Always seeming stressed

[goatmilk]

My male panther chameleon who is i think is about 8 months old (I’ve had him for about 4 months) always seems stressed or scared in his actions. His colors are always normal he never really gets dark but he always seems scared. He will be acting normal but then he starts running randomly and starts panicking and I have no idea why. Whenever he starts running he ends up glass surfing and sometimes climbs the screen. He paces around a lot too. He has lots of places he can climb but sometimes he just goes back and forth on this one vine. He has the right size enclosure (2x2x4 hybrid enclosure). I’ve never seen him close his eyes during the day only very rarely about an hour or 30 minutes before his lights turn off. However, his poop also seems very wet and weird sometimes so idk if this could be signs of parasites (he always has an appetite though) or if this is normal if someone could help pls.

 

[Beman]

Hey there... while he is not overly thin he isnt packing on the muscle for an 8 month old male. The runny fecal is a sign to watch out for concerning a parasite load. This with the lower body weight both can indicate a parasite load. I would get a fresh fecal sample tested with an exotic vet. See if they will let you bring in the sample first to be tested before having to bring him. This will reduce stress if the sample does not come back positive.

How much is he eating daily?

They are pretty private animals most of the time. So being skittish is not out of the ordinary.

 

[goatmilk]

Hey there... while he is not overly thin he isnt packing on the muscle for an 8 month old male. The runny fecal is a sign to watch out for concerning a parasite load. This with the lower body weight both can indicate a parasite load. I would get a fresh fecal sample tested with an exotic vet. See if they will let you bring in the sample first to be tested before having to bring him. This will reduce stress if the sample does not come back positive.

How much is he eating daily?

They are pretty private animals most of the time. So being skittish is not out of the ordinary.

Thank you for the feedback I’ll definitely send a sample to a vet. I feed him 10 bugs everyday (5 crickets, 4 dubia roaches, and 1 silkworm). He usually eats all of them so idk if I should be feeding him more.

 

[Beman]

Thank you for the feedback I’ll definitely send a sample to a vet. I feed him 10 bugs everyday (5 crickets, 4 dubia roaches, and 1 silkworm). He usually eats all of them so idk if I should be feeding him more.

So normally you feed them as much as they want (2-3 dozen a day) from babies until around 9-10 months they will start kicking down in food intake. If they have not by then then you will drop them to a dozen a day. So it depends on if 10 a day have always been the amounts he has gotten. Then it would be too little to support the growth they need when they are younger and doing most of their growing. I would go ahead and increase his amounts to about 15 ish. you do not have to worry at this age about them becoming obese as they are converting all the food for growth and muscle.

The fact that he is eating the way he is does show promise that this may not be a parasite issue though. Most will not eat nearly enough or stay at low steady numbers. I would still get a fecal just to be safe though.

 

[goatmilk]

So normally you feed them as much as they want (2-3 dozen a day) from babies until around 9-10 months they will start kicking down in food intake. If they have not by then then you will drop them to a dozen a day. So it depends on if 10 a day have always been the amounts he has gotten. Then it would be too little to support the growth they need when they are younger and doing most of their growing. I would go ahead and increase his amounts to about 15 ish. you do not have to worry at this age about them becoming obese as they are converting all the food for growth and muscle.

The fact that he is eating the way he is does show promise that this may not be a parasite issue though. Most will not eat nearly enough or stay at low steady numbers. I would still get a fecal just to be safe though.

Ok thank you I’ll increase to 15. Also could the wet poop be caused by the silkworms? Should I not feed him one everyday? And is all the pacing stuff I described normal or is it something I should be worried about

 

[Beman]

Ok thank you I’ll increase to 15. Also could the wet poop be caused by the silkworms? Should I not feed him one everyday? And is all the pacing stuff I described normal or is it something I should be worried about

If his diet was only soft bodied feeders like silkworms and hornworms then yes the runny poop could be from that but if you are doing hard bodied too then it is not that likely. A variety of insects is a good thing.

Heavy fogging at night can cause a very runny urate and runnier fecal as well. Do you by chance fog a lot all night?

Pacing can be normal or can indicate he is unhappy with the enclosure. Males will start pacing the cage as they mature. Post a picture of the entire cage for me including the lighting on top so I can see your overall layout.

 

[goatmilk]

If his diet was only soft bodied feeders like silkworms and hornworms then yes the runny poop could be from that but if you are doing hard bodied too then it is not that likely. A variety of insects is a good thing.

Heavy fogging at night can cause a very runny urate and runnier fecal as well. Do you by chance fog a lot all night?

Pacing can be normal or can indicate he is unhappy with the enclosure. Males will start pacing the cage as they mature. Post a picture of the entire cage for me including the lighting on top so I can see your overall layout.

I mist for 2 minutes at 1am and then fog from 1am to 6am for 30 minutes on and off. I do have the fogger on the highest setting to try to get the humidity over 70 so I’ll probably turn it down a bit. I also mist for 2 minutes 10 minutes after his lights turn on. This is my enclosure from all angles and I also have a separate plant to put him on for when I clean any poop in his enclosure so I don’t shake everything and scare him (I let him walk on my hand I never grab him). Also if the floor looks wet in the enclosure it’s because i just misted it dries out in a few hours.

 

[Beman]

I mist for 2 minutes at 1am and then fog from 1am to 6am for 30 minutes on and off. I do have the fogger on the highest setting to try to get the humidity over 70 so I’ll probably turn it down a bit. I also mist for 2 minutes 10 minutes after his lights turn on. This is my enclosure from all angles and I also have a separate plant to put him on for when I clean any poop in his enclosure so I don’t shake everything and scare him (I let him walk on my hand I never grab him). Also if the floor looks wet in the enclosure it’s because i just misted it dries out in a few hours.

Well I believe I know why he is pacing.... There are a few things that stand out.
1. some chams do not do well with glass enclosures. They can see their reflection and it puts them on edge thinking another cham is in the cage with them.
2. Not enough branches, While your set up is pretty he can not fully utilize the entire space. He is very limited on what he can access so he is more confined to a smaller area. (take a look at my album of my cage set ups, you want them to be able to utilize as much of the enclosure as possible.) https://www.chameleonforums.com/media/albums/my-enclosures.6672/

3. Depending on the UVB strength and the distance to the branch below it it may not be close enough for him to get the UVI level he needs.
4. He can see the tree from his cage... If he is preferring this area he is going to be more active trying to get to it.
5. A ton of natural light coming in from the window this can cause more reflections on a glass cage.

While it may not be everything that is effecting his pacing these are the things that jump out at me from your pictures.

Note if his urate has a full white thicker consistency than there are no over hydration indications with the fogging. If it looks like runny egg whites then yes I would reduce a bit so that there is more form to it.

I would like to do a husbandry review with you if you are up for it. Copy and paste the info below into your reply and answer all the questions.

Chameleon Info:

• Your Chameleon - The species, sex, and age of your chameleon. How long has it been in your care?
• Handling - How often do you handle your chameleon?
• Feeding - What are you feeding your cham? What amount? What is the schedule? How are you gut-loading your feeders?
• Supplements - What brand and type of calcium and vitamin products are you dusting your feeders with and what is the schedule?
• Watering - What kind of watering technique do you use? How often and how long to you mist? Do you see your chameleon drinking?
• Fecal Description - Briefly note colors and consistency from recent droppings. Has this chameleon ever been tested for parasites?
• History - Any previous information about your cham that might be useful to others when trying to help you.

Cage Info:

• Cage Type - Describe your cage (Glass, Screen, Combo?) What are the dimensions?
• Lighting - What brand, model, and types of lighting are you using? What is your daily lighting schedule?
• Temperature - What temp range have you created (cage floor to basking spot)? Lowest overnight temp? How do you measure these temps?
• Humidity - What are your humidity levels? How are you creating and maintaining these levels? What do you use to measure humidity?
• Plants - Are you using live plants? If so, what kind?
• Placement - Where is your cage located? Is it near any fans, air vents, or high traffic areas? At what height is the top of the cage relative to your room floor?
• Location - Where are you geographically located?

Current Problem - The current problem you are concerned about.

--------------

Please Note:

1. The more details you provide the better and more accurate help you will receive.
2. Photos can be very helpful.

 

[goatmilk]

ok thank you I’ll definitely add more branches and sticks and maybe move his free roam somewhere else. What are some ways that I can maybe get rid of any reflections from the glass other than closing the window?

Chameleon Info:

• Your Chameleon - Male ambilobe panther chameleon. 8 months old. I’ve had him for about 4 months
• Handling - Whenever he poops, so usually everyday-every few days but very briefly just to put him on his free roam and back to his enclosure. I don’t want to scare him by shaking the enclosure a lot when cleaning his poop
• Feeding - I am now feeding 15 feeders a day (9 crickets, 5 dubia roaches, and 1 silkworm, sometimes 2) I gutload them with carrots and collard greens. Silkworms I gutload with silkworm chow.
• Supplements - I use zoo med repti calcium no d3 everyday and I use zoo med reptivite calcium with d3 twice a month
• Watering - I mist in the morning 10 minutes after his lights come on for 1 minute. I also mist for 1 minute at 1am and fog from 1am-6am for 30 minutes on and off. I sometimes very rarely see him drinking but usually I don’t.
• Fecal Description - His poop has been pretty wet but colors seem normal. His urate is white just pretty runny. I just sent a fecal sample to get tested for parasites and I am waiting for results.
• History - none

Cage Info:

• Cage Type - I have a 2x2x4 hybrid enclosure
• Lighting - I use repti zoo heat lamp and Arcadia t5 12% uvb. I have them both on for almost the entire day in his enclosure but I turn the heat lamp off an hour before his lights go off and keep only the uvb on. However, when I put him on his free roam he doesn’t have any lighting over than the big window in front of it but I know that doesn’t provide any actual uvb). Once I put him on that he doesn’t really want to go back to his enclosure so he can be there without any lighting for about an hour or a few hours.
• Temperature - So for his basking spot just until yesterday I had his basking at 87-90 degrees (thats what Google said) and I just released that’s too hot for him so I moved it down to 80-85 and I’ve already noticed that he seems way calmer and has been acting normal now so I think that was one of the big problems. Ambient temp is like 71-73. Bottom of the cage is like 69. The temperature when i fog (1am to 6am) is usually around 66-70. I have a digital thermostat.
• Humidity - During the day, humidity is usually in the 40s or 50s. This past month or so has been drier even going in the 30s. During night I mist for 1 minute at 1am and fog from 1am-6am 30 minutes on and off. When the fog is on for the 30 minutes the humidity is around 70-90 and when it’s off for 30 minutes it goes down to like 50-60. I have a digital hygrometer
• Plants - I use live plants. He has 3 money trees and 3 pothos inside his enclosure and for his free roam he has a ficus Audrey.
• Placement - There’s a vent in the ceiling kind of close to the top of the enclosure but I don’t think it’s a problem. The top of his enclosure is about 7 feet from the floor
• Location - Las Vegas, nevada

Current Problem - My chameleon was acting very stressed. He was pacing, glass surfing, and screen climbing but like I said once I changed the temperature I haven’t seen him do any of this and I’ve noticed that he seems way calmer and slower with his movements and he doesnt seem stressed at all anymore. He still might be seeing his reflection in the glass so I’ll try to fix that somehow. I’ll also add more sticks and branches in his enclosure. Another problem I have (not to do with the chameleon) is that my when my mister goes off it ends up overwatering this one plant and all the water starts pooling in the soil and it’s killing the plant. I can’t really move the plant and i can’t move the mister either because it’ll just do the same to another plant. I tried putting river rocks over the soil but it didn’t work and actually made it worse so I put saran wrap over the soil but It looks ugly so if you have advice it would help.

 

[Beman]

Please see my feedback in red bold.

ok thank you I’ll definitely add more branches and sticks and maybe move his free roam somewhere else. What are some ways that I can maybe get rid of any reflections from the glass other than closing the window? So glass is hard because it will still reflect on the inside with the lighting from the fixtures. You can try to put like black posterboard on the back and the side and see if that helps. Black is the only thing I can think that would maybe help reduce a reflection inside as white will just bounce light more. BUT wait and see how he fully responds to the temp reduction. This may have been the major issue causing his stress and pacing.

Chameleon Info:

• Your Chameleon - Male ambilobe panther chameleon. 8 months old. I’ve had him for about 4 months
• Handling - Whenever he poops, so usually everyday-every few days but very briefly just to put him on his free roam and back to his enclosure. I don’t want to scare him by shaking the enclosure a lot when cleaning his poop
• Feeding - I am now feeding 15 feeders a day (9 crickets, 5 dubia roaches, and 1 silkworm, sometimes 2) I gutload them with carrots and collard greens. Silkworms I gutload with silkworm chow. Add more to your gutload. see gutload image.
• Supplements - I use zoo med repti calcium no d3 everyday and I use zoo med reptivite calcium with d3 twice a month. This is correct for both type and frequency.
• Watering - I mist in the morning 10 minutes after his lights come on for 1 minute. I also mist for 1 minute at 1am and fog from 1am-6am for 30 minutes on and off. I sometimes very rarely see him drinking but usually I don’t. Based on description of urate seems he is plenty hydrated from the fogging at night. So it does not surprise me that he is not actively drinking.
• Fecal Description - His poop has been pretty wet but colors seem normal. His urate is white just pretty runny. I just sent a fecal sample to get tested for parasites and I am waiting for results.
• History - none

Cage Info:

• Cage Type - I have a 2x2x4 hybrid enclosure
• Lighting - I use repti zoo heat lamp and Arcadia t5 12% uvb. Incorrect UVB strength... With this one you need about 12 inches between where the fixture sits on the top of the cage and where the branch is below it. Otherwise he is being exposed to a UVB level that is too high for him. Reducing to a 6% bulb this distance changes to 8-9 inches. We use the 6% because you lose less usable space at the top of the cage. I have them both on for almost the entire day in his enclosure but I turn the heat lamp off an hour before his lights go off and keep only the uvb on. However, when I put him on his free roam he doesn’t have any lighting over than the big window in front of it but I know that doesn’t provide any actual uvb). Once I put him on that he doesn’t really want to go back to his enclosure so he can be there without any lighting for about an hour or a few hours. So UVB will not pass through your windows. But he is totally fine being out a few hours each day on the free range.
• Temperature - So for his basking spot just until yesterday I had his basking at 87-90 degrees (thats what Google said) and I just released that’s too hot for him so I moved it down to 80-85 and I’ve already noticed that he seems way calmer and has been acting normal now so I think that was one of the big problems. Ambient temp is like 71-73. Bottom of the cage is like 69. The temperature when i fog (1am to 6am) is usually around 66-70. I have a digital thermostat. Yep, temp was too hot. So it is good you found the correct info for basking temps. An 80-85 range is great and they will not overheat. If it is too hot yes they will try to escape the space.
• Humidity - During the day, humidity is usually in the 40s or 50s. This past month or so has been drier even going in the 30s. During night I mist for 1 minute at 1am and fog from 1am-6am 30 minutes on and off. When the fog is on for the 30 minutes the humidity is around 70-90 and when it’s off for 30 minutes it goes down to like 50-60. I have a digital hygrometer... Humidity for daytime are still fine if they dip here and there to 30%. Most important thing about fogging is that your night time temp needs to be cold. I prefer closer to 65 but you really want it no hotter than 67ish. The warmer it is you increase risk of respiratory issues.
• Plants - I use live plants. He has 3 money trees and 3 pothos inside his enclosure and for his free roam he has a ficus Audrey.
• Placement - There’s a vent in the ceiling kind of close to the top of the enclosure but I don’t think it’s a problem. The top of his enclosure is about 7 feet from the floor. If the vent is blowing straight down into the enclosure you want to either change the direction of it or use a vent redirector cover on it.
• Location - Las Vegas, nevada

Current Problem - My chameleon was acting very stressed. He was pacing, glass surfing, and screen climbing but like I said once I changed the temperature I haven’t seen him do any of this and I’ve noticed that he seems way calmer and slower with his movements and he doesnt seem stressed at all anymore. He still might be seeing his reflection in the glass so I’ll try to fix that somehow. I’ll also add more sticks and branches in his enclosure. Another problem I have (not to do with the chameleon) is that my when my mister goes off it ends up overwatering this one plant and all the water starts pooling in the soil and it’s killing the plant. I can’t really move the plant and i can’t move the mister either because it’ll just do the same to another plant. I tried putting river rocks over the soil but it didn’t work and actually made it worse so I put saran wrap over the soil but It looks ugly so if you have advice it would help. Either angle the misting head slightly different or you know the plastic things that a pot can sit into to catch the water? Take one of these. Cut a slit half way down it then a circle in the middle. Slide around the plant with it facing the opposite way you would normally use it so it wraps down around the pot. This will be more secure and safer... Remove the saran wrap... this is an impaction risk should he manage to get a piece off of it.

Overall husbandry is very good. I would just tweak a few things. Let me know if you have any questions.

 

[goatmilk]

Please see my feedback in red bold.

ok thank you I’ll definitely add more branches and sticks and maybe move his free roam somewhere else. What are some ways that I can maybe get rid of any reflections from the glass other than closing the window? So glass is hard because it will still reflect on the inside with the lighting from the fixtures. You can try to put like black posterboard on the back and the side and see if that helps. Black is the only thing I can think that would maybe help reduce a reflection inside as white will just bounce light more. BUT wait and see how he fully responds to the temp reduction. This may have been the major issue causing his stress and pacing.

Chameleon Info:

• Your Chameleon - Male ambilobe panther chameleon. 8 months old. I’ve had him for about 4 months
• Handling - Whenever he poops, so usually everyday-every few days but very briefly just to put him on his free roam and back to his enclosure. I don’t want to scare him by shaking the enclosure a lot when cleaning his poop
• Feeding - I am now feeding 15 feeders a day (9 crickets, 5 dubia roaches, and 1 silkworm, sometimes 2) I gutload them with carrots and collard greens. Silkworms I gutload with silkworm chow. Add more to your gutload. see gutload image.
• Supplements - I use zoo med repti calcium no d3 everyday and I use zoo med reptivite calcium with d3 twice a month. This is correct for both type and frequency.
• Watering - I mist in the morning 10 minutes after his lights come on for 1 minute. I also mist for 1 minute at 1am and fog from 1am-6am for 30 minutes on and off. I sometimes very rarely see him drinking but usually I don’t. Based on description of urate seems he is plenty hydrated from the fogging at night. So it does not surprise me that he is not actively drinking.
• Fecal Description - His poop has been pretty wet but colors seem normal. His urate is white just pretty runny. I just sent a fecal sample to get tested for parasites and I am waiting for results.
• History - none

Cage Info:

• Cage Type - I have a 2x2x4 hybrid enclosure
• Lighting - I use repti zoo heat lamp and Arcadia t5 12% uvb. Incorrect UVB strength... With this one you need about 12 inches between where the fixture sits on the top of the cage and where the branch is below it. Otherwise he is being exposed to a UVB level that is too high for him. Reducing to a 6% bulb this distance changes to 8-9 inches. We use the 6% because you lose less usable space at the top of the cage. I have them both on for almost the entire day in his enclosure but I turn the heat lamp off an hour before his lights go off and keep only the uvb on. However, when I put him on his free roam he doesn’t have any lighting over than the big window in front of it but I know that doesn’t provide any actual uvb). Once I put him on that he doesn’t really want to go back to his enclosure so he can be there without any lighting for about an hour or a few hours. So UVB will not pass through your windows. But he is totally fine being out a few hours each day on the free range.
• Temperature - So for his basking spot just until yesterday I had his basking at 87-90 degrees (thats what Google said) and I just released that’s too hot for him so I moved it down to 80-85 and I’ve already noticed that he seems way calmer and has been acting normal now so I think that was one of the big problems. Ambient temp is like 71-73. Bottom of the cage is like 69. The temperature when i fog (1am to 6am) is usually around 66-70. I have a digital thermostat. Yep, temp was too hot. So it is good you found the correct info for basking temps. An 80-85 range is great and they will not overheat. If it is too hot yes they will try to escape the space.
• Humidity - During the day, humidity is usually in the 40s or 50s. This past month or so has been drier even going in the 30s. During night I mist for 1 minute at 1am and fog from 1am-6am 30 minutes on and off. When the fog is on for the 30 minutes the humidity is around 70-90 and when it’s off for 30 minutes it goes down to like 50-60. I have a digital hygrometer... Humidity for daytime are still fine if they dip here and there to 30%. Most important thing about fogging is that your night time temp needs to be cold. I prefer closer to 65 but you really want it no hotter than 67ish. The warmer it is you increase risk of respiratory issues.
• Plants - I use live plants. He has 3 money trees and 3 pothos inside his enclosure and for his free roam he has a ficus Audrey.
• Placement - There’s a vent in the ceiling kind of close to the top of the enclosure but I don’t think it’s a problem. The top of his enclosure is about 7 feet from the floor. If the vent is blowing straight down into the enclosure you want to either change the direction of it or use a vent redirector cover on it.
• Location - Las Vegas, nevada

Current Problem - My chameleon was acting very stressed. He was pacing, glass surfing, and screen climbing but like I said once I changed the temperature I haven’t seen him do any of this and I’ve noticed that he seems way calmer and slower with his movements and he doesnt seem stressed at all anymore. He still might be seeing his reflection in the glass so I’ll try to fix that somehow. I’ll also add more sticks and branches in his enclosure. Another problem I have (not to do with the chameleon) is that my when my mister goes off it ends up overwatering this one plant and all the water starts pooling in the soil and it’s killing the plant. I can’t really move the plant and i can’t move the mister either because it’ll just do the same to another plant. I tried putting river rocks over the soil but it didn’t work and actually made it worse so I put saran wrap over the soil but It looks ugly so if you have advice it would help. Either angle the misting head slightly different or you know the plastic things that a pot can sit into to catch the water? Take one of these. Cut a slit half way down it then a circle in the middle. Slide around the plant with it facing the opposite way you would normally use it so it wraps down around the pot. This will be more secure and safer... Remove the saran wrap... this is an impaction risk should he manage to get a piece off of it.

Overall husbandry is very good. I would just tweak a few things. Let me know if you have any questions.

View attachment 368302

Thank you for the feedback I’ll try to fix everything but I have some questions. First with the uvb light, since his basking branch is about 8-9 inches away from the uvb I’ll buy a 6% instead. Since he’s had the 12% for quite a few months would that have caused him harm? And will he use the 6% for the rest of his life or will i have to increase it as he gets older? I’ve also heard you have to replace the uvb light every once in a while so how often will I have to do that. Also with the gutloading, are those premade gutload things good or should I just get more real food? Last thing with the vent it doesn’t blow in his direction but if it did why is that bad for him?

 

[Beman]

Thank you for the feedback I’ll try to fix everything but I have some questions. First with the uvb light, since his basking branch is about 8-9 inches away from the uvb I’ll buy a 6% instead. Since he’s had the 12% for quite a few months would that have caused him harm? And will he use the 6% for the rest of his life or will i have to increase it as he gets older? I’ve also heard you have to replace the uvb light every once in a while so how often will I have to do that. Also with the gutloading, are those premade gutload things good or should I just get more real food? Last thing with the vent it doesn’t blow in his direction but if it did why is that bad for him?

Yep so its the perfect distance for the 6%. He would have been in the higher end exposure levels but not in the crazy high levels being 8-9 inches away. Higher than we want but still ok for the short time he has been under it.
You will always use a 6% bulb if your distance is 8-9 inches to the branch from the bottom of the fixture utilizing a single bulb fixture going through an aluminum screen top. No matter the age.

With the Arcadia bulbs you replace them every 12 months.

I have done both premade and made my own cubes. It is totally your preference. I found with one cham using bug burger and making that to feed my insects worked well as I did not have enough insects to feed to keep my premade from all fresh good long enough in the freezer.

So with vents... One you want their temps ambient and basking to stay stable and naturally reduce or get warmer. If you have a vent or a fan blowing this will not create a stable temp area. Also it will mess with your gradients for your humidity in your cage. Which we also want to keep more stable through out the cage.

 

[goatmilk]

Yep so its the perfect distance for the 6%. He would have been in the higher end exposure levels but not in the crazy high levels being 8-9 inches away. Higher than we want but still ok for the short time he has been under it.
You will always use a 6% bulb if your distance is 8-9 inches to the branch from the bottom of the fixture utilizing a single bulb fixture going through an aluminum screen top. No matter the age.

With the Arcadia bulbs you replace them every 12 months.

I have done both premade and made my own cubes. It is totally your preference. I found with one cham using bug burger and making that to feed my insects worked well as I did not have enough insects to feed to keep my premade from all fresh good long enough in the freezer.

So with vents... One you want their temps ambient and basking to stay stable and naturally reduce or get warmer. If you have a vent or a fan blowing this will not create a stable temp area. Also it will mess with your gradients for your humidity in your cage. Which we also want to keep more stable through out the cage.

Ok thank you also there’s a few other things I have to ask. How can I cover his enclosure so that his lights don’t turn on and wake me up and if I need lights on in the room after his lights go off without waking him up? Basically how can I cover his enclosure from light going in and coming out if there is a way. I heard some people used bed sheets but wouldn’t that mess with the air circulation? Also with the light times I usually have it on 12 hours and off 12 hours but sometimes I have to keep them off for like an hour extra so he would have like 13 hours of lights off is that bad or is it ok for him? Also is this the gutload you were talking about?

 

[Beman]

Ok thank you also there’s a few other things I have to ask. How can I cover his enclosure so that his lights don’t turn on and wake me up and if I need lights on in the room after his lights go off without waking him up? Basically how can I cover his enclosure from light going in and coming out if there is a way. I heard some people used bed sheets but wouldn’t that mess with the air circulation? Also with the light times I usually have it on 12 hours and off 12 hours but sometimes I have to keep them off for like an hour extra so he would have like 13 hours of lights off is that bad or is it ok for him? Also is this the gutload you were talking about?

So get command hooks... The clear ones. Hook these around the top part of the cage on your corners not up where the lights are just the actual cage. Get a black out curtain, dark colors work best. Cut it to fit wrapping around the front and sides of the cage. But have it come up 4 inches from the bottom so that air can flow into your panels still creating the chimney effect out the top screen. Then sew tiny circle hooks onto the curtain top and space them so they line up at the corners on the back and one or two on the front to the command hooks. Then you put this on the cage when his lighting is off.

You avoid light going in by not using over head lighting or anything right next to the cage. It will keep it nice and dark. See images below.

12 hours on 12 hours off is the rule of thumb. One hour one way or another will not make a difference.

That is the gutload... Mix it as directed store in a small tupperware in the fridge. Cut out squares as needed to feed insects. It has like a jello consistency when it sets up.