beginner setup enclosure

[haleymom2001]

I'm wanting to buy a panther chameleon but I want to know if I should buy a whole setup from someone like screameleons or do it from scratch. I know and have read there is alot to do so I don't know if a kit would be good enough. Any thoughts?

 

[aaron9069]

I'm wanting to buy a panther chameleon but I want to know if I should buy a whole setup from someone like screameleons or do it from scratch. I know and have read there is alot to do so I don't know if a kit would be good enough. Any thoughts?

Most of the starter kits come with smaller cages, which is good when they are babies but you will have to upgrade to a bigger cage when he starts to reach adult size. I started off with a large 18x18x36 reptibreeze for my 3 month old veiled and he's been doing pretty well. You have to be careful with the bigger cages because it can be hard for the babies to find their food. It's honestly a matter of preference though, if you want to start from scratch then you'd be able to make sure you have exactly what you want and what your new cham needs. Good luck! And welcome to the world of chameleons

 

[reptoman]

You might save a bit by buying the items yourself as opposed to a package. For a 3 month old you would want to make sure you have enough branches in the enclosure so that they can reach all the corners of the cage comfortably. Here is what I would buy for a single cage setup.

1. 24x24x48 screen cage from LLL reptile or DIY - $100 shipped
2. 24" 2 bulb flourescent fixture from Lowes or Home depot - $25.00
3. 24" Reptisun 5.0 UVB bulb from Amazon - $20
4. 6" dome trouble light with clamp from Lowes or Home depot = $10
5. hanging pothos or ivy from Lowes or Home depot - $14
6. biovine from petsmart or petco or use natural branches tied together with zipties. $20 or free
7. little dripper from petsmart or petco - $10
8. zipties and miscellaneous items $20

$219.00 total so far


The other item you need to think about is drainage for the excess water you will have from the dripper. There are commercially available drip pans that fit cages or you can build a drain table. There is a thread on here that shows a lot of ideas from other members. Feel free to contact me if you have any questions. Good luck!

 

[ridgebax1]

You can shop around and look for the best prices. Amazon has a lot of good buys on cages and other supplies. If you can only get one cage I would get the big one and maybe buy an older cham to start with. I got Omar when he was 3 months old and put him right into a big cage, but, I also cup fed him which he took to right away so I did not have to worry about him hunting down his food. I have a young panther now and he is in a smaller cage. He free range hunts his crickets and really doesn't seem interested in bugs in a cup! It makes me nervous cause I don't know exactly how much he is eating! They pretty much all disappear and there are not a million little crickets jumping around the house so he must be getting them. Still I would rather he cup feed but I have only had him a week so I am just doing what he was used to. I hope that in time he will adapt to a cup.

 

[Mijah139]

If you are willing to put in the time to build everything yourself, you can do it for much cheaper. I made my enclosure with redwood 2x2's and 1/4'' hardware cloth and its perfectly fine. A lot more sturdy than diy enclosures sold online and for half the cost. That being said, you need to have the time

 

[kplatvoet]

If you do decide to "do it yourself" it's not as hard as it sounds - I bought a "complete" kit (not from screameleons- from a cheaper source) and found that it had things I didn't need and I still needed more branches and stuff- Plan on getting everything set up in advance - spray and drip so you know if your going to have humidity or drainage problems and post a picture - you'll get help if you missed anything- If you make a shopping list and ask "how it looks" people will help you too- (I wish I had done that - I would have saved 125 on a Monsoon mister- that I got because it was on sale) From the list above I noticed it missed Calcuim without d3- I spent hours going from store to store and finally had to get it online because all the stores around here don't have it without. You may get more choices than you ask for (like I would go with the 24 in Acadia 5.0 bulb-it last's 9 months instead of 6-from "light my reptiles") But you'll know what to shop around for - (Reptoman's list is a real good start)
I like the idea that some people had of shortening up a full size cage for younger babies - though I don't know if I would be able to make it work.

 

[scout83]

I just built a 6'x4'x2' I went to Home Depot and spent $40 my Cham scout loves his new enclosure