Who's bought a chameleon from a friend before?

Mk2MadMitch said:
So I bought a young female veiled chameleon from a friend, she's around 6 months old, the environment he had her in was really poor, so I have bought her a big tall terrarium with everything inside, perfect lighting, two different real plants planted at the bottom, nice wood and some fake decorations too, so I had to take her out from her old environment to this new one which went better than expected, but she is still scared of me haha, I'm guessing it will take a few weeks before handling can happen again? Any adbadv from this point on for me? Thanks.
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You need to get a long tube flourecent 5.0 uvb
 
Bmjo said:
No substrate it is a breeding ground for bacteria
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@chameleonneeds already touched on the well maintained but, another thing to remember is some people set up with a bioactive substrate. I can't tell in that pic if that is what @Mk2MadMitch was aiming for or not though. @jamest0o0 has several examples of his bioactive setups mixed into this forum. My diy 4x2x4 is setup bioactive as well. The rest of my cages are the typical plant pots but, to say "no substrate" period is not entirely correct. Substrate is fine if setup bioactive.
 
@Curlytails not really in our enclosures. Anaerobic soil comes from compaction and lack of oxygen. This gives that nasty smell of bad soil. Most flora and fauna cannot live in these conditions. It is basically dead soil. This can happen when we flood our soil without drainage.
 
jamest0o0 said:
@Curlytails not really in our enclosures. Anaerobic soil comes from compaction and lack of oxygen. This gives that nasty smell of bad soil. Most flora and fauna cannot live in these conditions. It is basically dead soil. This can happen when we flood our soil without drainage.
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this is true. even my filter media smells like a rat died in it 3 years ago but the organics breakdown power is far superior. you are right it stinks. this is due to methane produced i think. the lack of o2 can be a problem and if there is a big release bacteria can get in the air and infect reptiles. this doesnt happen in aquariums though.
 
@Curlytails not to true, aerobic bacteria breaks down waste faster than anaerobic. That is where the smell comes from in anaerobic environments. Or are we talking about aquariums right now lol? If so, the idea in aquariums is to have aerobic bacteria cover the surfaces which breaks down waste and turns it into nitrogen. deep sand beds are beneficial and have anaerobic bacteria, but like you said if it is stirred, can wipe out a tank due to all of the anaerobic bacteria being exposed to oxygen, dying, and creating an ammonia spike.
 
jamest0o0 said:
@Curlytails not to true, aerobic bacteria breaks down waste faster than anaerobic. That is where the smell comes from in anaerobic environments. Or are we talking about aquariums right now lol? If so, the idea in aquariums is to have aerobic bacteria cover the surfaces which breaks down waste and turns it into nitrogen. deep sand beds are beneficial and have anaerobic bacteria, but like you said if it is stirred, can wipe out a tank due to all of the anaerobic bacteria being exposed to oxygen, dying, and creating an ammonia spike.
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lol!i thought anaerobic was better because of nitrate and nitrite breakdown thanks for clarification.
 
dshuld said:
@chameleonneeds already touched on the well maintained but, another thing to remember is some people set up with a bioactive substrate. I can't tell in that pic if that is what @Mk2MadMitch was aiming for or not though. @jamest0o0 has several examples of his bioactive setups mixed into this forum. My diy 4x2x4 is setup bioactive as well. The rest of my cages are the typical plant pots but, to say "no substrate" period is not entirely correct. Substrate is fine if setup bioactive.
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Yes as a bioactive substrate. Which in this case it is absolutely not. I didn't once completely rule out substrate. Just that in this case, substrate might not be the best idea. Also the OP mentioned that point of the substrate was for egg laying - which is what I actually commented on ;) I have had Pumilum in a bioactive setup without an issue and i find it preferable for certain species. This substrate would likely just fill up with water, faeces and dead insects. Doesn't sound healthy, does it? So I think for a beginner keeper it is advisable to stay away from substrate.
 
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chameleonneeds said:
Yes as a bioactive substrate. Which in this case it is absolutely not. I didn't once completely rule out substrate. Just that in this case, substrate might not be the best idea. I have had Pumilum in a bioactive setup without an issue and i find it preferable for certain species. This substrate would likely just fill up with water, faeces and dead insects. Doesn't sound healthy, does it? So I think for a beginner keeper it is advisable to stay away from substrate.
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You are either being very presumptuous or completely misread/ misunderstood what I typed or both? For one, I quoted @Bmjo not you because his/ her post was not entirely factual since "no substrate it is a breeding ground for bacteria" is not entirely correct. I mentioned you in my post because you said "It most certainly can be if it is not well maintained". I agreed with you and added to it a little with bioactivity. I also said I can't tell in the pic if that is what the op was trying to do or not because I can't tell. Just because that is not the way you or I would've done it doesn't mean the reptile shop owner the op has been listening to didn't say yes that'll work for a bioactive setup.
Now then to clarify in case you misread/ misunderstood my original post. I personally wouldn't use this enclosure at all for the reasons you listed along with the fact it looks like the top is a solid sheet of glass be it bioactive or not but, again I can't tell for sure in the pic if it is a solid glass panel. I never said I would make this bioactive or said you are against substrate. Where you got that from my short post is beyond me?
I also would not say going bioactive on your first enclosure is beyond a beginner either. My first enclosure for my first cham, the diy 4x2x4 I made for Blue was and still is bioactive. He is the only one that I have setup bioactive though due to my own time constraints. When I have the time to build the bases out all of my chams will have bioactive enclosures. @Matt Vanilla Gorilla can attest to the fact I did a lot of research the month I spent building Blue's enclosure. I read through as many threads as I could on doing it, many of which were @jamest0o0 's, before deciding to go that route and kept referencing back to them during the project.
 
dshuld said:
You are either being very presumptuous or completely misread/ misunderstood what I typed or both? For one, I quoted @Bmjo not you because his/ her post was not entirely factual since "no substrate it is a breeding ground for bacteria" is not entirely correct. I mentioned you in my post because you said "It most certainly can be if it is not well maintained". I agreed with you and added to it a little with bioactivity. I also said I can't tell in the pic if that is what the op was trying to do or not because I can't tell. Just because that is not the way you or I would've done it doesn't mean the reptile shop owner the op has been listening to didn't say yes that'll work for a bioactive setup.
Now then to clarify in case you misread/ misunderstood my original post. I personally wouldn't use this enclosure at all for the reasons you listed along with the fact it looks like the top is a solid sheet of glass be it bioactive or not but, again I can't tell for sure in the pic if it is a solid glass panel. I never said I would make this bioactive or said you are against substrate. Where you got that from my short post is beyond me?
I also would not say going bioactive on your first enclosure is beyond a beginner either. My first enclosure for my first cham, the diy 4x2x4 I made for Blue was and still is bioactive. He is the only one that I have setup bioactive though due to my own time constraints. When I have the time to build the bases out all of my chams will have bioactive enclosures. @Matt Vanilla Gorilla can attest to the fact I did a lot of research the month I spent building Blue's enclosure. I read through as many threads as I could on doing it, many of which were @jamest0o0 's, before deciding to go that route and kept referencing back to them during the project.
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Presumptuous might not be the correct word. But I think we are just running around in circles now. I think the OP knows well enough by now that the cage is not going to work for the chameleon and many options (including that for substrate) have been offered as the correct alternative.
 
I wish all new chameleon keepers could do as much research as @dshuld and @Kristen Wilkins have done before they took the plunge! And as willing to apply what they learn! And boy is wish all breeders could be dedicated to their chameleon children they put up for adoption even for years after they leave their original home! I strive my best to be available 24/7 to those who buy a scaly baby from me!
 
Bioative set ups work. or atleast set ups with substrate. Chris have done it with exo terras, a friend of mine has had good succés with mountain specis. I don´t use it due. My problem with them is that many times people take the wrong end of it ( according to my opinion) is that people end up doing geckos terraium or poison frog terrarium or salamandra terrariums and not chameleons terrariums) they should not have that much water in the Cage at all times, that will cause Ri or mounth rot or other problems. You know how poison frogs tanks look like? alot of moss and bromellior and that kind of thing that hold water? chameleons = not standing stil water.There is a video in Youtube for bioactive terrarium for a carpet and that thing was more suit for a salamandra than a chameleon it wass too short, too litle option to climb and not climbing high enough, and plants that barely would support a chameleon. And he has other video of bioactive terrariums that are not soúit for chameleons. Chameleons from the exception of pygmies, namas, and a few other are tree dwellers and should not be that Close to the ground.
 
leedragon said:
Bioative set ups work. or atleast set ups with substrate. Chris have done it with exo terras, a friend of mine has had good succés with mountain specis. I don´t use it due. My problem with them is that many times people take the wrong end of it ( according to my opinion) is that people end up doing geckos terraium or poison frog terrarium or salamandra terrariums and not chameleons terrariums) they should not have that much water in the Cage at all times, that will cause Ri or mounth rot or other problems. You know how poison frogs tanks look like? alot of moss and bromellior and that kind of thing that hold water? chameleons = not standing stil water.There is a video in Youtube for bioactive terrarium for a carpet and that thing was more suit for a salamandra than a chameleon it wass too short, too litle option to climb and not climbing high enough, and plants that barely would support a chameleon. And he has other video of bioactive terrariums that are not soúit for chameleons. Chameleons from the exception of pygmies, namas, and a few other are tree dwellers and should not be that Close to the ground.
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I agree with this, most people make panther chameleon bioactive that look like dart frog enclosures. They are from semi dry regions that are high sun exposure, fairly open, but see high levels of humidity at night. I try to mimic that with my Panthers now rather than the dense rainforest look. All the misting does build up over time and give it that wet humid feel, but I make my soil with a lot of sand to help drainage.

My parson's enclosure looks more like what you describe though, I had trouble finding any large plants so I made up it up with lots of branches and epiphytes. YL parson's are from ranomfana I'm pretty sure. And while I looked at their natural habitat(I've never been there in person) it is loaded with plants, trees, waterfalls, streams, puddles, etc looking more like your traditional rainforest habitat that many people think all chameleons belong to. So I figured that would be appropriate for my YL. I dont have any water features though obviously, but with some serious biological and mechanical filtration and a giant enclosure I'd like to some day try it.
 
I can’t agree more with the last two previous posts. Unfortunately, there isn’t a perfect commercial option for most chameleons, instead, they kind have been grouped together as though they all require the same habitat. This is off topic, but I’ve had an itch to build a large paludarium for awhile to house South American fish and a caimen lizard. In a round about way, I believe this type of enclosure is what I was truly looking for when I was putting together my chameleon’s enclosure. Now I’ve had a few years of experience and research under my belt and I’ve realized what I wanted to create all along. The beauty in this process was that I discovered bioactivity and true natural re-creation. Maybe one of our more experienced breeders or caretakers could create a more definitive guide(book maybe), as to how to best care for each species of chameleon, and not groups of reptiles lumped together? I’d buy it.
 
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