Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I know this question has probably been asked many times, but thank you if you take the time to read/answer it.
This is the first message i have posted on this forum, but chams have always caught my eye so last weekend i made a cham enclosure. I measures 2 foot wide, 2 1/2 foot deep and 4 1/2 feet tall. It is screened on the the top and all four sides with aluminum window screen. In the middle is a ficus tree with fake vines and ropes stretching from it to the sides. There is a uvb light and a clamp light(temp 85-90 in the basking spot) on the top as well as a dripper. So i was just wondering if this enclosure meets the needs of a veiled? From what i have read i think it does but i would rather check with the people on this forum because you all seem very knowledgeable.

Thanks,
Seth
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1.0 Snow Corn
1.0 Kenyan Sand Boa
0.1 Fat-tailed Gecko
0.0.3 D.Leucomelas
0.1 spiny lizard

The size and setup seems A-OK for a veiled cham, good job!
Make sure the foliage on the ficus is very full, becuase chams need hiding spaces, especially babies. If you add a pothos vine, perhaps, the enclosure would be very well planted for a happy chameleon.
The only thing wrong i see with your setup is the basking spot temperature: it should be about 95 degrees F. Make sure you leave the thermometer under the light for about an hour in order to see the (near)exact temperature.
Remember:not enough plants and too many plants are both very bad. This setup i have for my male veiled is serving him extremely well and he is happy as can be.
That is a spider plant in the corner, hanging by a wire thing you can buy at a garden store that goes around the pot.
This was the first enclosure i have ever made and i have since improved on my design for 2 females i will soon be getting. Good luck with your cham!

A great start! A couple of things I would suggest. First, what brand UV light? Most are pretty useless. ReptiSun 5.0 is a safe one as it won't overheat or burn. Think about what you will feed your insects. Gutloading is very important and can do so much to your success. For nutritional info go to:

http://www.adcham.com
http://www.herpnutrition.com

Also invest in a temp gun and a decent electronic humidity gauge. These will tell you exactly what your cage environment will provide based on where it is in the house. The temp gun will measure the surface temp of your basking perch (and the skin of a cham basking there). The humidity gauge will help you schedule how often you need to fog or spray, or whether you might need a room humidifier or not. How are you planning to offer water? Some chams use a dripper but not all. Drippers don't raise humidity at all, and one of the most common newbie problems is dehydration. Good luck!