Jack jack info needed48x24x48” tall cage for a jacksonii jacksonii pair (SEPERATE). Built out of wood. Need input on sealing the wood :)

[HunterCope]

I have 2 16x16x30 cages setup for the chams as they are 5 months old. They’re tiny and will come in next week. F1 from this sub, couldn’t be more excited. My vacation came at the wrong time and they will temporarily be in these enclosures until I’m back home and in buisness.

anyhow I’ve accumulated 2 reptisun t8 5.0 Uvb for the enclosures. In addition to this I have 2 75w halogen splashproof bulbs with clamp on fixtures to achieve the correct temperature gradient and not a straigh down basking “spot”. Both of these enclosures (final enclosures, not the temp enclosures) will have a SANSI 70W full spectrum veg light for the plants as well as a mist king during the day and a fogger at night to raise humidity and lower temps. Per instructions provided by chameleonacademy.com

timing ended up being a bitch so I bought 2 of the medium reptibteeze enclosures 16x16x30 as they are 5 month juveniles. I’m building a huge 48x24x48 tall enclosure for them which will be separated in the middle by an opaque material which allows no “seeing” but adequate airflow

In turn this is 2.... 2’x2’x4’ enclosures in one. A separate door for each enclosure.
I have a mist king to hydrate/humidify the chams. They will each have a plexiglass backing (the top half of the back, bottom will be screen) for bromeliads and pothos to be hung. The centerpiece will be a dwarf umbrella plant.
Long story short should these tiny jack jacks do ok (5 months) in these 16x16x30 enclosures with no live plants for 2 weeks while I’m on vacation? I know how to care for a Cham and am doing my best to simplify it for them(mom and lil sis, sister is crazy about this shit.. Timers on the lights etc...... feeding and misting will be their only obligation. The temp enclosures will be setup with dead twigs+ fake plants (pet store ivy small and medium in both), plus the new neat jungle branches which are covered in spaghnum to retain humidity. I will verify temps etc before I leave them.

end of the day will the 2 5 month old do ok in these small temp enclosures for 2 weeks?. I will have constant contact the entire time: also I’m almost done with the main enclosure but do not know how to seal it for the chams. So if knows how to sea that’d be awesome

 

[Klyde O'Scope]

Will the breeder/seller hold them until you're back from vacation?
That might be the best temporary solution until you can get your act together.

I’ve accumulated 2 reptisun t8 5.0 Uvb for the enclosures.

Those may not be strong enough, or have to be very close to basking site.
T5 5.0 or T8 10.0 would be preferable.

In addition to this I have 2 75w halogen splashproof bulbs with clamp on fixtures to achieve the correct temperature gradient and not a straigh down basking “spot”.

If this is the Zoo Med 75W halogen splash proof bulb
https://www.amazon.com/Zoo-Med-Repti-Tuff-Halogen/dp/B000KHDXAW?th=1
it is a SPOT—not a FLOOD, and will produce hot spots regardless of angle.

In turn this is 2.... 2’x2’x4’ enclosures in one. A separate door for each enclosure.
I have a mist king to hydrate/humidify the chams. They will each have a plexiglass backing (the top half of the back, bottom will be screen) for bromeliads and pothos to be hung. The centerpiece will be a dwarf umbrella plant.

???

Long story short should these tiny jack jacks do ok (5 months) in these 16x16x30 enclosures with no live plants for 2 weeks while I’m on vacation? I know how to care for a Cham and am doing my best to simplify it for them(mom and lil sis, sister is crazy about this shit.. Timers on the lights etc...... feeding and misting will be their only obligation.

I thought you said above you have a MistKing for them(?)

The temp enclosures will be setup with dead twigs+ fake plants (pet store ivy small and medium in both), plus the new neat jungle branches which are covered in spaghnum to retain humidity. I will verify temps etc before I leave them.

IDK anything about these "new" branches.

end of the day will the 2 5 month old do ok in these small temp enclosures for 2 weeks?.

IF they are set up properly—lighting, temps, humidity—they should be fine, but I have reservations about whether they'll actually be set up properly as per notes above.

 

[HunterCope]

Will the breeder/seller hold them until you're back from vacation?
That might be the best temporary solution until you can get your act together.


Those may not be strong enough, or have to be very close to basking site.
T5 5.0 or T8 10.0 would be preferable.


If this is the Zoo Med 75W halogen splash proof bulb
https://www.amazon.com/Zoo-Med-Repti-Tuff-Halogen/dp/B000KHDXAW?th=1
it is a SPOT—not a FLOOD, and will produce hot spots regardless of angle.


???


I thought you said above you have a MistKing for them(?)


IDK anything about these "new" branches.


IF they are set up properly—lighting, temps, humidity—they should be fine, but I have reservations about whether they'll actually be set up properly as per notes above.

Everything is set up properly, minus the fact that I’m lacking a bit of acknowledge on the required lighting. Temps, habitat humidity, and hardscape are all based off of information from madchams.com. I have a full spectrum veg light 2 ft above the enclosure. I have it adjacent to a 5.0 Uvb cage. I can’t find much info on how to run uvb for them if at all. Otherwise I believe it’s all done spot on

 

[ERKleRose]

@Mendez @Kaizen @JacksJill

 

[ERKleRose]

Agree with what @Klyde O'Scope is saying, but also:

which will be separated in the middle by an opaque material which allows no “seeing” but adequate airflow

What do you mean by this? It shouldn’t have holes if that’s what you mean

plus the new neat jungle branches which are covered in spaghnum to retain humidity

You don’t want that, as the moss will stay wet and can cause health issues, like sores. If you get fake vines, also be sure to avoid anything Exo Terra
Edit: I think you’re referring to the moss Exo Terras, avoid those, other Exo Terra fake vines, and moss vines

 

[ERKleRose]

Also, if you fill out the husbandry form, we can help make sure everything else is at 100%

 

[Mendez]

anyhow I’ve accumulated 2 reptisun t8 5.0 Uvb for the enclosures. In addition to this I have 2 75w halogen splashproof bulbs with clamp on fixtures to achieve the correct temperature gradient and not a straigh down basking “spot”. Both of these enclosures (final enclosures, not the temp enclosures) will have a SANSI 70W full spectrum veg light for the plants as well as a mist king during the day and a fogger at night to raise humidity and lower temps. Per instructions provided by chameleonacademy.com

75-watt halogens can get pretty hot, and for a 16x16x30, you will have to raise that bulb really high up above the cage. Make sure to set your basking bulbs on a timer so they don't sit under the heat all day. I've recently started doing this, which has been something that @JacksJill has been telling people for years now, and I've noticed a significant difference. And depending on your ambient room conditions, you will probably have to raise the 70-watt LED off the top of the cage too as it can emit a good amount of heat.

timing ended up being a bitch so I bought 2 of the medium reptibteeze enclosures 16x16x30 as they are 5 month juveniles. I’m building a huge 48x24x48 tall enclosure for them which will be separated in the middle by an opaque material which allows no “seeing” but adequate airflow

16x16x30 should be fine for them until you get back from vacation. Chameleons get a bad rap for needing tons of airflow, but this isn't true. While chameleons need some amount of airflow, it is often less than one might expect. If you live in a low humidity environment and find yourself misting frequently to increase your humidity levels, you may be better off all four sides. Many people up in Canada experience these conditions and have successfully raised up many generations of chameleons in glass cages. For about a year, I closed off all three sides of my cage, and then covered the front screen door, leaving only the maintenance door at the front and top screen panel open. This allowed for the chimney effect. While the majority of my cage was covered up, my chameleon still had adequate airflow where a respiratory infection was out of the question. I'd say that you could easily get away with covering both sides and back up and easily keep sufficient humidity levels.

How will opaque material allow airflow? I keep thinking of acrylic or plexiglass, but that wouldn't allow airflow. Perhaps this material is a type of mesh?

In turn this is 2.... 2’x2’x4’ enclosures in one. A separate door for each enclosure.
I have a mist king to hydrate/humidify the chams. They will each have a plexiglass backing (the top half of the back, bottom will be screen) for bromeliads and pothos to be hung. The centerpiece will be a dwarf umbrella plant.

I think your cage is more complex than it has to be. Though I may not be understanding what you are doing with the screen and plexiglass. More info would allow us to better help you out.

Long story short should these tiny jack jacks do ok (5 months) in these 16x16x30 enclosures with no live plants for 2 weeks while I’m on vacation? I know how to care for a Cham and am doing my best to simplify it for them(mom and lil sis, sister is crazy about this shit.. Timers on the lights etc...... feeding and misting will be their only obligation. The temp enclosures will be setup with dead twigs+ fake plants (pet store ivy small and medium in both), plus the new neat jungle branches which are covered in spaghnum to retain humidity. I will verify temps etc before I leave them.

Yes, jack jacks will do fine in a 16x16x30 for two weeks if they are 5 months old. Can you not give a small live plant for a centerpiece? I promise you that they will acclimate much better this way than with fake plants. Plants help stabilize your humidity levels so you don't get crazy fluctuations, provide adequate hiding spots for them to hide, allow for multiple different drinking levels, and allows your cham to pick a spot where the humidity gradient is perfect for them. Live plants make the acclimating process a whole lot easier. You can probably pick up cheap lives plants from a local hardware store or even your grocery store. Just make sure to wash off the plant leaves before placing it in your cage.

Also, how long will the jack jacks be in your care before you go on vacation? Depending on the breeder, they may be willing to hold on to them for two weeks until you get back.

end of the day will the 2 5 month old do ok in these small temp enclosures for 2 weeks?. I will have constant contact the entire time: also I’m almost done with the main enclosure but do not know how to seal it for the chams. So if knows how to sea that’d be awesome

Yes, they will be fine as long as the temperature, humidity, and light levels are done properly. If these variables are correct, acclimating them should go smoothly. Just make sure that no one bothers them too much during the acclimatization process.

All in all, get some live plants for the cage. I'd skip the vines and just collect branches from outside if you are able to (watch out for pesticides).