New enclosure (I know glass is frowned upon)

Vnessinessa

Vnessinessa

Member
So, I know it is frowned upon, however, Lokkie went to the vets today and I asked her opinion and she agreed that it will work to have my little guy in a glass enclosure. I was struggling to get my basking spot above 79 in a mesh cage, and we ended up putting him closer to reach the needed temps, and he got burnt on his spines. So devastating I know, but the vet said it was an extremely minor burn. Eventually, I will make a proper drainage system as well...As for ventilation, I got a desktop fan, and it pushes the air through so it wont be so stagnant and humid. It's so low that it does not lower the temps. Anyhow, it's still a work in progress, and I will add more places to hide...oh, and I am planning on getting a tube UVB light.
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I wouldn't say glass is frowned upon, but that substrate will definitely not work in that set up. You'd need a drainage layer for sure if you're misting enough. Also, if he got burned, the temp was much above 79. No offense, but basking is pretty easy to manage through different bulbs, heights, dimmers, I find it hard to imagine there was no solution to getting the basking above 79.
 
Funny that you say that...I have been researching bioactive terrariums. It is another goal that will happen sooner than any other changes...I am using coconut substrate. I am nervous about the bacteria ridden swamp that may occur, but I am hoping to switch to bioactive asap. I should have mentioned it in my first post...I will get on with my research;) thank you so much for your input! I really appreciate it.
 
As long as there is proper ventilation glass works great. In fact, it is even BETTER than screen in situations where it is hard to maintain proper humidity. I would ditch the substrate or go bioactive though. Good luck.
 
jamest0o0 said:
I wouldn't say glass is frowned upon, but that substrate will definitely not work in that set up. You'd need a drainage layer for sure if you're misting enough. Also, if he got burned, the temp was much above 79. No offense, but basking is pretty easy to manage through different bulbs, heights, dimmers, I find it hard to imagine there was no solution to getting the basking above 79.
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I understand what you are saying, but it was the truth...I could not get the basking temps high enough. He was just too close to the bulb. I will definitely figure out the subrste situation... again, I totally appreciate the information. All I want is a happy and healthy chameleon, and I am learning from my mistakes and researching. There is so much to learn...
 
Scottsquatch said:
As long as there is proper ventilation glass works great. In fact, it is even BETTER than screen in situations where it is hard to maintain proper humidity. I would ditch the substrate or go bioactive though. Good luck.
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Thank you !!! I will research more about the bioactive, and get it going asap...
 
Scottsquatch said:
As long as there is proper ventilation glass works great. In fact, it is even BETTER than screen in situations where it is hard to maintain proper humidity. I would ditch the substrate or go bioactive though. Good luck.
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I totally agree with you! Thanks so much for your input!
 
Dont mean to be rude, but I'm not sure you understand what a basking temp is. 79 degrees wouldn't burn him if that was the temp. If he was close it was likely very hot. You have to measure the surface, not the air around it. And then account for the few inches closer the cham is from the branch he's sitting on.
 
jamest0o0 said:
Dont mean to be rude, but I'm not sure you understand what a basking temp is. 79 degrees wouldn't burn him if that was the temp. If he was close it was likely very hot. You have to measure the surface, not the air around it. And then account for the few inches closer the cham is from the branch he's sitting on.
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It's all good. I do know what a basking temp is though. He got burnt when I heightened the sticks. I am not completely stupid. However, I still appreciate your input.
 
Well the truth is, something has to be off here. It could be because the temperature probe you were using is faulty or you weren't measuring the correct spot. I do, however, find it highly unlikely that a bulb of higher wattage (raised above the enclosure) would not have the solved the problem. Heat emission is predictable and there is some combination of bulb wattage and distance from basking spot that works for everyone - just takes a lot of fussing sometimes
 
Syreptyon said:
Well the truth is, something has to be off here. It could be because the temperature probe you were using is faulty or you weren't measuring the correct spot. I do, however, find it highly unlikely that a bulb of higher wattage (raised above the enclosure) would not have the solved the problem. Heat emission is predictable and there is some combination of bulb wattage and distance from basking spot that works for everyone - just takes a lot of fussing sometimes
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I do agree that something is off. I dont doubt that. I am just confirming that I know the difference between a basking temp, and an ambient temp. I have just ordered a laser thermometer so hopefully that will be more accurate. All I know, is that I am trying my best, but owning a chameleon has a large learning curve...thanks again for your input. Lol... I thought I was knowledgeable until I actually got him :p I will look into getting a better bulb and lifting the lights from the enclosure. :)
 
That link looks pretty good. I’ve researched bioactive substrate for a few years now, and I feel the videos on YouTube from the biodude offer the best, easy to understand information. Also, no need for a fan as long as you have a proper basking light. It creates a “chimney effect”, and draws in fresh air through the bottom vents. Get rid of that substrate ASAP. If you are misting properly, it would be soup in a day.
 
Glass is frowned upon because people would use an aquarium type enclosure with only ventilation from the top. If you have a proper terrarium with ventilation at the bottom and top it will be just fine as long as you don't use mesh-style husbandry but adjust accordingly.
 
Remkon said:
Glass is frowned upon because people would use an aquarium type enclosure with only ventilation from the top. If you have a proper terrarium with ventilation at the bottom and top it will be just fine as long as you don't use mesh-style husbandry but adjust accordingly.
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Thank you for the information. That makes perfect sense to me!
 
Goose502 said:
That link looks pretty good. I’ve researched bioactive substrate for a few years now, and I feel the videos on YouTube from the biodude offer the best, easy to understand information. Also, no need for a fan as long as you have a proper basking light. It creates a “chimney effect”, and draws in fresh air through the bottom vents. Get rid of that substrate ASAP. If you are misting properly, it would be soup in a day.
Click to expand...
Thank you so much! I will get rid of the fan asap, and I am taking out the substrate today, and setting up the bioactive setup....I really appreciate the information!
 
if your not sure about how to mix your substrate I recommend https://www.thebiodude.com/
it's a lil expensive but imo I think worth it.
I got the terra firma for when my ostie needs to lay eggs. and NEherps has sum great microfauna if your on the east coast.
 
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