How is my cage

[CDON]

Im getting a 4 month old panther and I was wondering what you guys think of my cage

Cage Type - mesh cage 18x18x30
Lighting - 50 watt day light reptisun 5.0 uvb tube, 50 watt ceramic light
Temperature - basking spot is 83-86 and ambient temp is 72-74f
Humidity - 40% average but when I mist it goes to 60%, hand mister
Plants - fake leaves and vines

 

[Lpsouth1978]

The cage looks pretty good so far. You can never have too many plants, I would add a few more in there for him. Also, that cage will be too small for him in a VERY short time. I would move him into a 24"x24"x48" cage by 6-7 months of age.

One more note, you will not need the ceramic heat emitter. The 50 watt bulb will be plenty for his heat during the day and you will not need to provide heat at night (unless the temps in the room go below 60 degrees). Chameleons need a night time temperature drop to remain healthy and thrive.

Otherwise, good job with the setup. It is certainly better than many 1st time setups. Just be prepared to get a larger cage soon.

 

[unknown91]

what is that white wire ? if it's a dripper wire, then it's not a good idea.
the water from the pipe/wire accumulates in the container => bad idea.
you should let it drip directly on the plants, natural ones.
you should buy natural plants, they are better in many ways.
- higher level of humidity
- they can eat the leaves, so if he tries to eat a plastic leave, he can choke (i heard it, it's real)
- they look better

 

[nightanole]

Fine baby cage. The lights might melt the mesh top. The cage temps seem alittle cool for the day, id bump up basking and abient about 5 degrees if you could (cage temp upper 70s/ lower 80s, basking around 90f for a baby).

 

[Lpsouth1978]

what is that white wire ? if it's a dripper wire, then it's not a good idea.
the water from the pipe/wire accumulates in the container => bad idea.
you should let it drip directly on the plants, natural ones.
you should buy natural plants, they are better in many ways.
- higher level of humidity
- they can eat the leaves, so if he tries to eat a plastic leave, he can choke (i heard it, it's real)
- they look better

I agree that real plants are better in some ways than fake plants, however they also have their drawbacks. I found that, living in Colorado where the chams are inside most of the time, it is VERY difficult to keep the plants alive. I found that my Schefflera was nice and full at the very top of the cage, but 6-8 inches down, it just dropped all of its leaves. I could not keep the bottom 2/3of the cage lush with real plants.

Real plants also attract unwanted bugs, most notably, annoying gnats!

Fake plants have proven much easier for me! They are easier to clean, never die or drop leaves, and do not attract bugs. I use fake plants in all of my chameleon cages.

Eating the plants is more of a problem and risk with Veiled chameleons. Panthers do not generally eat the plants, real or fake. I am not saying there is no risk, but in my experience the risk is minimal. I have not had a single incident with a Panther trying to eat my fake plants.

 

[CDON]

thanks for all the help, the white wire is the probe for the thermometer tha is on top of the cage

 

[waynek]

the cage looks good . I agree that more foliage could be provided. I have always used live plants and never had a problem .I usually buy a couple of extra plants and rotate them in the cage . this way it allows you to remove the plants for cleaning - a lot of waste can accumulate on the leaves .

 

[RonWhitmill]

Setup looks pretty good. I agree that you don't need the ceramic heater and that he will outgrow that cage soon. As far as the plants go, either is fine. And they both have their pros and cons. Fake plants are definitely easier to clean, and as long as they are well attached so the leaves won't easily fall off, I believe they don't pose much of a threat to a panther. I also believe that live plants are better if you can keep them lush and healthy. They do a good job in aiding in the humidity of the cage. But as long as you have plenty of cover and the leaves of what you choose do a good job of allowing water to accumulate on them, you should be fine either way. Most people I know use a combination of both.

 

[CDON]

re did the cage added one extra fake plant and two bamboo sticks

 

[djfishygillz]

Next time I would recommend not getting the mesh cages. Superworms can chew from the mesh and sometimes crickets can chew through it as well.

 

[reptoman]

Next time I would recommend not getting the mesh cages. Superworms can chew from the mesh and sometimes crickets can chew through it as well.

I agree with Nick. All aluminum cage for when you upgrade in a few months. You can keep the 4 month old in that cage for a while though. He should be fine. Are you going to run a dripper? Your chameleon is used to a drip at the moment so keep an eye on that once he arrives so you can start one quickly if he does not want to drink from misting the leaves. This is Brian btw. I am getting your tracking number here in a few