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Pre-Arrival Checklist

Everything that needs to be in place, running and tested before your chameleon comes home. Work through it here, or take the printable version with you.

Take It With You

The same checklist on a single sheet, with tick boxes, for the hardware shop or the garage floor at eleven at night.

Download the checklist (PDF, 350 KB)

Revised September 2026.

Run the Enclosure for at Least a Week First

Do not set the enclosure up the night before. Build it, plant it, and run the lights and misting on their real schedule for at least seven days before your chameleon arrives. That week is when you discover the basking spot is five degrees too hot, the misting is soaking the substrate, or the humidity never recovers overnight. Far better to find that out with no animal in the enclosure.

The list

Six Groups, in the Order You Should Tackle Them

1. Enclosure

  • Correctly sized enclosureMinimum 24×24×48 inches for an adult male. Bigger is genuinely better.
  • Hybrid panel configurationScreen top and lower front, solid PVC sides and back, clear front door.
  • Drainage sortedA drainage tray or plumbed drain. Standing water at the base causes problems fast.
  • SubstrateBioactive mix with drainage layer, or bare-bottom with a tray if you prefer.
  • Live plants, establishedPothos, schefflera, ficus. Planted at least two weeks ahead so they are rooted.
  • Branches and vines at multiple heightsVaried diameters so they can grip comfortably. Full basking-to-floor route.
  • Cleanup crewSpringtails and isopods, added early so they establish before the animal arrives.
  • Lay bin, if female4 to 6 in of damp sand or a sand and soil mix, in place from maturity and kept clean.

2. Lighting & Heat

  • Linear T5 HO UVB fixtureNot a coil bulb. Sized to span a good portion of the enclosure width.
  • Correct UVB bulb strengthChosen for your mounting height and whether it sits above screen. See our lighting guide.
  • Basking bulbA plain household incandescent is fine. Wattage to hit target temperature, not more.
  • Plant grow lightYour UVB will not keep plants alive on its own.
  • Timers on everythingA consistent 12-hour photoperiod matters more than you would think.
  • Digital thermometer with probeMeasured at your chameleon’s back and head height, not the branch surface or the glass.
  • UVB measured where it can reachSolarmeter reading at the basking spot and at the screen ceiling, in case it climbs up there.
  • Temperatures verified over 7 daysIncluding the hottest part of your afternoon and the coolest part of the night.

3. Hydration

  • Misting system or spray bottleAn automated misting system is one of the best purchases you will make.
  • DripperMany chameleons drink from moving droplets far more readily than from mist alone.
  • Fogger and timerFor the cool part of the night. Check your room actually drops into the 60s F before you rely on it.
  • Digital hygrometerPlaced where the chameleon sleeps, not wherever the wire reaches. You are tracking a day and night cycle, not one static number.
  • Misting schedule testedLong enough to let them drink, with full dry-out in between.
  • Runoff handledCheck where the water actually goes before it is your carpet’s problem.

4. Feeding

  • Feeder insects ordered and arrivedHave them in hand before the chameleon is, not on order.
  • Gut load preparedA quality dry gut load plus fresh greens. Feeders are only as good as their last meal.
  • Feeder housingSomewhere to keep and gut load your insects that is not the enclosure.
  • Arcadia EarthPro-AThe one you will use at routine feedings.
  • Repashy Calcium Plus LoDAbout twice a month. Follow a schedule; do not eyeball it.
  • Cup feeder mountedPositioned in the lower two-thirds, well away from UVB and heat.

5. Monitoring & Records

  • Digital scale (0.1 g)Weight trends are the earliest warning you get that something is wrong.
  • Temperature gunFor spot-checking surfaces and the basking branch quickly.
  • A logbook or notes appWeight, feeding, sheds, behavior. Takes thirty seconds a day.
  • Exotics vet identifiedFind one before you need one. Confirm they see chameleons.

6. The First Week

  • Enclosure in a low-traffic spotNot facing a television, a busy hallway or a cat’s favorite windowsill.
  • Sight barrier if neededSomething to break up reflections and give them a place to feel unseen.
  • No handling for 7 daysThe single most useful thing you can do. Let them settle.
  • Other pets managedDogs and cats staring through the glass is stressful and constant.
  • Our contact info savedMessage us about anything. We would far rather hear from you early.
Read the full care guides
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Recommended gear

What We Actually Use

No brand deals, no sponsorships. This is simply the equipment running in our own facility. Buy it wherever you like.

Lighting

  • Linear T5 HO UVB fixtureSized to your enclosure width
  • T5 HO UVB bulbReplaced on schedule, not when it dies
  • Dome fixture & basking bulbCeramic socket rated for the wattage
  • LED plant grow barKeeps your live plants alive
  • Outlet timersOne per circuit

Water

  • Automated misting systemWith a reservoir and a timer
  • DripperOr a deli cup with a pinhole, honestly
  • Digital hygrometerIdeally one that logs highs and lows
  • Drainage traySized to your enclosure footprint

Food & Monitoring

  • Arcadia EarthPro-AYour everyday supplement
  • Repashy Calcium Plus LoDRoughly twice a month
  • Dry gut loadPlus fresh greens for your feeders
  • Digital scale, 0.1 gFor tracking weight trends
  • Infrared temperature gunFor fast surface checks

One Thing Worth Spending Money On

If your budget is tight, put it into lighting and an automated misting system. Almost every serious husbandry problem we see traces back to one of those two. You can improvise a dripper; you cannot improvise correct UVB.

From us

Need a Cup Feeder?

We print our own three-piece feeder systems in PETG, designed for hybrid enclosures and built so the box lifts straight out for cleaning. Add one to your invoice when you reserve a chameleon.

See the feeder systems

Not Sure If Your Setup Is Right?

Send us photos. We will happily look over your enclosure and tell you honestly what we would change, whether or not you buy an animal from us.

Send us your setup