Building an enclosure for male veiled

[Anastasia_k]

So I just found out that my chameleon is a male, which means he will get bigger soon, and I need to get him a new enclosure asap. The shops in my area offer maximum height of 90 cm (35 inches) which I think is too small, so I'm planning to order a custom built one. Which dimensions would be ideal? Is 120 cm tall (approx.) 47 inches good enough? I understand that the bigger the better but I do have some space and budget limitations. I want to provide him comfortable conditions while also not turning my whole bedroom into a terrarium Also, a bit unrelated: should I keep his basking lamp on in summer? It gets pretty hot these days, between 25- 34 C (77-93 F), and I've seen him opening his mouth often under the lamp (no other signs of respiratory problems), so I assume he might feel hot. The water from misting also evaporates REALLY fast.

 

[serenaj25]

So I just found out that my chameleon is a male, which means he will get bigger soon, and I need to get him a new enclosure asap. The shops in my area offer maximum height of 90 cm (35 inches) which I think is too small, so I'm planning to order a custom built one. Which dimensions would be ideal? Is 120 cm tall (approx.) 47 inches good enough? I understand that the bigger the better but I do have some space and budget limitations. I want to provide him comfortable conditions while also not turning my whole bedroom into a terrarium Also, a bit unrelated: should I keep his basking lamp on in summer? It gets pretty hot these days, between 25- 34 C (77-93 F), and I've seen him opening his mouth often under the lamp (no other signs of respiratory problems), so I assume he might feel hot. The water from misting also evaporates REALLY fast.

if you are looking to save money, you can build your own cage for a fairly cheap price and get a lot more space for your money! I'm not sure about the basking light I will let one of the experts chime in

 

[Tygerr]

should I keep his basking lamp on in summer? It gets pretty hot these days, between 25- 34 C (77-93 F), and I've seen him opening his mouth often under the lamp (no other signs of respiratory problems), so I assume he might feel hot. The water from misting also evaporates REALLY fast.

Try to set up the spot lamp so that you can adjust the distance away from the chameleon when it gets warmer (and bring it closer again during the cooler months). Ideally you should use one of those laser thermometers to measure the temps where the chameleon is basking to ensure it doesn't get too hot.

I prefer keeping the spot lamps on during the day even during the warmer months, since for indoor cages it simulates the concentrated warmth of the sun that the chams usually seek out during the day.
However, I made sure the spot lamps where on adjustable stands so that I can move them away from the cage to prevent the cham from overheating itself or getting burnt during the hotter months.

 

[Anastasia_k]

Try to set up the spot lamp so that you can adjust the distance away from the chameleon when it gets warmer (and bring it closer again during the cooler months). Ideally you should use one of those laser thermometers to measure the temps where the chameleon is basking to ensure it doesn't get too hot.

I prefer keeping the spot lamps on during the day even during the warmer months, since for indoor cages it simulates the concentrated warmth of the sun that the chams usually seek out during the day.
However, I made sure the spot lamps where on adjustable stands so that I can move them away from the cage to prevent the cham from overheating itself or getting burnt during the hotter months.

That's a great idea, thank you! I will either get one of those adjustable ones or put a hook in the wall to hang the lamp on so its a bit higher. How strong should the UVB be for an adult sized enclosure? These are the lamps I'm currently using. Is that good enough?

 

[Tygerr]

If you're going to do a cage that's 120cm tall, rather get the fluorescent tube UV lights, not those compact fluorescent bulbs.
A 5.0 should be fine, but the tubes put out a better spread of light than the compacts.

I understand that the bigger the better

See that statement is something that people often get wrong. Bigger is not always better.
In really big cages (or even worse: free roaming indoors), there are many spots where the UV light simply doesn't penetrate. The chams (like us) don't actually respond to the UV light as visible light, so they don't know where to move to get proper UV exposure - they'll only respond to the heat of the spot bulbs. But they're not going to spend all their time at the heat bulbs, so you need to ensure that there is an adequate spread of UV to areas where it is cooler.

 

[Cynthia0404]

Hi.. just got my veiled chameleon and I am a bit confused were to keep him I currently have him in my living room Wich is a pretty busy place...should I move him to a quiet less traffic area? He doesn't seem bothered by where he is now...

 

[Anastasia_k]

@Tygerr hi, so I got a UVB tube (10.0), they recommended it in the store as veileds live in more deserted areas than other chameleons, and they also gave me this Sun Glo tube which imitates natural sunlight, as I have many plants in the enclosure and would like them to grow well. It also looks nicer and more natural this way. But all the info I read so far only mentions UVB and basking bulbs, so I'm not sure whether to use the third light or not. Do you know if it's safe for the animal?

 

[Nursemaia]

Use a UVB bulb, if you have plants use a plant pro bulb to help them grow, if it's already warm where you are don't use a basking bulb or else you risk over heating him. It's hot where i'm at right now and I have a LED plant bulb that provides direct light my chams like to bask under but gives off no heat so they don't get too warm. In the winter when they need supplemental warmth, then use a incandescent household bulb to give them a basking spot.

 

[Anastasia_k]

Use a UVB bulb, if you have plants use a plant pro bulb to help them grow, if it's already warm where you are don't use a basking bulb or else you risk over heating him. It's hot where i'm at right now and I have a LED plant bulb that provides direct light my chams like to bask under but gives off no heat so they don't get too warm. In the winter when they need supplemental warmth, then use a incandescent household bulb to give them a basking spot.

Thanks! I was researching whether to keep basking light in summer (it gets up to about 30 C where I live now), but kept getting conflicting information. I've replaced the heat bulb with a regular house bulb too for now, and will use the heat one in winter when it gets cold. Also my Cham is still young, about 5 months, so I'm not sure how warm it should be. Do you think I can use the sun bulb (on the picture above) for the plants together with the UVB and house bulb?

 

[Nursemaia]

I think you have a picture of a mercury vapor bulb above and I don't like them. If it's 30° C right now UVB bulb and get led plant bulb that can double as a basking bulb but won't give off heat. Then in the winter add a heat bulb. An incandescent bulb works fine for heat

 

[Anastasia_k]

Thanks! Which type of LED do you use? I had a quick look online and most are really expensive..

 

[Nursemaia]

I have several jungle dawn led. It's an $80 bulb but it will last 10000 hours