puzzling
New Member
Hello!
I became interested in chameleons about six months ago after seeing a Jackson’s at a local pet store. Those trippy binocular eyes! Those weird mitten feet! Finding good information about chameleon best practices has been a challenge, but this forum has been really helpful. I built my enclosure based on the principles described at chameleonacademy, and it has been a rewarding pandemic project.
The enclosure is basically finished and I am starting to look around for a chameleon -- most likely a juvenile male panther. My goal with this post is to get feedback about the enclosure and my planned husbandry before the little guy moves in.
Chameleon Info:
Your Chameleon - I don’t have a chameleon yet, but I am looking to buy a juvenile male panther. I have been checking the site sponsors (especially Kammers) and also keeping an eye out for member posts about upcoming clutches.
Handling - My intention is for minimal handling.
Feeding - My dubia roach colony is just getting established and I plan to supplement with crickets, hornworms, and other goodies from the local pet store. Dubias are fed a variety of fruits and vegetables as well as Repashy bug burger. I also keep a colony of Hydei wingless fruit flies for my dart frogs -- are these a suitable feeder for young chameleons?
Supplements - Following the recommendation from chameleonacademy, I plan on supplementing with Arcadia EarthPro-A every feeding and Repashy Calcium Plus LoD twice a month.
Watering - MistKing is set to go off for two minutes three times per night.
Cage Info:
Cage Type - This is a homemade enclosure. Technically an irregular hexagon, but close to a rectangular 5’ x 2’ x 5’. Wood frame, foam + Drylok background, screen on two sides and on top, glass doors in front. The enclosure is bioactive and currently home to springtails, giant canyon isopods, and earthworms (thanks jamest0o0).
Lighting - 12 hours on, 12 hours off.
Temperature -
Humidity - The probe on the basking branch measures 40-45% during the day. The floor of the enclosure stays around 65%. The mister is timed to activate right before the lights turn on in the morning and plants are wet for about half an hour, then remain dry for the rest of the day.
Plants - My partner is deep in the tropical houseplant hobby and we have jammed a lot of cool plants into the enclosure. There seems to be a lot of grey area about what plants are chameleon safe. My understanding is that since panther chameleons do not generally eat them, plants that are mildly toxic to ingest might still be suitable. That said, if there are any plants on my list that are dangerous, I would like to remove them before adding a chameleon.
Placement - Enclosure is located in my study -- there is moderate daily traffic. The vent in the room is sealed shut. The basking branch is about 6.5’ above the floor of the room.
Location - Coastal Northern California
Current Problem - I want to provide a good home for a reptile buddy and I am asking for a review of my enclosure and husbandry plan. My biggest questions are:
-Puzzling
I became interested in chameleons about six months ago after seeing a Jackson’s at a local pet store. Those trippy binocular eyes! Those weird mitten feet! Finding good information about chameleon best practices has been a challenge, but this forum has been really helpful. I built my enclosure based on the principles described at chameleonacademy, and it has been a rewarding pandemic project.
The enclosure is basically finished and I am starting to look around for a chameleon -- most likely a juvenile male panther. My goal with this post is to get feedback about the enclosure and my planned husbandry before the little guy moves in.
Chameleon Info:
Your Chameleon - I don’t have a chameleon yet, but I am looking to buy a juvenile male panther. I have been checking the site sponsors (especially Kammers) and also keeping an eye out for member posts about upcoming clutches.
Handling - My intention is for minimal handling.
Feeding - My dubia roach colony is just getting established and I plan to supplement with crickets, hornworms, and other goodies from the local pet store. Dubias are fed a variety of fruits and vegetables as well as Repashy bug burger. I also keep a colony of Hydei wingless fruit flies for my dart frogs -- are these a suitable feeder for young chameleons?
Supplements - Following the recommendation from chameleonacademy, I plan on supplementing with Arcadia EarthPro-A every feeding and Repashy Calcium Plus LoD twice a month.
Watering - MistKing is set to go off for two minutes three times per night.
Cage Info:
Cage Type - This is a homemade enclosure. Technically an irregular hexagon, but close to a rectangular 5’ x 2’ x 5’. Wood frame, foam + Drylok background, screen on two sides and on top, glass doors in front. The enclosure is bioactive and currently home to springtails, giant canyon isopods, and earthworms (thanks jamest0o0).
Lighting - 12 hours on, 12 hours off.
- UVB: 48” Arcadia ProT5 12% UVB Bulb with Arcadia hood. I wanted the more powerful light to accommodate the tall enclosure. The UVB light is suspended 8” above the top screen and 13” above the basking branch. This might be too high -- I wanted to err on the side of less UVB, but now I am second-guessing that choice. Chameleonacademy recommends 6” above the cage with this setup.
- Plant Lights:
- Jungle Dawn 34” 51 Watt LED Terrarium Light Bar
- SANSI 36W Daylight LED Plant Light Bulb
- 2x YuMei 45W 6500K LED Pool Light Bulb
Temperature -
- Floor: 60-70
- Basking: 80-85, temperature is warm and pleasant on back of hand.
Humidity - The probe on the basking branch measures 40-45% during the day. The floor of the enclosure stays around 65%. The mister is timed to activate right before the lights turn on in the morning and plants are wet for about half an hour, then remain dry for the rest of the day.
Plants - My partner is deep in the tropical houseplant hobby and we have jammed a lot of cool plants into the enclosure. There seems to be a lot of grey area about what plants are chameleon safe. My understanding is that since panther chameleons do not generally eat them, plants that are mildly toxic to ingest might still be suitable. That said, if there are any plants on my list that are dangerous, I would like to remove them before adding a chameleon.
- Golden Pothos
- Grape Ivy
- Hoya Wax Plant
- Bromeliad
- Spider Plant
- Tradescantia
- Draconis Marginata
- Orchids
- Tillandsia Air Plant
- Ficus Repens
- Rhaphidophora Tetrasperma
- Watermelon Begonia
- Drosera (sundew)
- Nepenthe
- Bamboo
- Ti plant
- Madagascar Jasmine
- Nerve Plant
- Hypoestes
- Angel Wing Begonia
- Selaginella
- Persian Shield
- Honeysuckle
- Krouton
- Mojito Elephant’s Ear
- Stromanthe Triostar
- Peperomia (unknown variety)
Placement - Enclosure is located in my study -- there is moderate daily traffic. The vent in the room is sealed shut. The basking branch is about 6.5’ above the floor of the room.
Location - Coastal Northern California
Current Problem - I want to provide a good home for a reptile buddy and I am asking for a review of my enclosure and husbandry plan. My biggest questions are:
- Are any of my plants unsafe?
- Is my UVB light at a good height?
- Are wingless fruit flies a good feeder for young chameleons?
-Puzzling