Help with baby panther setup

[Tony_S]

After talking with Matt Vanilla Gorilla. It turns out I shouldn’t start my baby ambilobe panther in the 30x24x48 clearside dragon strand enclosure and he recommends I start the little guy out in a Rebtibreez 16x16x30 screen enclosure. Then keep the 16” enclosure to keep my panther in when I’m working/cleaning the larger one.

So I need a whole new list of equipment since the lights/fixtures that I’m planning on getting for the 30” enclosure won’t work on this 16” enclosure.

I also know that the chameleon kit that they sell are pretty much crap and I’d be better off buying the individual pieces separately. I could use a little help on what you guys/gals have been using as your baby starter setups.

Thanks,

Tony

 

[Brodybreaux25]

Dude, buy all your 30” stuff and use it on the 16”. No need to buy 2 separate sets of equipment. What are you thinking won’t work?

 

[snitz427]

I did the opposite and started small then switched. I wish I had just stuck with the larger cage setup from the getgo.

If uou reaally want to start small, you can find those reptibreeze on CL and FB market all the time pretty cheap. Just put the longer lights on it and let them overhang. You cankeep your plants under the overhang to keep growing but my veileds were ready to move up in a month or so. Not worth it imo.

 

[Tony_S]

Well first concern is that the 30" light fixture will be hanging 7" over the edge on both sides. Plus I was going to do the quad setup and I don't think I'd have enough space to also have the basking lamp. Also do I still use the mistking system. Being only 16 inches wide of a cage I'd rather not have water spraying thru the screen and all over the floor and wall.

 

[Tony_S]

I was planning on just buying the 30" enclosure and putting my new guy in it. But Matt says he would have a hard time getting his food and would grow slowly and posible even die from having to walk around too much.

 

[CamoChameleonsHuman]

Don't tell Matt I told you this but I started his Ambanja he sold me @ 5 months in a 2x2x4. He did just fine. Oh crap this is public and Matt is going to crucify me..... Eek!

 

[Brodybreaux25]

They somehow manage to find their food in the wild, I’m sure yours can figure it out. I’m sure Matt has his reasons, to each his own.

 

[snitz427]

he will be fine in a big boy cage, I think. If you're worried about him finding his food you can try one of the feeder runs from @nick barta or the new shooting gallery type in the classifieds forum... he'll quickly learn to look there when hungry. In my experience, the chams like to hang in the top 25% of their enclosure, and crickets always seem to gravitate up to the top corners of the cage... easy pickings!

 

[Beman]

After talking with Matt Vanilla Gorilla. It turns out I shouldn’t start my baby ambilobe panther in the 30x24x48 clearside dragon strand enclosure and he recommends I start the little guy out in a Rebtibreez 16x16x30 screen enclosure. Then keep the 16” enclosure to keep my panther in when I’m working/cleaning the larger one.

So I need a whole new list of equipment since the lights/fixtures that I’m planning on getting for the 30” enclosure won’t work on this 16” enclosure.

I also know that the chameleon kit that they sell are pretty much crap and I’d be better off buying the individual pieces separately. I could use a little help on what you guys/gals have been using as your baby starter setups.

Thanks,

Tony

No, wait stop. lol Get the lights and everything for the larger enclosure.... They will overhang on the 16 but trust me it will be fine. I did this while I was waiting 3 months for the new build. I had the 16x16x30 and yeah it didn't look fantastic but it worked. Otherwise you are spending more money later.

 

[snitz427]

For what its worth, Bill Strand is a big believer in putting the young chameleons in their adult size cages from the get go.

 

[Beman]

@Tony_S
Personally.... I say if you have a breeder and they are recommending you do it a certain way as a first time keeper then I would do how they recommend. Especially when your Breeder is mentoring you. This is priceless. Take advantage of their experience with their babies and follow their lead.

I did have a small cage at first. And honestly I would have been so much more stressed as a first time keeper had I had the big boy cage for him when he was young. It was enough just trying to find his urates and stools in the 16x16x30 I couldn't imagine trying to do it with the big cage. Not to mention trying to make sure he ate. And then there is the fact that with a huge cage it is much harder to do trust building exercises with it towering above you.

Ask Matt what he thinks of the 18x18x36 DIY as your baby cage. This one is sooooo much better made then the reptibreeze. I hated the reptibreeze. https://www.diycages.com/collection...oducts/sc3-large-vertical-screen-reptile-cage

 

[CamoChameleonsHuman]

@Tony_S
Personally.... I say if you have a breeder and they are recommending you do it a certain way as a first time keeper then I would do how they recommend. Especially when your Breeder is mentoring you. This is priceless. Take advantage of their experience with their babies and follow their lead.

I did have a small cage at first. And honestly I would have been so much more stressed as a first time keeper had I had the big boy cage for him when he was young. It was enough just trying to find his urates and stools in the 16x16x30 I couldn't imagine trying to do it with the big cage. Not to mention trying to make sure he ate. And then there is the fact that with a huge cage it is much harder to do trust building exercises with it towering above you.

Ask Matt what he thinks of the 18x18x36 DIY as your baby cage. This one is sooooo much better made then the reptibreeze. I hated the reptibreeze. https://www.diycages.com/collection...oducts/sc3-large-vertical-screen-reptile-cage

Couldn't agree with this more. If first time then yes. If it isn't your first Rodeo there are some work arounds.

 

[Tony_S]

Don't tell Matt I told you this but I started his Ambanja he sold me @ 5 months in a 2x2x4. He did just fine. Oh crap this is public and Matt is going to crucify me..... Eek!

Lol Matt is going to repo your chameleon

 

[CamoChameleonsHuman]

Lol Matt is going to repo your chameleon

He will have to pry him from my cold dead hands!!! Muhahahahahaha

 

[Tony_S]

@Tony_S
Personally.... I say if you have a breeder and they are recommending you do it a certain way as a first time keeper then I would do how they recommend. Especially when your Breeder is mentoring you. This is priceless. Take advantage of their experience with their babies and follow their lead.

I did have a small cage at first. And honestly I would have been so much more stressed as a first time keeper had I had the big boy cage for him when he was young. It was enough just trying to find his urates and stools in the 16x16x30 I couldn't imagine trying to do it with the big cage. Not to mention trying to make sure he ate. And then there is the fact that with a huge cage it is much harder to do trust building exercises with it towering above you.

Ask Matt what he thinks of the 18x18x36 DIY as your baby cage. This one is sooooo much better made then the reptibreeze. I hated the reptibreeze. https://www.diycages.com/collection...oducts/sc3-large-vertical-screen-reptile-cage

Thanks for the link Becca. Maybe I’m just over thinking things. I just figured if one nozzle covered the 30” enclosure if would be shooting out all over the place on a 16” enclosure

 

[Beman]

Thanks for the link Becca. Maybe I’m just over thinking things. I just figured if one nozzle covered the 30” enclosure if would be shooting out all over the place on a 16” enclosure

Nope you will be perfect. Just anchor it in a corner on the smaller cage. Let me know what nozzle you get.. You may need an extender elbow so you get a better angle.

 

[Clayton0520]

To each is own on the big cage vs the little cage but I can speak for the mist king on the smaller cage. Don’t stress on that at all you can add more or less “shrubs” directly in front of the nozzle and you can aim it more down to keep from over spraying. Also on my cage when I overspray with my mist king it just beads up on the screen and rarely makes it out of the cage.

 

[JuniorC]

No, wait stop. lol Get the lights and everything for the larger enclosure.... They will overhang on the 16 but trust me it will be fine. I did this while I was waiting 3 months for the new build. I had the 16x16x30 and yeah it didn't look fantastic but it worked. Otherwise you are spending more money later.

I was going to post about this but you answered my questions. I have a 36" fixture coming in but waiting for my chameleon to get bigger before going into his larger built home. So was wondering if it was ok for lights to hang out on the sides

 

[jamest0o0]

This thread is one of those old myths(and a year old thread). Don't spend extra on a smaller enclosures!