cup feeding ideas anyone?

[Libren470]

so i have a veiled chameleon in a 24x24x48 aluminum DIY cage.
i also have a ficus, fern, and a pothos plant that fills the cage like a jungle pretty much. my big problem is that when i throw a dozen+ crickets in there for a few days at a time ...later when i check on the cricket supply...they all decided to drown themselves at the bottom of the plants water catcher.
so this also makes me question how many crickets he actually ate over the few days.

so my big question is how can i set up a way for a cup to dangle from the top or side so that the crickets dont jump out and cause deadly disaster??? lol

thanks guys

 

[jr andrade]

The way i did it was i got a milk jug cut the top piece off just high enough so they couldnt jump out and got like bendy metal rods(zipties work too) made a few punctures in the screening and milk jug and looped the metal wire through the jug and screen .. but theres also a problem with water drainage with cup feeding aswell..your crickets will drown during misting sessions so i resulted to hand-feeding mines

 

[Libren470]

yeah..

lol well looks like i just cant win haha.

im going to have to brain storm, cuz im wasting my money on crickets.

sounds like a good idea tho!!

 

[pssh]

Use a dark colored tub. Install a small drain in one corner with screen over the opening. When placing the tub in the cage, make sure the corner with the drain is slightly lower than the others to make sure the water drains.

 

[jr andrade]

I never thought about that, too late though =\ hes already hooked on hand feeding i just wish i wouldve figured it out earlier

 

[Phoenixguy77]

I Use a red solo cup that I super glued a very powerfull magnet to the outside of and put another on the outside of the cageto hold it in place(the pair cost me maybe $4.00 USD at home depot) and its easy to put in and take out to put new crickets in and clear out ones that have died. It works pretty well and its rather amusing to see hime get excited like a frat boy at a party whenever he sees a red solo cup in my hand.

 

[kicsylany]

Hi, one day my boyfriend (painter) asked me to pick up sthg from decor shop, where ifound a very lovely little white bucket with proper metal handle, really works well as feeding cup, and easy to hang it up wherever you want. If you worry about water in it just drill 2-3 really tiny hall on the buttom and the water will come out.x

 

[Desurfer]

This worked for me. It's really easy and still gives your chameleon a challenge.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h_od47TlbXA
hope this helps

 

[DeviousMike]

This worked for me. It's really easy and still gives your chameleon a challenge.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h_od47TlbXA
hope this helps

This is awesome. I want to try this but I'm a little hesitant because I have young chams (3 months or less) and I'm not sure if they could get close enough to shoot at the bugs inside without putting vines real close that would allow the bugs to escape.

 

[Lil nasty]

i just put plastic mesh material around the bottom of my plant that also covers my catch pan, the water still goes thru but no crickets drownd, i was having same problem

 

[DeviousMike]

This worked for me. It's really easy and still gives your chameleon a challenge.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h_od47TlbXA
hope this helps

Just made this jug feeding thing and my panther who was picky about cup feeding is all about it now.

 

[Desurfer]

When open my cage Leon moves pretty quick to the area where I place the cup. He knows there is food in there.

 

[Desurfer]

I actually just watched the video again..lol. I cut the bottom out of mine and added a screen to the bottom. So when I add the crickets the extra dust will fall through the bottom as well as the water from misting.

 

[rcutchens]

I don't know about others but we started cup feeding Rico about 10 days ago now and we just use a clear Silo cup. We actually use two - one to dust the crickets in and the other to dump the dusted crickets into and then feed him so that he doesn't get any excess calcium from the first cup. We just hold the cup up to one of his favorite branches as a slight angle and he's become so familiar with it and used to the fact that it means "feeding time" that he comes running over and will literally place his head and front legs into the cup, shoot the crickets and back up on the branch to eat them then repeats it. Sometimes he hold on to the side of the cup with one of his front legs and sticks his head in to shoot the cricket and other times he'll just shoot them all the way from the branch without getting into the cup at all.

We don't actuall need to leave the cup and feeders in his cage but he's still young so he's pretty enthusiastic about eating. I don't know if that's the case with older chameleons. We feed Rico about 5 to 9 crickets twice a day, once in the morning and once in the late afternoon/evening. They are typically small to medium sized and we vary the number based on their sizes - if smaller ones come out we'll do a two of each of those to one of the medium ones.