Coming over from a Reef Tank...

[cpllongjk]

Hi, I have always been interested in chameleons from a child and currently take care of a reef tank and have been for about 20 years.

I have read a lot of information on what to get for chameleons as far as equipment and how to care for them. My question is what type or types of chameleons look the best or are best for beginners. With fish you always start off with something cheap to test the waters and see if it works out. Are chameleons the same way?

Also should if I get into breeding, is there an actual market for chameleons. Reef keeping has a huge market but also has a ton of up front and reoccurring costs. How are chameleons in this manner? I would only breed to keep my hobby going.

Thanks,

Cpllongjk

 

[Synapse]

If you can maintain a legit reef tank I doubt you will have problems owning a cham. Plus, we have a ton of people on here willing to help so if there is a problem you can always just ask the friendly people here.

 

[ph34r]

welcome to the forums this a great place to pick up all the info you need ? have you thumbed through any of the care sheets for types of chams?? the universal opinion seems to be that Veiled and panthers are generally "easier" to care for because they can usually tolerate stuff a little better. Id recomend reading one of the care sheet for which type u want. Also panthers tend to be the most colorful, and veileds are know to have a temper more so then a panther. i would also recomend following sandrachameleons blog she is our resident expert when it comes to feeders and gut loading. once again welcome and if u have any questions feel free to ask everyyone here is more then willing to help in any way we can

 

[pssh]

Veileds are cheaper and panthers tend to be more colorful. They are both great "starter" chameleons. Panthers have a pretty good market, especially if you have a good looking sire/good bloodlines. Veileds can be a little harder (but it's not hard) to sell because the clutches tend to be bigger but they are less expensive. Breeding takes a while since the clutches can take more than a year to hatch. Babies also cost a TON to care for when you breed if you don't raise your own food.

 

[imcurt]

As a reef keeper I can tell you Keeping Panthers is where its at.They have the colors you find in reefs, and there sorta like collecting coral specimans that have personaltys .Space can be issue due to there solitary requirments.I can say I find the chameleons far mor rewarding,and my hobbie pays for it self.(took 2-3years)All of my panthers have come from the site sponcers.check them out!Oh and welcome to thee forums

 

[Drew V]

I did the same thing, came over from reef tank...

Did exactly like you said and started cheap with a veiled, mostly because their care is pretty close to panthers and as you said in reef you start with cheap stuff.

There is a lot less recurring costs, and since you are used to keeping a delicate environment you will do well.

 

[aholgate]

Welcome! I too just in the last few months got rid of all my reef tanks and decided to try out chameleons and I absolutely love it. With the care and time spent keeping up any reef tank, chams should be a breeze for you. Good luck!

 

[chameleoman]

hi welcome to the forums i have a reef tank to 35gallons (small) and ive had it for about 3 years now and i can say adding chams to the hobby was cool but im not done i love insects and other reptiles so im building my collection up but if you got money i would start with panthers cause they do earn you money but only if your patient for the eggs and breed your own feeders, my favorites are the nosy falys blue like the water in a tank and nice they range from $300-$400 and just say you have 20 babies and sell them all ill let you do the math

 

[Chris Jury]

Generally agreed with the above. I kept reef tanks for about a decade before moving out here to Hawaii to pursue a Ph.D. in oceanography. Corals can't be kept in private aquariums here, so no reef tank for me, but my research is with corals, so that helps to sate the palate. I kept and bred Veiled chameleons for several years, about 10-15 yrs ago, had a pair of T. deremensis for a while, and have been keeping Jackson's here in Hawaii, but have never owned a Panther myself.

If you can successfully keep a reef tank you should be able to successfully keep chameleons IMHO, at least of the hardier species. The particular skills needed are very different, but the level of attention to detail is similar. Likewise, if you can keep a reef tank you should be able to bake a cake though the actual skills (and acquired experience) is different.

As mentioned, Veiled and Panthers are generally considered the most foolproof options. This is primarily because 1) these species are relatively hardy and more forgiving of beginner errors than many other species, 2) their needs in captivity are well understood, and 3) they are readily available as captive bred animals, as opposed to beat-up wild caught animals which can be near impossible to successfully acclimate to captivity in unexperienced hands. This is not to say all wild caught chameleons are in bad condition, but some species are notoriously mistreated, such as...

With chameleons, cheaper species are not easier per se. For instance, Senegal chameleons and a few other species are often available for very cheap prices but many are in such poor condition when they arrive in this country they are doomed in all but very experienced hands that know how to get them back into good health (and even then many can suffer irreparable kidney damage due to dehydration during the chain of custody).

Veiled are generally much cheaper than Panthers: typically $40-100 for Veiled or $200-400 for Panthers, depending on age and coloration. Veiled are often a bit pugnacious, though occasionally you'll see a fairly calm individual. Conversely, Panthers are generally more mild tempered though occasionally you'll see a fairly pugnacious individual. Both are beautiful, though I think most people would consider outstandingly colored male Panthers to be among the most colorful chameleons (or vertebrates, for that matter). Between these two species it depends on which of these qualities are most important to you.

As compared to most reef tanks, keeping a chameleon is a relatively cheaper venture. For the initial setup you might invest $200-500 in the cage and equipment, plus the cost of the animal, and an additional few hundred dollars annually in recurring costs (mostly live insect food, but also replacement bulbs, some electricity, etc.).

Breeding can be vastly more complex than having a single chameleon, especially for a very fecund species like Veiled. Suddenly caring for (and feeding!) 50 chameleons instead of two can be a daunting task. Having been there and done that, I wouldn't initially plan on breeding chameleons at all. First learn to be really successful with a single pet animal. If this goes well, the next thing you'll need to do is learn to breed crickets (and perhaps fruitflies). If you're buying food for all the babies instead of breeding crickets and hatching out pinheads you can easily spend more on food than the baby chameleons will end up being worth! (...with my first clutch of Veiled, been there, done that). If you get very good at chameleon husbandry AND breeding crickets, then you might consider breeding chameleons sometime in the future and may even end up turning a profit once you get good at that

There's a lot of good care information out there, as well as plenty of not-so-good information. We can help guide you to good reading material and as specific questions come up.

Hope that helps,

cj

 

[cpllongjk]

Thanks for all the input,

I agree I should be able to keep a chameleon with little or no problems since coming from a reef tank. I successfully keep a nano-sps tank but after a few years and moving I am getting tired of the crashing and heart ache of moving an entire reef setup. I am in a position where my wife and I are finally able to settle down in one location but reef keeping is getting daunting with the monthly/yearly costs in energy and upkeep. At this time the money isnt the issue, the time needed to keep the reef going to full capacity is. I would really say I am looking for a less time-consuming hobby with the benefit of teaching my son about responsibility and stuff like that.

Again, Thanks

Cpllongjk