cage size
- Thread starter SweetPea
- Start date
MicheleSmith
Established Member
IMHO ALWAYS go with the bigger size. Bigger IS better when it applies to a chameleon's enclosure, and I think she would really appreciate a bigger cage, I know my cham would! 
Drake
New Member
I also thought bigger is better, but when you think about it, do they really use all that space? Since they are tree dwellers, they are usually up high basking, in the middle cooling off, or sometimes they'll just wonder around. Do they really need all that space? I'm not sure though, I know my chams really don't use all of their cage, just the top half mostly...
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Tara
New Member
You could always
Hey AMY!
You could always block off a portion of a larger cage on the bottom if you find that a smaller enclosure works better. That way in the future, if you go with a different type of cham that likes a larger cage, then you could just unblock that part, instead of having to buy a larger cage.
In the end that would save you money that you could spend on their best lighting and the best food.
I think Jenna mentioned that she has bars across the bottom of a cage and has her plant set on the bars and the excess debri and water falls down through the bars, for easy cleaning on the bottom of the cage.
I am thinking of doing something like that on the bottom of whatever cage I have so that the plant is not sitting on the tray and I can just slide it out to clean.
I'm thinking out making a bench type thing with legs that would come down on either side of the tray , with bars or plastic connected to each leg that I can set the plant on. Here is a pic
Hey AMY!
You could always block off a portion of a larger cage on the bottom if you find that a smaller enclosure works better. That way in the future, if you go with a different type of cham that likes a larger cage, then you could just unblock that part, instead of having to buy a larger cage.
In the end that would save you money that you could spend on their best lighting and the best food.
I think Jenna mentioned that she has bars across the bottom of a cage and has her plant set on the bars and the excess debri and water falls down through the bars, for easy cleaning on the bottom of the cage.
I am thinking of doing something like that on the bottom of whatever cage I have so that the plant is not sitting on the tray and I can just slide it out to clean.
I'm thinking out making a bench type thing with legs that would come down on either side of the tray , with bars or plastic connected to each leg that I can set the plant on. Here is a pic
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Heika
New Member
My uncle kindly volunteered to build my newest cage after he checked out the last one I built. I think the crooked door gives it character, but he had a point about it when a superworm traveled out a crack. My panther's current cage is 36" tall, 30" wide, and 18" deep. He really doesn't use the bottom part of the cage at all, but he has been pacing the areas that he does use for a month or so. Every time the door swings open, he is making a chameleon mad dash for it. So, since I want him to be happy.... the new cage will be 5' of screened area, 30" wide by 30" wide. It sits on a 2' tall cabinet with a five gallon bucket in it to catch the water. The floor is a washing machine drain pan (is Gus on this forum?) that drains the water into the bucket. Total height is 7' 3" because of the wheels on the base. I am not exactly sure why it needed wheels, but my uncle is under the impression that all fine furniture has wheels? Don't tell Ethan Allen... Leaves me just enough room for the lights up top! It is being built out of birch plywood and lumber. I bought nice plastic screen (8 mesh) from a fish netting place that should keep him from hurting his toesies. Now, it just needs to be finished! Almost there! My uncle keeps telling me that I am insane for keeping an animal that needs a cage the size of a refrigerator...
Heika
I think the crooked door gives it character, but he had a point about it when a superworm traveled out a crack. My panther's current cage is 36" tall, 30" wide, and 18" deep. He really doesn't use the bottom part of the cage at all, but he has been pacing the areas that he does use for a month or so. Every time the door swings open, he is making a chameleon mad dash for it. So, since I want him to be happy.... the new cage will be 5' of screened area, 30" wide by 30" wide. It sits on a 2' tall cabinet with a five gallon bucket in it to catch the water. The floor is a washing machine drain pan (is Gus on this forum?) that drains the water into the bucket. Total height is 7' 3" because of the wheels on the base. I am not exactly sure why it needed wheels, but my uncle is under the impression that all fine furniture has wheels? Don't tell Ethan Allen... Leaves me just enough room for the lights up top! It is being built out of birch plywood and lumber. I bought nice plastic screen (8 mesh) from a fish netting place that should keep him from hurting his toesies. Now, it just needs to be finished! Almost there! My uncle keeps telling me that I am insane for keeping an animal that needs a cage the size of a refrigerator... Heika
Heika
New Member
Other keepers have reported having problems with the smaller screen. I haven't actually experienced it, because I have never used it. The cage my panther is in now uses a soft, fabricy sort of sun screen that I bought at my local hardware store. Spencer does climb the screen a lot, and always has, so I didn't want to risk using the fine aluminum screen. I begged the folks at www.cages.net to sell me some of the 8 mesh vinyl coated aluminum they use, but they wouldn't budge. They have it specially made, and when I called, they were almost out and wouldn't be getting any more for a while. When I found the 8 mesh plastic netting, I was really pleased because it seems so perfect. Plus, it was affordable. I got 25' of 48" screen for under $50.00, and that included shipping. Now, the real test will be how it holds up.
Amy, I can only tell you that 36" doesn't seem to be enough for my male panther chameleon. But, I am assuming that he is pacing because the cage is too small. If he keeps pacing when he is in the big cage, then the problem wasn't the cage. Honestly, I never intended to leave him in this smaller cage for as long as I have. He will be a year old this month. Part of the reason that I didn't move him to a larger one a while ago was because he got sick, and stayed sick for over 2 months. I was afraid to move him out of the cage.. I didn't want to add stress to his illness. He has been better for a little over a month now, so I think it is time for the bigger cage. If my uncle hadn't volunteered to build me one, I would have bought one of the 48" ones from Cages.net. They seem like nice people, and their cages come highly recommended by quite a few people.
Heika
Amy, I can only tell you that 36" doesn't seem to be enough for my male panther chameleon. But, I am assuming that he is pacing because the cage is too small. If he keeps pacing when he is in the big cage, then the problem wasn't the cage. Honestly, I never intended to leave him in this smaller cage for as long as I have. He will be a year old this month. Part of the reason that I didn't move him to a larger one a while ago was because he got sick, and stayed sick for over 2 months. I was afraid to move him out of the cage.. I didn't want to add stress to his illness. He has been better for a little over a month now, so I think it is time for the bigger cage. If my uncle hadn't volunteered to build me one, I would have bought one of the 48" ones from Cages.net. They seem like nice people, and their cages come highly recommended by quite a few people.
Heika
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SweetPea: The larger screened cage would be preferable for a full grown veiled chameleon . Not only does this give your cham more room to hunt and play, but it also creates a more gradual temperature gradient.
I am currently doing something similar. The cage I am using has a small separate door on the bottom which makes this method much easier. Make sure the cham can not get between the bars!! A cross hatch design would be preferable but may be harder to find. My new cage will be similar to Heikas, and use an artificial slope to drain water through a screened hole. This should cut my watering labor by 50% or moreTara said:
LOLHeika said:
Honestly, I have never personally seen a reptile store that used screen cagesSweetPea said:
Are you referring to the reptarium or the aluminum screen? I have not had any problems with the standard aluminum screen size, but would prefer a larger one like that offered at cages.net. If you increase the mesh size from the standard, you will need to remember that feeders can escape. I do not use reptariums. In my opinion the mesh size is too small, especially for larger species.I will be combining different ideas from the design you sent me and the design available at chameleon paradise. I will also be adding a few extras like the water drainage. Of course this is what I plan to build; with my superior carpentry skills I will probably end up with some bizarre contraption made of wood and screen. I have decided to wait on building the cage until I purchase a new camera. This way I can take pics and document the processherpluv said:
Prism Chameleons
Established Member
Heika said:
LOL My dad was out about a month ago and made me a cage as well, with wheels (is it an older man thing?)!! And actually, I ended up liking it! It's a 60" x 30" x 18", plus add the height for wheels, ummm 64"? I can roll it away from the wall easily to clean under it, PLUS, and here is the BIG plus.... I can roll it outside on the DECK! Way cool for the summer time for some good old natural D3 sunlight on my chameleons.
Had the same problem though with the door a bit because of it's height and weight... it sags a bit from that. But he's working on a re-design to try and fix that problem.
Hey, guys... wheels are cool! And I found that out thanks to my Dad!
Can't wait to rolllllllll it onto my deck!!
Prism Chameleons
Established Member
Thanks Brad! I'll be sure to let my Dad know.... BTW, he used the plans from Chameleon Paradise and then added some of his own ideas (like the wheels lol), and size (on my request - I like my chameleons to have lots of space to feel more at home in their habitat), etc. But, he followed those plans at the start and fiddled around as he went along. Even did a nice mahagony stain on it with black colored hinges and a brass/gold colored latch. Turned out pretty I thought.
Oh! And for some unknown silly reason, here in Maryland they don't make 2x2's as suggested to use in the chameleon paradise plan. We had to improvise using 1 x 3" boards.
And yeah, I can't wait to roll Lancelot who is in there out to the deck to catch some rays .
Oh! And for some unknown silly reason, here in Maryland they don't make 2x2's as suggested to use in the chameleon paradise plan. We had to improvise using 1 x 3" boards.
And yeah, I can't wait to roll Lancelot who is in there out to the deck to catch some rays
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