Vailed Setups

Marty · #1 (**permalink**) 05-18-2006, 03:44 PM

Does anyone have any cool setups for their vailed chameleons? I'd love to see some creative designs. Any live plants in enclosures?

Marty

jbeetle · #2 (**permalink**) 05-18-2006, 09:20 PM

I use to have large screened enclosures when I kept some chameleons, including veiled chameleons. They weren't super pretty or anything, but worked very well. I used a lot of vines/wood that I collected from around my house (mainly oak and a native grape vine) in all the tanks. In my largest enclosure I used some easy to grow plants to cover the bottom of the enclosure (philos and a few other common tropicals), but I also had a ficus tree and hibiscus in it as well. I really liked the hibiscus, as it flowered a couple times so it added some color. If I was going to make one now, I would include a lot more epiphytic plants on all the vines and wood.

Tindomul1of9 · #3 (**permalink**) 05-21-2006, 07:59 PM

Cool, how did you get the Ficus tree to survive and flourish in a viv? How much substrate did you use, and what kind?
Where these bonsai?

jbeetle · #4 (**permalink**) 05-25-2006, 06:42 PM

I just had two four foot shoplights over the tank for lighting, and one spot light for basking. I used those UVA and UVB blulbs, so that probably helped the ficus and hibiscus survive in the tank. Also the hibiscus was under the side with the basking light so it recieved more light. These were just plants I got at Home Depot or some other garden center, so they weren't anything special. You could probably do the whole bonsai thing with the ficus. I think there was an article about doing that for vivs in REPTILES magazine a while back. As for the subtrate, I mainly used a mix of peat, orchid bark, and some charcoal as well. The substrate was about a foot deep, but the ficus was actually in a pot that I hide with the subtrate and some rocks.

Tindomul1of9 · #5 (**permalink**) 05-25-2006, 10:28 PM

Wow a foot of substrate. Ok, sounds dooable.
Thanks for the post.

jbeetle · #6 (**permalink**) 05-26-2006, 09:30 PM

I don't think the peat/orchid bark mix was a foot deep, but with the drainage it was all probably around a foot deep or so. Either way, it was pain in the ass to move.

Landon · #7 (**permalink**) 08-17-2006, 08:48 AM

i was directed here by Tindomul1of9 and encoouraged to show some pics.

here are a few pics of the male veiled i had for quite some time.

and his home (until we started allowing him to free roam the sunroom)

im looking into getting anpother chameleon this winter. ill probably start an enclosure for him. ive learned a lot over the past 5 years and should be ab;e to set up something quite a bit more elaborate than this one.

FYI, Cesar, the ficus i have in this tank was just left in the 10" pot i got it in. i placed smaller pots of pothos around it to cover it up. the ficus 'ali' grew really slow and rarely needed pruning. i had (4) 24" flourescants and a daylight power sun (i cant remember the brand, but i ran a mercury vapor before the power suns came out) over the tank.

Tindomul1of9 · #8 (**permalink**) 08-17-2006, 09:43 AM

VEry cool!!! Thanks for posting!

Landon · #9 (**permalink**) 08-17-2006, 10:53 AM

thanks & no prob. ill be posting quite a few pics through out the day.....

Yolandi · #10 (**permalink**) 07-22-2007, 02:52 PM

Hi I'm a newby in the forum and with a breeding pair of veiled chameleons. At the moment I only have the male with me and the female began laying her eggs last night at eleven. The femle is at the shop I bought them from to finish laying her eggs and getting strong again. But that's not the big problem, the big problem is with the male, I've been spending money on extra heating and vet bills and so forth. Now I bought him an infrared light and a temprature regulator. I'm still keeping an close eye on him, but his colours won't come out, he is always a dark grey colour. Another thing is he doesn't want to eat his crickets and eats only one meal worm a day (almost) I saw him shedding on the legs and on his chin. Can someone help me with that cause I am beginning to think that I can't do this but I really want to go on with my veileds. One last thing I know veileds are not social but can it be that a male and a female can live together and can they miss their "partner".

Thanks
Yolandi