New at this/Starting my first "Setup"

[Kecleon]

Hi there guy's,
Starting my first "Setup" and need some advice about what more goodies to add for my little buddy,

i'm gonna build my own cage 1,25mX60cmX60cm
with a reptisun 5.0 18" UVB Bulb
2 Zilla Digital Thermometer / Hygrometer with probe
20" fluorescent hood fixture
Exo Terra Jungle Vine Medium
RepCal ultra fine calcium with D3
Rep Cal Calcium WITHOUT D3
RepCal Herptivite supplement
500 Crickets .5"
75w Basking light
i am about to buy a ficus tree about 1.25m and a little Pothos that my girlfriend is caring for at her house
And my own dripper & do i really have to buy a misting sys. or can just mist it with a spray bottle and a humidifier but what kind should i buy?

Is there a misting schedule and a dusting schedule if so can you guy's give me some advice about a schedule or give me a schedule about it?

Just in case i live in the caribean next to aruba on the beautifull island called "Curacao" and i wanted to know if i could let my little buddy stay out or in doors?

http://www.curacao-travelguide.com/weather/ :Temp levels
http://www.curacao.com/VacationPlanning/WhatYouShouldKnow/ClimateWeather.aspx?lang=en : Humidity levels

Did i forget nothing else?

Thanks in advance


Kecleon

 

[SoCaliSon]

Welcome! I would love to help you but I only work with US Standard not metric... j/k There a lot of realy knoweldgable people on here who can help you make sure you do things right... but it sounds like you have done your research and you have a pretty good grasp on what it requires. Wow am I jealous of where you live... and I am in So Cal! What are the normal High and lows for the temp your region... I am going to assume that in the bahamas you will be pretty safe keeping them outdoors. As long as the Lows dont get into the 50's at night and not to much over 90's during the day(You'll have to convert to Celcius yourself, I suck at that stuff) you should be fine. I am actually out of time... So I will leave the supplementation to the next erson to stop by... Hope you enjoy yourself... and Happy Herping!

 

[SoCaliSon]

But if you keep them outside... Make sure you don't prposly or accidentally release them to the wild... Things like this are not only bad for the natural ecosystem of area... But when non-native animal popuations take over, You can guess who gets the blame... The snake trade is in a lot of danger because of the Burmese Python populations that have erupted from people either letting their snakes go or escapes. Because of this we could see a huge impact on the herping world... So just words of caustion... If you are going to keep them outside... Be sure you do it responsibly, and make sure there is no chance of escape. I am going to be keeping some of mine outside soon.

 

[Kecleon]

But if you keep them outside... Make sure you don't prposly or accidentally release them to the wild... Things like this are not only bad for the natural ecosystem of area... But when non-native animal popuations take over, You can guess who gets the blame... The snake trade is in a lot of danger because of the Burmese Python populations that have erupted from people either letting their snakes go or escapes. Because of this we could see a huge impact on the herping world... So just words of caustion... If you are going to keep them outside... Be sure you do it responsibly, and make sure there is no chance of escape. I am going to be keeping some of mine outside soon.

I have a link in my thread you can see there what the climate is in curacou in C and in F so i think it wouldn't be such a problem.

Thanks for replying

 

[SoCaliSon]

Oh cool... DOn't know why I didn't see that. Well from what I can see It looks like your climate is perfect to keep your chams outdoors. Why pay for all the electricity for lights and what not, when the weather outside is Ideal for them. Again... I am jealous.

 

[Kecleon]

I have a link in my thread you can see there what the climate is in curacou in C and in F so i think it wouldn't be such a problem.

Thanks for replying

And for the sizes here they are 49.2X23.6X23.6 in inches

 

[Kecleon]

Oh cool... DOn't know why I didn't see that. Well from what I can see It looks like your climate is perfect to keep your chams outdoors. Why pay for all the electricity for lights and what not, when the weather outside is Ideal for them. Again... I am jealous.

Hi there SoCaliSon,
now that you know in what conditions i live should i buy a humidifier to?

And about the misting schedule and dusting schedule?

 

[SoCaliSon]

Your cage is a good size. I didn't see anything on that site about humidity, but your Cham drinks from moisture that accumualtes on leaves so you will want a mister system at least. If outside the best way to do this is to buy a cheap patio mister that you can order online. And also buy a sprinkler timer which can be found for around $30. With your mister over your chams cage and the timer set to mist the leaves for say 5 minutes every 3 or 4 hours, depending on the temp outside and exposure to direct sunlight. That should be all you need in the climate you live in if your keeping him outside. A cage with plants... that gets misted every so often throughout the day and you are set. Hope that helps...

 

[Kecleon]

Your cage is a good size. I didn't see anything on that site about humidity, but your Cham drinks from moisture that accumualtes on leaves so you will want a mister system at least. If outside the best way to do this is to buy a cheap patio mister that you can order online. And also buy a sprinkler timer which can be found for around $30. With your mister over your chams cage and the timer set to mist the leaves for say 5 minutes every 3 or 4 hours, depending on the temp outside and exposure to direct sunlight. That should be all you need in the climate you live in if your keeping him outside. A cage with plants... that gets misted every so often throughout the day and you are set. Hope that helps...

Thanks and now dusting the feeder's ho does that go do you have a shcedule or something?

 

[CammieNLeno]

Hi Jimmy!

One thing i didnt see is what type of cham you are planning to get? (I hope i didnt miss that somewhere if you already stated it)

You have a fantastic start already, its great to see someone has been doing their homework prior to purchasing!

If i were in your situation, more specifically your LOCATION.. I would house him outdoor year round, without a doubt. You are blessed with a fantastic location to have chameleons.

If you make the plan from here on out, totally scrap the lighting, it will not be necessary at all. You wont need a humidifier either, but what you SHOULD do is take the money you were going to spend on all the lighting (those uv bulbs can get pricy) and put it to a misting system. There are a few very reputable companies that specialize in misting systems for herps - Check out Herpmist and ProMist as they are the two leaders in this field, and great guys that will help you out personally.

Here is your checklist and my notes on it in red

i'm gonna build my own cage 1,25mX60cmX60cm Fantastic size for a cham at the age of around 4-6months of age - you will need something smaller if its a baby/juvy

with a reptisun 5.0 18" UVB Bulb Scrap if you are going outdoor

2 Zilla Digital Thermometer / Hygrometer with probe PERFECT

20" fluorescent hood fixture Scrap if you are going outdoor
Exo Terra Jungle Vine Medium The more the merrier, dont forget to clean them periodically

RepCal ultra fine calcium with D3 Good!
Rep Cal Calcium WITHOUT D3 Good!
RepCal Herptivite supplement Good, altho i personally have had great success with the Minerall product - if you go this route, make sure you get the OUTDOOR version (red label, has a O on the label too, make sure to not get the I indoor version)
500 Crickets .5" Great, if you can also get a variety of feeders, that is fantastic too! Silkworms are my personal favorite. Dont forget Gutload either for your crickets, its actually more important than the actual insect. Google around if you dont want to make your own, they have some great pre-made forumulas you can buy in bulk for cheap

75w Basking light Srap if you are going outdoor

i am about to buy a ficus tree about 1.25m and a little Pothos that my girlfriend is caring for at her house Excellent! More live plants the better!

And my own dripper & do i really have to buy a misting sys. or can just mist it with a spray bottle and a humidifier but what kind should i buy? Covered this above, but with the amount of heat and natural sunlight, misting system will serve as a dual purpose invenstment - constant hydration, and cooling down the cage to control a nice heat gradient. I highly reccomend a misting system - quite possibly the best investment you can make for your chameleon.

Is there a misting schedule and a dusting schedule if so can you guy's give me some advice about a schedule or give me a schedule about it? My misting system is getting here tomorrow - I think i am going to go with 3 different cycles each day, but for your outdoor setup, you would probably increase this. This is what I will be doing : 9 am - 5 mins 1pm: 15 mins 5 pm: 5 mins.


For more info, check out Brads blog on dusting, feeding, etc - its FANTASTIC reading. Your dusting schedule will partly have to do with its age- from newborn to about 6 months, its much more intensive, but slows down greatly thereafter. If you go outdoor, you will also modify it much more than us indoor folks.
I/we cant give you specific schedule yet, because we need to know the age, and if you are going to do the outdoor or make the mistake of housing him indoors (in my opinion! GOOO OUTDOORS!)

http://raisingkittytheveiledchameleon.blogspot.com/


Also - i think that you would have great success with a panther with your current situation. Veiled chameleons favor a bit dryer environment, and your humidity would better suit a panther.

Best of luck, you are off to a great start!

 

[Kecleon]

Hi Jimmy!

One thing i didnt see is what type of cham you are planning to get? (I hope i didnt miss that somewhere if you already stated it)

You have a fantastic start already, its great to see someone has been doing their homework prior to purchasing!

If i were in your situation, more specifically your LOCATION.. I would house him outdoor year round, without a doubt. You are blessed with a fantastic location to have chameleons.

If you make the plan from here on out, totally scrap the lighting, it will not be necessary at all. You wont need a humidifier either, but what you SHOULD do is take the money you were going to spend on all the lighting (those uv bulbs can get pricy) and put it to a misting system. There are a few very reputable companies that specialize in misting systems for herps - Check out Herpmist and ProMist as they are the two leaders in this field, and great guys that will help you out personally.

Here is your checklist and my notes on it in red

i'm gonna build my own cage 1,25mX60cmX60cm Fantastic size for a cham at the age of around 4-6months of age - you will need something smaller if its a baby/juvy

with a reptisun 5.0 18" UVB Bulb Scrap if you are going outdoor

2 Zilla Digital Thermometer / Hygrometer with probe PERFECT

20" fluorescent hood fixture Scrap if you are going outdoor
Exo Terra Jungle Vine Medium The more the merrier, dont forget to clean them periodically

RepCal ultra fine calcium with D3 Good!
Rep Cal Calcium WITHOUT D3 Good!
RepCal Herptivite supplement Good, altho i personally have had great success with the Minerall product - if you go this route, make sure you get the OUTDOOR version (red label, has a O on the label too, make sure to not get the I indoor version)
500 Crickets .5" Great, if you can also get a variety of feeders, that is fantastic too! Silkworms are my personal favorite. Dont forget Gutload either for your crickets, its actually more important than the actual insect. Google around if you dont want to make your own, they have some great pre-made forumulas you can buy in bulk for cheap

75w Basking light Srap if you are going outdoor

i am about to buy a ficus tree about 1.25m and a little Pothos that my girlfriend is caring for at her house Excellent! More live plants the better!

And my own dripper & do i really have to buy a misting sys. or can just mist it with a spray bottle and a humidifier but what kind should i buy? Covered this above, but with the amount of heat and natural sunlight, misting system will serve as a dual purpose invenstment - constant hydration, and cooling down the cage to control a nice heat gradient. I highly reccomend a misting system - quite possibly the best investment you can make for your chameleon.

Is there a misting schedule and a dusting schedule if so can you guy's give me some advice about a schedule or give me a schedule about it? My misting system is getting here tomorrow - I think i am going to go with 3 different cycles each day, but for your outdoor setup, you would probably increase this. This is what I will be doing : 9 am - 5 mins 1pm: 15 mins 5 pm: 5 mins.


For more info, check out Brads blog on dusting, feeding, etc - its FANTASTIC reading. Your dusting schedule will partly have to do with its age- from newborn to about 6 months, its much more intensive, but slows down greatly thereafter. If you go outdoor, you will also modify it much more than us indoor folks.
I/we cant give you specific schedule yet, because we need to know the age, and if you are going to do the outdoor or make the mistake of housing him indoors (in my opinion! GOOO OUTDOORS!)

http://raisingkittytheveiledchameleon.blogspot.com/


Also - i think that you would have great success with a panther with your current situation. Veiled chameleons favor a bit dryer environment, and your humidity would better suit a panther.

Best of luck, you are off to a great start!

Sorry The Cham would be a 4 month old Male Veiled

 

[Brad Ramsey]

I think it looks great!
I agree that a misting system of some type would be really beneficial outdoors.
Also, I think you could forget about the calcium with D3 and just use the straight Calcium.
Good luck!
Make sure the enclosure has LOTS of plants and opportunities for shade as well as sun.

-Brad