Fretfreak13
New Member
Hello CF! This is my first post on this forum, and even though I am a beginner I thought I'd hang out on the freerange fourm because of the greenhouse plan I'd like to put into play. Also, you'll soon learn I type a lot, but I try to bold important things to be less annoying.
Currently I am a 19 year old college student and having a little reptilian buddy is out of the question for me for the next few years, so please keep in mind that any whacky idea I throw out as a new keeper will be researched for at least three years before it is attempted. Please don't tell me "you need to do more research, you dumb noob", that's why I joined this joint. ;] Please pick apart my plans and help me fix them.
My true passion is saltwater reef aquariums and at the moment, seahorses. From what I've seen, chameleon proofing seems a bit like pony-proofing an aquarium, but without the water. I've worked at a public aquarium for awhile, and now work at a saltwater fish store because I prefer the small-business atmosphere.
My dad and I are very aquatic-involved, and what originally sparked this idea was the fact that his 2ft+ Japanese koi are being left to me in his will, and many of them are older than I am! They currently live in a 15,000 gallon + pond that he dug and planted with his bare hands. Because I am so young, I know the first house I live in out of college will probably not be my last, so I really don't want to dig a pond until I know I'm staying put for awhile. My next idea was to build an above-ground pond similar to the one pictured here.
Most likely to be cost effective, the pond frame will be built with cemented cinder blocks and a pond liner, strategically decorated with either cobblestones or thick tree branches cut length-wise and attached to the sides to make it look a bit more nature-oriented.
Onto the cham...
For the past few days I've been scouring this site for information. From what I've read, I want a male. Having a gravid, free-roaming female sounds like a nightmare. Who knows where she'd lay! I'm also thinking I'm going the panther-route as well for the beautiful colors! Would this be a good choice for first cham?
Chameleon Proofing:
With concerns for the pond, it will be completely covered with a DIY top made from door-screen. However, the waterfall will be exposed, but wont be large/deep enough for him to be submerged. Would this be dangerous to the cham in any other way?
All outlets will be GFCI protected and covered with something like this.
His water source will be from a sprinkler system using RODI (have it for the reefs) water for the plants, and I understand and hope he would not drink from the waterfall. That's for O2 exchange (and aesthetics) for the pond, but if it will be a problem I can rearrange my plans to have a small fountain beneath the cover instead.
I've also read that normal greenhouses do not allow for the passage of UVB rays for the little cham. Here's my plan for lamps for the little fellow! The top and bottom of the canopy will be screened for ventilation, but the lights themselves will be hung inside the canopy so they aren't laying on top of the bottom screen where his little toes could be burnt. I'm still not completely set on dimensions of the greenhouse, so I wont know how many lamps will be needed to light his side of the greenhouse, but that will be addressed when the project gets put into play.
Substrate! The floor of the green house will be cobble filled in with smooth stones (not gravel), and all plant pots will have them as well. Good, right?
For the subject of heating and humidity, I actually have to do a bit more "greenhouse" research rather than cham research because of the different kind of system. I'll get to it though, I already know thats possible.
For feeding I would like to get him accustomed to a dish (pop-bottle method) in the corner of the room, which you can see on the diagram. Not totally sure on diet yet, more research will need to be done, though I realize he also may eat some plants. I'm generally ok with that, and all species in the greenhouse will be geared twords the cham. Non-toxic, same humidity needs, etc.
I think this whole post is geared twords my concern with the pond and my cham proofing for that. Keep in mind the real reason for this greenhouse is for the koi. It would be wonderful to add a cham to the family, but if it can't be done, so be it. Thoughts? Opinions?
Oh, and last but not least, this is a next-to-pond necessity. ;]
Currently I am a 19 year old college student and having a little reptilian buddy is out of the question for me for the next few years, so please keep in mind that any whacky idea I throw out as a new keeper will be researched for at least three years before it is attempted. Please don't tell me "you need to do more research, you dumb noob", that's why I joined this joint. ;] Please pick apart my plans and help me fix them.
My true passion is saltwater reef aquariums and at the moment, seahorses. From what I've seen, chameleon proofing seems a bit like pony-proofing an aquarium, but without the water. I've worked at a public aquarium for awhile, and now work at a saltwater fish store because I prefer the small-business atmosphere.
My dad and I are very aquatic-involved, and what originally sparked this idea was the fact that his 2ft+ Japanese koi are being left to me in his will, and many of them are older than I am! They currently live in a 15,000 gallon + pond that he dug and planted with his bare hands. Because I am so young, I know the first house I live in out of college will probably not be my last, so I really don't want to dig a pond until I know I'm staying put for awhile. My next idea was to build an above-ground pond similar to the one pictured here.
Most likely to be cost effective, the pond frame will be built with cemented cinder blocks and a pond liner, strategically decorated with either cobblestones or thick tree branches cut length-wise and attached to the sides to make it look a bit more nature-oriented.
Onto the cham...
For the past few days I've been scouring this site for information. From what I've read, I want a male. Having a gravid, free-roaming female sounds like a nightmare. Who knows where she'd lay! I'm also thinking I'm going the panther-route as well for the beautiful colors! Would this be a good choice for first cham?
Chameleon Proofing:
With concerns for the pond, it will be completely covered with a DIY top made from door-screen. However, the waterfall will be exposed, but wont be large/deep enough for him to be submerged. Would this be dangerous to the cham in any other way?
All outlets will be GFCI protected and covered with something like this.
His water source will be from a sprinkler system using RODI (have it for the reefs) water for the plants, and I understand and hope he would not drink from the waterfall. That's for O2 exchange (and aesthetics) for the pond, but if it will be a problem I can rearrange my plans to have a small fountain beneath the cover instead.
I've also read that normal greenhouses do not allow for the passage of UVB rays for the little cham. Here's my plan for lamps for the little fellow! The top and bottom of the canopy will be screened for ventilation, but the lights themselves will be hung inside the canopy so they aren't laying on top of the bottom screen where his little toes could be burnt. I'm still not completely set on dimensions of the greenhouse, so I wont know how many lamps will be needed to light his side of the greenhouse, but that will be addressed when the project gets put into play.
Substrate! The floor of the green house will be cobble filled in with smooth stones (not gravel), and all plant pots will have them as well. Good, right?
For the subject of heating and humidity, I actually have to do a bit more "greenhouse" research rather than cham research because of the different kind of system. I'll get to it though, I already know thats possible.
For feeding I would like to get him accustomed to a dish (pop-bottle method) in the corner of the room, which you can see on the diagram. Not totally sure on diet yet, more research will need to be done, though I realize he also may eat some plants. I'm generally ok with that, and all species in the greenhouse will be geared twords the cham. Non-toxic, same humidity needs, etc.
I think this whole post is geared twords my concern with the pond and my cham proofing for that. Keep in mind the real reason for this greenhouse is for the koi. It would be wonderful to add a cham to the family, but if it can't be done, so be it. Thoughts? Opinions?
Oh, and last but not least, this is a next-to-pond necessity. ;]
