Need housing help ...

[Red7ny1]

I've always wanted a chameleon and this tax time I decided I was going to get one . So as always , I went online to do a little research . Here's my problem ... my bedroom doesn't get heat ( we don't know why , just cold air comes out and my room is the attic ) . I figured that , as with my bearded dragon , I could use heat lamps on top the aquarium . But I'm reading either " don't house chameleon's in an aquarium " or " it's ok to house chameleon's in aquariums " . I really want a chameleon but I don't want it to freeze to death or kill it by using an aquarium . Help ??

 

[camimom]

no aquariums.
Welcome! haha
chameleons climb up, not sideways.
fish tanks dont get good aire flow.

mesh cages, or glass cages, (though we dont like glass much)
adult veileds and panthers need a2ft x 2ft x 4 ft cage.

 

[Solid Snake]

You cannot keep them in an aquarium. End of story. They need fresh air. They can handle temps down to 50f at nite. During the day you will have to use a basking bulb and uvb bulb, thats mandantory. Search these forums, all the info is right here What kind of chameleon would you like to get?

 

[Rosie42892]

Yes, please no aquariums! For the most part, the only time glass is used (for panthers and veilds) is if you are in an amazingly dry climate (desert) and need to retain humidity. Even then, it is usually not all glass, some is mesh.

The cage you would need should be taller then wide, usually atleast 24in x 24in x 48in for a full grown cham. You will be able to retain the heat in the mesh cage with the basking light, you may just need to experiment with wattages a bit to figre out which will give you the ideal temp for the species you purchase. At night, chameleons need a ten degree temp drop, and do fine in temps down to the low sixties. If you expect your room to be cooler then this, I would suggest a ceramic heat bulb for a night time heat source. It provides a constant flow of heat with no light, as chameleons need complete darkness at night. Red and blue night time lights sold at most pet stores do not work. You can buy a ceramic bulb at your local petsmart or petco but will get it for half price if you shop around online. Hope this helps! Welcome to the forum!

 

[coldbloodedAL]

Aquarium= no no. Large enough terrarium= juuuust fine

 

[Red7ny1]

Wow ... you people are quick !! Lol ... I wanted to get a Jackson's , with a veiled being my second choice . I have til Feb. 7th to figure out how to get a set-up ( that's when my tax check comes in ... lol ) . Like I said , before buying any reptiles I always research ... that's how I found your site . I live in NY , so you know how cold it gets here . The only thing I don' get in my room is wind chill ... lol .

 

[Red7ny1]

So a terrarium is ok ??

 

[Solid Snake]

Yes. It would probably be more suited to a jackson. If you get a terrarium, get a big one. 2x2x4 is considered minimum living space.

 

[camimom]

Wow ... you people are quick !! Lol ... I wanted to get a Jackson's , with a veiled being my second choice . I have til Feb. 7th to figure out how to get a set-up ( that's when my tax check comes in ... lol ) . Like I said , before buying any reptiles I always research ... that's how I found your site . I live in NY , so you know how cold it gets here . The only thing I don' get in my room is wind chill ... lol .

We are the forum creepers (meaning we get bored at work)
We are crazy, but most of us are intelligent and have some experience.

Personally, I dont have any experience with jacksons, I keep veileds and Hoehnellis,
But I do believe they can do cooler temps for basking (though dont quote me on it) adn I know they require less supplementation than veileds do.

The cage type and size still applies. though many of us build our cages, and in this case, size does matter. bigger is always better for a chameleon.

Why dont you make a list of questions.
an then Post them here.
You are also welcomoe to PM me, or someoene else with any questions anytime.
As an fyi, Im on here multiple times throughout the day ( iget very bored at work) so I will try to help, what i dont know, I can probably direct you do someone who does.

I would suggest, PMing miss Lily. SHe has a baby jax right now, and has some info on their care. I know there are others, but cant think o fthem right this second.

 

[Solid Snake]

We are the forum creepers (meaning we get bored at work)
We are crazy, but most of us are intelligent and have some experience.

Personally, I dont have any experience with jacksons, I keep veileds and Hoehnellis,
But I do believe they can do cooler temps for basking (though dont quote me on it) adn I know they require less supplementation than veileds do.
You are correct
The cage type and size still applies. though many of us build our cages, and in this case, size does matter. bigger is always better for a chameleon.

Why dont you make a list of questions.
an then Post them here.
You are also welcomoe to PM me, or someoene else with any questions anytime.
As an fyi, Im on here multiple times throughout the day ( iget very bored at work) so I will try to help, what i dont know, I can probably direct you do someone who does.

I would suggest, PMing miss Lily. SHe has a baby jax right now, and has some info on their care. I know there are others, but cant think o fthem right this second.ME!

Yes we will try to answer any and all questions. So ask away. The jackson is more suited for a terrarium, and cooler temps. The require lots of water though, and dont change colors as much as a panther. They are still great chameleons, and very much worth having imo.

 

[Red7ny1]

Ty all for your quick responses and info . I work overnight so even if I could get internet at work , most of you would probably be sleeping ... lol . I will have to pm miss lily to get info on how to set up a terrarium then . The other purchase I'm making with my tax check is a DSLR camera , so I'll be posting pix of my new chameleon ( this is a chameleon site , so pix of my Bearded Dragon Ryuu don't apply ... lol ) . Once again , thank you all for the quick response and info . I'll be around now that I have an informative place to go

 

[camimom]

Ty all for your quick responses and info . I work overnight so even if I could get internet at work , most of you would probably be sleeping ... lol . I will have to pm miss lily to get info on how to set up a terrarium then . The other purchase I'm making with my tax check is a DSLR camera , so I'll be posting pix of my new chameleon ( this is a chameleon site , so pix of my Bearded Dragon Ryuu don't apply ... lol ) . Once again , thank you all for the quick response and info . I'll be around now that I have an informative place to go

you can post whatever pics you want.
weve had people post pics of their cat, their dog, (beardies too) geckos.
we just love pics in general.

and make sure..
ocne you get your cham, and you tell us you got your cham. you wil lHAVE to post pictures, or we will hound you till yo udo! hahah jk.

 

[Red7ny1]

Trust me , no worries about me not posting pix ... I'm a picture taking fanatic ( hence the upgrade to a DSLR camera ) ... lol . I'll have to resize my pix of Ryuu to post ... otherwise , they take up the whole page

 

[camimom]

Trust me , no worries about me not posting pix ... I'm a picture taking fanatic ( hence the upgrade to a DSLR camera ) ... lol . I'll have to resize my pix of Ryuu to post ... otherwise , they take up the whole page

yea that we dont like. but we love pics! haha.

 

[Midnighthwk]

i love pics that take like half the page. makes it easyer to see things.
and we all live in dif time zones and have dif sleeping times so there is always someone looking on here to help u out.

https://www.chameleonforums.com/cage-2-a-74020/

got to show off my new cages as much as i can
if the pics u cant see my cricket breeding cage under the stand, and the drainage is hidden.

so make with ur list of questions and get rdy for a tom of replys on them.
i love this site when i need help with something. 99% of the people kick ass.

 

[Olimpia]

I'm surprised that no one mentioned glass terrariums for your situation.

A glass terrarium (not a fish aquarium) would be perfect for your cause. They usually have a mesh top and a strip of ventilation along the front, so air circulates through it, especially using the heat lights to create air flow (air rises and sinks depending on temps, etc.). Also, these tanks have front doors, so it's a much more comfortable tank to access.

They sell them pretty large, but they are pricey. But I think that if you live in a place that is cold, you may need the tank to keep heat and humidity stable.

These are actually the cages I would use, even living here in Florida, because they are so much prettier and the parameters don't fluctuate as much. But as it stands I can't afford (or move by myself) one of these large glass terrariums so for now I stick to home-built screen cages. But one day...!

 

[Solid Snake]

Aquarium= no no. Large enough terrarium= juuuust fine

...........just sayin........

 

[Midnighthwk]

dif chams have dif needs.
some are fine in glass most are not.

 

[Olimpia]

dif chams have dif needs.
some are fine in glass most are not.

This isn't really true, in my opinion. Member Kinyonga, whom we all respect, has been keeping chameleons in glass for many many years. So has Chris Anderson, another really respected member, who has a thread about this subject. If you use a TERRARIUM and not a fish aquarium you still get the ventilation you need for your chameleon to thrive.

HOWEVER, more than some chameleons not being suited to glass I would say that some situations are not suited to glass. For example, if your house gets really warm during the day, the tank will be much warmer. But if your house is really cold, the glass will keep in the heat more. Etc. So for some situations it's awesome - which is why most people in Europe use glass, and a good percentage of those in Canada as well. But for someone in Florida or Hawaii it may not be ideal. In really dry places it's also awesome, like Arizona, since it retains humidity better.