Glass or screen?

[Sunkissedn]

Hi guys,
I already have a cameleon and set up but I wanted to know, for a New Yorker, which habitat would you recommend for their 3 month old chameleon (hers is a male panther), glass vivarium or a screen cage? She wants to know because it does get really cold in the autumn and winter so she wants to make sure to give her cham the best habitat.

 

[Anastasia_k]

Following

 

[nightanole]

I vote for screen with 2-3 sides wrapped in shower curtain in the winter.

Leave the glass cages for the pros, they are kinda hard to get going without getting URI from a bad air flow setup.

 

[Anastasia_k]

I vote for screen with 2-3 sides wrapped in shower curtain in the winter.

Leave the glass cages for the pros, they are kinda hard to get going without getting URI from a bad air flow setup.

I am curious if it's really so hard as I plan to get a glass one for my veiled... Here in Europe everyone I know uses glass with screen top, since the air is also really dry here. How would you recommend to keep high humidity in a screen cage? I barely manage in my current glass/screen top setup

 

[blazake68]

Humidity is pretty easy to hold for me with 1 live plant in the bottom of the screen cage and misting a few times a day. If using glass I would just be aware of resperitory infection.

 

[leedragon]

I am curious if it's really so hard as I plan to get a glass one for my veiled... Here in Europe everyone I know uses glass with screen top, since the air is also really dry here. How would you recommend to keep high humidity in a screen cage? I barely manage in my current glass/screen top setup

if it is for a Yemen they do not need that much humitidy

 

[blazake68]

The post is about a panther chameleon in New York

 

[jamest0o0]

New York's pretty high humidity isn't it? I'd go screen. I free range my chams and just with plants, my room humidity stays at 50ish. My favorite enclosure is the clearsided dragonstrand though. Best of both worlds kind of deal. OP didn't you have a veiled?

 

[nightanole]

I am curious if it's really so hard as I plan to get a glass one for my veiled... Here in Europe everyone I know uses glass with screen top, since the air is also really dry here. How would you recommend to keep high humidity in a screen cage? I barely manage in my current glass/screen top setup

This is why it is hard. You have to keep the humidity say at 50%, while turning over the air several times a day to prevent mold/stagnation. Think about what you are doing, organic matter enclosed in a glass tank with little air flow and high humidity. If you dont set it up proper it turns into a petri dish.

However if you have say a glass cage with a full front screen door (aka a screen cage with 3 sides of plastic curtain) you now have air turnover, and the screen does hold in some humidity.

 

[Sunkissedn]

New York's pretty high humidity isn't it? I'd go screen. I free range my chams and just with plants, my room humidity stays at 50ish. My favorite enclosure is the clearsided dragonstrand though. Best of both worlds kind of deal. OP didn't you have a veiled?

I do, my friend is getting a panther and she lives in manhattan

 

[leedragon]

This is why it is hard. You have to keep the humidity say at 50%, while turning over the air several times a day to prevent mold/stagnation. Think about what you are doing, organic matter enclosed in a glass tank with little air flow and high humidity. If you dont set it up proper it turns into a petri dish.

However if you have say a glass cage with a full front screen door (aka a screen cage with 3 sides of plastic curtain) you now have air turnover, and the screen does hold in some humidity.

no. just need ot have a lid of screen on the front and full net on top. that way you get airflow vy the chiminey effect. as long as the temperature inside is different that the one outside the terrarium. if you have a whole front of screen and the topp to then the air is still. you get the additional air of the room it is in but the air is no circulating.

 

[nightanole]

no. just need ot have a lid of screen on the front and full net on top. that way you get airflow vy the chiminey effect. as long as the temperature inside is different that the one outside the terrarium. if you have a whole front of screen and the topp to then the air is still. you get the additional air of the room it is in but the air is no circulating.

Heat is going to rise from the lights no matter what, and the coolest section of the cage is going to be the bottom no matter what. SO even if its an aquarium placed vertical on its side, the heat from the lights is going to cause convection. Technically you can have an all glass with a screen top, but you have to rig it so it has a cool side and a hot side. Hot air is always going to be rising.

This is how they keep the fruit trees/grapes alive during a frost. Light torches so they convect heat, so that the warm ground air travels to the torches. Its not the torches keep the plants warm.


Still your idea is good too, with the nice glass tanks with the front vents:

http://www.junglepets.co.uk/48x24x18-glass-vivarium-1106-p.asp

 

[AZChamFan]

I believe size is more important when using glass, particularly width of the enclosure (height is still very important also). If your enclosure has enough width and you place your heat source towards one side, chimney effect will give rather good air exchange as long as the top is mostly screen. Vents somewhere along the bottom are of course a bonus and will help even further. You can also add a small computer fan drawing air OUT above the heat light to aid with the chimney effect the light is already creating. I've had chams in glass for 15 years and have never had the slightest respiratory issues. You will also not mist as often with glass and make sure the enclosure dries sufficiently between mistings. Do not most too late into the evening which will leave the enclosure wet through the night. With all that said, I live in a rather dry climate and if I lived in a more humid area I may well use screen. No matter what you use, the most important thing is to do lots of research on that particular method and apply it the best you can in your particular situation. You will never get a consistent response on whether glass or screen is better!

 

[leedragon]

Heat is going to rise from the lights no matter what, and the coolest section of the cage is going to be the bottom no matter what. SO even if its an aquarium placed vertical on its side, the heat from the lights is going to cause convection. Technically you can have an all glass with a screen top, but you have to rig it so it has a cool side and a hot side. Hot air is always going to be rising.

This is how they keep the fruit trees/grapes alive during a frost. Light torches so they convect heat, so that the warm ground air travels to the torches. Its not the torches keep the plants warm.


Still your idea is good too, with the nice glass tanks with the front vents:

http://www.junglepets.co.uk/48x24x18-glass-vivarium-1106-p.asp

depends on the temperatures differences. and the sizes of the terrarium. having a full front of screen plus the top is going to end up in the temperature of the terrarium being more or less the same as the room outside. the light will br warming up the air around it. not only inside of the terrarium. if the terrarium is too big or the shape it gets of it´s ornaments inside. there would be pockets if air that are barly move by this principle. there are alot of things that affect the effect of this method, althought you bring some interesting Points.

 

[Anastasia_k]

Thanks to everyone who explained this in detail. I love this forum I guess fully screened top plus just one line of screen on the side is the best option in my situation. Regarding the temperatures, should I still keep the basking light on in summer when it's over 30 C (86 F) outside? My guy opens his mouth often under the lamp and the water from mistings evaporates really fast these days.

 

[thechameleonnextdoor]

I've owned a few chams and all have liked an environment with the least amount of open screens-- you just can't keep the warmth/humidity up in a screened cage. definitely do a cage with just one sided screened-- it doesn't have to be actual glass though-- I have a plexiglass/plastic one right now and it is awesome.

 

[Anastasia_k]

How do you clean the glass/plexiglass cages? The walls in mine get all foggy from mistings, I use zoo med's Wipe Out to clean surfaces, but it doesn't help to make them more clear. I can't use regular window cleaner for it, can I?

 

[broderp]

Contrary to some of the posts above, glass works fine. Many people who are not pros (Like me!) use them regularly with success. URI is possible no matter what the set up, screen or glass. You have to simply be sure to get an enclosure designed for proper air flow. Then the natural heat and convection of hot air will "pull" out the stale air and draw in fresh from the air intakes. If you add a fan to the top, you can even increase the airflow significantly.

The issues is with humidity. A fully glass terrarium (even with a screen top) will hold humidity very well. You need to weigh the options and consider all factors including the species of cham, the number of plants you place in the enclosure, real or fake plants and the room humidity.

It's easy to say New York has high humidity, but if your enclosure will be in a room with AC during the summer and heat in the winter, your humidity could be perfectly fine for a glass enclosure.

My personal opinion, glass looks way better than screen, and a screen cage wrapped in a shower curtain looks terrible. My cham is front and center in my home and aside from being a healthy environment for my Sherman, it's a living work of art in my home as well.

Weigh your options and carefully consider the amount of research you want to put in it and do what fits you. But don't let anyone tell you glass is not safe or mesh is better.

 

[AZChamFan]

Contrary to some of the posts above, glass works fine. Many people who are not pros (Like me!) use them regularly with success. URI is possible no matter what the set up, screen or glass. You have to simply be sure to get an enclosure designed for proper air flow. Then the natural heat and convection of hot air will "pull" out the stale air and draw in fresh from the air intakes. If you add a fan to the top, you can even increase the airflow significantly.

The issues is with humidity. A fully glass terrarium (even with a screen top) will hold humidity very well. You need to weigh the options and consider all factors including the species of cham, the number of plants you place in the enclosure, real or fake plants and the room humidity.

It's easy to say New York has high humidity, but if your enclosure will be in a room with AC during the summer and heat in the winter, your humidity could be perfectly fine for a glass enclosure.

My personal opinion, glass looks way better than screen, and a screen cage wrapped in a shower curtain looks terrible. My cham is front and center in my home and aside from being a healthy environment for my Sherman, it's a living work of art in my home as well.

Weigh your options and carefully consider the amount of research you want to put in it and do what fits you. But don't let anyone tell you glass is not safe or mesh is better.

Couldn't agree more!

 

[nightanole]

You have not seen some forum members shower curtain game


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