Thoughts on these enclosures...

Mom Rules3

New Member
I am on a waiting list for a panther chameleon- my first chameleon- and looking at enclosures. I am in Canada- Nova Scotia- so no access to the variety available south but I have found two that I think will work. We are in an apartment with heat pumps so the air doesn't dry as much in the winter and it is quite humid in the summer. I believe both of these would have adequate ventilation? The smaller one would fit better into our space but I think I can still make the bigger one work. Would love your opinions...
The knock-down has interchangeable screen or glass sides. Is it big enough for a male panther? The Zen is a great size but may not work as well for our space...



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ZEN 4' x4' x2'
 
The cage you pick would basically go by the condition of you house. So if you already have high humidity in house you would want screen. If humidity in the 40 and lower highbred cage then. Also the temp of house plays a roll to. I've seen people use zen. I wouldn't use anything smaller then a 2x2x4 cage. For highbred cages you want about a 10 degree drop in temp from top to bottom of cage so you get the airflow. So 72 bottom of cage to 80 82 top.
 
I have used hybrid enclosures in all environments along with screen. Even in a high humidity area you are going to get the same high humidity in a hybrid vs the screen. Hybrids are going to do more good in a dryer environment just because you can tweak your misting sessions and fogging to get more of a high than you will be able to with all screen. Look at what your normal humidity levels are just in the house. Panthers are needing that 50% daytime humidity range with airflow.

You want airflow with either. So if all the sides and front is solid you have to have air inlets at the bottom so that the chimney effect can work to pull air up and out the top. Or a screen bottom front door to pull air in.

You want something that is at least 4 foot high. Neither of the ones you posted would work for a Panther except as a baby. I love a wider cage because it allows more movement side to side, minimum for width would be 24 but you can go wider than that. So if you can go wider that is great but look for at least 24inch deep and 48 inches high.
 
I have used hybrid enclosures in all environments along with screen. Even in a high humidity area you are going to get the same high humidity in a hybrid vs the screen. Hybrids are going to do more good in a dryer environment just because you can tweak your misting sessions and fogging to get more of a high than you will be able to with all screen. Look at what your normal humidity levels are just in the house. Panthers are needing that 50% daytime humidity range with airflow.

You want airflow with either. So if all the sides and front is solid you have to have air inlets at the bottom so that the chimney effect can work to pull air up and out the top. Or a screen bottom front door to pull air in.

You want something that is at least 4 foot high. Neither of the ones you posted would work for a Panther except as a baby. I love a wider cage because it allows more movement side to side, minimum for width would be 24 but you can go wider than that. So if you can go wider that is great but look for at least 24inch deep and 48 inches high.
The Zen cage above is 4' high x 4' wide x 2' deep...so that would be big enough for an adult? It does have a screen at the bottom of the front glass doors about 10" so that should work for the chimney effect...?
 
The Zen cage above is 4' high x 4' wide x 2' deep...so that would be big enough for an adult? It does have a screen at the bottom of the front glass doors about 10" so that should work for the chimney effect...?
Yes that one will work. Remember chimney effect requires hot up top cool down at bottom or it doesn't work the way it was ment to.
 
The Zen cage above is 4' high x 4' wide x 2' deep...so that would be big enough for an adult? It does have a screen at the bottom of the front glass doors about 10" so that should work for the chimney effect...?
Yes, it would work but you will have to make modifications to it as well. For drainage and also for hooking in your branches. You can cut plastic trellis pieces that fit on the back and two side walls to use for mounting branches to it. For drainage you can drill small holes into the bottom pvc board then have a basin it drips into. But I know the zen is not waterproof either. I know someone who used aquarium grade silicone to seal all the seems on their zen.

This site will help you with overall set up and needs. Then if you have questions come let us know. https://chameleonacademy.com/chameleon-husbandry-program-getting-started-with-chameleons/
 
The Zen cage above is 4' high x 4' wide x 2' deep...so that would be big enough for an adult? It does have a screen at the bottom of the front glass doors about 10" so that should work for the chimney effect...?
Just a quick note .zen habitats are made of vinyl covered particle board . Though I suppose it’s possible they are very hard to seal and the minute moisture it’s the particleboard it starts to delaminate .imho I would steer clear of those for chameleon habitat .
 
Just a quick note .zen habitats are made of vinyl covered particle board . Though I suppose it’s possible they are very hard to seal and the minute moisture it’s the particleboard it starts to delaminate .imho I would steer clear of those for chameleon habitat .
Thank you I thought that was the case but I could not remember if it was or not.
 
Just a quick note .zen habitats are made of vinyl covered particle board . Though I suppose it’s possible they are very hard to seal and the minute moisture it’s the particleboard it starts to delaminate .imho I would steer clear of those for chameleon habitat .
I spoke to ZEN about this and the enclosures are not particle board. Someone else with this habitat on the forum had also indicated it was more like a dense foam. Below is the reply from Zen. I had been thinking that particle board is usually really heavy too.
" Our PVC panels are a bamboo printed composite panel made from a proprietary blend of PVC foam, PVC film, and calcium. PVC enclosures can handle any humidity from 0-100% and the panels themselves are waterproof. Due to the ability to assemble/disassemble our enclosures, they are not water tight, which is why the BioBasin is needed, but the PVC product itself is perfect for high humidity and does not contain any wood/particle board :) "
 
Yes, it would work but you will have to make modifications to it as well. For drainage and also for hooking in your branches. You can cut plastic trellis pieces that fit on the back and two side walls to use for mounting branches to it. For drainage you can drill small holes into the bottom pvc board then have a basin it drips into. But I know the zen is not waterproof either. I know someone who used aquarium grade silicone to seal all the seems on their zen.

This site will help you with overall set up and needs. Then if you have questions come let us know. https://chameleonacademy.com/chameleon-husbandry-program-getting-started-with-chameleons/
Thanks! Yes, I have been pouring over the husbandry program. It is excellent! I wish we had access to his cages.
 
Can just use silicon panels as u put together. Doesn't have to be aquarium. Just get plan kind it's the same stuff just cheaper. Have used in salt water tanks for 20+ years.
 
I spoke to ZEN about this and the enclosures are not particle board. Someone else with this habitat on the forum had also indicated it was more like a dense foam. Below is the reply from Zen. I had been thinking that particle board is usually really heavy too.
" Our PVC panels are a bamboo printed composite panel made from a proprietary blend of PVC foam, PVC film, and calcium. PVC enclosures can handle any humidity from 0-100% and the panels themselves are waterproof. Due to the ability to assemble/disassemble our enclosures, they are not water tight, which is why the BioBasin is needed, but the PVC product itself is perfect for high humidity and does not contain any wood/particle board :) "
Yeah actually that’s not true they’re not dense foam , I heard that once too . so I contacted the manufacture . Because I considered buying when they were so cheap . sorry they’re particleboard over vinyl . Here’s the thread where I learned the information . back in January . sorry I’ve already been down this road

https://www.chameleonforums.com/threads/modifying-a-zen-habitats-cage.185885/page-2
 
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Yeah actually that’s not true they’re not dense foam , I heard that once too . so I contacted the manufacture . Because I considered buying when they were so cheap . sorry they’re particleboard over vinyl . Here’s the thread where I learned the information . back in January . sorry I’ve already been down this road

https://www.chameleonforums.com/threads/modifying-a-zen-habitats-cage.185885/page-2
Well, dang!!! That's disappointing!!! Thanks for sharing that link. sigh.
 
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