Carpet basketing question

[jadeaudio]

I have a female carpet and she's doing great eating anything I put in there within seconds, but my question is the basking bulb. I'm currently using a ZooMed 50 watt basking bulb and she'll sit under it all day and a part of her body near the center of her will turn light color while the rest of her is dark, so I am worried it is too hot. All my other chams will bask and them move around. She just likes being under it and I know that they shouldn't have so much heat. Should I get the 25 watt basking bulb instead or should I just move the lamp higher so that it isn't right on top of the cage? After I shut the light off the color will go back to the color of the rest of her body, but the temp probe slightly below that area reads around 86 degrees, so I figure up there will be around 90.

 

[luevelvet]

I would swap the ZooMed bulb for a normal house bulb. Since shes basking so intensely, you run the risk of thermal burns and over exposure to UV. Also, depending on the enclosure and the cage surrounding, 50w isn't terribly powerful, so raising 4-6 inches could be a suitable remedy for the situation. Do you provide any other forms of UVB, ie a ZooMed Reptisun fluorescent bulb?

Luis

 

[cushcameleon]

90 degrees is to hot for a carpet. You want to have a basking spot around the low 80s, and carpets are also known to be avid baskers. Here is a link to one of my blog entires about how I care for my rudis and carpet https://www.chameleonforums.com/blogs/cushcameleon/150-raising-carpet-rudis-chameleons.html. The dark coloring is also normal, most of the time chameleons are not vibrant in their enclosures, they will also bask with darker colors (mine do the same thing). What are your humidity levels at? First things first, lower that basking temperature.

 

[jadeaudio]

Yes I have a 48" 5.0 Reptisun on top of three 16 x 16 x 30 cages. I have it on a rack that is 6" above the cage. Is that too far away? The basking bulb is right on top of the cage. I will move it on the rack and see how the temp changes. It's just weird because my other chams will move out of the bask. They like to go under it after misting and after they eat and such, but the carpet loves to just stay under it. When I shut off the light she goes to the very top under the Reptisun like she craves the light. She's really healthy though even though I only had her for a month so far, but she is by far the most active eater of the bunch. You throw anything in there and she attacks. Here are some pictures of the setup and of the Carpet. She's sleeping though as I just turned the light back on to take the PICs. You can see the side of her where it is lighter in color because of the basking.

 

[cushcameleon]

It's just weird because my other chams will move out of the bask. They like to go under it after misting and after they eat and such, but the carpet loves to just stay under it. QUOTE]

Ya that's normal. Like I said, carpets love to bask. My rudis rarely ever basks, but my carpet stays under his heat lamp for a majority of the day. That female is swollen, do you have a laying bin in there?

 

[jadeaudio]

Yeah she looks big. I thought the same thing. I put a pot of sand down there. She's WC. What are the odds? I bought her from Chameleon Company, but they said they have had her for 4 months

 

[Ryan Jarosek]

Yes I have a 48" 5.0 Reptisun on top of three 16 x 16 x 30 cages. I have it on a rack that is 6" above the cage. Is that too far away? The basking bulb is right on top of the cage. I will move it on the rack and see how the temp changes. It's just weird because my other chams will move out of the bask. They like to go under it after misting and after they eat and such, but the carpet loves to just stay under it. When I shut off the light she goes to the very top under the Reptisun like she craves the light. She's really healthy though even though I only had her for a month so far, but she is by far the most active eater of the bunch. You throw anything in there and she attacks. Here are some pictures of the setup and of the Carpet. She's sleeping though as I just turned the light back on to take the PICs. You can see the side of her where it is lighter in color because of the basking.

Ur UVB light is too far away. Set it directly on top of the cages. I used to have mine like yours then got my UV meeter. The screen and the metal bars on the rack will block lots of the UVB. You will have better results if you move it down.

That and that girl looks very gravid to me. Does she turn black at all? Do you have a laying bin in with her? She is not showing gravid coloration but looks fat as can be. She may have moved past the gravid stage and will start to show receptive again. Then it is possible she will start to produce a second clutch. That could be a death sentence. but ....

She may be just fat. Can you feel any eggs?


Edit I see you put a bin in./..

 

[jadeaudio]

She's never been black. It's my fault she is fat. I've been feeding her too much. She just eats so fast that I've been letting her eat too much. I've cut it down now after reading another carpet keeper feeding 2 per day. She was eating 10 a day. I'll feel her tonight to see if I can feel eggs. How often do they lay eggs? My female panther is fat too. I've had her since June and she hasn't laid any eggs yet either. Both have shed already. The Carpet shed the 2nd day I had her. Fully shed in 6 hours.

I kind of figured the UV light might be too far away. I wanted to put it on top of the cages, but the misters are in the way. I guess I will have to put them towards the middle of the cages rather than the back side or move the misters.

 

[cushcameleon]

I guess I will have to put them towards the middle of the cages rather than the back side or move the misters.

Can you post pictures of what the top of your screen looks like? IMO it is best to have the UV light lay across the tops of the cages. I have my UV lamps, heat bulbs and misters all at the top of the cage. You should be able to manuever your misters around your light structures, if there are any big holes left by you can cover them up with screen from Home Depot or Lowes (I have done it several times already).

 

[jadeaudio]

Thanks for the help. I put the 48" Reptisun 5.0 right on top of the cage. There was more room than I thought. It's a little close to the basking lights, but it should be fine.

 

[Brad Ramsey]

I would move the basking lights up to where you had the UVB tube before.
Before I read all the posts on this thread I said to myself, "the basking lights need to be where the UVB is and the UVB needs to be where the basking lights are.

-Brad

 

[jadeaudio]

I would move the basking lights up to where you had the UVB tube before.
Before I read all the posts on this thread I said to myself, "the basking lights need to be where the UVB is and the UVB needs to be where the basking lights are.

-Brad

Yes! Already did it! Even with it 6 inches away it still produces 80 to 82 degrees in the basking area where she always sits. I wouldn't know what to do without this forum! Thanks guys!

 

[cushcameleon]

Yes! Already did it! Even with it 6 inches away it still produces 80 to 82 degrees in the basking area where she always sits. I wouldn't know what to do without this forum! Thanks guys!

That's perfect. I'm glad we were able to help you out .

 

[jadeaudio]

Well guys, she started sleeping a lot during the day and stopped eating. She was dead on the ground when I came back from my labor day weekend trip. I think she was probably egg bound. Hard to say. I don't think I will do another female again. That was my 1st cham death and I only had her for a month. I just bought a Rudis to go in her cage to see if I can make another run at a Montane cham. At least this time it was only $40 compared to $100. I think next time around I will have to get a CB carpet so that I know how old it is. Having a 3 year life expectency and not knowing the true age is a tough call. The Rudis is WC also, but I was itching to get another cham to go in the cage and for the price it's worth it. The color is not so spectacular, but they are very cool looking.

 

[chameleonman57]

Sorry to hear about your lose.

 

[cushcameleon]

That is very unfortunate, sorry for your loss.

The color is not so spectacular, but they are very cool looking.

That's not entirely true. Although they do not have a big color palette as say a panther, they still can get very colorful. In the sun my rudis displays brilliantly vibrant green, yellows and blues.

 

[jadeaudio]

So Cush, I read your blog on the Montane's and wanted to know why Montane Chams do not need supplement dustings like other chams do? I really only have to dust with calcium twice a month, with D3 once a month, and Multivit once a month? How about if I never bring it outside? And since the Rudis is live bearing is there anything special I have to do for the babies? I have a feeling I have a gravid female......