Need a little help

Tortdad

Tortdad

Established Member
hello all. I'm tortdad from Houston TX. I'm an experienced tortoise keeper and take great pride in proper housing and equipment but I know SQUAT, well less than squat, about Chameleons... I'm finding out some info here and there from your forum and expect I'll learn lots over the next coming days. The chameleon will be for my son. He asked his mom and she actually said yes, which surprised me because she know how nuts I go when I take on a new hobby. I go all in to make sure it's got the best habitat I can give it.

I'm having a little trouble navigating this forum and not finding what I'm looking for. I build all my own enclosures and was looking to see if you guys have a DYI type thread pinned somewhere talking about the materials used and materials to not use.

I see that they are supposed to be taller than wider, be more open for ventaltion and unlike torts... not have a substrate at the bottom. What I can't tell from looking at the pictures I did see is what type of screen material is used for the sides. If you don't have substrate on the bottom to help hold humidify and collect bathroom deposits then what do you do for the base?

My family is in Arizona for the next 3 weeks so id like to get the enclosure build and make sure I have it up and running correctly before finding the animal. I also don't want to be building another enclosure later so I want to make sure the one I make now can handle an adult. I was thinking of 24" x 24" x 48".... good for an adult?

I see people talking about drains on the bottom but I'm not sure what that's all about.

I'm very familiar with keeping proper humidity and temps for my torts. I have plenty of lights, uvb, CHe, thermostats, IT temp gun... etc etc. I will need to get or make a misting system.

All the picture threads I'm seeing for enclosures are geared more towards the plants and such inside it... I need help with the actual structure of the enclosure. I'm very handy and capable... just need some help finding the correct info. If you could point me in the right direction I'd greatly appreciate it. Also let me k ow what about the care sheets need to be tweaked to work best knowing that I live in Houston TX. Location plays a huge part in tortoise care so I'm assuming it does for these guys as well.
 
I found a picture thread #2 but like I said, it seems to be focusing on the plants and decorations not the what and why of it all.
 
Ohhh, another important question. The uvb bulb... are the coil compact kind okay to use or do I need the long 24" uvb bulbs.

The compact fluorescent uvb bulbs are a huge NO GO for tortoises so wanted to check for these guys.
 
I'm at work right now so can't really go into detail I would suggest you check the official enclosure threads and the official drainage thread as far as enclosure size 24 x 24 x 48 is the minimum but bigger is always better. I seen where Petco had these online for 70.00 the other day and for uvb yes u could use compact or coil bulbs but tubes are better
 
Im a new cham mommy and I'm still learning but i know the side screens have to be metal ...so that the crickets u feed ur cham cant chew their way out... Sorry i cnt be more help. good luck with yalls new family member
 
I'd use a good fixture for uvb, Arcadia is a popular one.

24 x 24 x 48 is about the minimal, but it would do. I personally free range and just have a small wall around the floor that they can't climb over(they never even go down there though). I understand we can't all do this though. I like having a lot of horizontal space and height. It allows the chameleon to move in/out, up/down from uvb, heat, water, etc. Plants create little humidity pockets and are very important for hiding, humidity, and munching on for the Chams that eat them. that's why most of our cages are designed for them. You want the cage to be filled to the point it's difficult to find your guy. In time theyll become confident if you provide them with a lot of hiding places(theyll feel safer). Their entire lives are spent in trees so we try to mimic this. You can use solid sides and/or screen, the humidity in your geographical location is important for deciding which to go with. The reason most people use screen us because we want the air to be humid, but also for it to not get stagnant. We want the heavy mistings to spike the humidity and then dry out and lower. About 50% ambient spiking to 70% and then as the cage dries out, lowers back to 50. Stagnant air, too much of a breeze, too high humid., too low humid., can all lead to RIs. It can be a little tricky at first to get proper ventilation and humidity, but you eventually get a feel for what works in your situation. We don't want air blowing directly on the cham either, but a gentle fan turning on for a few minutes every hour or two will help.

What kind of cham are you planning on? Panthers are personally favorite. Very colorful, easy going, etc. All chameleons are prone to stress though which I'm sure you'll read more about the dos and donts.

Also as a tort keeper you might be experienced with using *bioactive* substrate? I know it's not for everyone, but I wouldn't completely shut down the idea of a substrate. I use it in mine and if used safely(no big chunks for the cham to choke on) it adds a lot to the enclosure. People with far more experience than me swear by this method and it seems to be picking up more and more in the reptile hobby.
 
Welcome @Tortdad . How very exciting for you and family to be adventuring into the chameleon world .

You want to use Aluminum for your screen if you are using a mettle screen . 24/24/48 is minimum . Do you know what species yet ?

Drainage is a must at a minimum you will be hydrating for 4/5 min 4 or 5 times a day . You will most definitely have a flood with no drainage .
 
So when you guys say metal mesh are we talking rigid metal or something soft like the same stuff you use for a window screen? If it's the soft stuff how do you keep the Cham from ripping it when it climbs it?

Also if you don't have substrate on he bottom you just have like a plywood floor? I'm lost on the floor
 
Thinking of a vailed to start. Momma won't be too happy with me if I drop $350 plus shipping on some of the collier ones
 
If you don't want to use substrate, i'd suggest some sort of plastic bottom. With holes drilled in to drain the water into a bin. Then simply dump the bin. Thats the basic concept, you can really use whatever you like. As long as it's safe obviously.
 
Tortdad said:
So when you guys say metal mesh are we talking rigid metal or something soft like the same stuff you use for a window screen? If it's the soft stuff how do you keep the Cham from ripping it when it climbs it?

Also if you don't have substrate on he bottom you just have like a plywood floor? I'm lost on the floor
Click to expand...
Yes it's screen like a window screen . You would be more likely to rip it then your chameleon. Their nails are so thin and delicate.
 
So where do you end up cleaning there poop at? Just piping it down off the leaves or does the misting system pretty much run it down to the bottom and in your drain?
 
I don't mind substrate as I know it would help hold humidity. Then the question is how do you have a drain if you have a substrate?
 
Tortdad said:
I don't mind substrate as I know it would help hold humidity. Then the question is how do you have a drain if you have a substrate?
Click to expand...
You have to be super careful with substrate . There's a big concern with impaction . It's not recommended .

Poop you will have to clean spot cleaning daily . I personally do a bigger cleaning once a week . Some every 2 or 3 weeks .
 
I guess I need to go look at a pet store set up to see how it's supposed to work and build my own better version.
 
I'm in the petsmart parking lot right now, lol. Believe you me, I have no intent on asking them anything. I'm positive that the advice I'd get is as misguided as the advice they give to tortoise buyers. I belong to tortoiseforum.org and spend a good % of my posts helping and fixing enclosure and care sheet info for people who bought tortoises from pet stores.

That's why I'm leaning on you guys to help me get my set up right BEFORE I get a Cham... I need this right from the get go and I really do appreciate the info I'm getting. I'm sure you guys answer these same questions over and over again.
 
I read through the FAQ section and care sheets but do you have a "begainer mistakes" type thread pinned you that you send rookies like me too?
 
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