Female veiled / New Enclosure

[iisamuel]

Okay so, I just recently became a chameleon owner which is incredibly exciting but also extremely nervracking. I want to make sure everything is perfect for my little chameleon.
Originally I just bought a starter kit thing from Petsmart, and while it got me going I really am not happy with the overall quality of it.

I am thinking about trying to build my own. But before I get started I want to try and figure out what the best possible enclosure I can provide is.

Was curious to see what some of the veteran chameleon owners setups look like / have in them that maybe new beginners wouldn't think about. I've been browsing the main forum threads but just haven't really ran across anything that caught my eye.

I know I need to incorporate a laying bin because I have a female veiled, and i need to also incorporate a drainage system of some sort because I have a solo monsoon misting every 4 hours for 120 seconds.
Was thinking about trying to add more live plants etc...
I only have a pothos in the cage right now, however have been watching a lot of serpa designs YouTube videos, and while I have no desire to get that detailed I would like to add more natural plants to my chameleons cage if possible.
Some cool / detailed pics would be greatly appreciated. As well as more info into how female veiled owners handle the egg laying process. I've tried watching videos etc... but still am just a little nervous about it.

 

[ERKleRose]

Get or make your own dragon strand ledges, and go bioactive!

 

[Chameleon kid 1]

How old is your chameleon, and always use mesh for veilds. If you want cool looking live plants I suggest bamboo it is what I use.

 

[iisamuel]

Also I've seen a few different opinions on what is clean/safe to place in cages. What is the proper way to clean stuff in order to use it in cages.

For example a few things I plan on doing is getting branches from a local park and using them in the cage. Also like mentioned above serpa in some of his enclosures uses twine covers it in silicone then uses coco husk liner I think to coat it then let's it cure and it looks like branches. Is this okay to do for my veiled?

 

[iisamuel]

How old is your chameleon, and always use mesh for veilds. If you want cool looking live plants I suggest bamboo it is what I use.

Unsure on exact date on another post someone told me I was looking at somewhere in between 3-4 months. However I am looking into building a cage that will last, so was planning on making it a little bigger than what's recommended I think for juveniles.

 

[Chameleon kid 1]

if You are getting sticks from a park or anywhere make where to wash the very well so no out side bugs get in. Some could have diseases and your Cham could eat them.

 

[Chameleon kid 1]

Chams start laying eggs when they are 6-8 months. Your Cham is over 6 months have a 12by12by12 lay box ready.

 

[ERKleRose]

People boil, bleach, bake, and wash sticks, everyone has a preferred method. I’ll post my cham build link to give you some ideas.

 

[iisamuel]

Get or make your own dragon strand ledges, and go bioactive!

Could you possibly post a link to a YouTube video explaining how to do this or at least what to look for? Will try to research on own but just would like to know an educational source.

 

[ERKleRose]

Could you possibly post a link to a YouTube video explaining how to do this or at least what to look for? Will try to research on own but just would like to know an educational source.

A piece of 2 by 2 wood, sealed, with o-hooks/circle hooks in the wood to weave vines through.

 

[ERKleRose]

Here’s my cage build.
https://www.chameleonforums.com/threads/diy-double-cage-build.165557/

 

[ERKleRose]

If you Google/YouTube bioactive reptile enclosure, it’ll give you TONS of info! Same with searching chameleon cage build!

 

[iisamuel]

Here is some pics of Elle, she was not happy I got her out of cage though :/

 

[JoshD49]

I do t really use much wood from the wild just because of the chance of bugs or other things. If you do use one of the dissenfect methods you can find on YouTube. Also Google safe plants for Chameleons to make sure you are not using something that could be poisoning to chams.

Like previously stated you will need to plan space in the enclosure for a lay box. I use the reptibreeze cages and the exo terra screen cages without problems. I don't have time for much DIY projects currently at these are great.

 

[iisamuel]

Eh I don't necessarily need to use branches from outside etc.. but my chameleon needs more things to climb on. So definitely open to more ideas of what I could use / safe websites to buy from. The only petstore we have here is petsmart and they don't sell a whole lot of stuff for chameleons to climb on.

 

[CJ's Exotics]

Serpa Designs makes great videos. But they aren't meant for chameleons. They are meant for dart frog keepers, smaller geckos, etc. The vines you mentioned probably won't be durable enough. Mesh isn't necessarily the only option either, which all depends on your environmental conditions. Is it legal to gather branches at a local park?

 

[JoshD49]

Amazon has artificial flexible branches that I use. I also went to a store like Michael's near my house for some sticks and stuff.

Emours Flexible Bend-A-Branch Jungle Vines Pet Habitat Decor for Lizard,Frogs, Snakes and More Reptiles,Small, 3.2ft Long https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01JYPRIT2/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_BueTBbQ601JQ6

I like this one a lot but there are several types.

 

[iisamuel]

Okay so, I think what ima try to do is... a 2 * 2 * 4 foot enclosure with the back being glass and possibly one of the sides as well (the rest of the cage fiberglass screen). Where I live the temps are definitely going to drop here within the next month for sure so I want to be able to make sure the temps stay okay. If it gets to hot when spring/summer starts back up I'll just replace the glass sides with the screen. I'll put in a 12 by 12 by 12 tote with the substrate/soil or whatever it's called for a laying bin and also throw my pothos in there next to it. Then I'll just buy more of that flexible vines so I don't have to stress if the items I'm putting in are safe or not.
I think I will also add a small tray at the bottom though that I can slide in and out so the excess water drains into it for emptying and just make sure there is screen above it so I don't risk her drowning.
One other question what wattage should my daylight blue bulb be / do they make those in linear models as well that I should buy or no?

 

[ERKleRose]

Okay so, I think what ima try to do is... a 2 * 2 * 4 foot enclosure with the back being glass and possibly one of the sides as well (the rest of the cage fiberglass screen). Where I live the temps are definitely going to drop here within the next month for sure so I want to be able to make sure the temps stay okay. If it gets to hot when spring/summer starts back up I'll just replace the glass sides with the screen. I'll put in a 12 by 12 by 12 tote with the substrate/soil or whatever it's called for a laying bin and also throw my pothos in there next to it. Then I'll just buy more of that flexible vines so I don't have to stress if the items I'm putting in are safe or not.
I think I will also add a small tray at the bottom though that I can slide in and out so the excess water drains into it for emptying and just make sure there is screen above it so I don't risk her drowning.
One other question what wattage should my daylight blue bulb be / do they make those in linear models as well that I should buy or no?

No blue or red bulbs, white heat only; linear uvb is best. I would use pvc panels instead of glass so your cham’s reflection doesn’t stress her out, it,s cheaper, too.

 

[Chameleon kid 1]

She looks graved.