New Cham Mom with some qs!!

[Xxfruitytuty87xx]

Hello everyone! I am a new chameleon owner. I have some tank set up questions. I live in NH, my house is extremely dry so I am currently doing a 3sided glass tank with a screen front to upkeep humidity. Overnight I get it between 80-100%, during the day between 45-65% (this will be more stable and more in the 40-50% range once I reposition our fan!). Heat up top is 82 degrees.

Currently, the tank we have is an old snake tank on it's side. It's not tall or wide enough but is deep enough. It's 100% fine right now because shes TINY... really tiny, size of my finger. I was already planning to build a custom enclosure for my cornsnake next month because I cannot find the dimensions I want in any brand. So I figure why not custom build my cham tank too since I'll already be doing the work. I want to know if anyone HAS built a custom plexiglass enclosure for their veiled and if so what dimensions do you go with or do you have a build you'd recommend? I do not believe a complete screen enclosure is the right choice for her because of how dry our home is year round I am positive I will struggle with humidity.

Alright so that's q 1.

q2 is regarding light. We started out with the sh*t dual lights from petco. I'm going to immediately upgrade to a t5 light and would like to go with arcadia. That being said I'm getting mixed information online about the exact light. My lights will be SUSPENDED over the enclosure, not resting on the glass. Given this, should I go with the t5 forest dweller 12%? The exact suspension height can be adjusted to her needs.

q3: because the humidity gets up higher than I'd like during the day I'm avoiding misting HOWEVER, I am concerned with her water intake (not because she looks dehydrated or anything in that realm, I just NEVER see her drink. I have a dripper going. Is that enough if I'm not misting and overnight it reaches up to 100% humidity?

q3. I hate the crickets. we are doing an optimal frickin job keeping them alive and gut loading them. they are thriving, but I don't like them. I think I'd like to go the route of dubia roaches instead, at least they don't jump (or bite from my research.) That being said, can I put the crickets and dubia roaches all in the same bin till the crickets are used up (or die)?

ok I think that's it for now. Thanks in advance!

 

[Gloriawood]

Omg she is soooo cute!!! I love piebald babies so I’m gonna leave q1 to someone else.

Q2: T5 HO Arcadia 6% or Reptisun T5HO 05. However, uvb cannot penetrate through glass. The top needs to be screen for uvb and ventilation even if your sides are plexiglass. Suspended is just fine as long as it is still the appropriate distance from the highest branch.

Q3: you will be lucky if you ever do see her drink. Most Cham owners never do. They are super secretive about it. This is why we monitor urates. You want 50% or more white. If half or more is yellow-orange then your girl is dehydrated. You can up hydration without misting by feeding her hornworms. They are great for that.

Q4: also no help here I use dubia, BSFL, wax worms and horn worms.

 

[MissSkittles]

Omg! She is adorable! @Gloriawood has given you fantastic advice. I have only used the full screen enclosures by ReptiBreeze and DIY (prefer the latter) and do usually suggest all screen for their versatility and size. It’s quite easy to enclose the back and sides of a screen enclosure to maintain humidity and glass just doesn’t come in large enough sizes. You little cutie will grow fast and will be needing at least a 2x2x4’ enclosure. I am fortunate to have the space and keep all of my chameleons in their own double wides, so 4’ wide rather than 2’. What you have here in currently isn’t good at all I’m afraid. There’s no way she’s going to get any uvb as it doesn’t pass thru solid surfaces. Being so young, there’s zero room for error and little time to make corrections as they have no resources to fall back upon. I suggest biting the bullet and getting Neptune’s chameleons Kit. https://www.pangeareptile.com/colle...tarter-chameleon-kit-by-neptune-the-chameleon Besides it including almost everything needed, the price can’t be beat. To enclosure the screen you can modify it with acrylic panels, shrink to fit window insulation, marine grade vinyl or even just a shower curtain. Keep in mind that the ideal daytime humidity is between 30-50%. I’m originally from western Mass and while I never paid attention to humidity levels, it wasn’t crazy dry except during winter from using the heater. Regardless of getting that kit or not, you do need to get your little beauty into something with a screen top so you can give her proper uvb. You only want to buy either ReptiSun or Arcadia uvb, as other brands have no proven reliable. This is what is needed, in the 6% forest strength. https://www.pangeareptile.com/colle...tarter-chameleon-kit-by-neptune-the-chameleon It does come in longer lengths if you anticipate needing. Then you need the basking/highest branch to be 8-9” below the uvb light. Once you have that all set, you can then determine your basking bulb strength. For young chams and ladies you don’t want any hotter than 80. At night, you want a nice cool down and unless temps are below 50, she’ll be fine.
Provided your night temps are below at least 68, it’s ideal to add night fogging and boost humidity all the way. This replicates the natural hydration cycle of fog in the wild. The main thing to keep in mind regarding humidity and heat, is that you want warm dry days and cool humid nights. High heat + high humidity = respiratory infections.
You do need to mist at least twice a day for a couple of minutes each time..right before lights on and off. I don’t use drippers and am unable to boost humidity at night so I also add a 1 minute misting during the day.
While I could probably babble on all night, it might be easier and kinder to direct you to https://chameleonacademy.com/ to check out the husbandry course. It will go over everything you need to know. Another great source is Neptune the Chameleon on YouTube and she has a video for just about everything. While your cutie is too young to worry about egg laying right now, she will be a big lady before you know it and I suggest checking out my blog. https://www.chameleonforums.com/blogs/veiled-chameleon-laying-101.2488/ We do love helping others as we were once helped, so we’re here for you and whatever questions you have or help we can offer. Glad you’ve found your way here.

 

[Xxfruitytuty87xx]

Omg! She is adorable! @Gloriawood has given you fantastic advice. I have only used the full screen enclosures by ReptiBreeze and DIY (prefer the latter) and do usually suggest all screen for their versatility and size. It’s quite easy to enclose the back and sides of a screen enclosure to maintain humidity and glass just doesn’t come in large enough sizes. You little cutie will grow fast and will be needing at least a 2x2x4’ enclosure. I am fortunate to have the space and keep all of my chameleons in their own double wides, so 4’ wide rather than 2’. What you have here in currently isn’t good at all I’m afraid. There’s no way she’s going to get any uvb as it doesn’t pass thru solid surfaces. Being so young, there’s zero room for error and little time to make corrections as they have no resources to fall back upon. I suggest biting the bullet and getting Neptune’s chameleons Kit. https://www.pangeareptile.com/colle...tarter-chameleon-kit-by-neptune-the-chameleon Besides it including almost everything needed, the price can’t be beat. To enclosure the screen you can modify it with acrylic panels, shrink to fit window insulation, marine grade vinyl or even just a shower curtain. Keep in mind that the ideal daytime humidity is between 30-50%. I’m originally from western Mass and while I never paid attention to humidity levels, it wasn’t crazy dry except during winter from using the heater. Regardless of getting that kit or not, you do need to get your little beauty into something with a screen top so you can give her proper uvb. You only want to buy either ReptiSun or Arcadia uvb, as other brands have no proven reliable. This is what is needed, in the 6% forest strength. https://www.pangeareptile.com/colle...tarter-chameleon-kit-by-neptune-the-chameleon It does come in longer lengths if you anticipate needing. Then you need the basking/highest branch to be 8-9” below the uvb light. Once you have that all set, you can then determine your basking bulb strength. For young chams and ladies you don’t want any hotter than 80. At night, you want a nice cool down and unless temps are below 50, she’ll be fine.
Provided your night temps are below at least 68, it’s ideal to add night fogging and boost humidity all the way. This replicates the natural hydration cycle of fog in the wild. The main thing to keep in mind regarding humidity and heat, is that you want warm dry days and cool humid nights. High heat + high humidity = respiratory infections.
You do need to mist at least twice a day for a couple of minutes each time..right before lights on and off. I don’t use drippers and am unable to boost humidity at night so I also add a 1 minute misting during the day.
While I could probably babble on all night, it might be easier and kinder to direct you to https://chameleonacademy.com/ to check out the husbandry course. It will go over everything you need to know. Another great source is Neptune the Chameleon on YouTube and she has a video for just about everything. While your cutie is too young to worry about egg laying right now, she will be a big lady before you know it and I suggest checking out my blog. https://www.chameleonforums.com/blogs/veiled-chameleon-laying-101.2488/ We do love helping others as we were once helped, so we’re here for you and whatever questions you have or help we can offer. Glad you’ve found your way here.

YOU ARE AWESOME!! NONE of the 30 minute tutorials I watched mentioned that UVB doesn't pass through glass and screen is required, I'm assuming it's because most people START with screen cages. I watched every single one I could find and read the comments of each to get an idea for callouts of outdated info. If I had known I wouldn't have jumped into this set up. Now heres a RIDICULOUS catch. I shattered the bottom of this tank when setting it up on accident so flipped it the other way. I could literally flip it back and just put a screen I have on it until the new enclosure comes in. Do you think that would be ok to get her UVB in the meantime?

Thank you for the info on the exact light. I was confused between 6% etc so I appreciate your clarity.
So far night temps are around 63-64 degrees which I figured was ok (and I can open the window when it doesn't get down to the 30s anymore for an additional drop to mimic natural habitat.) I've been doing all night fogging and getting humidity up to high 90s. After I made this post the daytime humidity leveled out without any additional adjustments to about 58-63%. Do you think that's alright? Is that too high?
Given that I fog all night, should I still mist during the day with the dripper included? Or should I leave it as is without misting since the humidity hovered where it did and I have the dripper going?
I've watched both chameleon academy and neptunes info but not all of it of course and have so much more to learn. Love them both. OOOH I would love to check out your blog. Thank you!

Last question, sorry this is so long. Do you think the screen kit is the only way to go? Or do you know if anyone has made a hybrid with acrylic and screen? I was planning to make my own hybrid when I make one for my corn snake. and if I can make one that meets her needs while also holding humidity and fitting our space that would be ideal. I don't particularly want neptunes kit to be honest I already have MOST of the things there except a light and for that I was going with Acadia. Our home runs a pellet stove so the air here is really really dry and our humidity reader says we get down to 20% sometimes. my skin.... help. LOL If I DO go with neptunes kit, what is the most effective way to enclose the sides? I'd absolutely open to that! Last tidbit of why I want a hybrid tank is because I'm doing it bioactive. It's planted and teeming with isopods etc!

She is technically my son's first personal pet (mine obviously, but he's involved and thinks its his) and I'm loving the way he's watching me research and he's watching videos with me. Tonight he fed her crickets via tongs and he was ecstatic that she ate from him. It was pretty incredible. Anywho, I greatly appreciate your feedback and how thorough you were. Thank you again.

 

[Xxfruitytuty87xx]

Omg she is soooo cute!!! I love piebald babies so I’m gonna leave q1 to someone else.

Q2: T5 HO Arcadia 6% or Reptisun T5HO 05. However, uvb cannot penetrate through glass. The top needs to be screen for uvb and ventilation even if your sides are plexiglass. Suspended is just fine as long as it is still the appropriate distance from the highest branch.

Q3: you will be lucky if you ever do see her drink. Most Cham owners never do. They are super secretive about it. This is why we monitor urates. You want 50% or more white. If half or more is yellow-orange then your girl is dehydrated. You can up hydration without misting by feeding her hornworms. They are great for that.

Q4: also no help here I use dubia, BSFL, wax worms and horn worms.

Thank you thank you. Will purchase the correct bulbs and rectify the glass/screen situation.

I realized that she'd been hanging near the dripper and I believe when I was away she was partaking so I'm no longer as worried. However, here's a silly question, do they poop more than once a day? every two days? I didn't quite find that info in the tutorials I watched LOL. My snake poops once a week, my dogs, cats, chickens, saltwater fish roughly 9000+ per day LOL.

I did a bit more research after I posted and came to the conclusion I cannot house dubias and crickets together as crickets are too aggressive. Go figure LOL! Once these are eaten up I'll make the switch to dubias. Do you do worms every day? I thought they were more of a treat.

 

[MzLaurie]

Wow that was great Miss! I never checked out Neptunes kit till now. How nice to have everything that’s right to come with it. Very impressive including the price. The only thing you need to add are plants, vines (get Fluker) and branches. I suggest rubber tree branches as they naturally curve and aren’t too big. Just wash them good with dawn detergent and plug the holes at the top and bottom with chalking so feeders don’t go in. She maybe too young to go for Dubias. My chams never liked them so I had to get used to crickets. Make sure the length of feeders are no bigger then the space between her eyes. I am afraid everyone is correct about the uvb not going thru glass or plexi. So unless you can cut away the top and replace it with screen right away, it’s a must. As a matter of fact, just assume she is getting no uvb until the issue is fixed and take her outside daily in the natural sun. Do not take your hand off her or a fearless bird may swoop down and grab her even off your head! The uvb can sit on the screen as it doesn’t get very hot but the basking light does and you want to prop it or hang it as she will screen walk until she is older. You should put a plant under the little dropper so it drips onto the leaves of the plant and waters it at the same time. Make sure there are vines or branches leading to and from that area so she can get to it. She will drink off the leaves. Once she knows where it is, don’t move it. You can switch out the plant but not the dropper. Also misting helps with humidity. If you get a 2x2x4, you can cut vinyl to cover the back and one or two sides, I do one, taped it on all for sides to the frame on the outside. It will also add stability to the cage, help keep overspray in, and help with humidity. A lot of folks use shower curtains, I used vinyl movie posters as they were available to me and much thicker. Avoid the color red as they are afraid of it. Especially on your phone cover as you will be taking lots of pics. Well I have said too much and I am very excited for you. She is so it’s bitsy you don’t see many piebald with the whole head clear. She is so cute. Oh, When you do take her outside she can get indirect sun so she won’t get sunburned. No more then 10-15 minutes indirect or 2-3 minutes direct.

 

[MzLaurie]

They poop only once a day and the urate is connected to the poop so It’s done at the same time. Also she will pick out a place to poop every day and will pretty much stick to that.

 

[Xxfruitytuty87xx]

Wow that was great Miss! I never checked out Neptunes kit till now. How nice to have everything that’s right to come with it. Very impressive including the price. The only thing you need to add are plants, vines (get Fluker) and branches. I suggest rubber tree branches as they naturally curve and aren’t too big. Just wash them good with dawn detergent and plug the holes at the top and bottom with chalking so feeders don’t go in. She maybe too young to go for Dubias. My chams never liked them so I had to get used to crickets. Make sure the length of feeders are no bigger then the space between her eyes. I am afraid everyone is correct about the uvb not going thru glass or plexi. So unless you can cut away the top and replace it with screen right away, it’s a must. As a matter of fact, just assume she is getting no uvb until the issue is fixed and take her outside daily in the natural sun. Do not take your hand off her or a fearless bird may swoop down and grab her even off your head! The uvb can sit on the screen as it doesn’t get very hot but the basking light does and you want to prop it or hang it as she will screen walk until she is older. You should put a plant under the little dropper so it drips onto the leaves of the plant and waters it at the same time. Make sure there are vines or branches leading to and from that area so she can get to it. She will drink off the leaves. Once she knows where it is, don’t move it. You can switch out the plant but not the dropper. Also misting helps with humidity. If you get a 2x2x4, you can cut vinyl to cover the back and one or two sides, I do one, taped it on all for sides to the frame on the outside. It will also add stability to the cage, help keep overspray in, and help with humidity. A lot of folks use shower curtains, I used vinyl movie posters as they were available to me and much thicker. Avoid the color red as they are afraid of it. Especially on your phone cover as you will be taking lots of pics. Well I have said too much and I am very excited for you. She is so it’s bitsy you don’t see many piebald with the whole head clear. She is so cute. Oh, When you do take her outside she can get indirect sun so she won’t get sunburned. No more then 10-15 minutes indirect or 2-3 minutes direct.

All awesome info. You've basically detailed how I have the dripper system set up, tons of branches and pothos vines leading to it and it drips off of and directly onto pothos leaves. I'll go poop searching tomorrow LOL. I think I have an immediate solution to get her UVB in her tank... stupid on my part but I shattered the end of the tank when setting it up, so in doing that I propped it upside down so the broken end was down and under the plants etc. I could literally flip it over and take out the glass and replace it with screen tomorrow.

 

[Xxfruitytuty87xx]

YOU ARE AWESOME!! NONE of the 30 minute tutorials I watched mentioned that UVB doesn't pass through glass and screen is required, I'm assuming it's because most people START with screen cages. I watched every single one I could find and read the comments of each to get an idea for callouts of outdated info. If I had known I wouldn't have jumped into this set up. Now heres a RIDICULOUS catch. I shattered the bottom of this tank when setting it up on accident so flipped it the other way. I could literally flip it back and just put a screen I have on it until the new enclosure comes in. Do you think that would be ok to get her UVB in the meantime?

Thank you for the info on the exact light. I was confused between 6% etc so I appreciate your clarity.
So far night temps are around 63-64 degrees which I figured was ok (and I can open the window when it doesn't get down to the 30s anymore for an additional drop to mimic natural habitat.) I've been doing all night fogging and getting humidity up to high 90s. After I made this post the daytime humidity leveled out without any additional adjustments to about 58-63%. Do you think that's alright? Is that too high?
Given that I fog all night, should I still mist during the day with the dripper included? Or should I leave it as is without misting since the humidity hovered where it did and I have the dripper going?
I've watched both chameleon academy and neptunes info but not all of it of course and have so much more to learn. Love them both. OOOH I would love to check out your blog. Thank you!

Last question, sorry this is so long. Do you think the screen kit is the only way to go? Or do you know if anyone has made a hybrid with acrylic and screen? I was planning to make my own hybrid when I make one for my corn snake. and if I can make one that meets her needs while also holding humidity and fitting our space that would be ideal. I don't particularly want neptunes kit to be honest I already have MOST of the things there except a light and for that I was going with Acadia. Our home runs a pellet stove so the air here is really really dry and our humidity reader says we get down to 20% sometimes. my skin.... help. LOL If I DO go with neptunes kit, what is the most effective way to enclose the sides? I'd absolutely open to that! Last tidbit of why I want a hybrid tank is because I'm doing it bioactive. It's planted and teeming with isopods etc!

She is technically my son's first personal pet (mine obviously, but he's involved and thinks its his) and I'm loving the way he's watching me research and he's watching videos with me. Tonight he fed her crickets via tongs and he was ecstatic that she ate from him. It was pretty incredible. Anywho, I greatly appreciate your feedback and how thorough you were. Thank you again.

Well actually, rather than build, I can purchase the neptune kit, then add an acrylic bin to the bottom and add on to the sides. Do you know if anyone has done such a thing with this enclosure? I'm ordering it because you're absolutely correct the price with what's included including the lighting which solves my lighting issue, I'm not going to find something else that works and it the correct size. So anyway, ordered, but now to modify it to make it ours MUAHAHAHA.

 

[Gloriawood]

Thank you thank you. Will purchase the correct bulbs and rectify the glass/screen situation.

I realized that she'd been hanging near the dripper and I believe when I was away she was partaking so I'm no longer as worried. However, here's a silly question, do they poop more than once a day? every two days? I didn't quite find that info in the tutorials I watched LOL. My snake poops once a week, my dogs, cats, chickens, saltwater fish roughly 9000+ per day LOL.

I did a bit more research after I posted and came to the conclusion I cannot house dubias and crickets together as crickets are too aggressive. Go figure LOL! Once these are eaten up I'll make the switch to dubias. Do you do worms every day? I thought they were more of a treat.

Correct they are more of a treat. Hornworms I give more often than wax worms. I’ll attach a feeder and gut load list for you. A typical day my guy gets a mix of dubia or discoid roaches and BSFL. I order Small hornworms once a month or so and feed them off as they grow. Every other month I get some wax worms.

 

[Gloriawood]

People modify the screen cages all the time to fit their specific needs. Some searching here on the forum should give you ideas.

 

[Xxfruitytuty87xx]

People modify the screen cages all the time to fit their specific needs. Some searching here on the forum should give you ideas.

I've found some for sure! I purchased the screen cage and just found acrylic sheets second hand that I'll pick up tomorrow. I appreciate your help.

 

[Xxfruitytuty87xx]

Correct they are more of a treat. Hornworms I give more often than wax worms. I’ll attach a feeder and gut load list for you. A typical day my guy gets a mix of dubia or discoid roaches and BSFL. I order Small hornworms once a month or so and feed them off as they grow. Every other month I get some wax worms.

I've been gutloading but not by blending food as this suggests. Is that a requirement? Can I provide these items to the insects in extremely thin portions as I've been doing and let them feast?

 

[Gloriawood]

I've been gutloading but not by blending food as this suggests. Is that a requirement? Can I provide these items to the insects in extremely thin portions as I've been doing and let them feast?

No it’s not required to blend. I personally do, then I put in ice cube trays and freeze. I just put a cube in their bin when I feed them. But I only have one Cham and no other reptiles so if I don’t, I end up wasting veggies. They can do just fine without blending or thin portions.

 

[Xxfruitytuty87xx]

No it’s not required to blend. I personally do, then I put in ice cube trays and freeze. I just put a cube in their bin when I feed them. But I only have one Cham and no other reptiles so if I don’t, I end up wasting veggies. They can do just fine without blending or thin portions.

Okay awesome. We have a family of 5 so we go through a lot of veggies and the scraps need a home so it works out!

 

[MissSkittles]

I’m in Florida, and while it may be humid outside, my ac runs almost year round and the few days the ac isn’t running, the heat is. (Crazy weather). I have all screen enclosures which all are bioactive. I use fabric root pouches to contain my substrate. https://www.homedepot.com/p/Root-Po...Pots-with-Handles-Planter-BB900-45H/306677187 This size fits fairly well, but if you want a full corner to corner fit, get the next size up and then just fold/tuck and excess fabric. I fold the sides down and find the isopods seem to like hanging out in them.
In the past, I put a lot of time and expense into building faux backgrounds with lighting eggcrate, expanding foam, plastic dip and coco coir. About a year later, I hated how dark my enclosures were, so traded those for a sky blue fabric shower curtain when I upgraded them all to double wides. Differences below. *both were freshly planted so look sparse.

So dark and dreary before.


Much lighter and brighter now.


The more plants you have, the more humidity will be improved and maintained. Enclosing the back and 1 or both sides, will further maintain humidity. I’ve always suggested people use the shrink to fit window insulation, but some have used acrylic, pvc, coroplast and whatever else fit the bill. You can those search thru the forums and find all sorts of info of what people have done. You could just save the trouble and buy a hybrid too. These are great and have Dragon Ledges which make it a breeze to hang things like plants and branches. https://dragonstrand.com/ The gentleman who makes them is the one and same who has created the Chameleons Academy. An awesome guy that has done so very much for chameleons and keepers.
Now, regarding turning the current tank so the broken end is up and covering it with screen. Yes, that is certainly an option (one I considered too, many moons ago when I was new) but my concern would be any sharp edges that your beauty can get hurt on. Never ever use tape with a chameleon btw. There are also threads throughout the forum on what people have built from scratch, modified old buffet cabinets, and just lots of creativity. Whatever you do, just get that beauty her proper uvb stat.
Misting is done not for humidity, but for drinking water. It is pretty much a husbandry staple imho. Given the choice between a dripper or misting, I go with misting every time. Btw, yes, your humidity is too high currently and it places cutie at risk for respiratory infection. Try misting twice a day, before lights go on and go off and if you have to use the dripper, just for maybe 10-15 minutes daily. Chameleons and many reptiles don’t drink water the way we mammals do. They get much of their hydration from their food and night time fog.
Feeders…yes, we all agree that crickets suck. lol Nasty stinky things! Roaches are a great alternative, but variety is necessary. A diet too high in roaches has been linked with higher incidence of gout. Instead of crickets, have another staple feeder to replace them, like silkworms, bsfl, grasshoppers, etc. Many people here have been breeding their own hoppers successfully. They are much slower to reproduce and require time and patience. While they are a bit pricey, they are not the same as other feeders. One hopper can be equal to 2-3 crickets or so. https://dragonhoppers.com/ has been the only source for a bit. The other is Khai Phan who is on Facebook. He had some health issues but I believe he’s back to breeding/selling grasshoppers. It’s best to buy your feeders rather than catch your own due to the prevalence of chemical pesticides and fertilizers, plus some species of hoppers (lubbers) and tomato hornworms are toxic. Just had to put that out there as an fyi.
As you can see, I never shut up. Gonna do that now.

 

[Xxfruitytuty87xx]

I’m in Florida, and while it may be humid outside, my ac runs almost year round and the few days the ac isn’t running, the heat is. (Crazy weather). I have all screen enclosures which all are bioactive. I use fabric root pouches to contain my substrate. https://www.homedepot.com/p/Root-Po...Pots-with-Handles-Planter-BB900-45H/306677187 This size fits fairly well, but if you want a full corner to corner fit, get the next size up and then just fold/tuck and excess fabric. I fold the sides down and find the isopods seem to like hanging out in them.
In the past, I put a lot of time and expense into building faux backgrounds with lighting eggcrate, expanding foam, plastic dip and coco coir. About a year later, I hated how dark my enclosures were, so traded those for a sky blue fabric shower curtain when I upgraded them all to double wides. Differences below. *both were freshly planted so look sparse.

So dark and dreary before.
View attachment 363012

Much lighter and brighter now.
View attachment 363013

The more plants you have, the more humidity will be improved and maintained. Enclosing the back and 1 or both sides, will further maintain humidity. I’ve always suggested people use the shrink to fit window insulation, but some have used acrylic, pvc, coroplast and whatever else fit the bill. You can those search thru the forums and find all sorts of info of what people have done. You could just save the trouble and buy a hybrid too. These are great and have Dragon Ledges which make it a breeze to hang things like plants and branches. https://dragonstrand.com/ The gentleman who makes them is the one and same who has created the Chameleons Academy. An awesome guy that has done so very much for chameleons and keepers.
Now, regarding turning the current tank so the broken end is up and covering it with screen. Yes, that is certainly an option (one I considered too, many moons ago when I was new) but my concern would be any sharp edges that your beauty can get hurt on. Never ever use tape with a chameleon btw. There are also threads throughout the forum on what people have built from scratch, modified old buffet cabinets, and just lots of creativity. Whatever you do, just get that beauty her proper uvb stat.
Misting is done not for humidity, but for drinking water. It is pretty much a husbandry staple imho. Given the choice between a dripper or misting, I go with misting every time. Btw, yes, your humidity is too high currently and it places cutie at risk for respiratory infection. Try misting twice a day, before lights go on and go off and if you have to use the dripper, just for maybe 10-15 minutes daily. Chameleons and many reptiles don’t drink water the way we mammals do. They get much of their hydration from their food and night time fog.
Feeders…yes, we all agree that crickets suck. lol Nasty stinky things! Roaches are a great alternative, but variety is necessary. A diet too high in roaches has been linked with higher incidence of gout. Instead of crickets, have another staple feeder to replace them, like silkworms, bsfl, grasshoppers, etc. Many people here have been breeding their own hoppers successfully. They are much slower to reproduce and require time and patience. While they are a bit pricey, they are not the same as other feeders. One hopper can be equal to 2-3 crickets or so. https://dragonhoppers.com/ has been the only source for a bit. The other is Khai Phan who is on Facebook. He had some health issues but I believe he’s back to breeding/selling grasshoppers. It’s best to buy your feeders rather than catch your own due to the prevalence of chemical pesticides and fertilizers, plus some species of hoppers (lubbers) and tomato hornworms are toxic. Just had to put that out there as an fyi.
As you can see, I never shut up. Gonna do that now.

NO DON'T SHUT UP! Lol.

Okay with the new enclosure coming, I am not going to turn the tank and create more work for myself. Instead I'm just going to get her out of the enclosure for a bit each day and under the UVB lights until her enclosure comes in this week. That way she's getting UVB (I can adjust the height) and no one is at risk for sharpness, tape etc. Plus then I'm not changing her habitat more than once in a week further stressing her out which I don't want.
I found 2x4 plexiglass super cheap today so I will attach that once I have her enclosure.

I will likely go the route of root pouches like you have and just place a tray under the enclosure to catch moisture/run off as needed.

Ok on misting, I will run the dripper once in the day since she knows where it is and gravitated towards it, then mist as well.
Her urates look great today so I know she's hydrated enough so far.

 

[Xxfruitytuty87xx]

Just wanted to update all that UVB bulbs we placed in FRONT of the enclosure against the screen (well 3 inches off) facing a corner so she could come and go from it as she pleases, until her new enclosure comes in. Its not pretty but it works for the next few days. Humidity hovered between 35-50% today (with a couple of spikes such as with misting) which is a huge improvement even with misting. All I changed was having the overhead fan on from lights up and the air flow was what we needed to hit the proper mark. I learned how to install the window film today on the screen cage so I look forward to doing that DIY when the screen cage comes. Otherwise we are trending in the right direction. Shes eating well, getting UVB now, humidity seems great, urates are good, she really doesn't seem stressed and all proper equipment is coming this week. Thanks everyone for your help.