King Colin - Yemen help me save him

[KingColin]

Hi i recently bought a chameleon off a friend of mine, It came with all the bare minimum needed, it has an exoterra tank
(that with filled with poo! sorry best word i can think of)
it did have soil and a couple of real plants but because of the state of the bottom of the tank ive removed it all and replaced with newspaper so that it has more height and easier to see and dispose of poo lol

Ive got him on a 12hr cycle...... the heating bulb and uv bulb that came with the tank only get it upto around 80-85 degrees F

I know the basking should be around the 90-100 and have done alot of reading, i purchased some wax worms and some locusts too
(the crickets that came with it i didnt trust lol)

i was advised the tank is too small he is apparently 6 months old so have started to construct a new viv so he can thrive, it is a 3ft x 2ft x 3ft box....ive left a section on the back for the ventilation (will be meshed) and have an open front currently, i was thinking a perspex front or a complete mesh front for ease of cleaning etc...... Im not sure what to fill the viv with for chameleon entertainment lol, im going to create a drain so that i can make a recirculating drip system.

I am a student and on a tight tight budget, im a very handy person and making building most things doesnt phase me just want to know whats best for King Colin as i know what its like to live in a cupboard lol

Any help would be great thanks

 

[VeiledChams]

Hi i recently bought a chameleon off a friend of mine, It came with all the bare minimum needed, it has an exoterra tank
(that with filled with poo! sorry best word i can think of)
it did have soil and a couple of real plants but because of the state of the bottom of the tank ive removed it all and replaced with newspaper so that it has more height and easier to see and dispose of poo lol

Ive got him on a 12hr cycle...... the heating bulb and uv bulb that came with the tank only get it upto around 80-85 degrees F

I know the basking should be around the 90-100 and have done alot of reading, i purchased some wax worms and some locusts too
(the crickets that came with it i didnt trust lol)

i was advised the tank is too small he is apparently 6 months old so have started to construct a new viv so he can thrive, it is a 3ft x 2ft x 3ft box....ive left a section on the back for the ventilation (will be meshed) and have an open front currently, i was thinking a perspex front or a complete mesh front for ease of cleaning etc...... Im not sure what to fill the viv with for chameleon entertainment lol, im going to create a drain so that i can make a recirculating drip system.

I am a student and on a tight tight budget, im a very handy person and making building most things doesnt phase me just want to know whats best for King Colin as i know what its like to live in a cupboard lol

Any help would be great thanks

He looks older than 6 months. probably a year old. You'll need something bigger to house him in. At least 4' high. Recirculating drip system is a cool idea if you can clean the water too. Otherwise it'll be a roller coaster for bacteria. Get him some nice crickets, roaches, and other insects. Also, make sure you have calcium w/o D3 (every or most feedings), calcium w/ D3 (2X per month) and multi-vitamins (2X per month). Just as important, a UVB bulb (Reptisun 5.0 linear tube)

Make sure the enclosure does allow air to circulate.

 

[Tandra Lee]

in answer to your response king coli:for chameleon entertainment use lots of vines and branches of various sizes(some thick,some thin,you can get these out doors off of trees(non sappy ) also at craft stores cheaply) put in big leafy plants such as ficus and pothos,make sure your bulbs are the linear type(long tubes) dont recirculate the dripper water as it will be contaminated with fecal matter and bug legs,bug feces,and just yucky!! use a dripper that you can make from a plastic jug with a hole poked in the bottom,or purchase one fr a pet store..dont use substrate,repot plants into organic soil and cover soil with lrg rocks so cham cant ingest them..regular mistings daily 3-5 times day..proper supplements calcium w/no D3 everyday except for the 2 times mnth when you will use calcium with D3 and the 2 times a mnth you will be using repcal vitamin supplement...always gut load the feeders well with lots of fruits and veggies and berries and a good quality dry gutload..

 

[KingColin]

Thanks for the advice I was a bit worried about recirculating so might just make it a drain so that it doesnt warp the wood. im currently using a cup with a hole in it so will just make a more elaborate version of this.

the other questions was what to do about the inside of the case, obviously i dont want to use any paint that will be harmful to colin, im tempted to create a fake background similar to the one in the exoterra using some sort of expanding foam??
does anyone have a good guide for this......or a list of products to use??
also is the mesh front a good idea?? or will glass / perspex be better??! or do you think it will be better to just leave it as it is with the foliage for a natural woody background

sorry to harp on lol Ive also heard that normal house light bulbs of a correct wattage can produce enough heat what sort of watt bulb would i need to heat a box of this size??!

my house isnt the warmest at night and worse in the winter so guessing some sort of dimmer switch to be able to adjust the temperature would help?!

Thanks again everyone

 

[VeiledChams]

Thanks for the advice I was a bit worried about recirculating so might just make it a drain so that it doesnt warp the wood. im currently using a cup with a hole in it so will just make a more elaborate version of this.

the other questions was what to do about the inside of the case, obviously i dont want to use any paint that will be harmful to colin, im tempted to create a fake background similar to the one in the exoterra using some sort of expanding foam?? I would think that is too strong, just leaving the wood as is would be okay
does anyone have a good guide for this......or a list of products to use??
also is the mesh front a good idea?? or will glass / perspex be better??! Go with sceen or mesh.. glass would not be a good idea because the air will just be trapped inside (like an aquarium)or do you think it will be better to just leave it as it is with the foliage for a natural woody background If you search around the forum, there are some people who've used some coating for the wood.

sorry to harp on lol Ive also heard that normal house light bulbs of a correct wattage can produce enough heat what sort of watt bulb would i need to heat a box of this size??!
I have a 60 watt bulb and get 90+ degrees for my veileds basking spot
my house isnt the warmest at night and worse in the winter so guessing some sort of dimmer switch to be able to adjust the temperature would help?!

My replies are in bold
They can tolerate temperatures down to the 50's. as long as it doesn't drop below 60, you're okay
Thanks again everyone

My replies are in bold

 

[KingColin]

so ideally i need....

a reptisun 5.0 (any perticular length?? or just to fit across the top of my enclosure??)

a 60watt household light bulb......for basking and temperature

VOC free boat paint for the wood to stop mold etc....

drip system

some branches / fake vines inside and a ficus in organic soil....

and my veiled should be a happy chap

thanks for the help people really appreciate it....

 

[Tandra Lee]

king colin:you should aim for a light fixture that will cover the entire length of the enclosure,and you should have a hygrometer/thermometer digital type so you can make sure the temps are correct for the age of your cham,you can raise and lower the basking bulb to get the precise temp..i also would refrain from using a foam backing of any sort as a small piece could be consumed by the cham causing it to become impacted and die for the flouescent light fixture you can find them cheap at almost any hardware store,i pd $20 for mine and it is a dbl light fixture(you can put two light tubes in it) make sure it is a T8 type of fixture and only put one 5.0 bulb and one plant grow bulb in it..your plants will love it and as i said they are cheap..make sure to write down the date of purchase for your bulb as you will need to replace it in the correct time as the uvb rays get less and less over time wich is super bad for the cham k..

 

[laurie]

Veiled cham I just wanted to let you know that this person is in England. Most of the keepers there use a mostly glass with a screen panel for air sort of enclosure. Him doing the glass does make perfect sense for his situation. It is good to consider where the person lives before always saying you have to use screen.

My replies are in bold

 

[VeiledChams]

Veiled cham I just wanted to let you know that this person is in England. Most of the keepers there use a mostly glass with a screen panel for air sort of enclosure. Him doing the glass does make perfect sense for his situation. It is good to consider where the person lives before always saying you have to use screen.

Yes Laurie, you are right. I was just saying it because of the enclosure he has made. If there was glass on the side, there would be nowhere for the air to circulate. I know you CAN use glass, if you can get some ventilation in there. I am going off of what I see in the picture of the box he made. But yes, you are right, I had not noticed he lived in England.

KingColin, going with what Laurie has corrected me on, if you go with glass, I suggest you read this thread from Chris.

https://www.chameleonforums.com/everyone-who-knows-you-cant-keep-chameleons-glass-31937/

 

[laurie]

Wow you are really kind to understand i was just trying to inform both of you. I try to not sound offensive but sometimes I do. Thanks again for taking it how i tried to say it.

Yes Laurie, you are right. I was just saying it because of the enclosure he has made. If there was glass on the side, there would be nowhere for the air to circulate. I know you CAN use glass, if you can get some ventilation in there. I am going off of what I see in the picture of the box he made. But yes, you are right, I had not noticed he lived in England.

KingColin, going with what Laurie has corrected me on, if you go with glass, I suggest you read this thread from Chris.

https://www.chameleonforums.com/everyone-who-knows-you-cant-keep-chameleons-glass-31937/

 

[VeiledChams]

Wow you are really kind to understand i was just trying to inform both of you. I try to not sound offensive but sometimes I do. Thanks again for taking it how i tried to say it.

I know you are here to help out everyone Laurie, and I thank you for correcting me. Now I'll pay more attention to where people live before saying something

 

[carol5208]

I made one observation that I am not too fond of...that light looks like it is inside the enclosure? Correct me if I am wrong. Lights on the OUTSIDE of the cage not inside! Glad you are making him a nice new home!

 

[Oski]

Hi, where abouts in Essex are you from?

He looks good, it's good that you are sorting out a new enclosure for him, I use reptibreeze's screen cages for all mine they seem to work well. Like Carol said I would be carefull with that bulb inside as he will get to close to it, causing thermal burns.
If you local to me I would happily give you some adult msle+female dubai roaches, if you wanted to start keep some of your own live food? Good luck with him mate.

 

[KingColin]

Well thanks everyone for the replies

I recently changed my home to england as i had essex and realised everyone was in america so its not their fault they wouldn't of known lol

unfortunatly thats how i got the exoterra case, with the bulb inside i knew it was a bad setup thats why im making the new one which should be complete in the next day or two.

Oski - Im from benfleet nr southend, i study motorsport engineering in oxford but will be back for the summer soon.

Yh as advised previously my house isnt the warmest and am worried about the winter months thats why im starting this now
(also because the current one is rubbish!),

the large window at the back of the box will be meshed and am tempted to buy a perspex picture frame (cheap ) and use this to cover the front. For the air circulation i was going to add some small holes on the sides so it can circulate.

Tandra Lee - thanks just wanted to check that i didnt need a special one

i will do a photoshop of what i am planning on doing...... and upload so its clearer lol

 

[KingColin]

 

[Miss Lily]

I am also in the UK. A screen door on your wooden viv will be fine. I keep my female in an Exo Terra glass vivarium and my male in a wooden VivExotic vivarium that has glass doors. I have never experienced any problems with reagrd to ventilation or reflections in the glass. I would Know if the glasss bothered my chams as they react quite obviously when they do see each other or a reflection of themselves ina mirror. Well done for taking him on and giving him a much better life. He looks a very handsome fella to me! You may consider a mesh section in the top of the viv so the lights can be placed outside - that's what I have done for Tommy as his light was inside when I got him and I was terrified that he would burn is feet by climbing on it.

 

[KingColin]

yh i am worried if i put a mesh top on it with the lights on top it will heat the metal up so more stuff for him to burn himself on....

i was going to make a wooden frame with the lights attached so can adjust the height from the top.....plus gives him extra height if its outside the box

im getting quite attached my friends are laughing that i refer to him as colin asif everyone knows who colin is lol

 

[laurie]

You calling colin is completely normal, we all do it. I let Miss Lily (tiff), one of your fellow country women, name my pair of williamsi gecko's . Since the news is all wedding she named them William & Kate. I have had some comments about that.

 

[Miss Lily]

He wont burn himself on it if he can't reach the screen - I have branches and plants strategically placed so Tommy can't reach the screen on top! You have to think like a chameleon and be one step ahead! They are such wonderful creatures - a few of my friends show disgust, but most are interested (I have two crested geckos as well). I love his name - they are like family after all - therefore they should have names!

 

[KingColin]

its King colin cos of his crown hahaha

willam and kate.....niceeee....

yh everyone on here has been amazing glad its such a friendly helpful forum and will keep everyone upto date on how colin and his new bachelor pad is coming on