New Cage for my first new veiled!

[Lanoline]

Hey everybody! This is my first post here . I'm getting super excited because I have just finished my first custom built Chameleon Cage and I just wanted to make sure I am doing everything right. I have been an active "Lurker" for quite some time now and think I have everything as close to perfect as I can get it before I pick him up in a few weeks

Here is a pic of my cage! It's a wooden water sealed frame with aluminum screen around all sides of it. Measurements are 2.5ft wide, 2ft deep and 4ft tall. I know this is large for a young veiled of 2-4 months but I do plan on keeping a very close eye on him and cup feeding him until he is old enough to find his own food. The plant sits inside a cut out on the top of my stand that I made and it drains out into a bucket inside. I didnt want to be able to see the pot/flower box that it sits in!

---Also, are the rocks a problem? I thought that crickets and what not may try to hide in the little cracks but if i cup feed I should be ok, right? My other fear would be of him falling off and landing the rocks but I believe everything has enough grip for him to not fall off.

I currently have a Live Schefflera arboricola in there and plan on either a hanging basket for some foliage higher up in the cage or just getting some fake plants. Leaning more towards a small hanging basket at this time. Seems like it will help humidity more. I am a bit curious for those of you who have a Schefflera arboricola in your cage.

---Do you guys have to water your "Schefflera arboricola" if you have your mistking misting the daily recommendations for your cham? And do you also need a grow light for them if your cage is not near a window for natural sunlight?

I have what everyone recommended as my light source, the Reptisun 5.0 and a 100Watt basking bulb. Right now the humidity is about 60%just above my plant and the temp is 80-82. I think im going to get a lower wattage bulb for him while he is a young cham!

I will be ordering a Mistking system this upcoming week before I pick him up so as far as watering/misting goes I should be A-ok on that.

I have read up on all of the gutloading procedures and supplments as well that I have to include in his diet to keep him healthy. I think I have everything covered but you guys are the experts! I only want the best for my little guy


I know it's kind of a long read but thank you for the help! I plan on posting more pics as I add some more vines to the lower parts of his cage and hopefully more foliage up top and of course when I get my cham!!

 

[camimom]

You dont need the rocks on the bottom. just go bare.
You need more highways and hiding in a cage that large. more plants, more ropes, anything to fill up that empty space.

 

[Lanoline]

ok. Cool. Wasn't to sure about the rocks. I'll take them out of there.
I plan on filling up the space over the next few weeks before I get him. Just need to get that paycheck Definitely going to be adding more vines and plants.

To fill up space up top with foliage is there any plant that is ''best'' at doing this? Or should I fill it with fake plants? Devil's Ivy looks to be a good bet.

 

[camimom]

ok. Cool. Wasn't to sure about the rocks. I'll take them out of there.
I plan on filling up the space over the next few weeks before I get him. Just need to get that paycheck Definitely going to be adding more vines and plants.

To fill up space up top with foliage is there any plant that is ''best'' at doing this? Or should I fill it with fake plants? Devil's Ivy looks to be a good bet.

I recommend a combo of both live and fake. Pothos and scheffelara are great at filling up cages, and you can get them at different sizes and thye are cham safe. I dunno if devils ivy is cham safe or not, and by safe i mean if he munches them, as many chams will do.

 

[Lanoline]

Pothos definitely do have quite an appealing look to them. I'll start keeping an eye out at my local nursery. Maybe grab a a few small hanging baskets. Will pothos grow/wrap around the objects in my cage if it is there long enough? Like the vines and log?

Also, do you think I should add in more foliage on the bottom once I remove the rocks? Thanks for the advice!

 

[JohnnyD]

Nice use of the vines and the suspended driftwood. He'll love having all that to hold onto.

 

[camimom]

Pothos definitely do have quite an appealing look to them. I'll start keeping an eye out at my local nursery. Maybe grab a a few small hanging baskets. Will pothos grow/wrap around the objects in my cage if it is there long enough? Like the vines and log?

Also, do you think I should add in more foliage on the bottom once I remove the rocks? Thanks for the advice!

Chams are arboreal speacies, meaning the higher they are, the better they are. youll find this out when you take your cham out and he tries to climb to your head.
So leave the bottom relatively clear, but fill the upper half with plants.
however, make sure that if you cham crawls to the bottom to explore, that you have ways for him to get back up, besides the screen cage.

 

[Lanoline]

Okie Dokie! Thank you so much for the help Camimom! I'll be chiming in over the next few weeks with some updates to the enclosure. Going to go on out and grab me some pothos and fake foliage.

Thanks JohnnyD. I sure hope he likes it!

 

[camimom]

Okie Dokie! Thank you so much for the help Camimom! I'll be chiming in over the next few weeks with some updates to the enclosure. Going to go on out and grab me some pothos and fake foliage.

Thanks JohnnyD. I sure hope he likes it!

no problem! good luck. if you have a question, post it, even if it seems stupid or silly.

 

[Lanoline]

Will do! I'm sure I'll have plenty of those haha.

I guess I do have one quick question. I've looked a little bit online but are there any great places to order extra vines and other cage accessories from? I just want to try to avoid spending $15-20 for a single vine from petsmart if I can. I got lucky and they had the reptile sales this week so i snuck by with all of those vines for under 20 bucks!!

 

[camimom]

Will do! I'm sure I'll have plenty of those haha.

I guess I do have one quick question. I've looked a little bit online but are there any great places to order extra vines and other cage accessories from? I just want to try to avoid spending $15-20 for a single vine from petsmart if I can. I got lucky and they had the reptile sales this week so i snuck by with all of those vines for under 20 bucks!!

Heh. what i did,m was go to joanns fabrics or micheals (craft stores) and bought fake flowers and stuff, sterlized them, and used those. I also bought flower sticks (wire wrapped in cloth and used them for highways)

 

[Lanoline]

Haha very cool! I'll have to make a pit stop at those then too. Thanks camimom!

 

[camimom]

Haha very cool! I'll have to make a pit stop at those then too. Thanks camimom!

No problem. youll stil prob spend around 30 bucks, but you get so much more stuff than the 20 dollar vine at petsmart.