New and need some advice

[gbert15]

Ive been looking and reading on some equipment to start with and I kinda have things down as to how I want to get things to look like but kinda want advice on which specific brands or items to get to get started!

Cages:
Ive looked into dragonstrand 36x18x18 which has multiple openings and attachments/acessories but not sure if the price tag is worth it! Basically I want the set up clean and so i want to be able to easily take out whatever will be holding the water from the mister! Any other brand you guys would recommend?

Misting system:
Dragonstrand has their own mistint system that doesnt use nozzles i believe and claims to have a better localization as to where the water drops! My friend also recommended me mist king based on what he saw at the recent reptile expo in pomona, ca the past weekend! Any suggestions?

Plants:
Was looking mainly into getting a tall umbrella plant and adding 2 smaller ones at the bottom or a smaller plant then 2 vines at different heights at the top! Kinda forgot which vine but maybe the pothos or something like that at the top! Again, open to suggestions

Wood, Banches, and Vines: looking for suggestions on where to get these! Something that looks natural and hopefully customizable so to fit the spaces nicely as well as get a nice route for the chameleon around his living quarters!

Heaters, Thermometers, Lighting:
What would be nice to get? Which brand has been the reliable one in terms of longevity and qualit? Kinda wanted to have a night light and a day light just incase the light from the window next to the cage is insufficient! Whats the best thermometers for getting accurate readings of the temp and humidity of the living space?

Decor:
Saw some cork tile from zoo med and kinda intrigued as to what u guys think of having that cover even just the back! Yes I do lose a bit of ventilation with it but maybe I can compensate with a more frequent misting or maybe a cool humidifier if ever! Do you guys think its worth it? Also what would be a nice material to cover the bottom of the cage! Maybe something i can swap out later when it becomes dirty or at least easy to clean other than the water pan i would need at the bottom!

Anyways, looking forward to all your feedback and I thank you guys in advance for all your input and help!

 

[reptileguy112]

Ive been looking and reading on some equipment to start with and I kinda have things down as to how I want to get things to look like but kinda want advice on which specific brands or items to get to get started!

Cages:
Ive looked into dragonstrand 36x18x18 which has multiple openings and attachments/acessories but not sure if the price tag is worth it! Basically I want the set up clean and so i want to be able to easily take out whatever will be holding the water from the mister! Any other brand you guys would recommend?

Misting system:
Dragonstrand has their own mistint system that doesnt use nozzles i believe and claims to have a better localization as to where the water drops! My friend also recommended me mist king based on what he saw at the recent reptile expo in pomona, ca the past weekend! Any suggestions?

Plants:
Was looking mainly into getting a tall umbrella plant and adding 2 smaller ones at the bottom or a smaller plant then 2 vines at different heights at the top! Kinda forgot which vine but maybe the pothos or something like that at the top! Again, open to suggestions

Wood, Banches, and Vines: looking for suggestions on where to get these! Something that looks natural and hopefully customizable so to fit the spaces nicely as well as get a nice route for the chameleon around his living quarters!

Heaters, Thermometers, Lighting:
What would be nice to get? Which brand has been the reliable one in terms of longevity and qualit? Kinda wanted to have a night light and a day light just incase the light from the window next to the cage is insufficient! Whats the best thermometers for getting accurate readings of the temp and humidity of the living space?

Decor:
Saw some cork tile from zoo med and kinda intrigued as to what u guys think of having that cover even just the back! Yes I do lose a bit of ventilation with it but maybe I can compensate with a more frequent misting or maybe a cool humidifier if ever! Do you guys think its worth it? Also what would be a nice material to cover the bottom of the cage! Maybe something i can swap out later when it becomes dirty or at least easy to clean other than the water pan i would need at the bottom!

Anyways, looking forward to all your feedback and I thank you guys in advance for all your input and help!

Minimum cage size is 24 x 24 x 48 so that wouldn't work for an adult.
Mist king is the best. Basking spot should be about 83F and you need a uvb bulb and replace it every six months. Also you need to supplement calcium every feeding, calcium D3 once every 2 weeks and reptivite every two weeks.

 

[gbert15]

Minimum cage size is 24 x 24 x 48 so that wouldn't work for an adult.
Mist king is the best. Basking spot should be about 83F and you need a uvb bulb and replace it every six months. Also you need to supplement calcium every feeding, calcium D3 once every 2 weeks and reptivite every two weeks.

Unfortunately i dont have the space for those dimensions and so I am getting a 6 month old one for now or looking into females or some carpet chams if ever!

Thanks for the suggestion and info on the basking spot!

 

[Swiftchameleon]

I have a small reptibreeze for my 3 month old but I plan on getting a large reptibreeze cage later

 

[laurie]

Well hello there new person, i have been on the forum for years and we are always happy to have new people arrive here.

I will put my thoughts in red right after each of your ideas, hope that will help.

Ive been looking and reading on some equipment to start with and I kinda have things down as to how I want to get things to look like but kinda want advice on which specific brands or items to get to get started! This is the perfect way to start


Cages:
Ive looked into dragonstrand 36x18x18 which has multiple openings and attachments/acessories but not sure if the price tag is worth it! Basically I want the set up clean and so i want to be able to easily take out whatever will be holding the water from the mister! Any other brand you guys would recommend?I use dragonStrand cages, and I can tell you they are more that worth the price. Yes i know the are a tad spendy, but after you understan keeping chameleons, you will see why it is the best investment you will make, besides your cham. Here are the reasons they are better, first unlike a screen cage you do not have water all over the floor. Most of us have covered our screen cages with shower curtains for years to keep the water and humidity in the cage, DragonStrand has eliminated those problems. Keeping your cage clean can be a pain, but with your dragon strand all you have to do is slide out the bottom, wash it off and put it back in, it is now clean.

Misting system:
Dragonstrand has their own mistint system that doesnt use nozzles i believe and claims to have a better localization as to where the water drops! My friend also recommended me mist king based on what he saw at the recent reptile expo in pomona, ca the past weekend! Any suggestions?I own 3 mistkings, at some point I will switch to dragonstrand's. Mistkings are a lot harder to setup, offer less control of the water. I will change but not today, if I were buying my cages now, i would buy the misting system with them

Plants:
Was looking mainly into getting a tall umbrella plant and adding 2 smaller ones at the bottom or a smaller plant then 2 vines at different heights at the top! Kinda forgot which vine but maybe the pothos or something like that at the top! Again, open to suggestionsHere is where the major changes start. The plants in a dragonstrand do not sit on the floor!! You don't have to try to find all the poop around how ever many plants sit on the bottom. The openings on the sides allow for sticks and the plants get put into a pot made into the back and corners of the cage. Here is where I would post pictures, but i can't seen to post pictures. Anyway the plants grow closer to the top, and some of my pothos, have actually grown into the back if the cage, where the plants hand. I have pothos, a small ficus located about 5" off the bottom, and a bromeliad, just for color and beauty.

Wood, Banches, and Vines: looking for suggestions on where to get these! Something that looks natural and hopefully customizable so to fit the spaces nicely as well as get a nice route for the chameleon around his living quarters!Again the wood is just stiff I take off the trees in my yard. I cut them to the size I want, toss them into a tub with some hydrogen peroxide, (diluted), give it a couple of days, rinse it really well several times and they are good to go, you can bake the branches in the oven at 200 for a couple hours, if that is easier for you. You can also buy fake vines.

Heaters, Thermometers, Lighting:
What would be nice to get? Which brand has been the reliable one in terms of longevity and qualit? Kinda wanted to have a night light and a day light just incase the light from the window next to the cage is insufficient! Whats the best thermometers for getting accurate readings of the temp and humidity of the living space?Heaters for me are regular house hold light bulbs, any cheap light fixture will work with those.You control the temperature by what what bulb you use. Always check it a few time before you put your cham in.

Thermometers? my personal favorite is EXTECH, by Flir Company, but any point and shot is good, in addition to that, I also use a Acurite temp and humidity gage inside the cage.

Lighting: I have dumped everything I owned and not use only Arcadia. One of our sponsors here on the forum sells them."Light Your Reptiles" Todd is great to work with and will help you figure out what light will work for you. They out last any other light on the market by at least twice the lifespan.

Decor:
Saw some cork tile from zoo med and kinda intrigued as to what u guys think of having that cover even just the back! Yes I do lose a bit of ventilation with it but maybe I can compensate with a more frequent misting or maybe a cool humidifier if ever! Do you guys think its worth it? Also what would be a nice material to cover the bottom of the cage! Maybe something i can swap out later when it becomes dirty or at least easy to clean other than the water pan i would need at the bottom!This is all about personal choice. I would not use anything on the cage floor, keeping it bare is easier to clean and your cham won't be eating feeders that walked in poop - ugh!

Anyways, looking forward to all your feedback and I thank you guys in advance for all your input and help!

I have not written a response this long in ages, no idea what for into me, but I hope it helps - these are just my experience and personal choices, follow the parts that work for you, and ask me any questions about what i have said. Enjoy your new cham!!!!