New member starting from scratch

[Tony_S]

Hi everyone,

I've been viewing this site for about 6 months now as a guest and ready to take the plunge into chameleon ownership so I decided to officially join the forum.

A little about myself, I'm 46 and have had exotic pets my whole life, from a sun conure to a black piranha to a dictator scorpion. My pet sun conure named ghost past away last year after having him for 22 years so I'm not new to being dedicated to taking care of a high needs pet.

There is a ton of information on this site which I love, but it is also a little overwhelming. If you had to start all over from scratch. What would you do/buy different? I'd like to get everything I need correctly the first time and not have to repurchase things over again for example getting too small of a enclosure or switching from a drip to a mist water system.

I'm will be looking to get an ambilobe panther chameleon.

Thanks for any and all information,.

 

[JacksJill]

Do not buy the "chameleon kit" you will do much better buying everything á la cart. Get the big cage and skip getting a small one and upgrading unless you plan on using the smaller one for outdoor time.
and ... Welcome to the forum.

 

[CamoChameleonsHuman]

If I could do it all over I would've saved up and bought Dragonstrand enclosures and a Mistking misting system. I also would've bought dual T5 fixtures one with a 6% Arcadia and the other a 6500k plant bulb.

 

[jamest0o0]

I would have built my own enclosure or free range

 

[BuyAChameleon]

Starting at the "what do I need to keep my new chameleon?" question and going through the next 6 faqs is how we'd set a new Panther. Feel free to message if you have questions.

 

[krikinit]

I would have built my own enclosure or free range

Same here. If you are handy, build your own. The 2x2x4 or similar sizes are the minimum size. Go big.

 

[krikinit]

https://www.chameleonforums.com/care/caresheets/panther/

 

[Zevil]

Like what they said, go as big as you can. I started off with 2x2x4 because I really don't want to spend extra money on getting a smaller one and then upgrading.

 

[JoXie411]

Start a colony of insects so you have a good supply of food b4 hand

 

[Matt Vanilla Gorilla]

Welcome, welcome, welcome! Proud of you for the way you are approaching it! Keep up the good attitude! With you not having done impulse buying of a chameleon you are one of a kind! You sure got my attention! I believe that the chameleon you end up buying will a extremely lucky chameleon that will live a long healthy life! Thank you for being a good example to others!

 

[Daesie11]

Research not just the chameleon but the breeder you get your cham from first. There are a ton of "breeders" out there who have no business breeding

 

[Tony_S]

Thanks for all the info and input. The last thing I want is to have to post a thread saying my chameleon isn't doing well or is sick. Only to get replies saying that I'm not using the correct enclosure, or my lights/lamps aren't the correct type/wattage or I'm not doing the drip/misting system correctly. I'd like to start with a healthy/happy family member and keep it that way.

 

[Tony_S]

I have it narrowed down to buying a Dragon Strand enclosure. My house has central A/C and the temp is around 70 degrees all year long with around 50% humidity. Is it better to get the full screen enclosure or the clearside enclosure with only one side screened to keep the humidity high? I plan on using a mist king misting system.

 

[Syreptyon]

• dragonstrand enclosure
• mistking system
• schefflera arboricola or amate/ficus benjamina or alii
• LOTS of branches (I prefer manzanita)
• repashy calcium plus LoD
• arcadia bulb of the appropriate percentage for the species
• dual fixture to hold a plant bulb as well
• cricket crack gutload
• R/O filtration system
• bioactive supplies (ABG substrate, springtails, isopods)
• nationwide pet health insurance (~$9/month)
• solarmeter for UVI testing
• infrared thermometer
• reliable hygrometer
• list of chameleon-experienced vets in your area

 

[BuyAChameleon]

I use the clearside enclosures and love them, holds the humidity a little longer, can't go wrong either way you just need different mist settings with the two. I like the clear because it offers a better view honestly.

 

[Rlc1994]

I have it narrowed down to buying a Dragon Strand enclosure. My house has central A/C and the temp is around 70 degrees all year long with around 50% humidity. Is it better to get the full screen enclosure or the clearside enclosure with only one side screened to keep the humidity high? I plan on using a mist king misting system.

My temperatures are around 70-75 and humidity is maybe a little lower around 40% in my household. I ended up going with the large all screen dragon strand and ended up having to wrap 3 sides of my enclosure with clear vinyl to keep the humidity and temperatures where they needed to be. If I could do it again I’d go with the clearside.

Also if your looking into a more intricate way to hydrate and humidify your chameleon look into the chameleon breeder podcast they have some amazing information if your wanting to learn on how to care for these guys. Here’s some links on fogging and misting from their podcasts.

https://www.chameleonbreeder.com/podcast/ep-89-naturalistic-hydration-for-chameleons/

https://www.chameleonbreeder.com/podcast/ep-110-fogging-and-airflow-with-mario-jungmann/

 

[Tony_S]

Thanks, I'll check out the podcasts

 

[jannb]

Welcome to the forums! This is a great place to learn about chameleons. What species are you thinking of getting. It’s very important to buy from a good breeder.

 

[Tony_S]

Welcome to the forums! This is a great place to learn about chameleons. What species are you thinking of getting. It’s very important to buy from a good breeder.

Thanks, I am looking at getting an ambilobe panther

 

[Rlc1994]

Start a colony of insects so you have a good supply of food b4 hand

Start a colony of insects so you have a good supply of food b4 hand

This would a good idea too. You don’t have to have an insect farm in your house but at least try to have a couple staples going like silkworms a roach species or crickets so you have steady supply of food always coming.