I just adopted my first chameleon

[millerman6401]

see if u can get a "storage tub" thing they sell at walmart or even a 5 gallon bucket ive heard is good but i dont have a female so im not 100% sure. cage looks good but just get some more foliage imo.

 

[carol5208]

how many lights do you have? you should have two, a UVA bulb for basking and a UVB .

 

[Azaria]

She came with a lamp with a coil florescent. I know what everyone says about those, but I currently am not sure of my options for tubes, given the size of her enclosure.

I believe it's a 5.0 uvb/uva she currently has. and the lamp is exo-terra, and seems to glow in the dark when you turn off the light.

 

[Azaria]

Also I don't know how I'm supposed to fit a 5 gallon anything in there. where is she supposed to poop? and how will she hunt for crickets? they will have so many places to hide if I cram a 5 gallon bucket in there... and not to mention incredibly tacky looking...

 

[carol5208]

so you have a combo then? Are you 100% sure it provides both UVB and UVA? You cannot guess on this. You should be able to find a 5.0 tube to fit that cage size.

 

[carol5208]

Also I don't know how I'm supposed to fit a 5 gallon anything in there. where is she supposed to poop? and how will she hunt for crickets? they will have so many places to hide if I cram a 5 gallon bucket in there... and not to mention incredibly tacky looking...

You don't need a five gallon bucket. A small trash can that is about 12 X 12 will work. Did you read the laying bin blog by Jann B?

 

[Azaria]

Yes I did, and I will read them again later too.

I'm going to go to the store and see what I can rustle up in the way of drippers and bins.

 

[carol5208]

Yes I did, and I will read them again later too.

I'm going to go to the store and see what I can rustle up in the way of drippers and bins.

Double check that light, it could mean the difference of life or death for your chameleon if it does not have the proper uvb lighting.

 

[Azaria]

Well she has lived on them for however long so far

Like I said before I have no idea how old she is but everything she has she came with.

But I'll check bulbs while I'm out. In hindsight I should have checked the bulb first but I'm already out.

 

[carol5208]

Well she has lived on them for however long so far

Like I said before I have no idea how old she is but everything she has she came with.

But I'll check bulbs while I'm out. In hindsight I should have checked the bulb first but I'm already out.

uvb bulbs need to be changed out about every 6 months or so just so you know for the future. just because they have not burned out does not mean they do not have to be replaced.

 

[Azaria]

I have two bearded dragons also, and I do that for them too

the uvb coils do say they have uva output as well. just to be safe, I bought a replacement for the coil that my chameleon came with, and I will replace it the next time I find the 10.0 for my beardies, so I can keep track of them both at the same time.

I'd have to go out of town to buy a fixture for a tube, so I haven't even managed to get out of coils for my beardies, letalone my new chameleon. but it is on my list!

thanks everyone, for the help!

 

[DavidBuchan]

Do you think an ice cream bucket will be big enough? How do you keep sand and soil moist and available every day forever without it going smelly or moldy?

The setup looks ok, how big is the ice cream bucket.....?
it's surprising how long moist sandy soil takes to go mouldy....have you ever kept a houseplant? You'll probably know if/when she needs the laying bin anyway....she'd be digging around.......looks to me like you found the best place to look for advice in plenty of time

 

[stom]

congrats

 

[Robyrango]

welcome

Hi! Congrats, I got my panther 3 days ago!
Very exciting experience!
She looks pretty!!