Need help! cage set up please

[Dm563]

Hello folks I have a 6 month old veiled male chameleon thus far he has lived in a glass enclosure vented on the top he is getting big so I bought a 2x2x 4ft tall enclosure cas I know they like height. my only issues is , as before I was using suction cups for fake plants and such I cant do this in a metal mesh cage , so what do I do ? I also have a fogger to keep humidity up, and I was wondering what watts should his new bulbs be his heat bulb is 60 now the other is maybe 100. thanks again I just want to make sure I give him the best enclosure!

 

[Wowbango]

Hello folks I have a 6 month old veiled male chameleon thus far he has lived in a glass enclosure vented on the top he is getting big so I bought a 2x2x 4ft tall enclosure cas I know they like height. my only issues is , as before I was using suction cups for fake plants and such I cant do this in a metal mesh cage , so what do I do ? I also have a fogger to keep humidity up, and I was wondering what watts should his new bulbs be his heat bulb is 60 now the other is maybe 100. thanks again I just want to make sure I give him the best enclosure!

Most people use a combination of Zip ties, Floral wire and Push pins to hang fake plants, vines, branches etc. A fogger won't do much for humidity in a screen cage. I strongly recommend using a Misting system, like a Mistking (They're a sponsor here, check the sponsor section). Experiment with the different wattage of bulbs so that your basking spot is around 90-95 degrees (I recommend around 90).

 

[Big Gulp]

Here's what I did for my screen cage.

Get a bunch of branches.

For the horizontal branches (going straight across as well as diagonal) I cut each end to the correct length. I got strong magnets from Home Depot, and super glued a magnet on each end of the branch. Then obviously you put the other magnet on outside of the cage to hold in place. This makes for easy removal when cleaning, etc.

 

[MissMeela]

I used push pins on some but I mainly used fishing line. If they were small enough, I just wrapped it around and tied on the outside, or drilled small hole in the end of the stick or vines and put the fishing line thru that and tie on the outside. Time consuming, yes, and hard to get plants in and out.. But I don't plan on moving anything. But if I do, I just cut the line and remove the branch.. I like BigGulp's idea! Wish I would've thought out that before. Maybe next time I need to get in and do things in the cage, I'll upgrade to magnets!! Thanks for the idea BigGulp!

 

[XxSoSeductivexX]

I only had thin metal wire, so I used that at first. Horrible idea! It's ruining the fiberglass mesh. I am slowly replacing it with garden ties (looks like bread ties). I got two spools from the "dollar tree" & just cut to size. I also bought hooks to screw into the frame & use those as a guide for my pothos as it grows.

 

[Tymeleon]

I personally use floral wire and twist ties, hope this helps!

 

[chameleoncarlskeeper]

i have a 150 watt baking bulb suspended about 5" from the top of the mesh cage
it makes the vary top basking spot about 90F.

this that wattage too high ?

baby veiled chameleon maybe 2.5 to 3 months old

 

[XxSoSeductivexX]

I'm a new owner...so feel free not to listen to me lol... But I had the same watt bulb & had to use a 100. The little guy kept opening its mouth, which I knew from other animals that it was trying to cool off. From what I read, babies don't know that they need to move if it's too hot. Once I lowered the watts it stopped. Also, use ur hand and place it on the basking spot & as long as it's warm & not uncomfortable you should be ok. My basking spot is mid-high 80s but that's what he likes. BUT my lamp is about 2 inches from the mesh.

 

[FloridaBuckeye]

i also have a baby veiled which i am trying to figure out the appropriate setup. im using a 75w bulb and ive layered the vines at varying levels to see where he chooses to bask most often. after a couple days, ill adjust the vines according to where he appears to be most comfortable.

 

[Benjlan]

Long time Cham owner but new to this forum. I use bamboo stakes that you can find at garden centers. I make a teepee with them and zip tie it. Then I place a vine type plant on top of the teepee. Right now I'm using a nepenthes pitcher plant. My cage is 18x18x60 so I used 6 ft bamboo poles. Then I run some horizontal bamboo across the top and zip tie those to the vertical poles of the teepee. I also run some fake vines but my guy doesn't like those for some reason. If you do it this way you don't have holes in your screen.

I use a infrared temp gun and make a basking area about 90-95 degrees for my veiled, but you should check care sheets for your species.

Hope this helps, and if I'm doing it wrong hopefully someone will chime in here.

Ben