cham cage advice

[shortyuk]

hi i have just finished a viv for my veiled that i adopted from my niece. when i got him he was in a small all glass exo terra viv, and after reading the forums i went for this, im particularly interested in any expert knowlege on lighting , as i dont have a fluro tube added at the moment as i have a 125w solar glow light ( heat + uva ,uvb) at the top, the basking area is 100f, is this sufficient?, as im frightened to overexpose him to uv rays by adding a tube. i also have a moonlight bulb in the other lamp for mood lighting at night, and to keep temps up in winter, although im leaving nothing on at nights just now as its summer. i have placed a feeding bowl half way down as he is used to a much smaller viv, and i have just ordered a dripper system, im misting 2 times a day for now. this is day 1 in the new viv and to be honest he looks a little pissed off and is just hiding , coming out only to feed, any advice would be great thanks

http://i295.photobucket.com/albums/mm144/shortyuk1969/DSCN0915.jpg

http://i295.photobucket.com/albums/mm144/shortyuk1969/DSCN0916.jpg

 

[Tygerr]

i dont have a fluro tube added at the moment as i have a 125w solar glow light ( heat + uva ,uvb) at the top, the basking area is 100f, is this sufficient?, as im frightened to overexpose him to uv rays by adding a tube.

You need to get a good UVB flourescent bulb up there as soon as possible. You're making a grave mistake worrying about overexposure, rather than underexposure. Overexposure to UV is in fact rarely ever a problem when using the correct bulbs. However, underexposure is almost ALWAYS a serious problem and will lead to your chameleon developing MBD over time.
Chameleons need exposure to UVB light in order to synthesise vitamin D in their skin, which in turn is needed to absorb calcium from their bloodstream. Without a UVB source, the consequent lack of vit. D will cause the chameleon to leech calcium from it's bones, ultimately resulting in a weakened skeletal structure that culminates in fractures and deformities and ultimately death.
So go get a good UVB flourescent tube bulb like a Zoomed Reptisun 5.0. Even a 10.0 would probably be okay in one of those darker mesh enclosures.
The recent posts on this forum about UVB overexposure causing conjunctivitis in chams have been due to the 'compact' coiled flourescents that have recently come onto the market, NOT the tube type bulbs. The UV flourescent bulbs are safe for chams, and in fact are absolutely essential to maintaining the good health of your chameleon.

i also have a moonlight bulb in the other lamp for mood lighting at night

The moonlight bulb is unnecessary and should be removed. Chameleons prefer total darkness at night. The moonlight bulb will probably just disturb the cham, and besides that, it doesn't generate much heat efficiently to be used for winter heating. If you are having problems with nighttime temps in winter, I suggest heating the room in which he is kept in general (with a heater/radiator) rather than direct heat in the cage. However these new lightless heat sources that Dave pointed out seem like an interesting option: https://www.chameleonforums.com/lightless-infrared-heat-projector-12822/

Other than that, your new cage looks good. You might want to replace that analogue thermometer/hygrometer you've got in there with a digital one. The digital ones often cost less than those reptile-branded analogue ones, but are far more accurate and consistent.
As a final suggestion, it never hurts to have as many live plants in there as possible, and it is recommended not to use fake ones for Veileds since they like to nibble on the plants in their enclosures.

Have you visited this site: Successful Keeping of Veiled Chameleons? It has some great husbandry advice for Veiled chams.

 

[AndrewH]

along with the things tygerr mentioned, i think your new setup looks great!

im sure he'll be real happy. Honestly I wouldn't worry about him looking pissy, most veilds look that way regardless. nice job

 

[Kat77]

I'm sorry, I don't know if I just missed someone else saying this, but 100 DEGREES in the basking site???! NO NO! Sorry to sound urgent, but you urgently need to take that down about 10 degrees, maybe more if you have a juvinile. A veiled should not have a 100 degree basking spot, that is way way too hot. It should be between 85 and 90. That could also be why he looks pissed.

Otherwise Tygerr covered it!

 

[AndrewH]

I'm sorry, I don't know if I just missed someone else saying this, but 100 DEGREES in the basking site???! NO NO! Sorry to sound urgent, but you urgently need to take that down about 10 degrees, maybe more if you have a juvinile. A veiled should not have a 100 degree basking spot, that is way way too hot. It should be between 85 and 90. That could also be why he looks pissed.

Otherwise Tygerr covered it!

Good call, another reason other than burns, is that too high of a heat index could cause brain damage. Don't wanna cook his noodle.

 

[Kat77]

Good call, another reason other than burns, is that too high of a heat index could cause brain damage. Don't wanna cook his noodle.

Oooh, cooking his noodle could definitely have adverse effects on his happiness level...

 

[JoshCrane1]

Oooh, cooking his noodle could definitely have adverse effects on his happiness level...

I WORK next to a mentally challenged daycare, their noodles are cooked persay, but they still seem happy as peaches.lol

 

[Kat77]

Well, in any case, it wouldn't be good for his health!