Vivarium - confused

bluegoldfish

bluegoldfish

New Member
Hi, i currently have a exo-terra glass vivarium with mesh roof top 30x30x45 for my panther cham who is about 4months old. I know he will definately need a bigger viv as they can grow big!

Here are some pics of his current viv, i have just replaced the substrate with cloths on the bottom instead because i was told that is best. There is a waterbowl in there, i know they dont drink standing water but it is to hold the cloth down, and also increase the humidity. He has a heat lamp, and a uv lamp, and there is a heat mat under the cloth. He drinks water from the little water bottle, and also off the leaves after i mist them.
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and cham chomping on a butterfly...

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I was looking at buying him all one of those all screen cages, but i read on another reptile fourum that i shouldnt get an all screen cage for panthers, only for yemen/veileds, as panthers need more humidity. But, im thinking they need ventilation too. Is it ok to get him a all screen cage like the aluminium ones i've seen on fl chameleons site. I'm searching now, because i will probably have to import something as i cant find anything like in UK, and im not too good at D.I.Y. so didnt wana attempt to make something myself lol. Your help is appreciated :)
 
You can certainly keep a panther in an all screen enclosure...in fact it is preferrable.
Humidity is maintained by misting and heavy planting with live plants...check the safe plant list on this forum and remember to wash all plants well to remove fertilizers and pesticides and replant them in organic, chemical free soil.
Two more things:
I would remove the heat pad..it's not at all necessary and you could make the inside of that glass enclosure too hot for him.
The tape inside the enclosure is a bit of a concern as well...there may be toxins in the adhesive that crickets will ingest and you also don't want him to somehow get caught in it himself...I would switch to a dripper that is set on top of the enclosure, rather than something inside it.
He looks fantastic by the way!
Good luck with him and getting all his adult equipment.

-Brad
 
I use these Exo-Terra units to house my crickets. It keeps them contained well and gives plenty of room for them. I advise an open screened enclosure for the little guy :)
 
I have a glass enclosure like yours, only not as tall. A few days ago, I left the blinds open during the night and I woke up around 10:30 the next morning. When I got up my veiled was at the bottom of her cage and was exhibiting her irritated dark colors. I checked the inside temp and it was closing in on 90 degrees. I misted her down and closed the blinds and she got a lot happier. Apparently the 4hrs of morning day light was enough to warm it up to make it uncomfortable with her. So be mindful of the temp. I agree about removing the heat pad. I had one for a brief time. The heat lamp usually does enough.

As soon as I get the money and time, I'm getting rid of glass. Its too much like a green house and my apartment stays around 75 most of the time so screen should be fine.
 
Howdy,

Just to confirm a couple of things...

What kind of UVB tube is that? Is that the actual surface of the tube or is there something covering it? If there is a slip-on plastic tube covering the tube's glass then remove it. I don't think there is one on there but just in case...

Is that heat lamp anything other than a regular household lamp or a flood lamp? If it is one of those red or blue ones, just switch it out for a regular household lamp or a small ~50w-75w flood lamp and then re-check that your temps are still good. You want white light for mental well-being.
 
Hi, its a repti-glo 5.0 and its just the glass tube, no plastic tube, but i'm thinking about getting a reflector for it, but cant find any the right size at the mo.

The lamp is a 60w nightlight red bulb made by zoo-med sold by shop that specialises in reptiles. It says on the packet it is an "ideal 24hour heat source for all types of reptiles, birds, or small animals". Although i do not have it on when it is warm in my room/e.g. sunny, and i turn it off at night with the uv so my cham can sleep. I have positioned it so its at one corner of the viv not over it all and slightly up higher, so he cant sit there and get burned.
Checked the temps are about 80f.

Have seen the flexariums and although i think they are a good idea, i'm looking to buy something a bit more substanital with proper doors and that wont fall over, but thanks for the info and advice :)
 
Last edited:
bluegoldfish said:
The lamp is a 60w nightlight red bulb made by zoo-med sold by shop that specialises in reptiles. It says on the packet it is an "ideal 24hour heat source for all types of reptiles, birds, or small animals". Although i do not have it on when it is warm in my room/e.g. sunny, and i turn it off at night with the uv so my cham can sleep. I have positioned it so its at one corner of the viv not over it all and slightly up higher, so he cant sit there and get burned.
Click to expand...

The red bulb is good for other reptiles but not for chams. Chams goes for the brightest place to bask (bright=sun). Those red bulbs doesnt give that much light and its harder for the cham to find the basking spot. So follow Daves advice.
 
Are you talking about for nighttime use? For nighttime use you don't need any bulb at all. Chameleons benefit from a nighttime temperature drop and by just turning all of the lights off at night this is easily achieved.
 
no, not for nighttime, as a basking bulb for the daytime, i was told i needed to get one that gives off white light.
 
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