Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I went with less wood and more rock. I had this great rock in myt garden that I lugged in. It sort of has two levels and then he has his favorite branch (from old setup) and another rock to bask (a bit cooler) if he wants.

I put the leftover shelf-liner on the side at wall to hide the wires! Good idea, huh? My decorating days paid off

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Chameleon Help & Resource Info

0.1 Veiled Chameleon - Luna
1.0 Beardie - Darwin
0.2 felines - Kyndra and Lita
0.1 African Clawed Frog - Skipper
0.3 Mad. Hissers (2 died ;(
0.1 Chilean Rose Hair Tarantula - Rosa Leigh
0.1 Goliath Bird-Eater Tarantula - Natasha

Great setup! I can definitely see why you had to move him to the big tank...he's getting huge!! What's he at now? What is that plant in the corner? It looks really nice As for the other thread...I don't use sand at all, but have had friends use it with the tarp. I'm a shelf-liner gal all the way! If you tapethe tarp to the side of the tank....nothing can get under. But it looks great just the way it is...why change? Sand is a huge pain in the arse anyway! Well...gonna go do some fireworks stuff. It's the only time of year I can play with fire and not be "weird".
Happy 4th!
-Nicky
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What does friend mean to you?
A word so wrongfully abused
Are you like me, confused
All included but you
Alone...
The sounds of silence often soothe
Shapes and colors shift with mood
Pupils widen and change their hue
Rapid brown avoid clear blue
Why’s it have to be this way?
Be this way
Flowers watched through wide brown eyes
A child sings an unclaimed tune
Innocence spins cold cocoon
Grow to see the pain too soon
-Alice In Chains
2.1 Bearded Dragons: Gordo, Layne, & Chiquita
2.2 Cats: Zeus, Remi, Kiki & Delilah
1.0 Betta

Well...gonna go do some fireworks stuff. It's the only time of year I can play with fire and not be "weird" that just cracked me up!! Hope you had fun - and behaved yourself

Yup - he's still growing! weighed him today - 122g and almoat 12" long. Yeah, I am leaning more to just the liner. I really like the palm tree one for him. I'd had plain white but this is more interesting so I may just forget the sand - too much of a pain.
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Chameleon Help & Resource Info

0.1 Veiled Chameleon - Luna
1.0 Beardie - Darwin
0.2 felines - Kyndra and Lita
0.1 African Clawed Frog - Skipper
0.3 Mad. Hissers (2 died ;(
0.1 Chilean Rose Hair Tarantula - Rosa Leigh
0.1 Goliath Bird-Eater Tarantula - Natasha

I thought it was very dangerous to have the lights inside the tank? He can jump and burn himself very badly! If you are using good enough bulbs, they shouldn't need to be that close.
Why are there 3? is one a UV?
Otherwise, great setup!
-sara

Hi sara, thanks, yeah still adjusting the lights. I am not using a screen so the lights are clamped. I use a temp gun and checking temps. I had three while I was trying to find out his poreferreed 2nd basking spot preference. I took one down today. As for the distance, I think the pics make them look a little closer than they really are. Of course, as he continues to grow I would set them on a screen (working on a partial lid). Oh, I have a 4' UVB that I had not placed back on the top before the pics. The others are just basking.

lele
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Chameleon Help & Resource Info

0.1 Veiled Chameleon - Luna
1.0 Beardie - Darwin
0.2 felines - Kyndra and Lita
0.1 African Clawed Frog - Skipper
0.3 Mad. Hissers (2 died ;(
0.1 Chilean Rose Hair Tarantula - Rosa Leigh
0.1 Goliath Bird-Eater Tarantula - Natasha

The lights are too close. He can jump farther than you think and burn himself on them. The one piece of wood is a bit close to the open top. He may be able to jump that height.
Also the three rocks that make a bridge and are stacked on each other should be held together with dabs of silicone. He will get stronger than you know soon and they could topple on him. just let them cure and completely dry out of the cage at least 48 hours before using them as silicone releases an acid that could burn his eyes and skin while curing.
Is one of the lights a UVB? If so I still think two lights may be enough you want to provide a much cooler spot in the mid to high 70's for him. If the one bulb gets the basking spot to 105 then that may be enough. Make sure too many lights are not making the ambient temp too hot. I don't use sand for a substrate either.

Hey! "Mom"

Your guy is doing great - 122g! He does give me the hairy eyeball when I put him in his bath and then forget about him (I really have to stop doing that!

I have made some adjustments - see my post above re: the lights in the tank. As for the rocks...believe me, he ain't toppling those! That one on top is VERY heavy. It has to be 30lbs. I am sure I will need to raise it up though as he gets bigger so will take your advice and secure it if I can't find solid "pillars" to hold it up.

The tank has a lip on it, so even if he jumped there isn't anything for him to grasp onto. Would he be able to hold onto the sides? :-/ I didn't have the UVB strip up when I took the pics so that will block him along the back anyway. I had posted here about a lid for such a big tank and was going to make one, but one person said his bd is in a 75 gal for 2 years with no lid. I am going to make a half lid/screen to set lights on as he gets bigger (in above reply). Oh, also, the light to the left is sitting on the rim now with a 75w bulb. I only had a 60w in it before and had to buy more 75w

Today was really hot and decided to put a lower watt bulb in the second spot bulb. I amd SO glad I have my temp gun! I would never be able to get the temps right in this big tank w/o it.

Btw, I took the digital temp gauge form Luna's cage today (first thing i have removed since she left - it was very weird ...anyway, where is the best place to put it? Thsi tank is so big and I know what his basking temps are. For now I just put it over near the plant, but frankly he ignores that side of his home.

thanks for the tips!
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Chameleon Help & Resource Info

0.1 Veiled Chameleon - Luna
1.0 Beardie - Darwin
0.2 felines - Kyndra and Lita
0.1 African Clawed Frog - Skipper
0.3 Mad. Hissers (2 died ;(
0.1 Chilean Rose Hair Tarantula - Rosa Leigh
0.1 Goliath Bird-Eater Tarantula - Natasha

lol. Glad I could make you laugh. I had fun playing with the fireworks...but I burned my thumb Haha...that's what I get. I can't believe how big Darwin is...are you feeding him those mega power bars? lol. I think I may have a grower like him. Layne's gained almost 10 grams in the week I've had him!
What happened to Luna??
-Nicky

-----
What does friend mean to you?
A word so wrongfully abused
Are you like me, confused
All included but you
Alone...
The sounds of silence often soothe
Shapes and colors shift with mood
Pupils widen and change their hue
Rapid brown avoid clear blue
Why’s it have to be this way?
Be this way
Flowers watched through wide brown eyes
A child sings an unclaimed tune
Innocence spins cold cocoon
Grow to see the pain too soon
-Alice In Chains
2.1 Bearded Dragons: Gordo, Layne, & Chiquita
2.2 Cats: Zeus, Remi, Kiki & Delilah
1.0 Betta

it was a much needed laugh. Luna died on Saturday on the way to the vet. Apparently a blood vessel or other ruptured. There had been vague signs of something for a few days but nothing that I really felt needed attention (she was quirky anyway). Had I brought her to the vet earlier nothing could have been done anyway. She died 5 minutes before I reached the vet. He did a necropsy and found blood in her abdominal cavity and gastrointestinal tract. She was on my lap (flying down the highway) when she went. I am very sad, but glad I have Darwin as a distraction.

Amazing how connected we can get, huh? She was with me for almost 2 years and had just turned 2 in May - I feel like I have had her forever. I am going to use her cage to finish my luna moth rearing (Luna was named after them) - just seems appropriate. Here is a luna and Luna

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Chameleon Help & Resource Info

0.1 Veiled Chameleon - Luna
1.0 Beardie - Darwin
0.2 felines - Kyndra and Lita
0.1 African Clawed Frog - Skipper
0.3 Mad. Hissers (2 died ;(
0.1 Chilean Rose Hair Tarantula - Rosa Leigh
0.1 Goliath Bird-Eater Tarantula - Natasha