A few questions, since my move.

[Azaria]

So I have this female chameleon that my ex boyfriend bought me. We just broke up and I moved out so a few things have had to change for the both of us.

Is tap water alright for a chameleon if you let it stand in a decanter? I have been using this sparingly, and only in the mister, but I cannot afford to keep buying bottled water from the corner store for her dripper, so I really want to know if she can drink it.

(I am working on getting a large water cooler of my own so I can buy 4gallon water again, but I am still getting back on my feet)

What do you use to collect dripped water? I used to let it drip into her large sand laying bin, but it flooded, and I had to take it out for several days to dry it out.

Also, I'm wondering what could cause them to be really dim. She has had a slightly dusty appearance to her, in the form of some round white spots on her face and crest. They don't look like mites or fungus from what I could tell, I'm not sure what I was looking for. I'd like to show you but...

I can't take pictures, because it makes her horribly angry. I took a lot of pictures of her several months ago to figure out why she had been wearing dark markings for a few days, and it's like she never recovered from the trauma of me putting a camera in her enclosure.

I am afraid to take more pictures of her and set her back even further in her antisocial behaviour. She has been dingy coloured and miserable ever since, when previous to the camera, she had been bright green and clear, with the occasional bright black marks.

Could it just be because the temp has been dropping? (I am saving up for a new lampshade for a heat bulb, but I am struggling to get back on my feet and am pinching pennies) I have been keeping my room very warm to compensate, but it's not enough, I wonder.

The temp is usually about 76 in her enclosure. I have been trying to get it to 80, but like I said... I have to get a fixture and extension cords first.

 

[Hoj]

sorry to hear you are going through a rough time. i have had a few friends help me out and acctaully have a bunch of dome lamps ( thx Laurie) and if you would like one i can send you one at no charge. i belive its nice to pass the love around
tap water can be ok but what i do is just by the large bottles of water for a cooler and just dont use a cooler. once you have the bottle you can fillit for like $3
alot of chams dont like cameras but i dont believe that it shoudl cause such a definate reaction and for so long.
she could be darker due to the lower temps as they try to gather more heat energy from the light by darkening.
i would also fill out the "how to ask for help" form to see if there is anything that may be improved to help.
i will attachit it here https://www.chameleonforums.com/how-ask-help-66/
i just copied it into a word program and filled it in and then i copy and paste it when i need.
oh and for collecting the water you can use a tray or bin under the cage and let the water go throught into it. and then place your laying bin where it can stay as dry as needed.
jmo
hoj

 

[BeBoSON]

Hey,

As far as tap water, I have no idea. But I do know you can purchase water purification drops to guarantee its safe. Hopefully another member can offer some knowledge.

To collect water from your dripper, you can place a plant to the location the water falls. You'll have to put some holes in the pot. For the water that gets through that, you either have to wipe it up every day or construct some type of drainage system.

For her looking dim. When did you get the UVB lighting? Whens the last time you changed it? Its recommended to change it every 6months. Are you gutloading your feeders? Also supplementing?

76 ambient temp is fine, whats the basking temp looking like?

 

[Azaria]

I checked the temperature when I posted, and it was 76, a little while later it was 79. so I suppose it depends if I left my door open. The temp is at the basking spot by the uvb, so that's where she hangs out. it produces little heat.

I gut load the crickets with flukers high calcium, orange cube, and various vegetables, like bok choy and carrot, or squash when I have it (and water gel).

The uvb is only about three months old.

 

[BeBoSON]

Hows her fecal looking?

 

[Azaria]

Her poops are blackish with yellowy white urates.

 

[madden]

I have chlorinated city water, but you can buy a dechlorinator at almost any pet supply place, I use reptisafe, it removes chlorine and heavy metals, as well as adding electrolytes and calcium to the water. Just a few drops and you're good to go!

 

[Azaria]

I filled out the caresheet for you guys

Chameleon Info:
Your Chameleon - Veiled, female, approximately sub adult, in my care for about 3 months.

Handling - Never. She hisses and hates me forever.

Feeding - She gets about 8-9 crickets every other day, and eats them at her own speed, as she no longer accepts a cup. They are gutloaded on orange cube, flukers high calcium diet, assorted vegetables and water gel.

Supplements - She gets exoterra non D3 calcium every feeding, except every week or so I give her rep-cal calcium with vit D3, and then every few weeks I dust with rep-cal multivitamin

Watering - She has a Zoo Med little dripper, and I don't see her drink from it often. Occasionally if I catch her in the right mood she will drink from it while I'm fiddling with it, and sometimes she will drink from the tip of the spray bottle through the screen when I mist, which I do 2-3 times daily.

Fecal Description - Brownish black fecal, with yellowish white urates. The poop holds together, and the urates only hold together occasionally, sometimes it's a splat.

History - I adopted her from a friend who rescues all sorts of reptiles. All I know about the previous owner is that he had her, and her brother. In my friend's care, the male died about a month after he sold me the female.

Cage Info:
Cage Type - 65 gallon exo-terra flexarium.

Lighting - She currently has a coil uvb, 5.0, repti-glow which I replace every 5 months.(I know about the controversy with them, and I am against it. I do not shop at a chain pet store, and the staff there have personally spoken with the light manufacturers, and they find no basis to the myths.) It's on a 12 hour cycle.

Temperature - The basking temp varies between 75-80 degrees, depending on ambient room temperature.

Humidity - I do not have a humidi gauge at the moment, but I spray 2-3 times daily, and her sand bin is moist.

Plants - I have none, but I am open to it.

Placement - The cage is on a dresser in the corner of my room, which is pretty peaceful. it stands a bit taller than me, about 5'6"

Location - Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, Canada

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My concern is that her colour is really dingey and she has white freckles. Also she hates me and won't eat from a cup since I took a dozen or so pictures of her with a camera phone.

 

[BeBoSON]

I will suggest since you don't have any real plants that you try and add at least one. It will help maintain humidity. Also water retains a lot longer on the leaves then it would on fake foilage. Which will help hydrate, since her urine is yellow'I sh.
Everything else seems pretty good.

 

[Elizadolots]

The tap water question, to me, sort of revolves around fluoride. If your water is heavily fluoridated, it might be dangerous and techniques to take out chlorine don't do anything for fluoride. To remove that you need either distilled water or water treated through a reverse osmosis system. Most of the machines that sell filtered water are reverse osmosis and I can buy a gallon for 30 cents.

Even if you mixed RO and tap water half and half it would dramatically cut down the level of fluoride (if it's even there).

 

[Azaria]

what safe plants like a lot of water?