ZacharyLeesWife
Avid Member
The gs foam is permanent on screen. It's a better idea to use egg crate cut to fit the enclosure that can be removed.
The chameleon with no name, a journey of love and patience (VERY PIC HEAVY).
- Thread starter MedicMan1
- Start date
Striders_mom
Member
Wow, I love, love, love what you've done. I'm really new to this, so have nothing more to offer than admiration and gratitude for sharing your process, so that I can learn!! It looks and sounds like a well thought out chameleon palace/playground!! I'm starting to save my money for strider's upgrade when the time comes 
. I do have a question - do you free-range feed him (ie, let the bugs loose in his cage?) or in a habitat this large is it better to use feeding cups etc?
. I do have a question - do you free-range feed him (ie, let the bugs loose in his cage?) or in a habitat this large is it better to use feeding cups etc?
Striders_mom
Member
Ooh, good tip, thank you!
ZacharyLeesWife
Avid Member
I had to give up on free range feeders in the vivs, they always seem to find their way behind the hardscape. I definitely recommend cup feeding!Wow, I love, love, love what you've done. I'm really new to this, so have nothing more to offer than admiration and gratitude for sharing your process, so that I can learn!! It looks and sounds like a well thought out chameleon palace/playground!! I'm starting to save my money for strider's upgrade when the time comes
ZacharyLeesWife
Avid Member
Oh, and @Angelwolf the pots that I foamed in have airline tubing running to the bottom of the tanks.
MedicMan1
Established Member
Thanks, Yeah it is HUGE. I'll take a pic for you tomorrow. The entire thing is more than 7 feet tall.Wow!!That is the Taj Mahal for chameleons! I wish i could make a setup like that! Your cham is quite possibly the luckiest cham in the entire world!
Can we see a pic of you standing next to it? I still can't get a real perspective on the overall size.
The foam was pretty easy to use and comes off the clear side material pretty cleanly if you let it cure first, however, it does stick to the screen a bit, but if you were careful, I think you could remove it from the screen without damaging it too bad.
I live in southern Oregon, so Madrone is very plentiful here. I gathered some fresh branches that were dropped during a storm and sterilized them properly. I did leave the bottom of the pots open for drainage. I avoided the bottom with the foam, or just cut the foam off with a knife if some got under there. All of the pots are canted one way or the other, so drainage is pretty easy.
My apologies. In a nutshell, I used one whole can of foam just for drainage and dirt cover in the pots. So what I did was take some wax paper and lay it out on the ground, and arranged groups of a few small ish rocks, and covered them with a dollop of foam. Like 40 times. I then took the rest of the can and made ropes until it was empty. After curing, I pulled the foam/rock pieces off and trimmed the bottom so they sit flat, and used them to cover the dirt at the top of the pots. That way I get more coverage and less weight, as opposed to just doing rocks. I cut up all of the foam ropes and dropped a handful into the bottom of each pot before planting to increase drainage. Once again, good drainage with less weight. I'll upload a couple of pics tomorrow.
Such kind words, thanks! It really turned out great, which is awesome because I was flying by the seat of my pants. At the moment, I free range feed him, until I can make or purchase a feeder cup that works with the new cage setup. I just dump the crickets on the bottom screen and he sits a few inches above and shoots them. His tongue isn't really that great though, I forgot to mention that. I think it is either underdeveloped because of poor care in the past, or he may have injured it. I have never seen him shoot it more than a few inches, three at most. he usually just sticks his tongue out and sticks it to a cricket all gently. LOL.Wow, I love, love, love what you've done. I'm really new to this, so have nothing more to offer than admiration and gratitude for sharing your process, so that I can learn!! It looks and sounds like a well thought out chameleon palace/playground!! I'm starting to save my money for strider's upgrade when the time comes
MedicMan1
Established Member
Two things:
1. Little boy is being super sweet today. He crawled up in my hand willingly to eat some crickets. Then he tried to reach this cricket on the ceiling but couldn't, so I stuck the backup mister rod in there (I was watering plants) and he climbed right up it, ate the cricket, then climbed back down and looked me right in the eyes like "hell yeah, teamwork bro!"
2. There is nothing wrong with his tongue. He's just a lazy butt. He just shot his tongue about a foot.
1. Little boy is being super sweet today. He crawled up in my hand willingly to eat some crickets. Then he tried to reach this cricket on the ceiling but couldn't, so I stuck the backup mister rod in there (I was watering plants) and he climbed right up it, ate the cricket, then climbed back down and looked me right in the eyes like "hell yeah, teamwork bro!"
2. There is nothing wrong with his tongue. He's just a lazy butt. He just shot his tongue about a foot.
Striders_mom
Member
Thanks for your reply. Awww, that's a cute picture you paint - a gentle cricket gobbler!! I ended up making a feeding cup for Strider, it seems to work well. I tried a couple of things over the first few weeks he came home with me - started out by making a "feeding room" out of a med size storage bin, screening material & hot glue (gotta love hot glue!) - that didn't work (likely too many transitions, I'm guessing...plus, I have to admit, he was intimidated by his 2week old crickets! Haha!). Then tried free range feeding in his viv - so many were hiding, and he was still timid of them. I was worried I was losing him cuz it sure looked like he wasn't eating much. So I looked up a bunch of ideas here on the forum and on YouTube, then created this out of a regular water bottle, aluminum screening, and hot glue! Used a turkey skewer heated up to melt drainage holes in the bottom so the little monsters won't drown themselves if they get sprayed. For his big viv and when he's onto larger crickets, I'll make another out of a 2L bottle of some kind, especially as the bigger crickets can just spring right out, but this first one works well enough for the 2 & 3 week old hoppers.
Angelwolf
Chameleon Enthusiast
Lol! You're well on your way to building some trust with him. Congrats!
Striders_mom
Member
Hi there! I would love to know (when/if you get a chance) how your little guy is settling in to "Cham"elot (bad pun, so sorry!
) . You've inspired me and I am officially saving up for a similar set up (cage & lights)!
MedicMan1
Established Member
Hi there! I would love to know (when/if you get a chance) how your little guy is settling in to "Cham"elot (bad pun, so sorry!
CHAM-ELOT!! I LOVE IT!! That is officially the name of the enclosure now! My apologies for lack of updates, I rented a vacation home six hours away and went snowboarding for four days.
Update:
FANTASTIC NEWS!!!
Little man has really really started to bloom in his new enclosure and setup. He is much much more active, and patrols his massive enclosure for hours on end. He doesn't seem to be trying to get out, it just seems like he enjoys doing laps.
As for his temperament, that is the most drastic change I have seen. He is a completely different cham now. He rarely ever puffs up when I pick him up, and hasn't struck out at me since he's been in the new habitat. He has become a very curious and very kind little animal. He sometimes comes to the door when I open it, expecting food. I can stick my hand in and pet his chin, and he shows zero signs of aggression or stress. He is just CHILL now. Giving him a bigger space and improving his setup has really helped him to shed that grumpy attitude. He still doesn't really love to be picked up, but now he just kinda tries to run away instead of getting all pissed off about it.
He also shows no hesitation whatsoever in eating from my hand. When he is hungry and I bring him food, he SNAPS it right off my hand. He will even occasionally crawl up into my hand to chase a cricket up my arm. He is really a different guy and I am STOKED. He has also hit a growth spurt and looks quite a bit bigger now that he has a new pad.
His colors have also been incredible lately, with his pajamas being the most drastic. I plan to make a short video about him and the enclosure, and may do that today if I get the time. In the meantime, I will upload a crappy cell pic of his pajamas last night.
absolutbill
Chameleon Enthusiast
What a beautiful set of pjs on that boy!!! I love these updates and that he's mellowed right out for you 
Striders_mom
Member
No worries, sounds like a fabulous time away Thanks for the update, so excited for you and the success you are creating with your little guy!! And what a wonderful change you are describing. Sounds like your hard work and patience is really paying off, for you both.
Thanks for the update, so excited for you and the success you are creating with your little guy!! And what a wonderful change you are describing. Sounds like your hard work and patience is really paying off, for you both.
Striders_mom
Member
Oh, and totally cute pj's too, btw!!
EveryGreen
Established Member
he is very handsome!
OldChamKeeper
Chameleon Enthusiast
I've personally seen Bill Strand do his cages using that foam, I've used it too and built a few habitats using it. That said, I have to say, this is one of the nicest jobs I've seen done by any hobbyist ever since Bill has been teaching his method of making the foam into a wall and keeping the branches and plants off the bottom of the cage.
Essentially you have a cage that is easier to clean than a boa cage. Minimal work. On top of that, you took the plunge and did it right with the lighting from Lightyourreptiles and put in a mist king. THAT's how you care for these animals long term. Not by going in on the cheap, trying to cut corners with the excuse of "I can do it cheaper" or " I'll buy the equipment later " while selfishly buying the animal before spending the money on a solid habitat to help it thrive.
Very well done Sir. I'm sure Bill would be proud of that one himself.
Essentially you have a cage that is easier to clean than a boa cage. Minimal work. On top of that, you took the plunge and did it right with the lighting from Lightyourreptiles and put in a mist king. THAT's how you care for these animals long term. Not by going in on the cheap, trying to cut corners with the excuse of "I can do it cheaper" or " I'll buy the equipment later " while selfishly buying the animal before spending the money on a solid habitat to help it thrive.
Very well done Sir. I'm sure Bill would be proud of that one himself.
MedicMan1
Established Member
Yes Ma'am, Smaug. As in, Smaug the terrible, the giant, the indescribable, from the wonderful world of JRR. Tolkien.
