The best Baby Setups - Page 2

tHeGiNo · 03-13-04, 09:39 PM

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I just got my baby cham and the set up i have for him is sand substrate a plastic torarium plant to hide in and under. i am working on getting him a chinese evergreen i have bird perch like sticks i made myself. i put themaround the cage some high so hean bask better some leading to it so his food will go to him and some going from his plants to the higher one....its up to you how you set the tank up i have mine in a 10 gallon and soon to a 29 low and so on and so on...im sure you know the lizzzard grows with the size of its home...if you want ill send you pics when i get some i just got my cham yesterday so im still experimenting but my bio teacher said not to change its habitat alot they will get more stressed.and dont listen to the ones giving yuo trouble,its your cham so experiment...just do the best you can...its no harder than taking care of an iguana.

Hmm, using sand, in an AQUARIUM, for a veiled? Yet not a begginner? That sounds like quite the oxymoron to me. First off, I would LOVE to know the book that told you sand is ok for chameleons. Last I checked, they lived in the mountains of Yemen, not the deserts of Egypt.

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his basking is about 75-80 degrees

First, sand as a substrate. Then, basking spots of 75? Really dude, what book ARE you reading?

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he is fine he enjoys the attention i give him

And you know this how? An animal psychologist are we?

tHeGiNo · 03-13-04, 11:44 PM

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....its up to you how you set the tank up i have mine in a 10 gallon and soon to a 29 low and so on and so on...im sure you know the lizzzard grows with the size of its home...if you want ill send you pics when i get some i just got my cham yesterday so im still experimenting but my bio teacher said not to change its habitat alot they will get more stressed.and dont listen to the ones giving yuo trouble,its your cham so experiment...just do the best you can...its no harder than taking care of an iguana.

Ok, somehow I avoided your first post. Yet, I read it, and must reply to the stupidity. You have yours in a 10 GALLON AQUARIUM. And you plan to steadily increase the size of its AQUARIUM. And lizards GROW TO THEIR ENVIRONMENTS? Then, you say husbandry is an experiment? I am starting to wonder if your experimenting how small your brain is man. I am also getting the idea that you are saying things just to get under peoples skin. I mean, I didn't there there was anyone left who actually believed that reptiles grow to the size of their enclosure.

Several individuals have kept chameleons in the past, for YEARS and YEARS now. They experimented, and have over the years developed PROPER HUSBANDRY. It is no longer experiments, it is proven facts.

Also, iguanas are quite complicated to care for. Properly, that is. Smarten up man.

i have a cham04 · 03-14-04, 02:37 AM

have checked out plenty bit also i have owned anoles which is kinda the same but not really...anyway everyone starts out a beginner but i will learn as for the sand i am gonna replace it with zoomed carpet for cages maybea pretty blue to go with his cage and maybe some coloured counters....but ill use the 0 pound bag of sand for my daughters turtle sandbox this summer...thanks for the help

Chris_Anderson · 03-14-04, 04:11 PM

I Have a Cham04

Correct me if I'm wrong ( and please inform me what you are using) but you are using Schmidt, Tamm and Wallikewitz's book that was written over a decade ago, right? It would take me hours to write about all the errors in that book and discuss all the husbandry advances in the past 10 years.

Chameleons are nothing like anoles in their care, natural history or anything else for that matter. The closest they can be compared is that they are a lizard that changes color. Anoles are one of the easiest reptiles to keep, chameleons easily one of the hardest.

No chameleon experience = Novice (beginner) keeper

Chameleons of the subfamily Chamaeleonidae are for the most part arboreal with a couple exceptions. This means they need to be kept in enclosures 30" tall or taller with the top of the cage at approximately 6' high so they feel secure.

The reason you think your cham enjoys the attention is because when you stick your hand in the cage, the chameleon wants to be high (thats how they feel secure) and your hand is higher than his tank so he allows himself to be taken out. This does not mean it isn't extremely stressful for him.

Fake plants are for fake chameleons and glass tanks are not for chameleons, get a fish.

The enclosure should have a lot of foliage and horizontal perches.

Chameleons need to have a large enough cage that an effective temperature gradient can be setup, a 10 gallon is not large enough and a tank is just bad news, you're asking for problems from stress, imunological failure and upper respiritory infection (URI) among other problems.

How are you watering the chameleon, what supplements are you using, what lighting are you using, etc?

Chris

Chris_Anderson · 03-14-04, 05:11 PM

Also, a chameleon is not a goldfish, it doesn't grow with the size of its enclosure. Whoever told you that doesn't have any idea what they are talking about.

You're teacher was right that altering the habitat frequently stressed the chameleon but if he/she knew the conditions your animal was being kept in versus what they should be kept in, i'm sure they would agree that setting the cham up properly is vital.

Advising someone to experiment and ignore what experienced keepers and breeders are saying is necessary is very irresponsible. That type of advice is why more chameleons die every year than almost any other reptile.

Chris

blazinreps · 03-14-04, 07:46 PM

I just wanted to add a couple things yea a screen cage is pretty much manditory for chamelions as it promotes ventalation. and sand is deffintily not the best substrate. the only 2 thinsg i wanted to comment on is plastic plants are not bad for chamelions but real ones are a bit better as they help with humidity and the outher thing is that there IS a species of chamelion that does live in the desert.

Chris_Anderson · 03-14-04, 08:18 PM

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Originally posted by blazinreps
I just wanted to add a couple things yea a screen cage is pretty much manditory for chamelions as it promotes ventalation. and sand is deffintily not the best substrate. the only 2 thinsg i wanted to comment on is plastic plants are not bad for chamelions but real ones are a bit better as they help with humidity and the outher thing is that there IS a species of chamelion that does live in the desert.

Yes there is a species that lives in the desert (Chamaeleo namaquensis) but Ch. calyptratus does not. Ch. namaquensis is not kept in captivity (with maybe a couple exceptions) and almost all efforts to do so have failed. Its like saying a snake can be kept in a salt water tank cause there are sea snakes. (not trying to bash you, just making sure your information isn't misinterperated as "its okay to..."). Also, Ch. calyptratus are omnivores so live, non toxic, edible plants are required for proper care. Just my 2 cents,

Chris

meow_mix450 · 03-14-04, 08:21 PM

I find that fake plants are fine, as long as you have one or two live plants then its fine, you dont want to much plants, where its impossible for it to go through lol. Ya Chris made a good point, the only reason why its climbing on you is probly cause the cage is to small and cause your higer then the tank, a chameleon feels a lot sfare when higher cause its able to see everything around him. As for subsrate use tiles!

Meow

i have a cham04 · 03-15-04, 12:20 AM

well the sand is out of the aquarium and i got carpet on the cage floor instead and i got him a pothos plant and spider plant...

Chris_Anderson · 03-15-04, 01:39 AM

Still waiting to hear about your lighting and watering techniques. I have my suspisions about it but I'll give you the benefit of the doubt and let you tell us about it. I'm concerned though about your animal so I'm pushing you to post about these aspects so we can help you.

Chris

i have a cham04 · 03-15-04, 01:48 AM

chris who are you wanting to hear about lighting and watering from?

Chris_Anderson · 03-15-04, 01:57 AM

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Originally posted by i have a cham04
chris who are you wanting to hear about lighting and watering from?

You

huhet · 03-15-04, 05:48 AM

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Originally posted by Chris_Anderson
Yes there is a species that lives in the desert (Chamaeleo namaquensis) but Ch. calyptratus does not. Ch. namaquensis is not kept in captivity (with maybe a couple exceptions) and almost all efforts to do so have failed. Its like saying a snake can be kept in a salt water tank cause there are sea snakes. (not trying to bash you, just making sure your information isn't misinterperated as "its okay to..."). Also, Ch. calyptratus are omnivores so live, non toxic, edible plants are required for proper care. Just my 2 cents,

Chris

speaking of c. namaquensis, i just watched a great documentary on this species tonight on the national geographic channel. it's strange to see chameleons walking around in the desert, fighting off vipers and whatnot. i was very impressed though it was rather sad to see the adults eating the freshly hatched young ones.