Screen enclosures and humidity levels

[Mr Wilson]

We are trying to decide whether or not to switch out our glass/screen top 18x18x24 terrarium with an all screen enclosure. The only question we really have is how in the world do you keep humidity levels high enough? We can't imagine the levels staying where they need to with a screen enclosure without sitting around and misting it all day long (which we cannot do!). Plus, wouldn't misting systems get your floor completely soaked with an all screen enclosure??

Any feedback as well as any recommendations for great screen enclosures that aren't TOO hefty in price would be great. We don't need an entire set up (meaning we don't need all the extras - vines, leaves, etc), just the actual screen enclosure. It does have to be 18x18 because that is what our stand holds.

 

[canzoman]

I have a green shower liner on 3 sides on mine. And that seems to hold humidity quite well for me.

 

[Carlton]

There are several things you can do to humidify an all screen enclosure:

Hang plastic sheeting on the back and/or sides of the cage. Adjust as your room's general humidity changes by season.

Really fill the cage with live foliage...larger potted plants with more leaf surface area, larger pots (more surface area of soil to evaporate moisture)

Place an ultrasonic room humidifier to one side or above the cage and direct the fog down onto the cage foliage. Run the humidifier in cycles with a multiple setting lamp timer. This can be in addition to one or two hand spraying sessions as you would do normally.

Consider an automatic misting system such as a MistKing or RainMaker.

To handle runoff, place the cage over plastic storage bins, get a cage drain pan (check sponsor websites here), place the cage frame in a concrete mixing tray or a washing machine or water heater drain pan, use a hydroponics flood table tray, or drill a drain in a cage with a solid bottom and put a bucket underneath.

 

[summoner12]

there are drain and misting solutions on the forum. but remember you do want a cage to air out. Mostly you want the cage to get dry at night. but during the day running a mister every 90 minutes for a few seconds isn't a bad idea. Check out Mist King for misters and LLL Reptile sells a drain pan for thier cage. If you look at my profile and look at posts I have started, there is a thread about the drain pans and how you can use them. I also have other threads about misting.

 

[sandrachameleon]

There is no rule saying you must use a screen enclosure. If such a cage isnt going to suit your environmental needs, choose something else

 

[justjumpit621]

If you want to switch out to screen but the temperature in low where you live You can always put plastic painters drop clothe on 3 sides, that's what I do. But if the temperature is warm where you are I would not worry about putting anything up on the side, but you can put many live plants in there so they keep the humidity up.

 

[Mr Wilson]

Thanks for the info everybody. I actually forgot to mention that some guy in a local Fish/Reptile store told us that "buying a female Veiled was a bad idea because they don't do well w/o a male to accompany them". Any truth into this? or was this guy just talking out of his ass?

 

[Nixehface]

Thanks for the info everybody. I actually forgot to mention that some guy in a local Fish/Reptile store told us that "buying a female Veiled was a bad idea because they don't do well w/o a male to accompany them". Any truth into this? or was this guy just talking out of his ass?

Lol, that just shows that you can't really listen to most people in shops as they haven't got a clue.
Chameleons do well on their own and are very easily distressed, having a male would stress her if she is not ready to breed and he would potentially cause her lot of harm!

Never house chameleons in the same enclosure unless it's really big! (Like a room or something lol)

 

[boj3434]

Yes dont listen to them theres a good chance the female will die or be very unhealthy. most of the time the more aggressive chameleon, usually the male, will get most of the food water and basking time. And it could stress them out. just dont do it

 

[summoner12]

yeah, that is a load of crap. A female and a male want to be apart until they want to mate. girls never want to see guys unless it is for mating. guys like to look at girls..... but they just get frustrated and it stresses the girl out.

like Kayla (justjumpit) said, you can cover the sides with plastic in the winter and remove the plastic when it is hot in the summer.

people have luck with glass 'cages' but you need to look at the situation and determine what is best.

 

[pssh]

I dont know about the whole seperating thing anymore. Chris Anderson posted a link to another forum where members found that the males tend to be gentler and the females tend to lay less often and smaller clutches when kept with a male...

 

[Elizadolots]

I think keeping them together needs to be done carefully by an experienced chameleon owner. It obviously can be done and might even be very successful, but the potential for a really nasty disaster is high for someone who isn't knowledgeable and maybe not attuned to the early signs of trouble.

 

[Texas Panther Man]

Yeah if you wanna keep them together it is possible to do. But not practical for most keepers. You would need a room sized enclosure or maybe a green house. People have had great success w/greenhouses and keeping one male and several females so that the male will not just harass one female all the time. Of course like its been stated only an expereinced keeper should attempt to do this. then you would still have to have cages setup in case of problems or if a fem was gravid to keep an eye on her.

 

[summoner12]

I dont know about the whole seperating thing anymore. Chris Anderson posted a link to another forum where members found that the males tend to be gentler and the females tend to lay less often and smaller clutches when kept with a male...

Can you share links with us?

 

[gottacham]

Glass or screen enclosure

Hi,
I had the same dilemma as you and decided to put screen sliding doors on the front of my vivarium instead of the glass, this allows more ventilation but the humidity isnt affected as much as a full screen enclosure.

Hope this helps.
Paul.

 

[Julirs]

Think about it like this-How would you like to be locked in the bathroom for your entire life with your husband/significant other? Now there is a "potential really nasty disaster"!