Beginner Setup. What Else Do I Need? Good Cham Choice?

[Coby]

So Im looking to get a Panther Cham later this month, and I just want to make sure of what all I need.

Here is what Ill probably get:

And this for a setup for the baby:

Anything else I should add? Does that look good for the first setup while it grows?

 

[ChameleonRave]

So Im looking to get a Panther Cham later this month, and I just want to make sure of what all I need.

Here is what Ill probably get:

And this for a setup for the baby:

Anything else I should add? Does that look good for the first setup while it grows?

it looks just about right.. not to be nosy but where are you ordering from! i would love to get a ficus from them!

 

[Coby]

it looks just about right.. not to be nosy but where are you ordering from! i would love to get a ficus from them!

Sweet.

Its LLLReptile.

 

[Syn]

Sorry if you can't read it, for some reason it looked bigger at first.

 

[Olimpia]

What Syn just said is what I was going to say. Honestly, you will save a LOT by getting half those things at Lowes. Plants, light fixtures, heat bulbs can all be found at places like Walmart or Lowes for a lot less! A fixture at Home Depot for your fluorescent is about $9, so you save $30

As for supplementation, your little guy is going to need 3 types - 1. A calcium WITH D3 (which you're getting) 2. a calcium WITHOUT D3, and 3. a multivitamin.

 

[Coby]

Sorry if you can't read it, for some reason it looked bigger at first.

Ahh, alright. Ill look into what all you said.

Ill be getting a baby panther, and then once its larger Ill get a bigger cage.

What other supplements will it need? I dont want to skimp on it's health so Im willing to get whatever I need.

Do I necessarily need a timer?

Thanks

 

[Coby]

What Syn just said is what I was going to say. Honestly, you will save a LOT by getting half those things at Lowes. Plants, light fixtures, heat bulbs can all be found at places like Walmart or Lowes for a lot less! A fixture at Home Depot for your fluorescent is about $9, so you save $30

As for supplementation, your little guy is going to need 3 types - 1. A calcium WITH D3 (which you're getting) 2. a calcium WITHOUT D3, and 3. a multivitamin.

Okeydokey, Ill go and look in the city tomorrow to see what all I can find.

Where I live it can sometimes get a little chilly, so I want to make sure the area where the cage will be will be adequately heated.

 

[Manik6]

yeah the timer pretty much is neccessary. also alot of ppl say the habbamist is garbabe. i havent used it but there are enough sceptics on here to tell you. if you want a mistsystem mistking is the way to go. i will get mine as soon as i can. depending on your cham. some dont like to be misted but most do.

 

[Psi]

Ahh, alright. Ill look into what all you said.

Ill be getting a baby panther, and then once its larger Ill get a bigger cage.

Get the medium, then move him to the XL when you feel he's big enough, the L cage really doesn't add enough size to consider it

What other supplements will it need? I dont want to skimp on it's health so Im willing to get whatever I need.

Calcium WITHOUT D3 and a multi vitamin supplement

Do I necessarily need a timer?

Thanks

No, but it makes life significantly easier on you.

 

[Coby]

Okay cool.

So it looks like Ill get:

Zilla 500 Watt Temperature Controller
Zilla Analog Timer Power Center
Zoo Med 23" Twisty Vine
Zoo Med Medium Repti Breeze Aluminum Screen Cage
Zoo Med 60 watt ceramic heater
Zoo Med 24" Repti Sun 5.0 UVB bulb
Zoo Med Repti Sun Terrarium Hood 30 inch
Zoo Med regular black ceramic clip lamp
Zoo Med thermometer and humidity indicator
Zoo Med Flexible Vine
MistKing Starter Misting System
Small Ficus Tree (live) 6" Pot
Zoo Med Repti Calcium With D3 - 8oz
Zoo Med Repti Calcium WITHOUT D3 - 8 oz
Zoo Med Reptivite With D3- 16 oz

And whatever Panther I decide on.

Some of that will be susbstituted with stuff I can find locally.


Anything else? Im assuming most of that will have instructions on setup and use?

 

[summoner12]

Don't waste money on items #1, #2, #3, #7, #10, #11 or #12 that are on your list.

Check out these items. My list is 100%... I forgot the misting bottle, calcium, calcium D3 and herptevite supplements. Personally I would buy the Sticky tongue Miner-All brand of supplements.

 

[Warrix642]

I changed a few things on your list based on my suggestions.

CHEAP LOWES/HOME DEPOT TIMER.

Zoo Med 23" Twisty Vine
Zoo Med Medium Repti Breeze Aluminum Screen Cage (CONSIDER BUILDING YOU OWN FOR YOUR OWN CUSTOM NEEDS)(DRAINAGE)

Just use a 40-60w house bulb for heat as they seek out light and heat to bask. This is a lot more effective and way cheaper.

Zoo Med 24" Repti Sun 5.0 UVB bulb

GET A DUAL LIGHT FIXTURE FROM LOWES OR HOME DEPOT WITH A 6500K LIGHT FOR PLANTS TO GO WITH YOUR UVB BULB. That will be cheaper and will promote plant growth.

Zoo Med thermometer and humidity indicator
Zoo Med Flexible Vine
MistKing Starter Misting System

Small Ficus Tree (live) 6" Pot (YOU CAN GET a LOT PLANTS CHEAPER AT A LOCAL STORE PLUS YOU CAN PICK THE ONE YOU LIKE)

Zoo Med Repti Calcium With D3 - 8oz
Zoo Med Repti Calcium WITHOUT D3 - 8 oz
Zoo Med Reptivite With D3- 16 oz

These are just a few proven techniques to save a lot of money

 

[summoner12]

BTW, my list was figuring you would buy everything from LLL, for the most part.

Lowes has a great indoor/outdoor temp and humidity meter. It does highs and lows for all of it's monitoring functions.

Lowes has dual 18" fictures for T8 lamps. So the 6500K and zoo med 5.0 are good lamps to install.

Home Depot has PAR20 Flood lamps. I use the 50watt flood lamps on my cages. They make good heat and won't break if you splash water onto them. Be mindful of how you angle the light. These lamps do get warm so don't just plop it on the top of the cage, be sure to track the temps so you don't burn your chameleon. Also do not buy the spot lamps, they will burn the chameleon.

Here is an example of setting up your lights. Your animal will get it's heat and UVB at the same time. This is important since the skin of the animal needs to be warm for the photo synthesis to work.

 

[Coby]

Ok thanks guys. Will that 18x18x36 be too big for a baby?


I cant wait. I might be able to order it all this week!

 

[chamelisa]

Get the plant from LLL because it is pesticide free. The plants from most nurseries have been sprayed and the soil contains pesticides.

 

[Coby]

Ok Ill do that then. So Ill get the medium cage for it as its growing, then once its older Ill get the extra large. Would It be a bad idea to try and connect 2 large cages once its full grown?

 

[Olimpia]

I don't agree about the getting the plant from them - in the end you pay 3 times more plus shipping for a plant that's gonna get squashed around in a box. The pesticides have an easy fix - you wash the leaves with a soapy water, rinse them with a hose or something, and then repot the plant with organic soil in such a way that none of the original soil remains, or none of the original soil is exposed (you can also put pebbles over the latter option to keep the soil out of reach).

And as for the cage, if you're looking into something much bigger than a 2 x 2 x 4 cage, it's better to build your own. Since your guy would be a baby, you have months to read up on how to build your own perfect cage. And it's not expensive at all.

 

[Coby]

True, building a cage sounds like it would be my best bet for when its older.

Ill probably do that with the plant as well.

One other thing, should I order the crickets from that place too? If so, what size?

Thanks Olimpia

 

[chamelisa]

Ill probably do that with the plant as well.

I make a lot of ficus bonsai and used to go through the hassle of washing plants two and three times to prepare them for a chameleon enclosure. But not any more. I'm buying from a wholesale nursery that has a special greenhouse where they don't use any pesticides. This is where LLL gets their trees from.

 

[summoner12]

If you are ordering all of this stuff at once from LLL you might as well throw the plant in.