Komodo Vivarium - Recommended?

Rayzilla

Member
Still doing my research on all things chameleon before going all in.

I recently saw the Komodo Vivarium at one of the local reptile shops. It's dimensions are 76cm wide x 46cm deep x 91cm tall. Three sides are mesh (2 sides and the back) while the front is sliding glass with lock. And the lower part (choice of 9cm or 14cm) is a leak-proof glass enclosure.

Would this be suitable for a male Veiled or Panther Chameleon?

Will the front glass front make a big difference in reduction of air circulation for the chammy?

Any other thoughts or comments on this vivarium?

I would post a pic of this product but the only pictures of it I could find are from online retailers and I am not sure if I should be doing that since they are not sponsors of this website.

Thanks.
 
I guess this vivarium is not very popular amongst you all here.

Since many of you are in the U.S., perhaps I should provide the dimensions using the imperial system. The dimensions are approximately 30" wide x 18" deep x 36" tall.
 
Size would be OK for a female, but I would still go with something a bit larger. As for the glass front, it shouldn't make that much difference. I built an enclosure for my veiled and it has screen only on the two sides and top. I don't have any issues with temp control or humidity. It would depend on the room that the enclosure is in. I don't think that enclosure would allow for drainage though, so you may need to consider that. (Not totally sure because I don't know the exact one you are referring to.)
 
For a male panther or veiled I would try to find somthing taller, around 4 feet tall
I think 36" is the tallest this vivarium comes in. I will have to check with the shop and confirm.

I don't think that enclosure would allow for drainage though, so you may need to consider that.
You raise a good point here. You must be correct because according to the description of the vivarium, the bottom 9 or 14cm could essentially hold water without leaking.

I do not know much about the process of draining the bottom. I thought that some of you do not get water build up to the point that it accumulates that much. That in between misting, the water that reaches the bottom pretty much dries up before the next misting. I thought that those of you that have the elaborate drainage systems set them up that way because of the heavy watering that you do for the plant life as opposed to heavy watering for the chameleons. I was thinking about putting repticarpet on the bottom. I read about this product in this thread Ficus Trees and Automatic Misters.

So does this bottom glass part of the vivarium make this a no-go choice? I really had my heart set on this viv. :(

Thanks for the tips!
 
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So now I am considering the Reptibreeze XL. I like that there is a horizontal door along the bottom front that can open. Would I be able to use that to insert, say a square pan and place a grid-like plastic screen on top of it for easy drainage?

Say I put for legs on the plastic grid and then slide a pan under it? Has anyone tried something like this?
 
So now I am considering the Reptibreeze XL. I like that there is a horizontal door along the bottom front that can open. Would I be able to use that to insert, say a square pan and place a grid-like plastic screen on top of it for easy drainage?

Say I put for legs on the plastic grid and then slide a pan under it? Has anyone tried something like this?
The ReptibreezeXL has a pan you order separate.Is this the one with the LED's?
 
Oh, that's right. I saw some kind of separate pan that you can buy but ZooMed. It was called "substrate bottom tray". But I thought it's better not to put any substrate with chameleons? Would the idea that I mentioned work? Is the plastic grid with some kind of finer mesh appropriate as a flooring? That way the pan can be emptied if water starts to fill and the mesh can be removed to be rinsed out if it gets too dirty. And the plastic grid floor with four legs will stay in the cage.
 
I have a pan in the bottom of mine with paper towel to watch their poop. This is another reason I love the Mist King... your cage does not become flooded .Zoomed calls it a substrate tray but I have live plants sitting on my tray.
 
Remember that if you have objects, like plants, at the bottom of the cage, the substrate tray may be difficult to remove.
 
The first cage you mentioned is big enough and drainage can be managed, depending on the climate where you'll be using it may or may not be a better choice than the reptibreeze. A cage that size is a bit small for an adult but a suitable free range can give them some excercise, I would also place or so the perches are above your eye level that will keep him more secure. If your worries about flooding out the cage set it up so that it dries out between misting sessions AND commit to at least a weekly long shower for the chameleon more is better but once a week for 30-40 mins will work. That allows them to really clean their eyes out and rehydrate if needed. Otherwise a misting schedule that would keep them happy would probably flood your cage, I mist my Panther chameleons 20min total a day, montanes at least 40mins and need drainage for everything.
 
I have a pan in the bottom of mine with paper towel to watch their poop. This is another reason I love the Mist King... your cage does not become flooded .Zoomed calls it a substrate tray but I have live plants sitting on my tray.
It's in my plans to get the Mist King. I just hope it is available here in Hong Kong with the proper voltage (220v), otherwise I will need an power converter box.

Remember that if you have objects, like plants, at the bottom of the cage, the substrate tray may be difficult to remove.
This is the reason why I wanted to try installing a shelf/floor on the bottom using a plastic grid that would held up by installing some cylinder shaped tubes on the four corners of it. The tubes would need to be small enough to not get in the way of the substrate tray/plastic tub. I would put some kind of water permeable material on top of the plastic grid to prevent any insects from falling straight into the substrate tray. Does anyone do something like this? All the pictures and threads I see are about setting up drainage systems that are beneath the cage.
 
Maybe this might help explain what I am thinking about adding to the bottom of my cage (when I get started) as my 'drainage system'.

I could get something like this that can fit in the bottom of the cage.
http://www.stacksandstacks.com/iris-clear-stacking-drawer-x-large-sd-xl

And then cut out most of the top and place a plastic grid on top of that opening. A plastic grid tray like this.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Plastic-Rep...aft-Beer-Tray-Prevent-Splashing-/280928510729

And then I may put some kind of material on top of the plastic grid tray that will allow water through it but not allow the bugs to fall through it. That is why I was wondering if the Repticarpet will allow water to fall through it.
 
The ReptibreezeXL has a pan you order separate.Is this the one with the LED's?
I forgot to ask you what you meant by LED's. You mean LED's on the cage?

The first cage you mentioned is big enough and drainage can be managed, depending on the climate where you'll be using it may or may not be a better choice than the reptibreeze. A cage that size is a bit small for an adult but a suitable free range can give them some excercise, I would also place or so the perches are above your eye level that will keep him more secure. If your worries about flooding out the cage set it up so that it dries out between misting sessions AND commit to at least a weekly long shower for the chameleon more is better but once a week for 30-40 mins will work. That allows them to really clean their eyes out and rehydrate if needed. Otherwise a misting schedule that would keep them happy would probably flood your cage, I mist my Panther chameleons 20min total a day, montanes at least 40mins and need drainage for everything.
Thanks for your detailed comments.

The climate here in Hong Kong is on the humid side, so I may have a problem with moisture build up at the bottom of the cage.

I like the Komodo because it is just a little bit wider but I guess the extra 12 inches added to the height of the Reptibreeze would be nice for the Panther. Initially I thought the water-proof base of the Komodo was a good feature but the more I am learning about cage maintenance, it is not looking that way anymore. The opening door at the bottom of the Reptibreeze now makes much more sense.

Given your recommendation about giving the cham at least one weekly long shower, this makes the Reptibreeze a more appropriate choice over the Komodo, which the latter would be a pain in terms of drainage solutions. I suppose the I can just use the Manual setting on the Mist King to do these long shower sessions? It will be like a day at the spa, assuming the cham enjoys them.
 
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