New Free Range.
- Thread starter jpowell86
- Start date
Stinger
Established Member
jpowell86
So impressed, looks so natural. Texas
Question your top (Roof) Its that wavy plastic or fiberglass panels I see the greenhouse stuff,
now that would cut back the Sun's UV right?. So you must have a section screened above to give that gradient affect.
Thanks! you gave me some Ideas for Octogan mini Gazebo 4ft high and 4ft around
So impressed, looks so natural. Texas
Question your top (Roof) Its that wavy plastic or fiberglass panels I see the greenhouse stuff,now that would cut back the Sun's UV right?. So you must have a section screened above to give that gradient affect.
Thanks! you gave me some Ideas for Octogan mini Gazebo
4ft high and 4ft around
jpowell86
Chameleon Enthusiast
jpowell86
So impressed, looks so natural. Texas
now that would cut back the Sun's UV right?. So you must have a section screened above to give that gradient affect.
Thanks! you gave me some Ideas for Octogan mini Gazebo
Thank you! It is a polycarbonate material that Tuftex makes. It actually is rated at 100% for UV. I have a couple of panels that actually lift off and have screen below. I only open them up about twice a week for a couple of hours.
EarlMT
Member
Just curious how do you free range the roaches without them hiding?
jpowell86
Chameleon Enthusiast
It's hard to tell by the pics, but there is a branch in there that doesn't touch anything else. It is held up with monofilament as well. So the roaches basically are stuck on the stick unless they decide to just drop...which doesn't happen often. Plus, melleri are like calling cows in to feed. Once they see me, they move down the branches and get into position usually before I even put a roach on the branch.
EarlMT
Member
Tha
That's awesome haha. How did you get the branch to be there without touching anything else? I've been trying to get my Cham to eat roaches but he isn't interested at all when they're in his cup
jpowell86
Chameleon Enthusiast
It's just a 2 1/2' or so branch that is hanging in the middle of everything. It has about 3" of gap between it and other branches.
EarlMT
Member
Is it hung with fishing line? I might have to get one just to put roaches on
Chameleon Crazy Chick
Established Member
Wow! That's awesome! What did you make it out of? Can you give the rest of the keepers-that-aspire-to-own-enclosures-like-that an estimate as to how much it costs to build and maintain that?
jpowell86
Chameleon Enthusiast
Yes, it is.
jpowell86
Chameleon Enthusiast
Lol. I don't know if it is worthy of a tour! But it is most certainly a chameleon lover's paradise.
jpowell86
Chameleon Enthusiast
It all just depends on the size and what you want out of it.
The base is made out of 16" concrete blocks. The rest is 2x4's of various lengths, windows, polycarbonate panels and hardware. I built my own door because there are no prefab doors that I found that are as wide as I liked. There is really nothing to maintaining it. I have gravel on the floor so drainage is fast and easy. I can literally turn on my misters all day long and have no standing water anywhere. That is what I love about it the most.
OldChamKeeper
Chameleon Enthusiast
Do your chams tend to fight with that much space and cover?
jpowell86
Chameleon Enthusiast
I have a few female melleri that it wouldn't matter if you put them 40' away from the others...they would find the way to make it over to the others and attack them. But the majority of my melleri live very well with each other in the groups I have them set up in.
jpowell86
Chameleon Enthusiast
I have an A/C that kicks on when the temps get above 76F. I also utilize shade cloth over the top. I built a frame that sits over the top of the roof of the greenhouse. This lowers my temps considerably. They can drop by 15 degrees with the shade cloth on. I also have fans inside the greenhouse that kick on when the misters kick on. This actually can drop the temps too much. I mean they can go from 75 down to 62-64 really fast. So I have to be careful with that. But I use this greenhouse cube that tracks temps and shuts everything off or turns things on to control climate.
Just misting coupled with a fan blowing can drop temps considerably though.
