have to try that out!