Somebody help me :D The one who answers these questions is a God ;D

[arr0n]

I have been looking more and more into purchasing a
Chameleon lately. I'm just iffy about it because I owned a Leopard Gecko
about 3 years ago who passed away, due to a disease in his stomach.. I want to make sure I buy everything the Chameleon will need way before I purchase the chameleon to allow me to get used to the habitat and make sure its perfect before I attempt to care for a Chameleon in it. So if you dont mind, I've composited a list of accessories I'll need and I just wanted someone to overlook my list and tell me wethere or not I'm headed in the right direction. I have read a lot of care sheets and have had no luck finding a good document on howto setup the enviorment.

64 Gallon Basic Reptarium [is this the right type of cage for a chameleon, and will it have sufficient space for him/her to feel comfortable?]

Soft tray for 65 gallon flat [I saw this as an accessory for the tank so I thought it may be needed, however I dont know exactly what it is.]

Heating bulbs [how many should I buy? and what wattage]

UVB Fluorescent Bulbs [again, what kind should I buy? I previously used heating pads for my Leopard Gecko and found to do only partially do their job, heat lamps have worked better for me]

Newtek Power Strip with Digital Timer

Rock bowls

Plants [as Chameleon owners, what plants seem to best fit Chameleons?]

Exo Terra Medium Waterfall Fogger and Pump Combo [would this be ideal?]

and what kind of bedding should I look into? I'm interested in the panthers, and am I correct to think the panthers are the most colorful of Chameleons? Would
crickets be sufficient for the Chams diet, and should I put a little
calcium on the crickets for health purposes?

Also, if anybody has any habitats of their own for sale and they are in good condition I would be very interested. Or even some of the items from the list would help. I was also wondering, everytime I see a baby Chameleon they seem colorless and more of a brownish color. Do chameleons get their color overtime and not show at younger ages? And do the colors in fully matured adults continually change, or do they primarily stay the same bright colors?

 

[Julirs]

Here is a list I compiled from LLLReptile.com-it is basically all you need. You add some live plants and a dripper or spray bottle. You do not need to use substrate. You can also go with a screen cage instead of the Reptarium. Also add the softray for the Reptarium if you get one.
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Product Qty Total
Zoo Med 18" 5.0 UVB bulb
$13.99 each $13.99
38 gallon basic Reptarium
$26.99 each $26.99
Regular Clip lamp
$5.99 each $5.99
20" fluorescent hood fixture
$26.99 each $26.99
Exo Terra Jungle Vine Medium
$7.99 each $7.99
RepCal ultra fine calcium with D3
$4.99 each $4.99
Rep Cal Calcium WITHOUT D3
$4.99 each $4.99
RepCal Herptivite supplement
$8.99 each $8.99
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Subtotal $100.92
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Shipping $13.95
Total $114.87

 

[Julirs]

No waterfall. Regular household bulbs for basking. No rock bowls-or any bowls. You must follow a dusting schedule for the supplements listed above-depending on the type and age of chameleon you get.

 

[SuperRad]

I have been looking more and more into purchasing a
Chameleon lately. I'm just iffy about it because I owned a Leopard Gecko
about 3 years ago who passed away, due to a disease in his stomach.. I want to make sure I buy everything the Chameleon will need way before I purchase the chameleon to allow me to get used to the habitat and make sure its perfect before I attempt to care for a Chameleon in it. So if you dont mind, I've composited a list of accessories I'll need and I just wanted someone to overlook my list and tell me wethere or not I'm headed in the right direction. I have read a lot of care sheets and have had no luck finding a good document on howto setup the enviorment.

64 Gallon Basic Reptarium [is this the right type of cage for a chameleon, and will it have sufficient space for him/her to feel comfortable?]It depends on the type of chameleon you are getting. for a veiled 65 gallons is suitable for about maybe up to 8 months old.

Soft tray for 65 gallon flat [I saw this as an accessory for the tank so I thought it may be needed, however I dont know exactly what it is.] You can do without. It just lines the bottom of your reptarium so no poop or water can pass through, i personally use one of those huge plant planter holders, you can get th em at lowes for about 1.59 and they are 16" in circumference. and then i lay that on top of some newspaper that gets changed every few days.

Heating bulbs [how many should I buy? and what wattage] depends on size and species. go to http://www.keepingchameleons.com/idealtemps.html

UVB Fluorescent Bulbs [again, what kind should I buy? I previously used heating pads for my Leopard Gecko and found to do only partially do their job, heat lamps have worked better for me] Heating pad will be useless in a screen enclosure, chameleons like to be perched at the highest point of their enclosure. Go with a uvb flourescent tube rated at 5.0 uvb, if you are using the reptarium you can go with a 10.0 uvb tube make sure you get a quality brand such as zoo med or exo-terra

Newtek Power Strip with Digital Timer I personally use analog lamp timers from walmart for 4 bucks each. all you'll need is two for your uvb and basking bulb.

Rock bowls - Useless, chameleons do not drink still standing water. you'll need to mist the plants. Once again go to keepingchameleons.com and read the intro section

Plants [as Chameleon owners, what plants seem to best fit Chameleons?] Keepingchameleons.com plant section. I personally use ficus benjamina and or schefflera, both about 10 bucks at lowes.

Exo Terra Medium Waterfall Fogger and Pump Combo [would this be ideal?] Nope. waterfalls house bacterias if not constantly changed.

and what kind of bedding should I look into? Bedding is bad as it can be swallowed by your chams causing an impaction. leave the floor empty

I'm interested in the panthers, and am I correct to think the panthers are the most colorful of Chameleons? Would
crickets be sufficient for the Chams diet, and should I put a little
calcium on the crickets for health purposes? of course.

Also, if anybody has any habitats of their own for sale and they are in good condition I would be very interested. Or even some of the items from the list would help. I was also wondering, everytime I see a baby Chameleon they seem colorless and more of a brownish color. Do chameleons get their color overtime and not show at younger ages? And do the colors in fully matured adults continually change, or do they primarily stay the same bright colors?

You should really do a little more reading on the subject.
Keepingchameleons.com
raisingkittytheveiledchameleon.blogspot.com
Check out both these sites

 

[spatulars]

Set-up List

Breeder Set-up Page - this is an informative page

 

[dodolah]

see answer in quote box:

64 Gallon Basic Reptarium [is this the right type of cage for a chameleon, and will it have sufficient space for him/her to feel comfortable?]
if you have a bit more money to spend, i suggest you get an aluminum screen cage (such as the one that FL chams use). my suggestion buy 2 right away:
1. 24"X12"X24" for 2.5 months baby to 6-7 months old.
2. 24"X24"X48" for his permanent cage


Soft tray for 65 gallon flat [I saw this as an accessory for the tank so I thought it may be needed, however I dont know exactly what it is.]
i just the walmart plastic tray for the drainage system

Heating bulbs [how many should I buy? and what wattage]
buy regular incandescent bulb. experiment here.. if you can get the basking spot to 87F that wattage is good. I live in Los Angeles and 75 watt basking lamp is sufficient. i only use 1 bulb. and buy some spares in case it dies

UVB Fluorescent Bulbs [again, what kind should I buy? I previously used heating pads for my Leopard Gecko and found to do only partially do their job, heat lamps have worked better for me]
UVB reptiSUN 5.0 Fluorescent TUBE. don't buy anything else. not reptiGLO 5.0, not Reptisun 5.0 COMPACT.... you have to be exactly precise with this UVB


Newtek Power Strip with Digital Timer

Rock bowls
no need for rock bowls

Plants [as Chameleon owners, what plants seem to best fit Chameleons?]
Hibiscus rosa sinensis, Schefflera Arboricola, Golden Pothos, Ficus Benjamina (choose 2 or 3)

Exo Terra Medium Waterfall Fogger and Pump Combo [would this be ideal?]
No Waterfall! your chameleon will see it as his toilet chamber. He will poop often there causing it to become a breeding ground for bacteria. and in the end causing your cham to be sick

and what kind of bedding should I look into? I'm interested in the panthers,
no bedding. for the same reason as waterfall plus your cham might get impacted from accidentally swallowing the bedding (meaning that the bedding lodge his intestinal track so he cannot poop)

and am I correct to think the panthers are the most colorful of Chameleons?
there are other colorful chameleon out there such as carpet chameleon and etc etc.. but, panther and veiled is perfect species for beginners

Would crickets be sufficient for the Chams diet, and should I put a little
calcium on the crickets for health purposes?
No. not enough. In the wild, chameleon can eat almost to 300 insect species. You can insist on feeding him crickets only.. but very soon he will pull a hunger strike. Be fair, you probably do the same if you are forced to eat cheese burger for the rest of your life.
Here is the list of my feeders:
1. silkworm
2. horn worm
3. phoenix worm
4. super worm
5. Dubia roach (or Cricket, if you are finicky toward roaches)
6. Mantis hatchlings
7. House Fly
8. Butter worms

I recommend not to feed your cham with mealworm and wax worm.
they are nothing but junk food in the reptile world.

Supplementing is VERY important if you don't want to kill your chameleon within 6 months due to MBD.
Here is my schedule:
MTh dust with Herptivite
TF dust with Repcal with D3
WSat dust with MinerAll0
Sun no dusting
Be aware over supplementing can also cause problem.



Also, if anybody has any habitats of their own for sale and they are in good condition I would be very interested. Or even some of the items from the list would help.
I do have some. PM me what you need.


I was also wondering, everytime I see a baby Chameleon they seem colorless and more of a brownish color. Do chameleons get their color overtime and not show at younger ages?
yes to all your Questions

And do the colors in fully matured adults continually change, or do they primarily stay the same bright colors?
they change here and there but they do have base colors. The color changes base on their mood and the environment condition. They do not blend to their surroundings. so you cannot put them in a pink cage and expect your chameleon to turn pink

 

[arr0n]

wow!

I cannot give enough thanks to all of you, you all seem so knowledgable about the subject. And yes I will definitely check out those websites and read up as much as possible. My main goal is to get setup and buy one chameleon, and then more cages and Chams as time progresses. I was also wondering if other frogs would cause any problems if placed in the same cage. I'm not talking poisonous frogs or anything of the nature, I just wanted to give the cage a little extra jungle-ish feeling. When the time comes, I will follow all of your advice. Thanks everybody! Although I don't plan to buy a Cham for atleast 2 months I would love to go ahead and start gathering all the neccessary accessories for the Chams habitat. Would the Reptarium or the tall mesh cages be better? and when you say no bedding, does this mean just newspaper as floor? I wanted to bury the plant in soil so that the plants container wouldn't be sticking out, no or yes? Could I just put newpaper over the soil? Thanks again.

 

[spatulars]

It seems the consensus from another thread is that chameleons will eat other small animals, so no, probably shouldn't stick frogs in there.
Reptariums will work, but there are both pros and cons to them, the link I gave you has a list of them, it helped me in choosing a cage.
No need to cover the plant pot, just stick the pot on the bottom of the cage. Don't put soil or moss down on the bottom, but newspaper helps absorb the water. Paper towels do the trick too. Your chameleon will be living in the branches and vines that you give it, it doesn't really care what the bottom has on it so long as it's clean and dry.

 

[Kevin1873]

I cannot give enough thanks to all of you, you all seem so knowledgable about the subject. And yes I will definitely check out those websites and read up as much as possible. My main goal is to get setup and buy one chameleon, and then more cages and Chams as time progresses. I was also wondering if other frogs would cause any problems if placed in the same cage. I'm not talking poisonous frogs or anything of the nature, I just wanted to give the cage a little extra jungle-ish feeling. When the time comes, I will follow all of your advice. Thanks everybody! Although I don't plan to buy a Cham for atleast 2 months I would love to go ahead and start gathering all the neccessary accessories for the Chams habitat. Would the Reptarium or the tall mesh cages be better? and when you say no bedding, does this mean just newspaper as floor? I wanted to bury the plant in soil so that the plants container wouldn't be sticking out, no or yes? Could I just put newpaper over the soil? Thanks again.

The reptarium's are o-k but your best bet would be to go with an aluminum cage from LLLReptile. Chameleon's need good ventilation and the reptarium's, as cool and inexpensive as they do look do no provide as much ventilation and see through as the aluminum cages. DO NOT!! Put any other animals in the cage with Chameleon, not even another Chameleon. They are very territorial and stress out very easy so I wouldn't suggest putting anything else in the cage other than the necessary requirements. As for the bottom of the cage, no need for any dirt or sand or mulch or any of that, it's just a hassle and a breeding ground for germs, parasites, mold. Just lay paper towels at the bottom and replace them everyday. As for the plants go what you want to do when you buy them is de-pot them, clean them off really good with a little soap and a lot of water, you'll want to rinse off all of the pesticides off the plant so rinse and rinse and then re-pot the plant with clean non-chemical soil. You want to make it as easy as possible to clean the cage as often as maybe once, most people do minimal cleaning during the weak and a real thorough one once a month so it's up to you on how u do it so messing with all the dirt and bedding just isn't worth it.

 

[Ashley]

If you decide to go with a veiled, I would be careful about putting anything in the bottom of the cage. I have a guy who is about 8 mos. old and I swear he eats anything and everything that is in his cage. I think it is easier just to wipe it down once a day or once every few days.

 

[arr0n]

another question

I noticed in baby Cham. pictures the color is mostly brown, and hardly any reds or blues or yellows etc., is there any way to determine what the outcome colors may be on this baby Cham.

 

[spatulars]

First you would need to know the sex. In panthers, only the males become very brightly colored. Then you would need to know the colors of the baby's dad and the colors of the baby's mom's dad. You might then be able to get an idea of what colors the male chameleon would have, but it would only be a guess. Nothing would be for sure until the cham grew older, and some chameleons develop their colors later than others.

 

[arr0n]

seems like everyone breeds

since everybody breeds, why do people sale their chams for so much? I mean I know the sentimental value plays a roll, but if you can breed 100 egss a year from one pair, why doesnt anybody sale for atleast $200 or lower? I know once I get rolling and finally breeding, which wont be for a while but I still intend on learning all I can in the mean time and I want to be a part of this forum as far as sharing a common interest, I wont sale mine for more than $200. People who sale for $300-2100 are getting rich! I saw one priced @ 2600. Insane! I wish I had the money to spend on chams like you all do, I'd love to have some beauties like the ones I've seen.

 

[Ashley]

You saw a panther for $2600 or a parsonii. Parsonii are hard to get your hands on. They can be priced high like that. You can sometimes find panthers for cheaper but most times only from people who don't make a living breeding them. It's just a hobby and they might let them go at a lower price.

When people who breed them for a living sell them that have to do full retail price you could say. IMHO it takes quite a bit of money to raise them up old enough to be sold. Babies have to be fed constantly. If you have a clutch of 30 babies at the same tie you are looking a thousands of dollars in supplements and food if you don't breed your own food.

.......just my best guess though....

 

[spatulars]

It seems to me that a person whose business is selling chameleons has to cover the costs of that business (websites, advertising, food, labor, etc.), whereas a hobbyist would rather get rid of the chameleons and enjoy a smaller profit because it would be impractical for them to keep 50 chameleons. I'm making a pretty big generalization but it makes sense to me. Anyway, I feel the same way; I wouldn't charge as much. But the big breeders have beautiful sires with good bloodlines, so that means when the time came to breed your cham, your babies would probably all sell pretty fast.

Look here and in your local classifieds. You might find a better deal. Also try the forum classifieds.

 

[Ashley]

I refer to them as name brand chameleons...LOL

 

[spatulars]

Haha, that's exactly what they are. If you have an extra $600, you can get an unrelated pair of name brand chameleons and make your own! Just add worms and bugs and water. And UVB light and heat. Sorry, off topic.

But yeah, some good hobbyists have good chameleons for a lower price, you just have to do some searching and waiting.