Redman
Avid Member
I see questions constantly, usually from new keepers, about how much calcium they should be dusting feeders with, how often, and the like.
What I almost never see, is someone explaining how correct lighting ties into the calcium intake level. (There are a few who are always trying to do this, and I applaud you!)
Now I know there are many great people who give of their time and patience to try to point the questioner to the already existing documents about this, and there is the often given litany of: You MUST have a linear t5 ho fixture with an X% UVB bulb and you MUST dust every feeder with calcium without D3, and then you MUST use Calcium with D3 once every 2 weeks and Multivitamin powder once ever month, or a variation of same.
What I have seen only a few address is the fact that this aspect of our husbandry is all a balancing act.
Q: Why do Chameleons need Calcium dusting on their feeders?
A: Calcium is vital to all reptiles for the maintenance of basic life functions. It plays a role in metabolism, muscle function, and bone growth. Lack of calcium can lead to a decline in health, disease, lethargy, and death in extreme cases.
Reptiles utilize vitamin D3 to synthesize Calcium internally. This ability is only possible with exposure to the correct type and intensity of light.
<EDIT: To be clear, I meant that they need the D3 to correctly utilize the Calcium from their diet. Thanks for the clarification Jacksjill and nightanole>
Q: If Chameleons can make their own Calcium, why is it so important to dust feeders with Calcium?
A: Because very few Chameleons in captivity are given the same lighting and dietary conditions that they receive in their natural habitat. The goal is to try to supplement so that they have all that they need, and not significantly more, or less, than is healthy. Yes, we are trying to balance the D3 too.
Q: If Vitamin D3 is essential for Chameleons to make their own Calcium, why wouldn't you give it to them with every feeder, at every feeding?
A: It is unhealthy and potentially dangerous to overdose your Chameleon on D3. There is definitely a "Too much of a good thing" scenario possible. In fact, any vitamin, mineral, food, or even water can be given in too large a quantity and cause health issues. Even more balancing.
Q: There are lots of available UVB bulbs out there. So why should I use the more expensive linear T5 HO fixtures and bulbs over the others?
A: The truth? You don't HAVE to, but you probably should. It really all depends on your enclosure setup. Does your enclosure sit in an outside area or lanai? Does it sit inside a window? How much UV does that glass filter out? How heavily planted is your enclosure? How tall is it? How far from the non-natural light source is your Chams basking spot? It's all about finding the proverbial "Sweet Spot" where the chameleon gets enough UVB to process the calcium and vitamin D3 they receive from their diet without getting burned or cooked. Without a solarmeter to measure the actual light in your own personal setup in various locations, it's impossible to say what you HAVE to have to get the job done. The reason people feel confident suggesting the linear T5 HO fixtures and bulbs, and rightly so, is that they are much, much better at ensuring that you are safe in delivering sufficient levels of UVB to your enclosure. Now if you have a chameleon that sits on the bottom of the enclosure and won't climb, you have other problems and that fancy, expensive T5HO isn't going to do you a bit of good. So, is it the right answer for every situation? Of course not. Nothing is, or could be.
Over the many years that chameleons have been artificially kept, there have been keepers and breeders who have been successful using various methods of lighting, feeding, and supplementation that would probably get bashed mercilessly if they were to describe their setup to the current internet experts, many of which don't understand the concepts but just parrot what they read somewhere else or had someone tell them. I personally don't chastise either group, because it was the trial and error keepers who helped discover what works and what doesn't to share with the community and help us learn. And I can't fault the latest and greatest crowd, because the new lights and supplements DO make it much easier to do the right thing for our Chams. I wouldn't have it any other way!
What is needed, in my opinion, is an understanding of the why and how of Chameleon digestion (Haven't even gotten into the role of required heat for proper digestion) and calcium production/utilization and how to adapt your personal setup to ensure that this is given the proper parameters.
Anyway, sorry for the filibuster. Just had my mind going while sitting here NOT doing what I wanted due to Coronavirus Social Distancing protocols. <sigh>
What I almost never see, is someone explaining how correct lighting ties into the calcium intake level. (There are a few who are always trying to do this, and I applaud you!)
Now I know there are many great people who give of their time and patience to try to point the questioner to the already existing documents about this, and there is the often given litany of: You MUST have a linear t5 ho fixture with an X% UVB bulb and you MUST dust every feeder with calcium without D3, and then you MUST use Calcium with D3 once every 2 weeks and Multivitamin powder once ever month, or a variation of same.
What I have seen only a few address is the fact that this aspect of our husbandry is all a balancing act.
Q: Why do Chameleons need Calcium dusting on their feeders?
A: Calcium is vital to all reptiles for the maintenance of basic life functions. It plays a role in metabolism, muscle function, and bone growth. Lack of calcium can lead to a decline in health, disease, lethargy, and death in extreme cases.
Reptiles utilize vitamin D3 to synthesize Calcium internally. This ability is only possible with exposure to the correct type and intensity of light.
<EDIT: To be clear, I meant that they need the D3 to correctly utilize the Calcium from their diet. Thanks for the clarification Jacksjill and nightanole>
Q: If Chameleons can make their own Calcium, why is it so important to dust feeders with Calcium?
A: Because very few Chameleons in captivity are given the same lighting and dietary conditions that they receive in their natural habitat. The goal is to try to supplement so that they have all that they need, and not significantly more, or less, than is healthy. Yes, we are trying to balance the D3 too.
Q: If Vitamin D3 is essential for Chameleons to make their own Calcium, why wouldn't you give it to them with every feeder, at every feeding?
A: It is unhealthy and potentially dangerous to overdose your Chameleon on D3. There is definitely a "Too much of a good thing" scenario possible. In fact, any vitamin, mineral, food, or even water can be given in too large a quantity and cause health issues. Even more balancing.
Q: There are lots of available UVB bulbs out there. So why should I use the more expensive linear T5 HO fixtures and bulbs over the others?
A: The truth? You don't HAVE to, but you probably should. It really all depends on your enclosure setup. Does your enclosure sit in an outside area or lanai? Does it sit inside a window? How much UV does that glass filter out? How heavily planted is your enclosure? How tall is it? How far from the non-natural light source is your Chams basking spot? It's all about finding the proverbial "Sweet Spot" where the chameleon gets enough UVB to process the calcium and vitamin D3 they receive from their diet without getting burned or cooked. Without a solarmeter to measure the actual light in your own personal setup in various locations, it's impossible to say what you HAVE to have to get the job done. The reason people feel confident suggesting the linear T5 HO fixtures and bulbs, and rightly so, is that they are much, much better at ensuring that you are safe in delivering sufficient levels of UVB to your enclosure. Now if you have a chameleon that sits on the bottom of the enclosure and won't climb, you have other problems and that fancy, expensive T5HO isn't going to do you a bit of good. So, is it the right answer for every situation? Of course not. Nothing is, or could be.
Over the many years that chameleons have been artificially kept, there have been keepers and breeders who have been successful using various methods of lighting, feeding, and supplementation that would probably get bashed mercilessly if they were to describe their setup to the current internet experts, many of which don't understand the concepts but just parrot what they read somewhere else or had someone tell them. I personally don't chastise either group, because it was the trial and error keepers who helped discover what works and what doesn't to share with the community and help us learn. And I can't fault the latest and greatest crowd, because the new lights and supplements DO make it much easier to do the right thing for our Chams. I wouldn't have it any other way!
What is needed, in my opinion, is an understanding of the why and how of Chameleon digestion (Haven't even gotten into the role of required heat for proper digestion) and calcium production/utilization and how to adapt your personal setup to ensure that this is given the proper parameters.
Anyway, sorry for the filibuster. Just had my mind going while sitting here NOT doing what I wanted due to Coronavirus Social Distancing protocols. <sigh>
Last edited:
R
