MissLissa
Avid Member
So Vladislav (3 month old male F. pardalis) is eating like a pig, and since he is my first chameleon I would appreciate if someone (or several someones) would check my supplementation schedule. I have a fair bit of reptile experience but limited experience with baby chameleons and input is always appreciated!
Note: I use Exoterra stuff mostly because I can get it virtually free from work, which is both convenient (I hate going into pet stores) and cost effective. I've also used it for some time with my crocodile skinks and have been happy with it so far.
Quantity of food items is averaged; I just keep offering 2-3 items at a time until he stops eating them. Sometimes it's more, sometimes it's less. 1/4 of all items are fed from my fingers, 1/4 from a cup, and 1/2 are free-range for enrichment and exercise.
Monday: 10-15 Crickets, Exoterra Calcium (low Phos, no D3)
Tuesday: 8-10 BSFL (no supplements)
Wednesday: 1-2 Mealworms (treat), 5-8 Crickets, Exoterra Calcium
Thursday: 10-15 Crickets, Exoterra Multivitamin (Vit A from beta carotene- I'm not sold on preformed Vitamin A, to tell you the truth) mixed half-and-half with calcium
Friday: 10-15 Crickets, Exoterra Calcium
Saturday: 8-10 BSFL (no supplements)
Sunday: 10-15 Crickets, Exoterra Calcium
1st and 15th of every month: Exoterra Calcium WITH D3 (no Phos)
Lighting: ReptiGlo 5.0 UVB, 2.5 months old, 12 hour cycle
Temps: Low is 75F, highest is 83F under his basking light. Night time temp is 75-77F. Measured with digital probe.
Humidity: 60-65%, spiking to 70% after misting (2x a day). Measured with digital probe.
Hydration: Misting 2x a day (rarely drinks), water dripped from syringe 2x a day (LOVES this), dripper on 2x a day for 15-20 minutes (sometimes drinks). Live and artificial plants to drink from (prefers live).
Gutload: Flukers Orange Cubes (not really eaten, they don't like it), Flukers Hi-Cal Cricket Diet, Troutfeed, dust from Lab Rat chow, veggies (carrots, steamed sweet potato, sweet peppers, various other high-vitA veggies as available at local farmers market). All feeder insects so far are bred by me
I also have silkworm eggs on order; the local worms I can find are far too large, so I'm going to try and hatch my own. I plan on offering them once a week, to replace the BSFL on Tuesdays.
Thoughts? The breeder recommended skipping a day of feeding once a week, but Vladislav is hungry ALL THE TIME and I am terrible at withstanding puppydog eyes (or chameleon eyes, as the case may be). Is this usual practice with baby chams?
Here he is, hunting a cricket:
Note: I use Exoterra stuff mostly because I can get it virtually free from work, which is both convenient (I hate going into pet stores) and cost effective. I've also used it for some time with my crocodile skinks and have been happy with it so far.
Quantity of food items is averaged; I just keep offering 2-3 items at a time until he stops eating them. Sometimes it's more, sometimes it's less. 1/4 of all items are fed from my fingers, 1/4 from a cup, and 1/2 are free-range for enrichment and exercise.
Monday: 10-15 Crickets, Exoterra Calcium (low Phos, no D3)
Tuesday: 8-10 BSFL (no supplements)
Wednesday: 1-2 Mealworms (treat), 5-8 Crickets, Exoterra Calcium
Thursday: 10-15 Crickets, Exoterra Multivitamin (Vit A from beta carotene- I'm not sold on preformed Vitamin A, to tell you the truth) mixed half-and-half with calcium
Friday: 10-15 Crickets, Exoterra Calcium
Saturday: 8-10 BSFL (no supplements)
Sunday: 10-15 Crickets, Exoterra Calcium
1st and 15th of every month: Exoterra Calcium WITH D3 (no Phos)
Lighting: ReptiGlo 5.0 UVB, 2.5 months old, 12 hour cycle
Temps: Low is 75F, highest is 83F under his basking light. Night time temp is 75-77F. Measured with digital probe.
Humidity: 60-65%, spiking to 70% after misting (2x a day). Measured with digital probe.
Hydration: Misting 2x a day (rarely drinks), water dripped from syringe 2x a day (LOVES this), dripper on 2x a day for 15-20 minutes (sometimes drinks). Live and artificial plants to drink from (prefers live).
Gutload: Flukers Orange Cubes (not really eaten, they don't like it), Flukers Hi-Cal Cricket Diet, Troutfeed, dust from Lab Rat chow, veggies (carrots, steamed sweet potato, sweet peppers, various other high-vitA veggies as available at local farmers market). All feeder insects so far are bred by me
I also have silkworm eggs on order; the local worms I can find are far too large, so I'm going to try and hatch my own. I plan on offering them once a week, to replace the BSFL on Tuesdays.
Thoughts? The breeder recommended skipping a day of feeding once a week, but Vladislav is hungry ALL THE TIME and I am terrible at withstanding puppydog eyes (or chameleon eyes, as the case may be). Is this usual practice with baby chams?
Here he is, hunting a cricket:
