Need some help with a few things.

[tigerlilly]

Hello everyone,

I am just trying to get a few things right for my female chameleon
We purchased a large 4 foot cage from LLL reptile and it just came in we are slowly trying to make it more comfy for her but as of now it looks pretty dull.
we can not seem to figure out how to get the "little dripper" to flow at a right pace as well as how can we make a drainage for her in this screen cage?

Also we have some concerns about the lighting we are using wether it is right or not. we are using a deep dish combo dome with a 100w night bulb and a 100w Powersun bulb, is that the right way to do it or should I get a heat bulb and a UVB bulb separately Some people have concerns about them getting too much UVB when they only want to bask so I am having a hard time figuring what is best

 

[sharp229]

You should have no light at night. Heat is not necessary at night unless the temperature in your house drops below 60 at night.

I believe with that kind of cage the easiest method to create drainage is to put it on a shelf or stand and drill a hole in the bottom with a bucket under it, assuming the cage has no built in holes for drainage.

For the lighting most people seem to use a linear Reptisun 5.0 or 10.0 bulb combined with a normal house bulb for heat. If you have these close together with lots of branches underneath your chameleon should be able to choose between one or the other or both. The PowerSun can work, but it may not be ideal if it is the only option.

I have both a ReptiSun 5.0 26W CFL and PowerSun 100W, and measuring them with a Solarmeter 6.2 the CFL actually put out more UVB at the same distance. This could vary based on the bulb though.

Looking at your pictures, you would want a lot more foliage and branches. You can get very large umbrella plants and ficus at Home Depot or Lowes for relatively cheap. Pothos is a really good option for a vine. You can bake sticks from outside for more branches or get dowels from the hardware store if you want something easier.

How old is your chameleon?

 

[Cait0420]

I'd Definitely go with a heat bulb and a UVB tube, so she can choose where to 'hang' out

 

[tigerlilly]

Thank you for the advise.
To be honest I do not know about her age. My husband purchased her from Petco. She was very interested in him and would try to reach out to climb on him when he was looking at her. So he fell in love.

 

[tigerlilly]

hopefully the picture comes up. but this is how i set it up, still need a bit more plants. haha notice my make shift drainage with soda bottles attached to a tube.

 

[Dr O]

We purchased a large 4 foot cage from LLL reptile and it just came in we are slowly trying to make it more comfy for her but as of now it looks pretty dull.
we can not seem to figure out how to get the "little dripper" to flow at a right pace as well as how can we make a drainage for her in this screen cage?
]

you know LLL makes drainage pans designed for that cage, right? drill some small holes around the PVC bottom, or don't and it would still overflow into the drain pan. then there's a million ways to hook up the drain pain for continual drainage, etc.

having used both Big and Lil Drippers before, they generally need to be controlled often. let's say you're doing a drop/second. the initial weight of the water lightens after a time and the flow slows or stops completely, so it has to be opened up some more. IME the Big needs less fussing with since the volume of water is generally heavy enough, whereas the Lil needed constant adjustment.

my personal favorite for a basic drip system is an IV fluid bag (1-3 liters). they're ready to hang, just cut a large slit near the top to fill it. as they're perfectly designed to drip, it rarely needed any adjustments. and a standard IV line is 72" which gives you a ton of options to lay the tubing. maybe $5 if you ask your vet nicely, and they last forever.

 

[Djturna4thakidz]

You need more foliage for her to feel comfortable. I would get a shefflera, it's a plant that is easily purchased at Home Depot or lowes. The truck is finding one that fills the four foot cage or comes close. I would clean it and replace the dirt with organic soil. You have some good horizontal branches, once the plant is in, I would add more. Good start tho and good luck with her