Chameleon is constantly dark green

[Crabby]

My chameleon is constantly dark green in his enclosure, only when feeding him or taking him out to check for crickets will he then turn a lighter green. He also appears to be closing 1 eye sometimes but not permanently shutting it.

He is a baby chameleon and I have had him for just over 1 week.

Heating: near his light is around 27.degrees Celsius or 80 in farrenheight.

Misting: 3 to 4 times a day

Supplements: calciumPro mixed with half a bag of earth pro-A this was given to me by the owner and its what they used

Food: mainly crickets and locust

Can somebody help me as I don't want him to be stressed any longer if that's the case and any ideas how I can help him please

 

[PoseidonTheChameleon]

Picture please

 

[Crabby]

 

[Crabby]

Picture please

he is also pied

 

[PoseidonTheChameleon]

He looks like hes shedding but it's not a very clear picture, so he could just be dark because of that but we should go through your husbandry. Please fill this out with detail

Chameleon Info:

• Your Chameleon - The species, sex, and age of your chameleon. How long has it been in your care?
• Handling - How often do you handle your chameleon?
• Feeding - What are you feeding your cham? What amount? What is the schedule? How are you gut-loading your feeders?
• Supplements - What brand and type of calcium and vitamin products are you dusting your feeders with and what is the schedule?
• Watering - What kind of watering technique do you use? How often and how long to you mist? Do you see your chameleon drinking?
• Fecal Description - Briefly note colors and consistency from recent droppings. Has this chameleon ever been tested for parasites?
• History - Any previous information about your cham that might be useful to others when trying to help you.

Cage Info:

• Cage Type - Describe your cage (Glass, Screen, Combo?) What are the dimensions?
• Lighting - What brand, model, and types of lighting are you using? What is your daily lighting schedule?
• Temperature - What temp range have you created (cage floor to basking spot)? Lowest overnight temp? How do you measure these temps?
• Humidity - What are your humidity levels? How are you creating and maintaining these levels? What do you use to measure humidity?
• Plants - Are you using live plants? If so, what kind?
• Placement - Where is your cage located? Is it near any fans, air vents, or high traffic areas? At what height is the top of the cage relative to your room floor?
• Location - Where are you geographically located?

Current Problem - The current problem you are concerned about.

--------------

Please Note:

1. The more details you provide the better and more accurate help you will receive.
2. Photos can be very helpful.

 

[PoseidonTheChameleon]

Also clear picture of your enclosure from lights down please

 

[Flick boy]

Hi ya I don't know why the supplements would be mixed you would think if that was the case way would arcadia make 2 instead of 1 (not saying its wrong ) but why. This is what I use in the way arcadia says to use it. But if you can fill out the husbandry form the good people on here will help you

 

[Crabby]

Chameleon Info:

• Your Chameleon - pied veiled chameleon, maybe a few weeks to a month old and I have been caring for it for little over 1 week now. its not shedding its pied so it has white spots and pink spots

• Handling - not handling often as I have just gotten him but he seems to go a lighter shade of green when I have taken him out for a few seconds while cleaning his tank.
• Feeding - currently feeding it crickets and locusts and he will eat around 6 or 8 a day I feed him when I get home from work around 6 o'clock in the evening and maybe feed him 2 if I have time when I have a break at work around 12:00 in the morning. feeding my insect's squash and peppers atm

• Supplements - every day I dust my insects that I am feeding the chem with calciumPro mixed with half a bag of earth pro-A this was given to me by the owner and its what they used
• Watering - spray bottle but I do have a dripper now and I'm setting that up too, I mist my enclosure 3 to 4 times a day. and I have seen him drinking from the leaves 1 time.
• Fecal Description - he is captive bread and I haven't seen his fecal matter yet.
• History - got him from a good pet store and not a breeder

Cage Info:

• Cage Type - I do currently have him in a smaller glass tank with a screen roof and that is 18x18x18 or 46x46x46 in cm and I have a larger full mech enclosure to put him in when he is bigger which is 24x24x47 i think and in cm is 60x60x120
• Lighting - using a 6.0% UVB strip about 60cm long and I leave it on from 8 in the morning till 11 at night
• Temperature - near his heat lamp it is usually around 27.1 celsius and further away closer to the floor and front of his tank it's about 26 celsius and the temps stay steady like this through the night too maybe only dropping by 1 celsius and I use a 2 in 1 thermometer and hydrometer.
• Humidity - humidity level range from 50% closer to heat lamp and in the lower 60s closer to the ground and I'm using live plants to keep the humidity up and I'm using a 2 in 1 thermometer and hydrometer to see temp and humidity
• Plants - devils ivy i think it is called and the other 2 plants he didn't name but gave me them to put in his tank
• Placement - he is close to my window but we live in a quiet area, he is behind me, and my dest about 2 feet away from me and my computer, he is elevated on my draws and is close to my radiator which is also next to the wall, although this is the only place I can have him and temps don't go too high but for my other reptile they do that is why he is there.
• Location
• i live in the UK

 

[Crabby]

Hi ya I don't know why the supplements would be mixed you would think if that was the case way would arcadia make 2 instead of 1 (not saying its wrong ) but why. This is what I use in the way arcadia says to use it. But if you can fill out the husbandry form the good people on here will help you

he told me to mix one with the other at the pet store. he said only mix half of the calcium pro A bag with the full amount of the other bag

 

[Crabby]

 

[Flick boy]

Yeah ok I will tag another member who has experience with a pied veil. Ps if I a had pound for everything the petshop told me that was rubbish I would have lots of pounds. @Beman

 

[Crabby]

He looks like hes shedding but it's not a very clear picture, so he could just be dark because of that but we should go through your husbandry. Please fill this out with detail

Chameleon Info:

• Your Chameleon - The species, sex, and age of your chameleon. How long has it been in your care?
• Handling - How often do you handle your chameleon?
• Feeding - What are you feeding your cham? What amount? What is the schedule? How are you gut-loading your feeders?
• Supplements - What brand and type of calcium and vitamin products are you dusting your feeders with and what is the schedule?
• Watering - What kind of watering technique do you use? How often and how long to you mist? Do you see your chameleon drinking?
• Fecal Description - Briefly note colors and consistency from recent droppings. Has this chameleon ever been tested for parasites?
• History - Any previous information about your cham that might be useful to others when trying to help you.

Cage Info:

• Cage Type - Describe your cage (Glass, Screen, Combo?) What are the dimensions?
• Lighting - What brand, model, and types of lighting are you using? What is your daily lighting schedule?
• Temperature - What temp range have you created (cage floor to basking spot)? Lowest overnight temp? How do you measure these temps?
• Humidity - What are your humidity levels? How are you creating and maintaining these levels? What do you use to measure humidity?
• Plants - Are you using live plants? If so, what kind?
• Placement - Where is your cage located? Is it near any fans, air vents, or high traffic areas? At what height is the top of the cage relative to your room floor?
• Location - Where are you geographically located?

Current Problem - The current problem you are concerned about.

--------------

Please Note:

1. The more details you provide the better and more accurate help you will receive.
2. Photos can be very helpful.

 

[Beman]

He is a handsome boy. Can you take a picture of the entire enclosure lights down. I want to be able to see it all.

 

[Crabby]

Yeah ok I will tag another member who has experience with a pied veil. Ps if I a had pound for everything the petshop told me that was rubbish I would have lots of pounds. @Beman

cheers pal, I took his information as I just wanted what was best for him, I have experience with reptiles but this guy has been keeping my stress level quite high an especially since he has always been my dream animal since I was a kid

 

[Beman]

So your going to want to pull all the fake plants that you have in there. Live only for Veileds since they eat their plants.

You need to lift the UVB off the top of the enclosure 4 inches then the closest basking branch should be 5 inches below the screen top. This will get the right UVB level at the branch below it. Right now it is too close to baby. Too high of a UVI level.

The colors are normal for a baby... Lighter tends to mean stress or even they are warm and cooling down.

You want to mist heavily in the morning and the evening when the cage is cooler.... Then provide a dripper for mid day. 30-50% humidity during the day.

Lights should be on for 12 hours and off a full 12 hours.

If possible he should be fed in the mornings so he has the day to digest.

 

[Flick boy]

I completely understand and know where you are coming from. You have come to the right place. There are some great places to get info from . Chameleon academy. You tube channel Neptune the chameleon

 

[Crabby]

I also have this tank, I'm not sure if I should put him in there, it can be alot of traveling to get up and down it for the little guy and seems as I only have a few live plants he won't have much foliage, also I will be removing the carpet as I have herd it has bacterial problems, so I need to think of another way to help the sticks stand up

 

[Crabby]

So your going to want to pull all the fake plants that you have in there. Live only for Veileds since they eat their plants.

You need to lift the UVB off the top of the enclosure 4 inches then the closest basking branch should be 5 inches below the screen top. This will get the right UVB level at the branch below it. Right now it is too close to baby. Too high of a UVI level.

The colors are normal for a baby... Lighter tends to mean stress or even they are warm and cooling down.

You want to mist heavily in the morning and the evening when the cage is cooler.... Then provide a dripper for mid day. 30-50% humidity during the day.

Lights should be on for 12 hours and off a full 12 hours.

If possible he should be fed in the mornings so he has the day to digest.

i have moved the branch down 5 inches but now need to figure how to move the ubv up 4 inches, ill wake up earlier to feed him a

 

[PoseidonTheChameleon]

Well Beman pretty much covered everything lol, your cham and enclosure looks great though.

 

[Beman]

I also have this tank, I'm not sure if I should put him in there, it can be alot of traveling to get up and down it for the little guy and seems as I only have a few live plants he won't have much foliage, also I will be removing the carpet as I have herd it has bacterial problems, so I need to think of another way to help the sticks stand up
View attachment 285584

You can use zip ties to hook sticks... It has more airflow which is better especially for someone that is newer to chameleons. This husbandry program would really help you. https://chameleonacademy.com/chameleon-husbandry-program-getting-started-with-chameleons/

And baby would do just fine in this set up as well. Size is not an issue when you set up all elements correctly. But UVB would be the same lifted 4 inches off the top and then a 5 inch drop from the screen to the closest branch. Because you do not want him screen climbing the top and getting too close. Same with the basking fixture. Thermal burns can happen easily when a baby is able to get too close.