24 hour checkup! New owner! Questions! :)

[moteasah]

So I finally got my male Jackson yesterday after 3 weeks of having the cage setup and making sure things were running smoothly. I have him in a Reptibreeze extra large cage. Deep dome heating lamp with a 75 watt zoomed basking bulb. Gets 86ish degrees a foot from the light. T5 zoo med hood with bulb for uvb. I setup a custom rain/drip system that was by far the hardest challenge. Reptifogger for added humidity and just keeping the area overall cooler and wet. Using a rubber plant (real not really rubber) and tons of bamboo shoots I formed into shapes and branches so he pretty much has free access to anywhere in the cage. I have everything on timers which may need adjusting and that's one of the reasons I'm here. Another is just his overall health.

1. UVB light is on 13 hours, off for 11.
2. Basking light is on 13 hours, off for 11.
3. Rain system drips for 30 seconds ever hour. Too much or too little?
4. Fogger runs for 2 hours and off for 1. Good or bad?
5. Hasn't eaten yet from what I've seen. Chalk this up to being nervous?
6. He won't stop climbing to the top of the cage and hanging under the heat.
7. He was bright green with bright yellow and since being in the cage, dark green with black (stressed/pissed). Would this just be him getting use to the cage?

I'm sure I'll have more questions but these are some pressing ones. I think this is a facinating pet and I will not give up ever. Spent too much money and time and I have the time to dedicate to him.

 

[dlegare]

Congratulations on your new Chameleon.

I've only raised Panther Chameleons, I don't have any experience with Jackson's.

I would love to have one but I doubt I could keep the temperature cool enough for them during the summer months as I live in central FL and really don't want an enormous electric bill.

Here is a link to a youtube video from a forum member specifically on care of Jackson's Chameleons. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lKTbUaOQ0aA

I think there is an unwritten rule that new Chameleon owners have to post lots of pictures of the new Chameleon.

 

[studio2eight]

So I finally got my male Jackson yesterday after 3 weeks of having the cage setup and making sure things were running smoothly. I have him in a Reptibreeze extra large cage. Deep dome heating lamp with a 75 watt zoomed basking bulb. Gets 86ish degrees a foot from the light. T5 zoo med hood with bulb for uvb. I setup a custom rain/drip system that was by far the hardest challenge. Reptifogger for added humidity and just keeping the area overall cooler and wet. Using a rubber plant (real not really rubber) and tons of bamboo shoots I formed into shapes and branches so he pretty much has free access to anywhere in the cage. I have everything on timers which may need adjusting and that's one of the reasons I'm here. Another is just his overall health.

1. UVB light is on 13 hours, off for 11.
2. Basking light is on 13 hours, off for 11.
3. Rain system drips for 30 seconds ever hour. Too much or too little?
4. Fogger runs for 2 hours and off for 1. Good or bad?
5. Hasn't eaten yet from what I've seen. Chalk this up to being nervous?
6. He won't stop climbing to the top of the cage and hanging under the heat.
7. He was bright green with bright yellow and since being in the cage, dark green with black (stressed/pissed). Would this just be him getting use to the cage?

I'm sure I'll have more questions but these are some pressing ones. I think this is a facinating pet and I will not give up ever. Spent too much money and time and I have the time to dedicate to him.

Hi! Welcome to the world of Jackson's! They are amazing creatures aren't they?

The video link posted above, is awesome. Watch it, take notes, and do what it says I have my cages set up half and half - the UVB light goes down the center of the cage, on the left side I have my basking light, set at an angle. On the right side, I have the fogger which is is set up with the lights, 12 hours on, 12 hours off. My Jackson's hang out in the cool side 80% of the time.

1 and 2. Is there any particular reason why you have 13 hours on and 11 off? I would switch him to 12.

3. I can't really speak on this system since I don't use it. But every hour seems like a bit much. I mist 4-6 times a day for 30 seconds each. You want the cage to have time to dry out in between the misting.

4. I don't know of any disadvantages of doing it this way - I keep mine on all day so they can choose where they want to sit.

5. Most likely due to him being in a new home. My Jacksons' both ate within a couple of days of moving in with me. My one Panther took 9 days! If you can't witness him eating, just watch for his poop & urates

6. Could be he's not warm enough, or could be he's exploring his surroundings. See how he settles in the next week.

7. You got it, he's probably still adjusting to his new home.

I would also get some real plants. They hold the humidity and moisture a lot better. And they don't dry up as fast when you mist. I use mainly the Umbrellas. I do have some fake as filler, but real is so much better

Do you have any photos you can share with us??

 

[Lovereps]

Welcome to the forum!
It's always great to see someone who has taken time beforehand to get everything set up and learn things before getting the cham.

If it's 86 degrees a foot away from the bulb and the fixture is on top of the screen then he must be cooking directly beneath the basking bulb.
Burns would also be a concern.
Try a 60 watt household lightbulb instead and be sure the basking site isn't above 85 degrees.
Jackson's come from the mountains, so they need to be cooler than Veiled or Panther chams.

Real plants are very good but you need to be sure they are cleaned thoroughly with dish soap and water then rinsed a few times before they're safe for your cham to drink off the leaves. Growers and stores often spray them with pesticides and/or fertilizers.
You also want to be sure the plant isn't toxic to chams. I haven't seen any of my Jackson's chew on any leaves but it's better safe than sorry.
Here is a safe plants list:
http://www.flchams.com/safe_plant_list.asp

1. UVB light is on 13 hours, off for 11.
2. Basking light is on 13 hours, off for 11..

That's fine.
Some people do 12 hours lights on, 12 hours lights off for winter or year-round and some change to 14 hours on/10 off during the summertime to mimic seasonal light cycles.

3. Rain system drips for 30 seconds ever hour. Too much or too little?.

I would run it for longer times, 5-15 minutes, at longer intervals.
Jackson's can take a while before they decide to drink, so you don't want the misting to end once he decides to drink.
The cage needs to dry out between mistings.

4. Fogger runs for 2 hours and off for 1. Good or bad?.

Sorry, never used one. The video on youtube by jdog may have the timing for that.

5. Hasn't eaten yet from what I've seen. Chalk this up to being nervous?.

Jackson's are often shy and can take a week or two to settle in fully.
He will probably eat within a couple of days.

6. He won't stop climbing to the top of the cage and hanging under the heat..

Are there leaves for him to hide behind or is he on display no matter where he stands?
Some chams screen climb a lot anyway but you want him to feel as secure as possible. In the wild, they hide.
More leafy plants or leafy vines for cover would be the solution.

7. He was bright green with bright yellow and since being in the cage, dark green with black (stressed/pissed). Would this just be him getting use to the cage?
.

They can also be very dark when cold or when basking.
He will probably be somewhat stressed for a while.

This is a nice caresheet to refer to:
https://www.chameleonforums.com/care/caresheets/jacksons/

 

[deadhd5]

Welcome to the forum!
It's always great to see someone who has taken time beforehand to get everything set up and learn things before getting the cham.

If it's 86 degrees a foot away from the bulb and the fixture is on top of the screen then he must be cooking directly beneath the basking bulb.
Burns would also be a concern.
Try a 60 watt household lightbulb instead and be sure the basking site isn't above 85 degrees.
Jackson's come from the mountains, so they need to be cooler than Veiled or Panther chams.

Real plants are very good but you need to be sure they are cleaned thoroughly with dish soap and water then rinsed a few times before they're safe for your cham to drink off the leaves. Growers and stores often spray them with pesticides and/or fertilizers.
You also want to be sure the plant isn't toxic to chams. I haven't seen any of my Jackson's chew on any leaves but it's better safe than sorry.
Here is a safe plants list:
http://www.flchams.com/safe_plant_list.asp

That's fine.
Some people do 12 hours lights on, 12 hours lights off for winter or year-round and some change to 14 hours on/10 off during the summertime to mimic seasonal light cycles.


I would run it for longer times, 5-15 minutes, at longer intervals.
Jackson's can take a while before they decide to drink, so you don't want the misting to end once he decides to drink.
The cage needs to dry out between mistings.


Sorry, never used one. The video on youtube by jdog may have the timing for that.
Jackson's are often shy and can take a week or two to settle in fully.
He will probably eat within a couple of days.

Are there leaves for him to hide behind or is he on display no matter where he stands?
Some chams screen climb a lot anyway but you want him to feel as secure as possible. In the wild, they hide.
More leafy plants or leafy vines for cover would be the solution.

They can also be very dark when cold or when basking.
He will probably be somewhat stressed for a while.

This is a nice caresheet to refer to:
https://www.chameleonforums.com/care/caresheets/jacksons/

I just want to second all this advice, well done!