5 month old panther cham screen climbing, can anyone give input?

[Flick boy]

The reason I have it so high is because of the top screen climbing. This is where I’m not sure what to do. If I leave it at the proper height above his basking space, he is still screen climbing, so that then makes him too close to the light. So to be safe I read to raise it above the screen since he refuses to get off of the top. See where I’m stuck? I want to discourage the behavior, but I also want to be sure he isn’t getting burned. So I don’t exactly know what the best choice is here. Proper light or burns?

Hi yes I would keep lights raised, but sorry for not making my point clear so a t8 is likely to give off less uv than a t5ho especially with a 5% tube so I would raise it a few inches above not 8 . Or change to your t5ho 5% and lower to around 4 , the chances of thermal burn from a uvb are less likely than a basking light

 

[yoteango]

however, the entire subreddit seems to subscribe to one moderator’s system of husbandry that I haven’t really seen promoted elsewhere.

That's because the mods very actively and sometimes automatically remove all comments in support of misting, this forum, Chameleon Academy, and a few other resources and topics and anything implying that the reddit mod has imperfect husbandry.

 

[Beppo]

That's because the mods very actively and sometimes automatically remove all comments in support of misting, this forum, Chameleon Academy, and a few other resources and topics and anything implying that the reddit mod has imperfect husbandry.

That doesn’t surprise me. Sounds really unsafe as well. We all need more then one opinion.

 

[CelestialGarden]

That's because the mods very actively and sometimes automatically remove all comments in support of misting, this forum, Chameleon Academy, and a few other resources and topics and anything implying that the reddit mod has imperfect husbandry.

Nailed it. I was trying to avoid going into detail, but you said it all for me.

 

[Beman]

@CelestialGarden hi there welcome to the forum you have gotten fantastic info so far. Sorry I was not around yesterday to help when I was tagged in your thread. So a few things to note...

UVB is a T8 5.0 set diagonally. It’s 8” above the screen currently because of screen climbing. I originally had it on the screen with the basking spot lower, but had to adjust because of his behavior. I didn’t use a T5 because I don’t have room to lift a T5 up that many inches above my cage where it’s supposed to be safely placed.

This fixture being a T8 5.0 will not work at the current distance it is raised. It is far too far away. He is not getting any UVB exposure at that distance with this fixture. Honestly here is my recommendation. Get a T5HO fixture with a 5.0 or 6% bulb. You will only raise that 4 inches from the top of the cage. Then have a few branches below it at 5 inches down. Even climbing on the screen top ( as long as it is aluminum window screen material) he will not be in over exposure levels.

In the mean time you want to drop that T8 5.0 back onto the screen. Even if he is climbing the top he is not in overexposure levels.

You do have varibles here such as the fixture type your using and what material you used for the top of the cage. Please make sure your T8 does not have a plastic cover panel over the bulb as well.

Supplements: 3x a week light dusting at AM feeding with miner-all indoor calcium supplement.
2x a month light dusting with herptivite by rep-cal.

I would switch up your supplements. Minerall indoor does have D3 in it. This would not be something I would give as a main supplement. With chams you want to supplement all insects to balance out the phosphorus to calcium levels of the insects. So you want to use a plain Calcium without D3 at all feedings.

Then 2 times a month say the 1st and the 15th you want a multivitamin with vitamin A and D3. So your using herptivite which does not have vitamin A. They instead use beta carotene which has not been proven to be able to convert to usable vitamin A. This one also does not have D3.

So I would drop both supplements you are using...

For plain calcium you can use any of the following. Repashy NoD, repcal without D3, flukers without D3.
For a multivitamin I prefer repashy Calcium Plus LoD version. This one has everything you want in a multi vitamin and is balanced better for them.

 

[Shauna_T]

Yeah, it’s rough over there sometimes. I don’t really post, just lurk. Brian from FramsChams told me to head over here and chameleon academy to get ideas and talk to nicer people. I gotta do the best for this guy, he’s Aslan’s First son!

Aslan is beautiful I have one of his half brothers. Brian is awesome and has sent you to the right place mine also screen climbed when I first got him so yeah i think its pretty normal as well @Beppo asked the same people to help you that i would have. This place is amazing!!! You wont find a better community anywhere out there. @MissSkittles is even helping me with a bearded dragon now. That's how great they are, they care so much about the animals and i love that so much!!!