Newbie start up cost

[Leza]

I have seen a lot of new people gazing asking what chameleon to get, but really the search should be for the STUFF first!

Just a random record for any one new(as am I!) so you can see just what everything is going to cost for a total cham setup!

For starters, got the cham for $80, which included the animal, an inappropriate cage, and bad accessories, only thing good out of it was a spray bottle and a small lamp(with no good lightbulb). Good news-cage is easy to clean, disinfect and resell!

$76-a second light fixture, appropriate UVB light, feeders, and some veggies to get the feeders started on gut loading!

$144- Cage(appropriate for him to continue growing in, and use as a sun cage in a couple of months), small auto mister, little dripper, and some vine deco.

$35-timer/plug outlet combo, feeders, "snacks".

$56-gutload supplements, and dusting supplements, cricket catcher, and tongs(as I still can't touch a wriggling cricket--so sue me! )

I am at $391!!

So maybe subtract $40 if I sell the dinky cage....

$351.00 ....this does not include the live plants I have yet to buy... a better container for my feeders... a bigger cage in less than 6 months...and the list continues to grow!

Let me know how I did

 

[thatoneguy]

hm what kind of cham did you get?? i spent $40 on my cham, $64 on a 18x18x36 screen cage, about $30 on plants and vines, $25 on suplaments, $12 hydro/thermometer, and about another $50 on everyhting else. that puts me at about $221 give or take. but having an awesome cham is PRICELESS!!!!

 

[Fearaffect]

LLL has a Veiled Cham. pkg....169.00 for everthing shipped...including the cham....just gotta buy feeders.....mulberry can get your cham fed for roughly 20-40 buck a month for most chams. with shipping

OR if you dont wanna Veiled...pkg is 99 bucks shipped just buy the cham u want

 

[Leza]

LLL has a Veiled Cham. pkg....169.00 for everthing shipped...including the cham....just gotta buy feeders.....mulberry can get your cham fed for roughly 20-40 buck a month for most chams. with shipping

OR if you dont wanna Veiled...pkg is 99 bucks shipped just buy the cham u want

Wow that is a good deal for the package! Are they even making money off those?

I rescued a young(I'm guessing 3 or 4 mo old) male veiled off Craigslist so it was more about getting him out of his current situation, rather than paying for the perfect baby.

 

[Leza]

hm what kind of cham did you get?? i spent $40 on my cham, $64 on a 18x18x36 screen cage, about $30 on plants and vines, $25 on suplaments, $12 hydro/thermometer, and about another $50 on everyhting else. that puts me at about $221 give or take. but having an awesome cham is PRICELESS!!!!

Seriously! I could pay so much for this little guy... There really is nothing like a cham!

 

[Fearaffect]

Seriously! I could pay so much for this little guy... There really is nothing like a cham!

Agreed....nothing comes close to cham. ownership...........
Monitors also can/are addicting.......especially the "dwarfs"

 

[Leza]

Really? A monitor... I have heard they are very personable... Like a dog. But a lizard. Lol.

 

[Fearaffect]

Really? A monitor... I have heard they are very personable... Like a dog. But a lizard. Lol.

Yup....on my Ackies, Id tap the lip of the cage and the females would come over and rest their heads on it for feeding...my male wasnt so trusting.....lol
The bigger ones you can walk them like a dog.....but you gotta tame them first...and that could be painful sometimes....lol

Go check out Kathy Browns(reptile whisperer) youtube vids on her tree monitors......they follow her all over the house and one can be taken outside and it will follow all over the yard....real cool...

 

[AZJ0SH]

I have seen a lot of new people gazing asking what chameleon to get, but really the search should be for the STUFF first!

Just a random record for any one new(as am I!) so you can see just what everything is going to cost for a total cham setup!

For starters, got the cham for $80, which included the animal, an inappropriate cage, and bad accessories, only thing good out of it was a spray bottle and a small lamp(with no good lightbulb). Good news-cage is easy to clean, disinfect and resell!

$76-a second light fixture, appropriate UVB light, feeders, and some veggies to get the feeders started on gut loading!

$144- Cage(appropriate for him to continue growing in, and use as a sun cage in a couple of months), small auto mister, little dripper, and some vine deco.

$35-timer/plug outlet combo, feeders, "snacks".

$56-gutload supplements, and dusting supplements, cricket catcher, and tongs(as I still can't touch a wriggling cricket--so sue me! )

I am at $391!!

So maybe subtract $40 if I sell the dinky cage....

$351.00 ....this does not include the live plants I have yet to buy... a better container for my feeders... a bigger cage in less than 6 months...and the list continues to grow!

Let me know how I did

Looks like you severely overpaid. Here is what I paid for the same items:

Dual Fluorescent Fixture - $26

UVB Bulb - $18

Gutload - $15-$20 for all 3

Timer - $5 from Walmart

 

[Fearaffect]

Looks like you severely overpaid. Here is what I paid for the same items:

Dual Fluorescent Fixture - $26

UVB Bulb - $18

Gutload - $15-$20 for all 3

Timer - $5 from Walmart

Most newbies overpay the first time around.........its expected(sorta I guess)
Home Depot, walmart and various other improvement/retail stores have alot of alternatives to the retail pet store that just about anything can be done cheaper.......I like the silk/plastic vines/plants that Michaels Craft stores have....very high quality and there's a "ton" of variety

 

[SonTigerPantherCham]

This seems to be a huge expense that is not mentioned here. Especially for some of our younger(age) members
VET bill
You should have at least 200.00 stashed away just for this expense. BEFORE you make this decision or purchasing a Cham.
We see day in and day out " help, my Cham is sick I don't have money for a vet, what can I do instead"
if you don't have enough money for a vet, then you can't afford a chameleon

 

[brooklynelizabeth]

$76-a second light fixture, appropriate UVB light, feeders, and some veggies to get the feeders started on gut loading!

$144- Cage(appropriate for him to continue growing in, and use as a sun cage in a couple of months), small auto mister, little dripper, and some vine deco.

$35-timer/plug outlet combo, feeders, "snacks".

$56-gutload supplements, and dusting supplements, cricket catcher, and tongs(as I still can't touch a wriggling cricket--so sue me! )


Having a chameleon join the family....Priceless

But for everything else there's Mastercard

 

[Leza]

$76-a second light fixture, appropriate UVB light, feeders, and some veggies to get the feeders started on gut loading!

$144- Cage(appropriate for him to continue growing in, and use as a sun cage in a couple of months), small auto mister, little dripper, and some vine deco.

$35-timer/plug outlet combo, feeders, "snacks".

$56-gutload supplements, and dusting supplements, cricket catcher, and tongs(as I still can't touch a wriggling cricket--so sue me! )


Having a chameleon join the family....Priceless

But for everything else there's Mastercard

Bwahahah

Yes a little money stashed for vet bills, always a good idea. I have parrots so it goes for them as well, you can't to about thinking "oh it will never happen to me, my let's don't get sick" well its bound to happen one day!

It not like I over paid thousands of dollars, yes a couple bucks here and there. Some emergency visits to petsmart for immediate purchases. It is all worth it just wanted to show what the max cost would be if you don't plan ahead!

 

[Winterhawk1960]

This seems to be a huge expense that is not mentioned here. Especially for some of our younger(age) members
VET bill
You should have at least 200.00 stashed away just for this expense. BEFORE you make this decision or purchasing a Cham.
We see day in and day out " help, my Cham is sick I don't have money for a vet, what can I do instead"
if you don't have enough money for a vet, then you can't afford a chameleon

I'll second this.....

Add to this the fact that I will have to travel 90 minutes (one way) just to get to one that knows anything at all about chameleons.

 

[Leza]

Going to start looking for a vet now...lol

 

[AZJ0SH]

This seems to be a huge expense that is not mentioned here. Especially for some of our younger(age) members
VET bill
You should have at least 200.00 stashed away just for this expense. BEFORE you make this decision or purchasing a Cham.
We see day in and day out " help, my Cham is sick I don't have money for a vet, what can I do instead"
if you don't have enough money for a vet, then you can't afford a chameleon

I highly agree with this post, I had $250 set aside for an emergency fund for him specifically, and it came in handy when I had to take him to the vet to get a fecal exam.

 

[Fearaffect]

I highly recommend getting a microscope and learning to do fecals yourself....will save time and money in the long run, especially if the "bug"..ahem...bites and you get more chams.......

 

[AZJ0SH]

I highly recommend getting a microscope and learning to do fecals yourself....will save time and money in the long run, especially if the "bug"..ahem...bites and you get more chams.......

All they do is look at it through a microscope? If that's the case, I wasted money cause I have a microscope lol.

 

[Fearaffect]

All they do is look at it through a microscope? If that's the case, I wasted money cause I have a microscope lol.

Theres specific procedures for pin worms and coccidia......but in a "nut shell".......yea, need a microscope, some kinda solution i believe for the coccidia.......I read an article on doin your own fecals a couple of yrs ago, but in my old age I've forgotten the info and link to it....
Just do some research on here OR maybe the Gesangs(chamsnorthwest) can steer you/others on the right path.....they do their own and are supper cool people.

I believe for pinworms they look for the worm and coccidia they look for the eggs.......I could be wrong on that order but pretty sure thats what they r looking for.

 

[Banders675]

over paid

how big is your cham? I paid 50 or 60 for my 29x16x16 cage but it's to big for my baby so that little cage probably was a good thing (i know it does not seem so but it kept him safe) I'm 25 dollars in bulbs say 30 in fixtures (I got my uv hood for free) the uv bulb was like 12ish if I remember and I use a real plant (yes i know some say thats bad but I have always had good luck) it was 6 bucks. I made my drip so that was under 5. I did however by a fogger system 9which is over kill but if your lazy works great) that was like 50 or 60. tikitikireptiles.com sells a whole kit with cham for under 200. I bought the lights for a veiled I had and gave away he was not caged I just hung the lights in the corner and slide his tree under them. depending how small that old cage is you might want to keep it it's always nice to take your cham out side for some sunlight and moving all the lights is a pain. don't feel down for over paying you are learning and right now the only thing that matters is your cham is happy and healthy......are you happy? is so it's money well spent.