TIme to move to a bigger cage

[balmybaldwin]

Hello all,

I've had my baby Panther for about a month now, and he's eating like a horse, and has now nearly doubled in size (about 3" SVL) and he is beginning to look a little small in his starter viv...(a 18"x18"x18" Exo) (I think he has about a week before he needs to move) I already have a large viv ready for when he is an adult (a 4x2x2 screen cage). I am quite keen to move him up to a bigger cage, but I still think the adult cage is a bit too big at the moment so I am considering getting him an in between Cage

Do you think this is a good idea or should I move him straight to his larger cage? (the money is irrelevant I want what's best for him)

Thanks for your help

Ed & Felix

 

[KTown333]

I was asking the same kinda question before and I say get the big cage and save some money. If it seems to huge you can section it off for now. The only draw back to a big cage is I was told they might have trouble finding their food but if they are cup fed I dont see a problem.

 

[carol5208]

I had my cham in an adult cage since he was 4 months old and he still lives in there. He never had trouble finding the food. I would dump the crickets out on the bottom and they would go right up the screen to the top towards the lights and he would pic them off one by one. I never cup fed and he was fine. Also worms like silks and horns, you can lay right on the branches. The supersworms are a different story as they fall right off the branches, as they have hardly any grip.

 

[CalaMala]

Sayid is almost 4 months old, he is in a screen enclosure 18x18x36...I was told he could chill there for about another year (veiled) but I have an old parrot cage I want to screen in for him. It is probably 3ft wide by 5ft tall, the top opens up so I thought I could hang a live plant for him to climb up on when he want to free range. Any suggestions on how to screen it in....I was thinking hot glue.

 

[carol5208]

I think that enclosure would be too small for an adult. They need lots of room to roam. I house my cham in a 36 X 30 X18 but he also has free range area and huge outdoor cage. I would not house him in that size cage all time. Just my opinion. As far as attaching the screen, maybe use fishing line through the screen holes and tie it together? You will have to make sure it is put together well so no feeders can escape!

 

[thacarter]

The supersworms are a different story as they fall right off the branches, as they have hardly any grip.

I have recently started cup feeding my panther, but with the superworms you can place them near the screen close to the cham and the superworm will hold on to the screen.

 

[DeviousMike]

I would use the big cage. Cham's don't have "baby cages" in the wild and they seem to find food just fine. Crickets more often then not crawl towards the light anyways. And cup feeding adds piece of mind if you think your cham doesn't know how to hunt.

 

[Psi]

I had my cham in an adult cage since he was 4 months old and he still lives in there. He never had trouble finding the food. I would dump the crickets out on the bottom and they would go right up the screen to the top towards the lights and he would pic them off one by one. I never cup fed and he was fine. Also worms like silks and horns, you can lay right on the branches. The supersworms are a different story as they fall right off the branches, as they have hardly any grip.

Just put the supers on the side of the cage they'll climb right up/down.


Also to balmybaldwin your cham is perfectly fine moving up to his 2x2x4 cage.

 

[carol5208]

Just put the supers on the side of the cage they'll climb right up/down.


Also to balmybaldwin your cham is perfectly fine moving up to his 2x2x4 cage.

I don't seem to have the greatest luck with that either. They will hang but alot of times they fall and I find them on the bottom of the cage. I just put some in a cup and hold it for him and he gets them that way!

 

[carol5208]

I have recently started cup feeding my panther, but with the superworms you can place them near the screen close to the cham and the superworm will hold on to the screen.

gosh I must have some wimpy superworms!!!

 

[Psi]

I don't seem to have the greatest luck with that either. They will hang but alot of times they fall and I find them on the bottom of the cage. I just put some in a cup and hold it for him and he gets them that way!

Ya I usually just do 1-2 at a time.
When my cham goes at them, they'll hit them with enough force to knock them off the screen sometimes.
Even my angriest chams don't mind me putting my hands in there if a super is left afterwards

 

[carol5208]

Ya I usually just do 1-2 at a time.
When my cham goes at them, they'll hit them with enough force to knock them off the screen sometimes.
Even my angriest chams don't mind me putting my hands in there if a super is left afterwards

haha. I know what you mean! It seems the consensus is Superworms are one of chameleons favorite foods. Mine will not eat crickets at all and goes for them and other worm types. He also likes the moths that hatch out too.

 

[balmybaldwin]

I think that enclosure would be too small for an adult. They need lots of room to roam. I house my cham in a 36 X 30 X18 but he also has free range area and huge outdoor cage. I would not house him in that size cage all time. Just my opinion. As far as attaching the screen, maybe use fishing line through the screen holes and tie it together? You will have to make sure it is put together well so no feeders can escape!

Really? from all that I've read, i thought a 4x2x2 was a good size for a panther? To be honest, the current plan is to have this high in the corner of the room, with branches attached to the door so that when I am in I can open up to connect him to a free roam area, but I could custom make a viv using parts ot the reptibreeze to make something more like 5x4x2 in the same position. Is this a better option?

He also has a 3x1.5x1.5 outdoor cage for catching rays (here in the uk we don't get many so he won't be in it too long!)

 

[thacarter]

I don't seem to have the greatest luck with that either. They will hang but alot of times they fall and I find them on the bottom of the cage. I just put some in a cup and hold it for him and he gets them that way!

I would do that too but he will not eat out of a cup I hold

 

[balmybaldwin]

Right, so managed to get Felix's new home set-up yesterday, but still need to sort out drainage.

Does anyone else use the Lucky Reptile Humidity control? I've hooked this up to a rain system, and the problem I'm having is that although the rain system is very good and soaks the enclosure, the sensor seems to take quite a while to register the increase in humidity...

I've set target humidity at 80%, with 20% switch variance (so in theory it should allow Hum to fall to 60% before raining again), and I've set it to 30% at night (so it doesn't rain)

The problem is that after 2 mins of misting (and a large puddle on the lounge floor) the humidity Control has still not registered the increase in humidity (my other Hygrometers are showing much higher humididty levels), so I stop the rain manually, and 5 mins later the humidity is registering at 98% on the HC

I have a hygrometer sensor right next to the HC sensor so it can't be localised humidity...

I've had to go home from work to check it all again today, and again I have a minor flood and Oscar the Beardie is looking nervously at the approaching flood

Any ideas?

Thanks

Ed & Felix
(and Oscar)

 

[balmybaldwin]

And a pic of him moving in:

Felix moving in to his new home by balmybaldwin, on Flickr

 

[balmybaldwin]

Bump please

 

[KatCham]

Awww bless lil Felix in his new pad!!!

Hope you get the humidity sorted