My background is actually in dart frog and tree frog breeding so this whole world of chameleons is fairly new. My favorite aspect of raising small frogs is the vivarium building that goes with it. I LOVE building tropical tanks so pygmy chameleons seemed like the perfect first step into the chameleon world. Eventually I'll do a semi-free range setup for a new panther, but until then I want to learn more about these guys in general. It was fun to build something different, for something completely different from what I've raised in the past. Being fairly new to the chameleon side of things, I'd love some feedback.
My idea here was to fit a pair of these guys into a 20 gallon vertical tank that would fit onto my classroom frog rack (I teach Science). The first challenge was cutting out some fresh acrylic parts for the vertical conversion from a normal, 20 gallon tall aquarium. I typically just buy conversion kits but this time I misplaced some parts I had acquired so I just had to make do with what I could cut out from scraps at home. The tank maintains good humidity but has fairly good air circulation from a small screen panel toward the top. Additional circulation actually comes from an internal 2" computer fan on a timer.
My idea was to paint the outside of the tank black to create a dark mirror effect from the inside. That creates an illusion of endless forest on the walls and background of the vivarium. Unfortunately, that part doesn't show up in my bad cell phone pictures. The other aspect of this idea was to use the dark background to contrast the bright greens of the plants and moss. The soil is the ABG mix I use for dart frogs with a hefty load of springtails to act as snacks and janitors. I used clay balls for a drainage layer, live moss and lichens with epiphytic plants... The chameleons seem extremely happy and the female. I'm trying to create the illusion of dense forest so the chameleons feel comfortable while maintaining a fairly open tank so I can easily find them in the tank. It will definitely grow in and become more dense over time though. It's also fairly wet in their since I just misted before I took the photos. What do you guys think?
the highways in place.
Basic planting done.
My idea here was to fit a pair of these guys into a 20 gallon vertical tank that would fit onto my classroom frog rack (I teach Science). The first challenge was cutting out some fresh acrylic parts for the vertical conversion from a normal, 20 gallon tall aquarium. I typically just buy conversion kits but this time I misplaced some parts I had acquired so I just had to make do with what I could cut out from scraps at home. The tank maintains good humidity but has fairly good air circulation from a small screen panel toward the top. Additional circulation actually comes from an internal 2" computer fan on a timer.
My idea was to paint the outside of the tank black to create a dark mirror effect from the inside. That creates an illusion of endless forest on the walls and background of the vivarium. Unfortunately, that part doesn't show up in my bad cell phone pictures. The other aspect of this idea was to use the dark background to contrast the bright greens of the plants and moss. The soil is the ABG mix I use for dart frogs with a hefty load of springtails to act as snacks and janitors. I used clay balls for a drainage layer, live moss and lichens with epiphytic plants... The chameleons seem extremely happy and the female. I'm trying to create the illusion of dense forest so the chameleons feel comfortable while maintaining a fairly open tank so I can easily find them in the tank. It will definitely grow in and become more dense over time though. It's also fairly wet in their since I just misted before I took the photos. What do you guys think?
the highways in place.
Basic planting done.
