I am getting a veil in an hour help!!

Hi everyone i am a new member on here. I am going to pick up my Veiled in about an hour, any suggestions for things i will need? He is young about 2 months old he is very active and colorful, are there any signs i should look for before bringing him home? Also when i get him home and set up should i wait for the cage to get to temp before i put him in there? Thanks guys this is my first one so any help would be great!!!

yeah I'd say set everything up before getting him home, especially the lights so you can make any needed adjustements to them to achieve the required temperatures.

well i am getting him and the set up together lol should i keep him in the container till it's all ok? also is moss and wood in the bottom the best for them or do u suggest carpet?

CrazyChameleon5 said:

well i am getting him and the set up together lol should i keep him in the container till it's all ok? also is moss and wood in the bottom the best for them or do u suggest carpet?

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You want nothing on the floor of the cage. Id say yes to setting at least most of it up before putting him in there otherwise.

First the part no one likes to hear: You should have done all this BEFORE getting the cham. They are a LOT of work, more than people realize... and they cost more too.

But, if you're like me, you'll be getting it anyway! So here is what you should get:

NOTE: This is for a 2 month old, when it gets older and bigger you'll need yet another cage.

You should like for an ALL SCREEN cage that is at least 12" x 12" x 24" (double that in 3-4 more months).
NOTHING AT ALL at the bottom, expecially NO bark or moss. They can be eaten and that is a very bad thing.

Lighting: Reptisun 5.0 TUBE light (NOT one that looks like a bulb, that can cause damage). Regular 50-75 watt light bulb in a reflective hood (this is for heat - the only heat the cham needs). For a 2 month veild the basking spot should be around 85-90 degrees which leads me to the next thing: A digital themometer to measure the temp.

Supplements! You need at least 2 different kinds: Calcuim WITHOUT D3 (for every 6 days), then one WITH D3 (for day 7).

Misting bottle (they need 3+ mistings/day for at least 5 minutes each).

LIVE plants!! Recommend: Pothos and Ficus. They stay alive and they won't hurt the cham.

That should get you going.

make sure there are enough fake or real plantsa and vines in there for him at first cause i didnt have that much at first and my chams going downhill from stress so get everything setup and leave him alone for a day so he gets use to his cage.

Click on below link. This will answer a lot of your questions. http://www.flchams.com/care.asp The main thing to remember is the lights. No matter what the people your buying it from tell you, get a repti-sun 5.0 flourescent long tube. NOt the compact type. Get a screen cage, not a glass one. David

lonomac said:

You want nothing on the floor of the cage. Id say yes to setting at least most of it up before putting him in there otherwise.

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Thanks for your quick responses i will be honest i am really new to it all i have done reaserch but it so conflicting. I am sure i will get major flack for this but i am getting him from petsmart. the only thing is that they have been holding him a lot they say they try to hold him everyday a few times says it keeps him calm and they have bee removing him from the cage to put in a small enclosure for him to eat. he is very small about 1-2 months old. I am a little worried but he seemed really vibrant there.the guy suggested carpet for the bottom of the takn and anothe guy sugessted moss to keep moisture in. i am getting an 12x18x12 cage(something like that) .

You will read tons of threads on here where owners did what the pet shop told them and they are dealing with a very sick cham or a dead one.

The people on this site all own and have owned chameleons for several years, some for over thirty years. Many of the people on this site have dozens if not hundreds of chams. Listen to them, they know what their talking about.

yes i will be listening to u all lol that is why i joined. Ok so the enclosure i am getting is those terain ones with the swing doors in the front glass sides and wire on the top i will be upgrading as he gets bigger. i will get the lighting u are suggesting thank u so much! i am also getting a waterfall for him for water and will mist the cage as suggested above(thank u) they are also feeding him 8-10 small crickets a day i am thinking this is a lot? I know i should have got the setup before hand but i am a tard lol but i am so excited.I will get lots of fake plants for him and climbing material as well. and will ask about live plants avaiable. so i will not get moss or anything for the bottom just a thin carpet to help with moisture. thank you all for your advise i will be on here often. I hope all goes well i am really nervous but i feel beter knowing u guys are here.

No waterfall.......

Nothing in the bottom....Get real plants(safe ones), they will help with humidity and he also can eat them. Mist him 3 to 4 times a day, keep temp between 85-90. And feed him as much as he wants right now, and dont forget supplements.

ixsnay on the waterfall...Has killed more chameleons than probably any one device. Breeding ground for bacteria...chams love to crap in them. For your watering you'll need to make a drip device for now. You can make one at home very easily. Don't get a glass enclosure. It doesn't allow enough airflow and the cham can see his reflection which highly stresses the chameleon. Stress is the No. 1 reason for chameleon deaths.

ok so what about a drip watering thing like kinda what rabbits use but it drips?

""yes i will be listening to u all lol that is why i joined. Ok so the enclosure i am getting is those terain ones with the swing doors in the front glass sides and wire on the top i will be upgrading as he gets bigger.""

No, you need an ALL screen cage... The glass 'tank' will not alow for air flow and will soon make your cham sick... + A screen cage will cost less... Get a large critter keeper for it till you can order a screen cage online if you can wait... Some petscos will actually have an all screen cage... Look at the pictures in here and you will see what we are talking about.



""i will get the lighting u are suggesting thank u so much!""

Good.. A basking light and a reptisun 5.0... Also if you get a tank the temp will quickly get too hot...


"" i am also getting a waterfall for him for water and will mist the cage as suggested above(thank u)""

NOOOOOOOO waterfall... BAD BAD BAD! Misting the cage alot = GOOD!



""they are also feeding him 8-10 small crickets a day i am thinking this is a lot?""

Feed him as much as he will eat... 8,9,10,15... whatever... And make sure you dust them!


Aw hell.... Tired of type'n... Call me at 702-***-7191 (pm me if you want to call) (no drunk'n late night calls please )and I can tell you want you need to get if you MUST have this one right now... LoL... I got my first cham the same way...

Would you like to drink out of your toilet?????

Just mist 3-4 times a day, and get a dripper. You can get a little dripper dirt cheap, or make your own.

CrazyChameleon5 said:

Thanks for your quick responses i will be honest i am really new to it all i have done reaserch but it so conflicting. I am sure i will get major flack for this but i am getting him from petsmart. the only thing is that they have been holding him a lot they say they try to hold him everyday a few times says it keeps him calm and they have bee removing him from the cage to put in a small enclosure for him to eat. he is very small about 1-2 months old. I am a little worried but he seemed really vibrant there.the guy suggested carpet for the bottom of the takn and anothe guy sugessted moss to keep moisture in. i am getting an 12x18x12 cage(something like that) .

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Ya I hate to say it but they just dont know what theyre doing. Thats asounds really suspicious about them having to calm him down?! Id like it everyone were to boycott petsmart and petco for selling chams

get a bigger screen cage.
24"LX12"WX24"H.