Veiled Chameleon Enclosure
- Thread starter Evensen0316
- Start date
As long as there is an unobstructed area below UVB at the correct distance for the fixture type and bulb strength and below Basking then yes it is fine. But if the entire top is filled in with plants these will cause a reduction in UVB that the cham has access to.
You want many more branches throughout the enclosure. No fogging during the day when lights are on. And I would be very cautious hooking pots to the screen like that.
Take a look at this link https://chameleonacademy.com/setting-up-a-chameleon-cage/
and this one https://chameleonacademy.com/case-study-2-x-2-x-4-cage/
Evensen0316
Member
I’m going to trim the tree up a bit to free up some room from the UVB. I have 2 60 inch bamboo rods that I will cut to size to hopefully fill the gaps and have a nice cage to climb around in! As for the plants on the side, I don’t like them either. Surprisingly they are held on well, I’m going to remove them tho and replace with bamboo. Will try to think of a way to keep as many plants in as I can, any tips to keep small plants like that up high?
MissSkittles
Chameleon Enthusiast
Make sure your bamboo has some roughness to it or it is too slippery for chams, especially when wet. I use branches I find outside…give a scrub with dish soap, rinse very well and let dry in the sun. Avoid pine and sappy trees.
Evensen0316
Member
I’m thinking that I may try to get this cage to work, the cage you sent me a link to is much more nice! Going to have to talk my girlfriend into letting me make another purchase!
Evensen0316
Member
MissSkittles
Chameleon Enthusiast
I turn larger plant pots upside down and set my plants on top of them. Or you could look for a small wire shelf.
bruce the cham
Avid Member
add a lot more branches
Evensen0316
Member
I will, I’m going to order some dragon ledges to be able to keep more sticks in place
Much better with the basking area being more open. And I second what @MissSkittles said flipping a pot upside down can help a lot. Dragon ledges are the key when it comes to really being able to do a lot with the space.
This is what you can do with them. Makes a huge difference I am able to make it more like a canopy of a tree.
This is what you can do with them. Makes a huge difference I am able to make it more like a canopy of a tree.
Evensen0316
Member
Nice setups!! Definitely will help set mine up! Just curious how often do you clean your tanks? How do you clean them? Do you take everything apart and back together?
Thank you! I don’t take them apart completely. Every few months I remove Beman and then take a pressurized spray bottle and paper towels to wipe down my walls. I spray down the branches etc. then each month I clean out any dead leaves etc. I spot clean each time he poops.
Evensen0316
Member
This helps so much, everything I’m reading is like you need to take everything out once a week and sanitize. I will do my daily spot cleaning, will wash my plants down probably every few weeks than wipe and spray down the entire cage every other month or so! Also, this is Genesis, it looks to me like she is getting ready to shed?
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Some do take everything apart a few times a year. Weekly seems nuts to me.. would cause a tremendous amount of stress for a chameleon. Honestly there are times when this is needed like if the cham has to be treated for parasites. But otherwise if your keeping the cage clean and it is set up correctly it becomes it’s own little ecosystem.
Pretty girl. She may be… looks like a few white dots there.
You know your girl will need a lay bin right? That she will lay infertile eggs.
Evensen0316
Member
Yes, my girlfriend and I will be getting a bin setup in the next day or so! Mainly the reason I want to try and elevate the other plants, I’ve read to use a mixture of clean sand and potting soil. I just need to make sure it will be good for her when she digs that it’s moist and won’t collapse on her.
Most of the female keepers here do straight plays and in a tub about 5-6 inches deep. @MissSkittles could you give some info on lay bins hun?
Evensen0316
Member
What do you mean by straight plays? And yes more info I get the better! Thank you!
Sorry on my phone lol. Straight playsand rather than blending it with soil. You can do either… but if you mix it when it’s moist it needs to hold a tunnel.
Klyde O'Scope
Chameleon Enthusiast
Should be fine. That looks like a ficus benjamina(?) If so, it'll probably lose some of the top leaves anyway—they can be sensitive/temperamental.
I have a few bamboo sticks; they seem to have helped my male panther develop (strengthen) his grip. I also use wooden dowels (sealed with polyurethane) in a variety of dias from 1/4" to 3/4", vinyl coated steel garden stakes (easy to cut, and they have a rough surface), and the twisted branches from my braided trunk ficus that died.
Pothos, philodendron, and inchplant are all fast-growing (12"/month) vines that wind throughout everything, providing the remainder of his transportation system.
Yup. There are lots of good (and relatively inexpensive) ways of supporting branches & plants. Some require anchoring to the frame—others do not.
- dowel lattice
- aluminum stock supports
- vinyl lattice
- ceiling egg crate lattice
- square tomato cages
- goat fencing
I clean enclosures with a small portable wet/dry vac.
https://www.amazon.com/Armor-Gallon-Utility-Vacuum-AA255/dp/B003M2F7NI?th=1
For
, after cleanup with the vac or paper towel, I give the area a spritz of Nature's Miracle. It kills bearded dragon stank, so it'll kill any stank a chameleon can muster. Haven't had need for a tear-down except when my ficus died (parasites), so the whole enclosure got a makeover. Some debris eventually washes down (via mister). My floor is ceiling egg crate with window screen on top of that. It supports/distributes the weight of three 10" pots with centerpiece plants, and allows water to drain right through into a drain pan and out into a 5 gal. bucket that gets emptied monthly.
