baby vieled questions, please help

[Joshua94]

To start off I have a two week old baby veiled. This is the first full day I've had him, I made sure he ate pinned crickets before purchasing. He ate two crickets. When I got him home I set him up in an exo Terra terrarium, roughly like two foot deep high and long. I at first set the cage up with lots of foliage (fake). Along with those bendy vines. I had.much on the bottom of cage and had a drip system trickling down the plants and into. Bowl full of pebble rocks so he could get out if he fell in. I put some crickets in and watched him eat one. This morning I fixed some mistakes... I replaced the silky plants that were absorbing water, and switched to the harder plastic kind that holds drops of water a lot better and a lot less its in the corner where the drip is and just a couple strands along the bendy vines and one going to the bottom of the tank. I replaced the much with a reptile carpet. And set the fogger on a timer for every two hours to stay on for two mins. The ambient temp is around 80 and basking spot mid to lower 90s. The humidity is around 50 and when fogger is on rises to eighty. I have one of the spiral uvb bulbs then a 60 watt heat lamp in the dual fixture for the exo Terra tanks. I have a couple crickets free roaming and he seems.interested when there close but haven't seen him chasing or eating any today. I have seen him drink a few times. What should I do for feeding tomorrow, and any cage suggestions like changes? Sorry for the long post just wanted to be thorough. I have had a couple chams before one fpr about three years so I'm not new to keeping just never had a baby. Thanks for all the help.

 

[SonTigerPantherCham]

Welcome back to chameleons!
Take a look at jannb's info, everything you need to know about baby veileds.
She is an amazing, informative, helpful veiled owner. So go check out her info and come back to ask any questions!!

 

[Joshua94]

I just looked at the blog for young veileds and just seen the good quality information about the specifications for.keeping them so I think I have the cage setup pretty good. Still planning on putting in a automatic mister have some good ideas for a DIY. But I'm still kinda iffy on if I put more crickets in tomorrow to free roam, Mabe in a dish. Try some tiny mealworms. Just don't wanna stress him out any more with moving around in the cage. Thanks for the quick reply I appreciate the help

 

[SonTigerPantherCham]

just remember the settling in process. some take a few days up to 2 weeks to adjust to their new home. one of mine didnt eat for the first week.

I am so happy you took a look at Janns info

Everyone is here to help and answer questions!
anne

 

[Joshua94]

I think I just have to Mabe get a smaller watt heatlamp, bring the basking temperature down. And I'm just worried about him eating because of how tiny and young he is.

 

[kirekameleon]

I would definitely bring down the basking. My 1+ year old does not even bask at that temp, more like 88-89 degrees. I have a 3 1/2 old and I keep his about 84-85 degrees and he does not get as close as he could when he basked. Good luck, two weeks is young, post a pic if you can.

kire

 

[SonTigerPantherCham]

may I ask how you got a cham so young? who would sell one that tiny?
The other thing I am looking at is the spiral bulb, especially for so young a veiled. I know that presumably they fixed the problem associated with the spirals, but for now the accepted bulb is just a soft white 60(?) watt household. What does Jann say about wattage?
Im a panther person so I defer questions to Jann, hope thats ok!

 

[kirekameleon]

may I ask how you got a cham so young? who would sell one that tiny?
The other thing I am looking at is the spiral bulb, especially for so young a veiled. I know that presumably they fixed the problem associated with the spirals, but for now the accepted bulb is just a soft white 60(?) watt household. What does Jann say about wattage?
Im a panther person so I defer questions to Jann, hope thats ok!

I was wondering if that was a typo, I do not think I would want a two week old but I would accept a 6 wk old or 2 months. I have my basking light (60 watt) mounted 7 1/2 inches above the cage. I have it set on a dimmer switch and I do not even have it up 3/4 of the way more like in between 1/2 and 3/4 and I am pulling around 88 degrees. It dont take much, the smaller the light the brighter is will light up your cage. I started with 100 watt and I barely had it turned up at all. Then 75 watt and still just turned up a little more, and now a 60 and I have it like I said above. I am thinking about going to a smaller lightbulb yet so I can at least work with it between 3/4 the way up and all the way up. SHould be brighter as well.

I rehomed a 1+ year old and he came with everything, so basically the Chameleon was free and I just paid for the cage and supplies. He came with UVB Coil Light. I had it for one week and replaced it with a Reptisun 5.0 and WOW, I think you will like it just as much as I did. Brighter cage and the EVB is not condensed to that area but spread through the cage. I kept the Coil Bulb for safety In case a reptisun failed. My other cham has a reptisun 5.0 (make sure it is the 5.0) and that was the first thing I did was go out and by the light. It is a tube light so you will need a different fixture (hardware store, cheapest way). As far as the dome light fixture the UVB is in turn it into a heat lamp for your NEXT CHAM, this is what I did.

kire

 

[SonTigerPantherCham]

kire,
thank you for helping me out here!
I am going on panther knowledge, not super tiny baby veiled knowledge! Your info was really easy to understand to someone looking for help!
anne

 

[Joshua94]

Okay I will definitely change the heat bulb for like a 25 watt then. But still curious what's wrong with the zilla 13 watt uvb bulb for tropical species. I'm kinda low on money after purchasing everything else and.doubt I could switch it to.something else in the same price range. But besides the lights does the rest of the cage sound right? And I'm still confused about if I wait for the like three crickets free roaming now to disappear or do I add more to make sure he's eating? No it wasn't a typo he really is two weeks ill try to post a pic soon. I really appreciate all the help this is a really good forum

 

[phase]

try raising the light so the basking spot wont get as much heat. im not shure about the uvb bulbs but i have been reading alot on the forums and almost everyone that has a succesfull setup runs the reptisun 5.0 tube light. i have also heard that some other uvb bulbs can cause problems for the chameleon. try feeding worms in a dish since they dont really crawl away. maybe hand feeding?

post pics of your tank and the cham.
i hope this helped

 

[Joshua94]

I just posted the pics of the cham and cage, I'm gonna try the worms. What I've noticed is he sits in the top part of the vines and waits for crickets to crawl past him, when I try to put them close he gets scared and goes a different way. Will he eventually get hungry enough to just come down and Chase the crickets. And thanks you everyone's been such a help.

 

[jannb]

I keep babies in a small bin. If their enclosure it too big they can't find their food. How are you measuring your temps? The top hot spot for babies should be 80 to 81. I use a duel fixture with a regular tube bulb in one side an a Reptisun 5.0 in the other. No basking light at all. The Zilla light is not good for chameleons. I wound not use it. See the older threads linked below. You will find that chameleons are an expensive pet to own and care for. If you read my blog you can get allot of info about how to care for your baby.
https://www.chameleonforums.com/zilla-hood-no-good-52490/ (post #10)
https://www.chameleonforums.com/zilla-lighting-55278/

 

[Joshua94]

I'm using a digital thermometer and hygrometer. I'm switching the 60 watt for a small 25 watt daylight uva bulb now. As for the zilla uvb if I replace it can I use a reptisun 5.0 screw in light. Or do I need to use the flourescent tubes. I'm worried about space ontopp of the cage if I have to use a fluorescent tube fixture too. Thank you so much for the links and info jannb

 

[jannb]

I'm using a digital thermometer and hygrometer. I'm switching the 60 watt for a small 25 watt daylight uva bulb now. As for the zilla uvb if I replace it can I use a reptisun 5.0 screw in light. Or do I need to use the flourescent tubes. I'm worried about space ontopp of the cage if I have to use a fluorescent tube fixture too. Thank you so much for the links and info jannb

I would get the 18 inch tube style UVB bulb.

 

[Joshua94]

Okay I won't be able to get it till later today but I definitely will, and what should i put in the screw in socket when I take the zilla light out, Mabe another 25 watt day bulb? I don't wanna leave an empty open socket by humidity. And could this be why he isn't being an aggressive eater?

 

[jannb]

Okay I won't be able to get it till later today but I definitely will, and what should i put in the screw in socket when I take the zilla light out, Mabe another 25 watt day bulb? I don't wanna leave an empty open socket by humidity. And could this be why he isn't being an aggressive eater?

My local pet stores never carry the Reptisun and I always have to order it. Maybe fill the hole with a burned out bulb so it want be putting off heat. Being too hot can keep them for eating. Have you filled out the Ask For Help Form for us? That will allow us help you better.

 

[BocaJan]

Don't try feeding worms to a 2 week old baby veiled. I raise veileds and only feed them flightless fruit flies for the first month, and I don't count them. I keep them in a plastic container with plastic vines and plants ( not too big so they can easily get their food ) with paper towels on the bottom to absorb the excess water from misting. They don't need much spraying, they are small after all. For one baby a plastic shoe box would work fine with a leg of a xl pantyhose stretched over it so the flies won't crawl out. Makes it easy to spritz a couple of times a day too.

You should be using a low voltage (25 if you can get it or a 40 watt household bulb) for warmth. They don't really bask much, just like the warmth in the morning. You can place your thermometer on top of the box in the corner. Make sure the temps don't go over 85. As for the UV, keep it 8" away from the top of the shoe box. I don't even worry about one until baby is big enough to go into a regular screened cage. When you start with crickets at 1 month, be sure to dust with calcium daily, calcium with D3 2x/month and vitamins 1x/month.

 

[Joshua94]

How do I fill the form out. And petsmart normally always has them here where I'm at. The 18 inch tube reptisun 5.0. He was in the same cage kind of cage when I bought him that he's in now and was eating so I don't think the cage is too big. I'll try to feed him some crickets before i change the light to minimize stress, I'm gonna check the store for ff too and ill try that

 

[Joshua94]

Is repti glow 5.0 18 inch tube the same as repti sun? The glow is all they have