Chameleon cage

Contrband · 11-03-04, 07:26 PM

Hi everyone,
Ive got a female,young veiled chameleon, in a 60 gal aquarium. Right now its full of branches from outside, calci-sand , and fake plants. Its not too interesting at all. And its such a huge nice aquarium, id like to make it better. I want to add live plants. I want to start out small and build up. Where should i start? I had planned on sectioning off a portaion of the tank with a piece of plastic, thats a couple inches high, and putting in potting soil. And adding a few plants that way. Any advice? plants to start with? ways to go about it? ect.

Thanks for your time

Brock · 11-03-04, 08:24 PM

A 60g aquarium could have A LOT done to it

. First of all, chameleons of that size don't go in aquariums, either buy or make a screen enclosure. The top, sides and front have to be screen, bottom and back can be wood or whatever. Aquariums are not used for larger chameleons, such as veileds, for a number of reasons.

1) humidity: veiled chameleons need a period of drying out between mists. You need to spray them and raise the humidity, and let it drop to normal for a while until you spray again.

2) respiratory infections: upper respiratory infections occur when it is too humid and this will cause damage to the lungs of your veiled and it won't be fun.

3) stress: the reflection of the chameleon will appear to be a rival chameleon, whether female or male, doesn't matter, and this will cause constant stress on your veiled.

4) bacteria/fungus/mold: all these things form in humid environments, and chameleons don't really fare well with them.

First thing you want to do is get a screen cage, second thing is to furnish it with LIVE plants, silk plants absorb humidity, live plants give it off. Veileds also tend to eat some plants, Pothos and Ficus being the top favourites in my experience. Having substrate isn't a good idea cause they'll get a mouthfull of it when they catch some food, so use pots and cover the soil with large stones with no sharp edges.

Plants to start with: Ficus is my favourite, but start off with a nice aged tree, like one that you have had in your house or a friend has had, I find ones from stores don't live very long, and always remember to water approprately. Pothos, it's a vine and it's hardy. Scheffleria, be careful with this one cause some people buy the wrong species, it's an 'umbrella tree' species and can give of wax/sap that can harm the eyes. Hibiscus is another popular one if you have nice lighting.

Pothos and ficus are my favourite two.

As for the 60gallon, you could buy some dart frogs, CRESTED GECKOS!, tree frogs, pygmy chameleons, day geckos, or if you want desert species it would be awesome for a colony of leopard geckos, a bearded dragon or two, or even a uromastyx.

Make sure you have UVB lighting, a reflective heat lamp ( I only use 60watt, but while he's in the aquarium it could get too hot, I'd suggest 40watt), and calcium and vitamin supplements.

-Brock

Double J · 11-03-04, 08:26 PM

Get that calci-sand out of there ASAP... your chameleon will get it all over her tongue, and it will kill her. When a chameleon is young... you should have a bare bottom or paper towel substrate. It looks like she-ite... but it will get your chameleon over the hump until it gets larger. When your chameleon is full sized.... the best looking and most functional *naturalistic* substrate is oak leaves. If the chams eat them, no big deal, and it is quite easy for them to push them out of their mouths. Plus, it is disposable, a renewable resource, and essesntially free.
Now as for live plants, that gets a little tricky. Veileds are notorous munchers of plants... so there are two choices that have worked for me for years. Those are pothos and Ficus benjamina. Both are cheap at big box stores, and grow well under fluroescent light. As for the plants, for veileds, it is best to leave them in their pots, and then you can disguise them with the leaf litter. Dirt substrates generally cause problems for veileds as they get it all over their tongues, and then into their bellies. That again is why I swear by leaf litter. They can eat it, it is easy for them to navigate if they don't want to eat it (I have never actually seen one of my chameleons eat an oak leaf....), it is easy to clean up after, and it looks fabulous.
The most important thing to do..... get that calci-sand crap outta there stat. If the pet store people told you it would work... they are dead wrong, but well meaning. In my opinion, calcium based sands are the worst thing for lizards. Eating a mouthful of it is like dumping 50 TUMS down your throat... it is not good for digestion... and it cannot be good to have a baseball sized clump of calcium carbonate in your gut.
Good luck and feel free to ask for more advice.

Double J · 11-03-04, 08:31 PM

Though I prefer screen encosures for my veileds, have used glass in the past, as have others that I know with success. That said... you need to have a good screen lid, and a high wattage basking lamp. The basking lamp will dry the tank out witout any problems and the screen top will do the job for ventilation. The mold and respiratory infecton is a little overhyped.. but should be considered. Like I said, a screen top and hot basking lamp should dry the tank off enough as long as you are not overspraying. Though many keepers on forums seem to have made glass enclosures for veileds taboo, they do work if done *properly.* That said, I prefer screen enclosures as they are lighter, cheaper, better for ventilation, and you can bring them outside in the summertime and give you veiled some nice natural UVB from the sunlight.
Good luck

Contrband · 11-03-04, 09:18 PM

Thanks for the advice guys. I think/hope the aquarium will be ok, becuase it has a full sized, wonderfull screen lid for ventilation, and a 100watt basking bulb on one side that does dry it out nicely. The plants in their pot, sounds perfect. I never thought of that. I never thought of the Calci-sand as being harmfull, but i suppose it is too much calcium for an animal to take in, at the rate a cham would take it in. It is safe for animals to take in, as long as its not a huge amount - unfortunatly like a cham would likely consume.

Brock - would you recomend putting aquarium backing on the inside of the tank so there is no reflection? I dont suppose it would help at all if put on the outside? And what kind of substrate do you recomend?

Double j -Where do you find that substrate you were talking about?

Thanks again, i look forward to learning more.

ps:The tank has a full length appropriate uv bulb, and she gets calcium and vitamin supplements.

Contrband · 11-03-04, 09:24 PM

Thanks for the advice guys. I think/hope the aquarium will be ok, becuase it has a full sized, wonderfull screen lid for ventilation, and a 100watt basking bulb on one side that does dry it out nicely. The plants in their pot, sounds perfect. I never thought of that. I never thought of the Calci-sand as being harmfull, but i suppose it is too much calcium for an animal to take in, at the rate a cham would take it in. It is safe for animals to take in, as long as its not a huge amount - unfortunatly like a cham would likely consume.

Brock - would you recomend putting aquarium backing on the inside of the tank so there is no reflection? I dont suppose it would help at all if put on the outside? And what kind of substrate do you recomend?

Double j -Where do you find that substrate you were talking about?

Thanks again, i look forward to learning more.

ps:The tank has a full length appropriate uv bulb, and she gets calcium and multi-vitamin supplements.

Contrband · 11-03-04, 09:27 PM

OOPS- Sorry that went through twice!

Double J · 11-03-04, 11:05 PM

Oak leaves.. not a brand or anything... just pick up or rake up some oak leaves from outisde.... however, be ABSOLUTLEY SURE that where you are collecting the leaves from has been pesticide/herbicide/synthetic fertilizer FREE for at least a year or so... better two or more in my opinion. If you do ot have an oak tree in your yard, or have had chemicals in your yard this year, ask a neighbor.. they will be happy to have someone rake ther oak leaves for htem... my neighbors love me for that! Not to mention I often have zehrs bags of leaves end up on my porch.
Good luck
Double J

Contrband · 11-04-04, 12:28 AM

Ok, regular old oak leaves. Do you clean them, bake them, dry them out? or shred them up at all? And doesnt that make it very hard for the Cham to find the crickets?

thanks,

Double J · 11-04-04, 11:30 AM

I never clean them..... though I do let them dry out before I put them in my tanks. I also use substantial amounts of them in my frog vivaria. On occasion, little white bugs com in with them... they are NOTHING to worry about as they are springtails. Springtails are isopods that feed off of fungus and yeasts growing in the soils... they cannot harm your chameleon in any way. They are a great supplemental food for frogs as well. They probably wont last long in a dry chameleon tank... and they are far to small for the chams to see anyway. As for finding crickets... just don't pile the leaves 4 inches high and you will not encounter any problems. My veileds finish their crickets before they have chance to hide anyway, and are caught quickly even after they do hide.. That said.. I would leav the bottom of your tank bare until your chameleon is full grown anyway.
Good luck

Brock · 11-04-04, 06:17 PM

I use carpet on the bottom of my cages. Normal, gray carpet cut to fit. Chameleons are arboreal so they don't really care about a substrate, and with carpet it doesn't give freeroaming crickets a chance to hide. Make sure you use a carpet that doesn't easily get loose strands, that is if you are going to use carpet, otherwise your cham can injest them and that will cause some problems.

Personally I think a veiled in a 60g tank is a waste of a 60g tank. You can do SOOO much with it with tropical geckos or frogs, not to mention putting more than one in. I'd take a look at crested geckos. Where abouts are you from Contrband?

Oak leaves would work, in fact I'm going to give it a try myself. Correct me if I'm wrong DoubleJ, but can I also use Maple leaves as well?

-Brock

Double J · 11-04-04, 06:57 PM

I am sure maple leaves would work well... but I prefer the oak leaves are they are more resistant to decomposition.

Contrband · 11-04-04, 10:58 PM

Yeah, I was recomended to try astroturf for the cham tank aswell. I think we'll give that a try untill she is full grown.

Its not my Chameleon personally.Its my 11 year old cousins

And i think he is quite happy with her in her awesome big home. But thanks for the suggestions.

Im from calgary,AB

Contrband · 11-04-04, 10:59 PM

When using leaves as a substrate, how often would you have to replace them?

Contrband · 11-06-04, 04:26 PM

Hello again,
Ok, what im going to do is start with taking out the sand, and giving the cage a good clean. Then adding aquarium backing, tropical of course, putting down some atroturf for now, and adding a few plants. I also might give the branches in there a good clean, and maybe sand them to look nicer. Id also like to get some bigger, nicer looking branches. Does anyone have any ideas how to make/where to get some nice looking, good climbing branches for chameleons? I read something around writhe stuff from craft stores? I have no idea really. So, any suggestions?
Thanks for everyones help,