my new panther chameleon modified setup

[rango87]

hi everyone

i wanted to do a thread about my new modified setup.
here is what i brought yesterday.
a 6ft high by 1ft 9 deep from front to back.1ft 10 deep from back to left hand side.and 2ft 5 wide from widest part.
its pine but only on the front.

View attachment 72691

View attachment 72692

lastnight me and my husband removed the glass and the roof
we also painted it.we used a primer & undercoat in 1 and we used it twice then glossed it.please bear in mind we only done the outside.
here are the pics

were not getting him for 7-8 weeks so all fumes will be gone





we have used the roof as a shelf and put in a vent for drainage as the cham will be young we have made the viv shorter for him,till his 6 months.

 

[rango87]

today we varnished all of the inside with water based clear wood varnish.i gave it 2 coats as it had already been varnished when i brought it.

 

[maxttu]

I think that's gonna be a great enclosure! Will you be screening the open areas? What about the top? A hardware cloth or regular screen would be great for your lighting and added ventilation. Neat idea!

 

[Lovereps]

Looks great!
No doubt you were planning on screening or mesh sides but Maxttu's idea of mesh at the top is excellent for added ventilation.

 

[rango87]

hi yeah we brought some metal mesh today and meshed the top,door & sides tonight.
ill post pics tomorrow as its night time and in my hall way atm where its poor lighting.
as im giving it the night to dry till i put it back in my living room
its coming together nicely.
thanks for commenting.

 

[Rush2112]

Looks good. Would like to see it with an animal in it when it's done.

 

[rango87]

thank-you
yeah me too!

 

[rango87]

update
here are some pics
it has now been meshed and we made a cup holder for crickets/locusts.









more pics below

 

[maxttu]

This is outstanding! Gorgeous enclosure!

 

[rango87]

thanks very much

 

[ReptileLove18]

what a great enclosure! im sure rango is gonna love it! its great seeing the amazing enclosures forum members make for their cham buddies

 

[Tay And A]

Just be careful if you are feeding crickets. I see a feeder cup but crickets could get out of the mesh your using. I've had a huge mess in one if the cages we have. Crickets everywhere! Lol

 

[rango87]

thanks tay and a i didnt think of that.
ill remove the cup and i shall just handfeed everything instead.blimey i dont want crickets everywhere.the mesh ive used is bigger than lets say the reptibreeze mesh.if i just hand feed him all should be good.

thanks for letting me know.

thanks reptilelove18.i hope he likes it too.soon ill be adding all the decor

 

[Psychobunny]

Your cage looks great, any I think the screen you chose is perfect for chams, it's not so small for them to get their nails stuck.
But not so good for cricks, roaches and esp. flies!!

Also, have you treated the wood work with something waterproof?

You know what happens with wood that always gets wet!!

 

[rango87]

yeah i did .i stated in my previous post i have varnished it twice.
thanks for your comment.im just going to handfeed which was my plan anyway

 

[Psychobunny]

yeah i did .i stated in my previous post i have varnished it twice.
thanks for your comment.im just going to handfeed which was my plan anyway

Cool, you can also cup feed, which is way easy, and the bugs don't escape.
I use a 64oz deli cup. Needs to be wide on top for Smeagies head. and just dump some bugs in and hold it in your hand while your cham eats.
You just have to hold it at a tilted angle so the bugs wont crawl out.

Also, smaller panthers will get INSIDE the deli cup and the cricks will climb all over them!! gotta be careful with that

 

[rango87]

thanks thats some great info.ill get a deli cup like yourself and give that a try.
thank-you psychobunny

 

[midcoastchameleon]

You could always visit the hardware store and buy some aluminum screening. Its fairly inexpensive for a large roll and you can easily staple it in place and cut the excess away with a utility knife. It works well for our custom cages and keeps them pesky crickets in.

 

[midcoastchameleon]

A custom cage of ours with example of aluminum screening

 

[rango87]

thanks.im happy with how mine is.i will just cup & hand feed.
btw your setups look great

im not getting my cham for a while yet and im getting impatient as i want him sooner.ooh why wont time go faster lol

i want to make sure im fully prepared before the little chap arrives tho.thanks all for advising me.its all appreciated.

i just wanted your opinon.what temp do you think his basking lamp & viv temp be for a 4-5 month old?

i have researched but want to know your views to.