Your advice/opinion appreciated...

[ddejesus]

I will be receiving my first chameleon (will be ambilobe panther) in a few weeks and have my setup almost complete. I would like for your advice on what I could add/remove on my setup. The following information describes how I have everything set up:

Cage: I have an 18" W x18" L x36" H aluminum mesh enclosure. Both sides are covered with black shower curtain to maintain humidity and restrict the amount of water escaping the cage during misting. The front, back, and top are not covered to allow ventilation.

Lighting: I have a 100 watt basking bulb approximately 10" from the basking branch that maintains a 95oF temp. I have a Reptisun 10.0 UVB light on top of the cage.

Hydration: I have a Pro Mist (PM-50) attached to a 2 gallon water container and also attached to an IV dripper bag. The mister automatically is set to mist 3 10 minute sessions throughout the 12 hour period where the lights will remain on. My mister fills the dripper to approximately 500 ml which takes about 50 minutes to drip after misting (is this too much?). I have a funnel attached to the bottom PVC base with a screen between the base and funnel. This diverts the water to a bucket.

Plants/Cage Furniture: Inside the enclosure I have a ficus benjamina plant and Schefflera Arbocila. Also, I added branches collected from outside and baked them for 10 minutes in 350oF and scrubbed with soapy water.

Feeding: My current plan is to feed crickets, silkworms, and/or roaches as staple diet and alternate occasionally with flies, tomato hornworms, and superworms. I will try free roam feeding and will see how that goes. My preliminary supplement (dusting) schedule is MF Calcium w/ Vit D3 TWTh Calcium w/o Vit D3 (Since it will be indoors at all times). I will also dust with Rep-cal herptivite every other sunday. Of course feeders will be fed vegetables/fruits.

Pictures say a thousand words so I attached several pictures of the enclosure. Some questions I would appreciate some help with are: Is dripping for 50 minutes after a 10 minute misting session too much? If so, how can I reduce the amount of water reaching the IV bag during the 10 minute misting session? Any suggestions on supplements or does this schedule seem ok? Thanks again for your help!

 

[lonomac]

Only thing I see is the lighting. 100W is a lot and should be around 85 degrees, 95 is a bit much for a baby. I use a 45 watt and still have to raise it up a few inches Also, the reptisun 10.0 is often said to be too much for chams also, most stick with a 5.0. But the rest looks good

 

[ddejesus]

Fortunately I have a dimmer with my basking spot light which I can lower the intensity. I can lower it to maintain an 85o basking temp. As for the reptisun 10.0 I purchased it over the 5.0 because of the statement that screen filters out up to 50% of UVB rays and the cham would need to be within 12" whereas the 10.0 offers 20" penetration. I might need to invest in a 5.0 though.

 

[Chameleons By Design]

Job Well Done!!!!

Well all I can say is wow. That is an insane setup. I can definatly tell you did some extensive research. Ok so back to your caging everything looks good. The only thing I would keep in mind is make sure that your last misting session doesnt come on to late. Meaning that the last session you allow the cage enough time to dry out. You dont want the cage to stay went during the night it causes bacteria and other issues you dont want. Other than that you did a real nice job. Good Luck

 

[davider]

Everything looks great just make sure you have enough crickets in there so your baby can find enough food!
Good luck

David

 

[ChromaChameleons]

I agree.. obviously you've done your research. Your cham is gonna love this cage. Definetely off to a good start....

 

[Ren]

Nicely done...

 

[Dyesub Dave]

Hey ... your setup looks great !! Very thought out and well put together.

Just wondering what you used to cover the dirt in your plant pots?

Dyesub Dave.

 

[Dave Weldon]

Howdy Damian,

It looks like you are heading in the right direction!

Your black plastic will maintain humidity longer but how about something more mentally neutral/positive for your chameleon like a greenish/jungle colored material .

I'll bet that you already tossed the plastic lens that came with that UVB fixture . Typical aluminum screen does block around 25% of the UVB but not so much as to worry about a Reptisun 5.0 at 12 inches. A Reptisun 10.0 can still be used without much of an issue. If you have a "screen climber" chameleon then just raise the 10.0 six inches more to be on the safe side.

That nozzle looks a bit too far down into the enclosure. If you are not getting a decent spread, just raise the nozzle tip up to the top. Watch his drinking response to the mist schedule. You may need to adjust the length to 15-20 minutes for each session. You may find that twice a day is good. Maybe one in the morning between 8am and 10am and then again between 1pm and 3pm.

I too, played with dimmers on the basking lamp but then realized that what is best is full brightness from a lesser wattage. By reducing the power to a bulb you alter its light characteristics at the same time you reduce its heat level.

 

[Kent67]

My opinion is that I wish everyone went to the extent of research, planning, care, and expense that you have before they started with chameleons. I don't reply to this type of thread very often, but this one impressed me. Bravo.

The only thing I would suggest, like someone said before, is to lower the wattage of the heat bulb to a 60 watt. I've never used anything higher in 16 years. Sorry if I missed it but, how old is the animal you're expecting? Just make sure that if it's still small when you recieve it that it has an easy way of finding food and you're golden. I assume it's a male? If so, you will probably end up wanting a bigger cage for him in a year or so.

Again, it makes me really happy when I see people have done the amount of work you've done before jumping in. You will certainly enjoy this. Pardalis are usually quite comfortable with hand feeding so if you've got the time to do it, it's a good way to know exactly how much and what he's eating, plus get him used to your presence.

Edit: Almost forgot, you're in California. The sun is a great year-round resource your chameleon will love. Be sure to take advantage!

 

[ddejesus]

Just wondering what you used to cover the dirt in your plant pots?

Dyesub Dave.

I'm using plastic canvas that someone recommended in a previous post. It allows water into the soil while keeping out the feeders from the soil and prevents Cham from having impact with river rocks in case of a miss . You can buy it at craft stores and are really cheap.

 

[ddejesus]

Sorry if I missed it but, how old is the animal you're expecting? Just make sure that if it's still small when you recieve it that it has an easy way of finding food and you're golden. I assume it's a male? If so, you will probably end up wanting a bigger cage for him in a year or so.

The cham will be 3 months or so when shipped and is about 4" in total length. And yes, it is a male. I plan on upgrading to a bigger cage in about 8-10 months depending on his growth. I will be getting 60 watt basking spot light and to be safe a reptisun 5.0. BTW I appreciate all the comments and excellent advice from everyone.

-Damian

 

[PardalisGirl]

Great Job

I ditto everything Hairfarm67 said about the extent of your research. You've done an excellent job. Now that I know you have a 3 month old juvie coming I think the Reptisun 5.0 is a better choice. It was a good move to go with that. At that age he is going to do a lot of walking upside down on the screen top. That will put him too close, in my opinion, to a 10.0 tube. Too much exposure for his eyes. After he matures and starts spending most of his time on plants and branches you can switch to the 10.0 in order to make sure he is getting proper UVB at the level he tends to stay at in the cage. This thread is an excellent example for any new chameleon owner to follow for preparation. Most excellent job.........now I can't wait to see your new boy. We need lots of pictures when you get him