As far as the fountains... some people have their chams live despite of the fountain, not because of. That being said, there are some good points to fountains, I just feel the bad out ways the good in most cases. They give a steady water supply, they increase humidity and they aren't bad for a few days here and there (in my opinion) for a long weekend vacation or if you have a dehydration issue. Many people have even used them successfully over the years. And I would say that a fountain would be better than someone neglecting the chameleon (yes I know, if you are going to be neglectful....) When I first got chameleons over 20 years ago, most probably died from dehydration so when the fountains came on the market they were great. some people made their own before they were available commercially. As far as I know they predated misting systems by quite a few years. Anyway, loooooong story even longer, this info is just outdated. In the past I fed my crickets and roaches dog food and fed my chameleon occasional scrambled eggs with a cricket leg attached. I realize, mine lived despite this, not because of and I changed with the times.
As for price, I know its difficult sometimes to compete with price. I breed Brittanys (dogs). They come from great lines, the parents are tested for genetic disorders, they have health warranties and some people scoff at paying $1000. So they will save $500 on a dog that are more likely to cost them thousands more in vet bills and possibly leave them heartbroken. I also used to raise $100 rabbits, same reasons. Stick with quality and charge for it. If you are stuck with a few, you could always give one to a trusted, experienced friend with the agreement that you may need its genetics some day. You may even find someone that would custom build a cage or something for you in trade. Good luck.
As for price, I know its difficult sometimes to compete with price. I breed Brittanys (dogs). They come from great lines, the parents are tested for genetic disorders, they have health warranties and some people scoff at paying $1000. So they will save $500 on a dog that are more likely to cost them thousands more in vet bills and possibly leave them heartbroken. I also used to raise $100 rabbits, same reasons. Stick with quality and charge for it. If you are stuck with a few, you could always give one to a trusted, experienced friend with the agreement that you may need its genetics some day. You may even find someone that would custom build a cage or something for you in trade. Good luck.
