New Tank!

[Jay_Bunny]

Got a new tank! Woohoo! I'm giving my cousin a small 5g tank and soon $45 for this tank. No pictures yet, but here's the dimensions.

2' 6" Long
1' 1" Wide
2' 1" High

My cousin used it for a cham a few years back and when it died (due to choking on an over-sized cricket. Wierd same way my mom's died when I was little) he put it up in the attic. Well now he's letting me have it for a VERY nice price.

I was wondering if this tank is appropriate for a cham. It has a screen top and two screen doors, one on either side that latch shut. The rest is glass. So, is it ok for a chameleon or another type of lizard. I don't plan on using it for a few more months since I'm currently getting stuff set up for a pair of leos. I just want to make sure that I don't use it for a chameleon if its not the right cage.

And if its not good for a chameleon, then what kind of lizard can live in a cage with these dimensions?

[Laooda]

Sounds good to me for a dwarf chameleon species.... not for a larger type. Anyone else?


Have you thought about a Crestie???? hahaha!

[Jay_Bunny]

I wouldn't put a larger species of chameleon in there. I'm thinking of getting a small chameleon, but not for a while.

And you guys have tried to convince me to get a Crestie once before. LOL.

[Jay_Bunny]

I'm trying to find a nice small species of chameleon but I'm not familiar with the kinds of chams. Can anyone suggest a chameleon that could live in a tank that size?

I know that chameleons are species of lizard that are very hard to take care of. I'm going to be doing research for quite a few months before attempting a cham.

[Jay_Bunny]

Actually now that I read about Cresties, I'm starting to like them, and my tanks seems to be a good enclosure for them. Maybe I'll get Cresties instead of a chameleon.

Darn you and your convincing ways. LOL

[mlededee]

muhahahaa! you should definitely get a crestie! honestly though, they are WAY easier and much hardier than chameleons. definitely a better choice if you don't have experience in high maintenance herps, IMO.

[Jay_Bunny]

My mom had a chameleon years back. It was definatly hard to keep, and it ended up dying by choking on an over-sized cricket that my mom accidentally dropped into the tank with the others. We didn't notice it was in there until it was too late.

Cresties do sound easier to take care of. My room temp is anywhere from 69-71 during the day and sometimes can drop down to 65-68 during the night. Would these be ok temps for cresties?

[mlededee]

yep those temps would be fine for a crested. they do well in temps between 65-82 (82 for very short periods of time, generally you want to keep it below 80). if it gets slightly cooler at night that is okay--they can handle short periods of time down to about 62. at lower temps you will notice that they don't eat as much and aren't as active because their metabolism slows, but this is normal.

[Jay_Bunny]

I'm doing some quick researching just to get some general facts. I read that they have to have 60% humidity. As you read in my post about leos, my house is extremely dry, with humidity around 20%. I have seen it go up to 30% without misting, but misting is needed for anything above that. Would a couple mistings a day be ok for them, or do they require more than just misting?

Jeese, I'm looking at all the beautiful morphs and now I'm becoming *gasp* a crestie lover.

[PythonWallace]

I think any chameleon that would be happy in a cage that size would not be a good choice for anyone new to chameleons. A female veiled would probably be ok, but females are prone to egg binding and short life spans. Any of the smaller spieces are recommended for advanced keepers.