Reptile & Amphibian Forums

OK in another post i presented my problem...low ceilings. the ceilings are only 7' (i'm 6'6" but that is another story) I am making a cage and want as much height as possible, if i make the cage 6' tall i only have a little above the cage which basicly says the lights will be on the cage. i would like MV which says i need at least a foot to the basking area. so if i make sure the highest point is only 5 foot and make the top out of someting solid w/holes cut out (tilebouard) so that he cannot climb across the top am i OK? any other ways to prevent him from getting to close to the lights? if i put wire mesh over the light holes that seeems like it would only encourage him to climb from the basking area up...it is only 1 foot and he will be able to reach.

scott
---just pack it in and make a lower cage?

tileboard is not a good choice for that application. It doesn't let enough light through, and it could either burn or become saturated with water--both bad.

You're best going with pvc coated hardware cloth all around, then screen, then, if you have to, use regular hardware cloth, as I think the danger from ripping out claws with screen is slight, whereas the danger of getting cuts on the inside of the feet from hardware cloth is, while a less serious injury in and of itself, is far greater.

This is what I'd do:

Make sure you have at least a foot of space between the top of the bulb and the ceiling. Unless you've got an asbestos plate you could use, keep good distance.

Make sure that the heat at any onepoint in the cage is not enough to burn. Put your hand at the top of his cage, as close as the chameleon will be able to get, and see if it's too hot(use a thermometer) for your animal. Construct your cage accordingly. This mans your cage will probably have 1.5-2feet of clearance from the top to the ceiling, and the highest point of the cage will be 5-5'6" off the ground.

The odds of a heat lamp genrerating enough heat to burn a ceiling are remote, but if th elamp should malfunction, or the fixture melt and catch fire, then you have a problem. In situations like this, don't take chances.

thank you for the info...i am leaning toward a 5' cage but i really want a 6'

i think we may be refering to different items when we say tileboard.
what i am refering to is a kind of paneling about 1/4 inch thick that is designed to be used in bathrooms and such, hangs like paneling, some comes embosssed to look like tile some is smooth white. i want the smooth white and will cut holes for the lamps because it would be totally opaque as it is solid.

scott

actually, that's what I use in my cages. I use it for floors and walls, but not for the top. you're going to loose SOO much light through that.

Another thing: If you put holes in it, they will climb it.
If you use mesh or screen, they will have better footing, of course,and they would be less likely to be "stuck" under the hot spot than if they had poor footing.

I really reccomend you not use anyting but mesh or screen for the top, unless you have glass that lets UV pass through.

i am confused by...
"you're going to loose SOO much light through that. "
it is TOTALLY OPAQUE
if i use it I MUST cut a hole thru it...NO light will get through

I understand that you recomend against cutting a hole in a solid surface for the lights.
i am liking the idea of a solid top from a design standpoint...it will stiffen up the cage tremendously by having a soild bottom back and top, it will provide mounding surfaces for the mister, timers, vines, lights etc, it will provide a cleaner more finished appearance.

i don't know enough about chameleons and their habits yet so that is why i am asking questions and will incorporate all that i learn into this cage

i was just wondering if anybody had any techniques to mount the lights that wouldn't give the little guy anything to grab onto. what if you cut the hole and insert the dome light from the inside of the cage up flush with the ceiling, all that you would have is a thin rim that is flush w/ the ceiling...probably still enough to grab and that is why i am asking

My male panther's cage had a solid top (wood), and I wanted to put a mercury vapor bulb on him, but in the directions it specificaly said that the bulbs should always be facing downwards(not at an angle like on the side) so I cut a hole in the top and put 1/4 inch screen (the same kind of screen that I used for the rest of the cage) over the hole, and put the light directly on that screen. I use a 100 watt powersun(zoo med), and I know that they say that they arn't as hot or give off as much uv as the other mvbs, but I am 100% satisfied with my setup, and I'm going to get another 1 so that I can have 1 on both of my chameleons instead of splitting time between the 2 with 1 bulb. 1 other thing, they say that you should only use ceramic or porcelin sockets, just thought that I would add that. Good Luck!

I would just make the cage five feet tall. This is lots of room (mine is about that tall, it looked a lot smaller before it was all together!!! lol.). If you make it so he can't go across the top foot of the cage then you don't really need to build it anyway. This will save you a lot of grief. I find that my cham doesn't use the bottom part of her cage much. If you want to give him a little more room make it a little deeper and a little wider to make up for the loss of the foot in height. I think that will be PLENTY of room for him