Glass Enclosures - Good? Bad?

[AdmiralSwanson]

Hey guys and girls, are glass enclosures ok to use? When I get my Cham at some point I was planning on using glass specifically and Exo Terra 24"x18"x36" for a male veilded from 4 months through to adult.

Glass because I live in england and it gets pretty cold sometimes so it would keep the heat up and humidity up way better than screen and also better viewing.

Do the exo terra ones have enough ventilation with their screen tops and their air vents at the front bottom? also what do you guys do for drainage/collecting water in glass ones? cheers

 

[nightanole]

Might want to reconsider that for and adult male veiled. He will be 18" in a tank that is 18" deep.

For colder climate folks, they get the stock 24x24x48 cages and cover 2-3 sides with plastic or wood in order to keep in the heat and humidity.

As your your cage, alot of happy jacksons live in them, and yes it provides enough ventilation.

Sorry cant help you with drainage. you cannt drill tempered glass. You could just snorkel it out with a wet dry vac once a day, unless you are going for 15-20minutes of misting a day.

If you are going for a dripper you could just drip it into a large glass bowl or jar.

 

[AdmiralSwanson]

All of the exo terra ones i can find are 18" deep, and the veiled's are only like 18" long with their tails stretched right out right? and their the biggest veils? and there seems to be quite a few out there with exo terra's so i cant imagine they would be that bad?

As for drainage i think i might put a green towel in the very bottom so its soft to cushion any falls and will absorb excess water and the have a pot or something to collect the drips, then change the towels every week or so so they don't get mouldy and breed bacteria, or maybe towles would be a bad idea because of being in a warm humid place for bacteria.

is there anyone with exo terras out there who can give adivce?

and thanks very much nightanole =)

 

[bradley]

You will be fine using the screen cage in the uk. Humidity is actually more stable and heating is fine. As long as the basking spot is correct the animal will self regulate its temperature. The night time drop in temperature is really beneficial too. I do cover three sides of the cages though mainly to stop water spraying out.

As said the Exo terra cages really do not come in the best sizes for chameleons. Drainage can also be a big problem in these cages whereas with screen cages it can easily be solved.

 

[teejayteej]

They make bigger ones you may just have to buy on line. Several people use glass while young but if you can't find one with enough height you may need to go with screen. There are several other threads on here that debate this topic.

 

[AdmiralSwanson]

thanks for advice all, I would be concerned about the humidity escaping a screen cage and effecting walls and creating damp etc also the temps can drop down to 10C in a cold winter in the house in the england, and I heard screen cages can be a big pain to clean, could you link those threads? i cant seem to find them when i looked earlier before posting this. thanks.

 

[bradley]

thanks for advice all, I would be concerned about the humidity escaping a screen cage and effecting walls and creating damp etc also the temps can drop down to 10C in a cold winter in the house in the england, and I heard screen cages can be a big pain to clean, could you link those threads? i cant seem to find them when i looked earlier before posting this. thanks.

If anything screen cages will be easier to clean. If you are worried too much about night time temps a low wattage ceramic heat lamp on a thermostat will do the job but you probably will not need it. Because you want a couple of spikes in humidity throughout the day it will not be humid enough for a long enough period of time for any mould on walls to grow

 

[triumph]

The biggest deal with glass is water in the tank and cleaning. Switched to sceen and sold all my glass.

 

[sandrachameleon]

Hey guys and girls, are glass enclosures ok to use? When I get my Cham at some point I was planning on using glass specifically and Exo Terra 24"x18"x36" for a male veilded from 4 months through to adult.

Glass because I live in england and it gets pretty cold sometimes so it would keep the heat up and humidity up way better than screen and also better viewing.

Do the exo terra ones have enough ventilation with their screen tops and their air vents at the front bottom? also what do you guys do for drainage/collecting water in glass ones? cheers

Those are excellent enclosures for when they are young. I used them for babies a lot when I was breeding.
But it will not be large enough for an adult veiled.

I live in a similar climate. My preference is NOT to use a screen cage - but there are plenty of options out there

 

[AdmiralSwanson]

you live in a similar climate and prefer not to use screen cage? what do you use instead then?

 

[Chameleopatrick]

Those are excellent enclosures for when they are young. I used them for babies a lot when I was breeding.
But it will not be large enough for an adult veiled.

I live in a similar climate. My preference is NOT to use a screen cage - but there are plenty of options out there

Why wouldn't they be large enough for an adult veiled chameleon? Can I see a picture of one of your adult Veilds in one of your large exo Terra's ?

The reason I ask is I have owned several large (36"x18"x36") exo terra units. If properly set up they could easily handle a single adult panther, or veiled chameleon. I no longer breed or keep either of those species, but I certainly can say they would thrive in such an enclosure. Especially in northern household climates.

I do agree with Sandra that a large enclosure is beneficial to satisfy the wandering needs of larger chameleons.

 

[sandrachameleon]

Why wouldn't they be large enough for an adult veiled chameleon?

I strongly feel they are simply too small. To me, it would be like housing a human in a jail cell - survivable, but unpleasant. I know lizards are not mammals, but given how active my chameleons are, utilizing their entire cages, I am convinced bigger is better in this aspect. I consider 24 x 24 x 48 the minimum cage size.

I have no picture of a veiled of panther in an exoterra; My animals are all in large homemade cages.

...The reason I ask is I have owned several large (36"x18"x36") exo terra units. If properly set up ...

And I don't doubt they were well looked after. Nor do I doubt you were able to keep the right temp and humidity in it.
But I still do believe bigger is better

 

[sandrachameleon]

you live in a similar climate and prefer not to use screen cage? what do you use instead then?

Im not saying screen is bad, just not optimal for my needs/wants. There are things about mesh screen cages that I just do not like. I find they are more difficult to keep at good temp/humidity. I find it much harder to secure heavy branches and plants and big food bowls into screen cages. I don't like to chance a heavy chameleon hurting/loosing its toenails from climbing screen. I don't like not being able to clearly see the animal because of screen. I don't like how easily water can go outside a screen cage (ive got hardwood floors) as opposed to more solid-sided cages.

I actually made my own cages.

Mine are wood frame (2x4 and 2x2)
zero voc painted peg board sides and back (I might go with plastic or stainless steel peg board next time - I might make the back solid next time too, for more heat/humidity retention)
zero voc painted thick plywood bottoms over wood frame
wide wire top (not a mesh screen, so more UVB gets in but flying bugs can get out!)
plexiglass doors
Im not the only one to come up with much the same idea: http://www.chameleonnews.com/02JulCaettaKruger.html

did you know you can buy plexi-glass cages (with screen tops and appropriate ventilation) in very large sizes. indeed, in Europe there are many wood/plexi/glass options to buy - easier to get there than in Canada, for a fair price.
Here's a thread showing one set-up nicely (apart from some fake plants): https://www.chameleonforums.com/terrarium-pictures-23200/

 

[teejayteej]

Well by the time that I could get back to you several others have given you options. You can use the smaller cages if you need to but I have to agree that they need room to roam. Free range outside the enclosure could be an answer, that is if you can make time several days a week to let them roam. (again there are several free range set ups on here that you can look at to get ideas.) Remember there are always options you just need to understand that no matter what type of enclosure you get it is never done or the best that you can do. As you grow as an owner you learn what works for you and your Chams., but lighting, heat and humity are things to not take for granted, then the next things are food and enclosures.
They are ever changing, and their needs are always changing with them. They remind me of moody 2 or 3 year old children. (Never really sure what they want from you but not wanting you to quit doing things for them either) lol