Cassius!

[scut]

I'm sure it has been asked before, but my veiled just doesn't take much of an interest in water. I spray his cage probably 3+ times a day, until the leaves are dripping, but he doesn't really care. I can get him to eat carrots and lettuce occasionally, and I put a new hibiscus plant in his cage for him to munch on if he wants. He is healthy and active, so should I be too concerned? I've had him for around 4 months, with no problems.

Here are some pics of Cassius and his homemade enclosure:




This is more recent, you can see stripes coming


Here is the enclosure with the hibiscus! If you look very closely in the upper left hand corner of the cage you can see him.

 

[jannb]

He's a cute little guy. Do you have a UVB light for him? I didn't see one in the picture. What's the red light? Set up a drip cup for him. I hang a vine under the drip cup and the chams will usually drink from the vine.

 

[scut]

yeah the uvb is the one on the right, its a reptiglo 5.0 compact one- so it's in bulb form rather than tube form. the red light is infrared heat lamp but i have an adjustable dimmer on it so the temps don't get above mid 90, and he really likes sitting under it.

 

[cushcameleon]

Do you have a UVB light for him? I didn't see one in the picture. What's the red light?

I believe the white bulb is as compact UVB bulb and the red light is being used as a heat lamp. I recommend you change your bulbs Scut. My chameleons are also shy drinkers, but since their healthy and have white urates, obvioulsy they must be drinking when I am not looking. Chameleons dehydrate fast, so if your chameleon really wasn't drinking, I am pretty sure you would be able to notice a difference in it's appearance/health (at least I was able to with my rudis when I first got him).

 

[scut]

I believe the white bulb is as compact UVB bulb and the red light is being used as a heat lamp. I recommend you change your bulbs Scut. My chameleons are also shy drinkers, but since their healthy and have white urates, obvioulsy they must be drinking when I am not looking. Chameleons dehydrate fast, so if your chameleon really wasn't drinking, I am pretty sure you would be able to notice a difference in it's appearance/health.

I understand changing the red light, I have to lower the lamp though because I tested it with a "neodymium basking spot lamp" and it is not close enough to heat it above 80 or so. is there a problem with the uvb light?

 

[jannb]

yeah the uvb is the one on the right, its a reptiglo 5.0 compact one- so it's in bulb form rather than tube form. the red light is infrared heat lamp but i have an adjustable dimmer on it so the temps don't get above mid 90, and he really likes sitting under it.

Get rid of that compact bulb. It will damage your little guys eyes. You need the long tube style bulb. The Reptisun 5.0 it the best one to get and lllreptile.com is the best place to buy it......best price that I've found. You also need to keep his basking temps a little lower........mid to high 80's.
What are you using to gutload his feeders? What supplements are you using?

 

[sandrachameleon]

I believe the white bulb is as compact UVB bulb and the red light is being used as a heat lamp. I recommend you change your bulbs Scut. My chameleons are also shy drinkers, but since their healthy and have white urates, obvioulsy they must be drinking when I am not looking. Chameleons dehydrate fast, so if your chameleon really wasn't drinking, I am pretty sure you would be able to notice a difference in it's appearance/health.

I recommend changing your bulbs also. The compact UVB bulbs have caused problems in the past, and are not yet considered /proven safe. Its a difference in the manufacturing - they are Not the same as the tubes. For more info: http://www.uvguide.co.uk/phototherapyphosphor.htm
and a couple other threads on the topic: https://www.chameleonforums.com/compact-uv-18803/
https://www.chameleonforums.com/compact-flourescent-bulb-just-20305/
https://www.chameleonforums.com/blogs/sandrachameleon/98-uvb.html

I wouldnt say everyone would notice if a chameleon was dehydrated, unfortunately. But it is entirely possible it is drinking when you are not around. Thus Jannb's suggestion to add a dripper is a very good one. My chameleons drink almost exclusively from drippers.

 

[cushcameleon]

Scut there is plenty of info in the forum on the dangers of compact bulbs. They do serious damage to chameleons eyes overtime. They make the chameleon snowblind, which is a temporary blindness. However, if not removed overtime, the chameleon will not be able regain its eyesight and will not drink or eat, which eventually leads to death. I know this from first-hand experience. I purchased a veiled chameleon from a pet store that was blinded by her compact UVB bulb. I placed her in a much more suitable cage with the proper type of lighting, however the damage she received was far to severe and she died within less the 48 hours. I really do think you should get a UVB tube for your cham.

 

[scut]

Scut there is plenty of info in the forum on the dangers of compact bulbs. They do serious damage to chameleons eyes overtime. They make the chameleon snowblind, which is a temporary blindness. However, if not removed overtime, the chameleon will not be able regain its eyesight and will not drink or eat, which eventually leads to death. I know this from first-hand experience. I purchased a veiled chameleon from a pet store that was blinded by her compact UVB bulb. I placed her in a much more suitable cage with the proper type of lighting, however the damage she received was far to severe and she died within less the 48 hours. I really do think you should get a UVB tube for your cham.

Ok I just checked and found a Repti Glo 5.0 tube I had as a backup for my ball python. I can install this one- it has lower ratings than the compacts for visual output. I realize it may not be the very best, but it is better.

According to the research, If I switch to a porcelain dome, the bulb will be much safer (about 1/5 of current UV index). However, the research there only shows 10.0 bulbs, and the case studies with the chameleons were also 10.0 bulbs at about 6 inches. My bulb is a 5.0 at 12 inches, so I'm not sure how much that changes things.

Anyway, I think I will look into a new dome and that should help a whole lot. Since I have seen no damage and he only goes to sit under the light about 2x a day (late morning and evening) I think this will be a more economical solution. I'm not denying your advice- I looked into the research, and thank you very much for providing it.

Now what about the heating? is the neodymium light OK?

 

[RSGriff]

if you recently purchased it from a pet store, return it and explain your reasoning

 

[sandrachameleon]

Ok I just checked and found a Repti Glo 5.0 tube I had as a backup for my ball python.

That will work fine. This is what I've historically used the most. I dont have a heavy screen mesh between the chameleon and the tube, but even if you do the ReptiGlo tube is safer than the CFL. Supplement with D3 now and then to be sure.

For heat, I use a regular incandescent tungsten bulb. The type that used to be normal. 40Watt is good enough for my cages, as the ambient temp of the room is quite warm currently.

The CFL might be okay to use on an animal that is a further distance from the bulb, and is exposed less to the UVB, such as something that burrows.

 

[scut]

That will work fine. This is what I've historically used the most. I dont have a heavy screen mesh between the chameleon and the tube, but even if you do the ReptiGlo tube is safer than the CFL. Supplement with D3 now and then to be sure.

For heat, I use a regular incandescent tungsten bulb. The type that used to be normal. 40Watt is good enough for my cages, as the ambient temp of the room is quite warm currently.

The CFL might be okay to use on an animal that is a further distance from the bulb, and is exposed less to the UVB, such as something that burrows.

I think before I try that I will try using the porcelain dome- it cuts the output by like 1/5 (I edited my earlier post with the other info)

 

[RSGriff]

is it really worth the risk when you already have the other light available?

 

[cushcameleon]

I'm confused? Are you going to use the tube or the compact? If your going to use the compact, know that it does have side effects, so be sure to monitor your chameleon for symptoms of negative compact exposure. I know you said you already did your research, but just to make sure you didn't miss anything the symptoms of negative compact exposure are excessive blinking, lethargy, dehydration, anorexia and closed eyes. The decision is of course up to you, I am just giving you some advice since I have had first-hand experience with the negatives of coil bulbs.

 

[scut]

I'm confused? Are you going to use the tube or the compact? If your going to use the compact, know that it does have side effects, so be sure to monitor your chameleon for symptoms of negative compact exposure. I know you said you already did your research, but just to make sure you didn't miss anything the symptoms of negative compact exposure are excessive blinking, lethargy, dehydration, anorexia and closed eyes. The decision is of course up to you, I am just giving you some advice since I have had first-hand experience with the negatives of coil bulbs.

I understand the risks now, and since I know the side effects I can tell what to watch out for. He isn't exhibiting any of the symptoms yet, and as far as I can tell, the porcelain lamp will decrease the chance greatly. I'm going to go with the compact and if i see any difference at all, I'll switch to the tube. Probably I'm going to use the compact until it is time to change it and then switch to the tube.
Thanks for your concern and advice!

 

[jannb]

By the time you see a difference, it might be to late. I would get a tube uvb right away.

 

[chequepoint]

I don't pretend to be an expert in UVB lighting and Reptiles, but my basic understanding of it is this.

The danger in the compact lights lies not only in the intensity, but more importantly the balance of the spectrum. Obviously natural sunlight is probably more intense overall, but its in proper balance. Something in the phosphors + the emission pattern of the spiral compacts outputs a particular band of UVB that is just out of balance and creates these problems. UVB is a spectrum range of Ultra Violet Light, from 320-280nm.
If I had to venture a guess, I'd say the spirals put out too much of the upper end of the spectrum, perhaps even with some UVC output? I don't know.. not my field of study.

Chameleons are extra delicate.. so they are more prone to issues like this.

 

[cushcameleon]

I don't pretend to be an expert in UVB lighting and Reptiles, but my basic understanding of it is this.

The danger in the compact lights lies not only in the intensity, but more importantly the balance of the spectrum. Obviously natural sunlight is probably more intense overall, but its in proper balance. Something in the phosphors + the emission pattern of the spiral compacts outputs a particular band of UVB that is just out of balance and creates these problems. UVB is a spectrum range of Ultra Violet Light, from 320-280nm.
If I had to venture a guess, I'd say the spirals put out too much of the upper end of the spectrum, perhaps even with some UVC output? I don't know.. not my field of study.

Chameleons are extra delicate.. so they are more prone to issues like this.

To further strengthen cheque's argument, all you have to do is stare into a compact bulb for a couple seconds and you will feel the pain in your own eyes and you will also see spots in your vision for several minutes. After that, stare into a 5.0 fluorescent tube and you will notice that your eyes feel no pain nor will there be any remaining spots in your vision. The coil bulbs are simply too powerful and out of whack.

 

[Myerz77]

I mist the plants a little then lightly mist my chameleon, then i wait a few seconds till he licks his lips, and mist him straight on the head very lightly, he won't drink from leaves but will drink from the misting. Then i wait about 30 seconds and lightly mist again, it really works well. He will drink till he's not thirsty "and my arms are tired". Until i get a misting system atleast i know he's drinking, i don't feel comfortable assuming he drank from the dripper when i was gone.