Hi everyone,
I have recently posted here regarding my newly bought cham. Here are the details(updated):
Cage Info:
Cage Type -
Full screen mesh type 45cm width x 45cm depth x 89cm height. 1 side is clear plastic that continues until the bottom. 3 sides are open mesh type.
Lighting - What brand, model, and types of lighting are you using? What is your daily lighting schedule?
Lights are on from 8am to 7pm.
UVB: reptisun 10.0, 13 watt desert mini compact fluorescent item #FS-C10ME
100 watt repti basking spot lamp item#SL-100J
I have both this under a mini deep dome lamp fixture by zoo med Item#LF-19(I think)
Temperature - What temp range have you created (cage floor to basking spot)? Lowest overnight temp? How do you measure these temps?
I have a temp gun, a temp/hygro meter by exo terra and an Exo Terra Timer Thermostat RTT-1.
Basking area registers around 75-90F( i have adjusted the height and provided more fake vines for shade in this area)
Shaded half of the enclosure is around 70-75F
Lowest temp at night is around 68F
Humidity - What are your humidity levels? How are you creating and maintaining these levels? What do you use to measure humidity?
It was measuring around 50-60% during the day but I have to make sure again tomorrow.
I used a dripper which I just improvised with an old broken cup that drips when there is a lot of water and a paper cup bowl on top that has a toothpick size hole. It works like a stopper for the water so it does not drip continuously. Based on my observation, the water will run out in an hour or so.
I have a normal house humidifier that I can use but it does not have a timer. Any suggestions on what equipment I can buy to have a better regulator?
I want to follow per the instruction here to keep the humidity at 70%.
Update: I now have a dripper that lasts for at least half a day. How a managed this is I have a 500ml plastic bottle with a hole below that slowly drips. I refill it every morning with tap water that I have filtered( I personally drink this too) that I have sit still for at least a day.
I also have humidifier with the following schedule: 20 minutes in the morning followed by 5 minutes after 3 hours then another 5 minutes after 3 hours followed by 10 minutes after 2 hours and then a last 20 minutes before closing the lights.
Overall estimate is around 55%-80+% humidity for the whole day.
Plants - Are you using live plants? If so, what kind?
I have 1 live plant, which I don't know the name, I just bought it due to it had a long trunk and lots of leaves on top. I also bought an exo terra large vine, 2 long plastic vines and one plastic leaf stick with lots of leaves.
I plan to change over to dracaena fragrans over the weekend or sooner when I have time as all the plant shops close at 7pm here.
Update: I changed over to a ficus benjamina which is around 66cm and added a lot of fake pothos type vines around the cage so he can roam around.
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?
Bedroom, low traffic except at night when I get back home, no fans or airvents unless, only air conditioner, I open a window when I am out and close when I get back. The cage is at the floor at this moment until I can get the steel frame that I bought. Hopefully I can get it on this weekend. I plan to raise the cage to at least eye level which is around 5ft. Is this OK?
Update: Steel frame arriving today and will adjust the cage height when I have it setup.
Location - Where are you geographically located?
Northern Hemisphere where we experience 4 seasons
Chameleon Info:
Your Chameleon - The species, sex, and age of your chameleon. How long has it been in your care?
Flap necked cham, unknown, the breeder informed me that it was only a month old so they do not know yet. I will try to check and respond here when I find out. I have had him/her for 3 days now.
Update: I went to the vet for a check and he told me that my cham is a Crested Chameleon (Chamaeleo cristatus). Did not get to ask him about the gender.
Handling - How often do you handle your chameleon?
Only handled him/her a couples of times now when I let her out of the container and placed him/her on the cage. I also tried to hand feed her to see if she will do it.
Feeding - What are you feeding your cham? What amount? What is the schedule? How are you gut-loading your feeders?
I only have crickets for now which the breeder gave me for free. I fed the crickets an apple the first night before trying to feed him/her, and now I have a carrot in there. I don't have much, about more than 20pcs.
I am very open to what else I can feed my cham. Advises would be very welcome.
Supplements - What brand and type of calcium and vitamin products are you dusting your feeders with and what is the schedule?
I only have Repti Calcium without D3. I dust the crickets with this. Any advice for any other vitamins that I would need?
Update:
I bought the following over the weekend:
Gex PT1855 calcium with D3
Gex PT1860 multivitamins
I have not used them yet and will probably do so at end of the month just to make sure. I was not able to ask the breeder from where I bought him if they have done it within the month so Im not sure.
Watering - What kind of watering technique do you use? How often and how long to you mist? Do you see your chameleon drinking?
I used a dripper worth about a cup which lasted an hour or so. I will add the humidifier from tomorrow.
I saw him/her drink yesterday and today but not sure on how much. I don't stare at him/her, I feel like he/she gets stressed when I am around.
Update: I changed over to a plastic water bottle 500ml with a small hole to regulate the dripping. It lasts for almost the whole day.
Fecal Description - Briefly note colors and consistency from recent droppings.
I have not seen any poo.
Update: She pooed before I went to the vet so I had it examined by the vet and he told me that there are no parasites and he should be healthy.
Has this chameleon ever been tested for parasites?
No.
Update: Feces check negated any parasites.
History - Any previous information about your cham that might be useful to others when trying to help you.
No issues that I know of.
Current Problem -
I caught him with his eyes closed during the day. The vet told me that the light maybe too strong for him so I adjusted the height of the light and put it way up so it doesn't burn him or hurt his eyes. I also put in a shade for half of the cage to help have him a cooler part of the cage.
After this, I still caught him with his eyes closed under a shade. I thing that I would like to point out though is that when I look at him for a while I guess he notices because he opens his eyes right away. Do you think he is sleeping or just resting? And if his eyes are closed, is it automatic that he is sleeping? What do you think?
The vet told me that he looked healthy and he could not see any issues aside from the too bright light.
Aside, earlier today though when I checked on him, I caught him pooping and saw some red spots on his urates. I am not sure of this but I will try to take photo later when I get back and post it here.
Update: So I got back and checked the urate that I saw earlier and saw that it was orange spots, not red so I guess he was not able to get a lot to drink. I couldn't get the picture as it was already really dry when I got back and when I picked it up with a wet tissue, it kind of dissolved.
Thanks
I have recently posted here regarding my newly bought cham. Here are the details(updated):
Cage Info:
Cage Type -
Full screen mesh type 45cm width x 45cm depth x 89cm height. 1 side is clear plastic that continues until the bottom. 3 sides are open mesh type.
Lighting - What brand, model, and types of lighting are you using? What is your daily lighting schedule?
Lights are on from 8am to 7pm.
UVB: reptisun 10.0, 13 watt desert mini compact fluorescent item #FS-C10ME
100 watt repti basking spot lamp item#SL-100J
I have both this under a mini deep dome lamp fixture by zoo med Item#LF-19(I think)
Temperature - What temp range have you created (cage floor to basking spot)? Lowest overnight temp? How do you measure these temps?
I have a temp gun, a temp/hygro meter by exo terra and an Exo Terra Timer Thermostat RTT-1.
Basking area registers around 75-90F( i have adjusted the height and provided more fake vines for shade in this area)
Shaded half of the enclosure is around 70-75F
Lowest temp at night is around 68F
Humidity - What are your humidity levels? How are you creating and maintaining these levels? What do you use to measure humidity?
It was measuring around 50-60% during the day but I have to make sure again tomorrow.
I used a dripper which I just improvised with an old broken cup that drips when there is a lot of water and a paper cup bowl on top that has a toothpick size hole. It works like a stopper for the water so it does not drip continuously. Based on my observation, the water will run out in an hour or so.
I have a normal house humidifier that I can use but it does not have a timer. Any suggestions on what equipment I can buy to have a better regulator?
I want to follow per the instruction here to keep the humidity at 70%.
Update: I now have a dripper that lasts for at least half a day. How a managed this is I have a 500ml plastic bottle with a hole below that slowly drips. I refill it every morning with tap water that I have filtered( I personally drink this too) that I have sit still for at least a day.
I also have humidifier with the following schedule: 20 minutes in the morning followed by 5 minutes after 3 hours then another 5 minutes after 3 hours followed by 10 minutes after 2 hours and then a last 20 minutes before closing the lights.
Overall estimate is around 55%-80+% humidity for the whole day.
Plants - Are you using live plants? If so, what kind?
I have 1 live plant, which I don't know the name, I just bought it due to it had a long trunk and lots of leaves on top. I also bought an exo terra large vine, 2 long plastic vines and one plastic leaf stick with lots of leaves.
I plan to change over to dracaena fragrans over the weekend or sooner when I have time as all the plant shops close at 7pm here.
Update: I changed over to a ficus benjamina which is around 66cm and added a lot of fake pothos type vines around the cage so he can roam around.
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?
Bedroom, low traffic except at night when I get back home, no fans or airvents unless, only air conditioner, I open a window when I am out and close when I get back. The cage is at the floor at this moment until I can get the steel frame that I bought. Hopefully I can get it on this weekend. I plan to raise the cage to at least eye level which is around 5ft. Is this OK?
Update: Steel frame arriving today and will adjust the cage height when I have it setup.
Location - Where are you geographically located?
Northern Hemisphere where we experience 4 seasons
Chameleon Info:
Your Chameleon - The species, sex, and age of your chameleon. How long has it been in your care?
Flap necked cham, unknown, the breeder informed me that it was only a month old so they do not know yet. I will try to check and respond here when I find out. I have had him/her for 3 days now.
Update: I went to the vet for a check and he told me that my cham is a Crested Chameleon (Chamaeleo cristatus). Did not get to ask him about the gender.
Handling - How often do you handle your chameleon?
Only handled him/her a couples of times now when I let her out of the container and placed him/her on the cage. I also tried to hand feed her to see if she will do it.
Feeding - What are you feeding your cham? What amount? What is the schedule? How are you gut-loading your feeders?
I only have crickets for now which the breeder gave me for free. I fed the crickets an apple the first night before trying to feed him/her, and now I have a carrot in there. I don't have much, about more than 20pcs.
I am very open to what else I can feed my cham. Advises would be very welcome.
Supplements - What brand and type of calcium and vitamin products are you dusting your feeders with and what is the schedule?
I only have Repti Calcium without D3. I dust the crickets with this. Any advice for any other vitamins that I would need?
Update:
I bought the following over the weekend:
Gex PT1855 calcium with D3
Gex PT1860 multivitamins
I have not used them yet and will probably do so at end of the month just to make sure. I was not able to ask the breeder from where I bought him if they have done it within the month so Im not sure.
Watering - What kind of watering technique do you use? How often and how long to you mist? Do you see your chameleon drinking?
I used a dripper worth about a cup which lasted an hour or so. I will add the humidifier from tomorrow.
I saw him/her drink yesterday and today but not sure on how much. I don't stare at him/her, I feel like he/she gets stressed when I am around.
Update: I changed over to a plastic water bottle 500ml with a small hole to regulate the dripping. It lasts for almost the whole day.
Fecal Description - Briefly note colors and consistency from recent droppings.
I have not seen any poo.
Update: She pooed before I went to the vet so I had it examined by the vet and he told me that there are no parasites and he should be healthy.
Has this chameleon ever been tested for parasites?
No.
Update: Feces check negated any parasites.
History - Any previous information about your cham that might be useful to others when trying to help you.
No issues that I know of.
Current Problem -
I caught him with his eyes closed during the day. The vet told me that the light maybe too strong for him so I adjusted the height of the light and put it way up so it doesn't burn him or hurt his eyes. I also put in a shade for half of the cage to help have him a cooler part of the cage.
After this, I still caught him with his eyes closed under a shade. I thing that I would like to point out though is that when I look at him for a while I guess he notices because he opens his eyes right away. Do you think he is sleeping or just resting? And if his eyes are closed, is it automatic that he is sleeping? What do you think?
The vet told me that he looked healthy and he could not see any issues aside from the too bright light.
Aside, earlier today though when I checked on him, I caught him pooping and saw some red spots on his urates. I am not sure of this but I will try to take photo later when I get back and post it here.
Update: So I got back and checked the urate that I saw earlier and saw that it was orange spots, not red so I guess he was not able to get a lot to drink. I couldn't get the picture as it was already really dry when I got back and when I picked it up with a wet tissue, it kind of dissolved.
Thanks
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