Enclosure Help and Age Help

keigee

keigee

New Member
Hello everyone,

I am new here and just got my transparent male veiled chameleon on Saturday. Not sure how old he is, but he is around 7-8 inches long. The reptile store that I got him from helped me with the accessories for his enclosure, but after reading some threads here, I’m not so sure anymore if the lighting that I got is the right one. Anyway, here are the infos about my chameleon.

  • Your Chameleon - He is a male transparent veiled chameleon. I’ve only had him since Saturday, so 2 days.
  • Handling - so far, I’ve handled him when I transferred him from the box that they out him in to his enclosure. And then yesterday again when I had to fix and clean his enclosure because the lady at the store put wood chips “bedding” on the enclosure. After reading here, I’ve learned that the bedding isn’t necessary so I cleaned it up. Also, I’ve seen my cham eating some of the wood chips.
  • Feeding - Haven’t fed him anything yet because as per the store, we shouldn’t feed it for 3 days. But I plan on giving him crickets, calci worms, and silkworms. Advice on this would be greatly appreciated 😊
  • Supplements - Reptivite without D3 and repticalcium without d3. Not even sure how to use this. I think one is for every feeding and one is every 2 weeks? Please correct me if I am wrong.
  • Watering - I use a mister. I’ve only started misting it once in the morning and once at night after lights off.
  • Fecal Description - brownish black, i think, urates was white with yellow color. Ive only seen him poop twice since Saturday. Once on Saturday then Yesterday. No poop today.
  • History - No known history.


Cage Info:

  • Cage Type - exo terra 18 x 18 x 24.
  • Lighting - zoomed tropical uvb and heat lighting kit. Reptisun 5.0 uvb compact flourescent lamp (13w) and daylight blue reptile bulb (60w). This is what the store recommended.
  • Temperature - i haven’t checked temps at night. But it ranges from 20-24 degrees. During the day it goes up to 28 degrees. I use the zoomed one that measures temp and humidity.
  • Humidity - 40-80% I saw it go higher when I misted while the light was on, which I didn’t know I shouldn’t be doing.
  • Plants - Yes, I have a golden pothos and calathea inside the enclosure. I used plastic plants at first because that’s what they recommended, but I took it out as soon as I read here that I shouldn’t be using plastic plants inside the enclosure.
  • Placement - it is in the living room beside our ac/heater. It is in a high traffic area, I have kids. It is probably 2 ft above the ground.
  • Location - Ontario, Canada
  • Current Problem - I just wanted to see if there is any advice on how I can make the enclosure better. Also, I’ve noticed that my cham has been tapping on the glass trying to escape, this started when I removed the plastic plants inside and changed them with live plants. Every since then, he’s been trying to escape through the top screen and on the side glass. He’s also been hanging out at the bottom of the enclosure and os having a hard time getting back up because there is nothing at the bottom for him to hold on to.
 

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MissSkittles said:
Hi and welcome! If you give me a few minutes, I’ll go thru all of your husbandry. :)
Click to expand...
Thank you!

Oops! Forgot to add, lights on at 7 am and lights off at 7 pm. He usually sleeps right after I turn off his lights, but would occasionally wake up because of the kids laughing or screaming 😬
 
I’m so glad you’re here so soon after getting your chameleon. I’m even gladder that you’re seeming open to advice and making needed changes. :)
  • Your Chameleon - He is a male transparent veiled chameleon. I’ve only had him since Saturday, so 2 days.
  • Handling - so far, I’ve handled him when I transferred him from the box that they out him in to his enclosure. And then yesterday again when I had to fix and clean his enclosure because the lady at the store put wood chips “bedding” on the enclosure. After reading here, I’ve learned that the bedding isn’t necessary so I cleaned it up. Also, I’ve seen my cham eating some of the wood chips. Keeping the floor bare is best. You will need to figure out how to manage excess water drainage though.
  • Feeding - Haven’t fed him anything yet because as per the store, we shouldn’t feed it for 3 days. I’d love to know where she got that from. They may not want to eat for a few days until they settle in, but we still offer food. But I plan on giving him crickets, calci worms, and silkworms. Advice on this would be greatly appreciated 😊 Those are good staple feeders. Attaching graphics for you. He looks to be around 3-4 months old maybe, so you’ll want to give him around 12-15 appropriately sized feeders once daily in the morning. As he gets older you’ll gradually reduce the amount and frequency, so that by the time he’s around 9-10 months old he’s getting 3-4 feeders every other day or 3 days a week.
  • Supplements - Reptivite without D3 and repticalcium without d3. Not even sure how to use this. I think one is for every feeding and one is every 2 weeks? Please correct me if I am wrong. You’ll use the calcium without D3 lightly dusted for every feeding, except when using a different supplement. The Reptivite you’ll use for one feeding every other week. You’ll need a calcium with D3, which you’ll also use one feeding every other week (alternating with the Reptivite).
  • Watering - I use a mister. I’ve only started misting it once in the morning and once at night after lights off. Perfect. How long are you misting for? Usually 2 minutes is best.
  • Fecal Description - brownish black, i think, urates was white with yellow color. Ive only seen him poop twice since Saturday. Once on Saturday then Yesterday. No poop today. It’s always good to have a veterinary wellness check and a fecal check for parasites…especially with animals from big box pet stores.
  • History - No known history.


Cage Info:

  • Cage Type - exo terra 18 x 18 x 24. This size is great for now, but your little guy will be a big guy before you know it and will be needing a minimum of 2x2x4’ enclosure. I keep my males in double that and they do use all the space.
  • Lighting - zoomed tropical uvb and heat lighting kit. Reptisun 5.0 uvb compact flourescent lamp (13w) and daylight blue reptile bulb (60w). This is what the store recommended. Well, at least they didn’t sell you the chameleon kit. :rolleyes: The problem with this type of uvb is your chameleon would need to be exactly 2” directly below it to get adequate levels. The standard is a linear T5HO fixture with either ReptiSun 5.0 or Arcadia 6% uvb bulb. Then you’ll have your basking area about 8-9” below. The uvb fixture should be long enough to span the width of your enclosure.
  • Temperature - i haven’t checked temps at night. But it ranges from 20-24 degrees. During the day it goes up to 28 degrees. Perfect basking temp. Good night temp drop. I use the zoomed one that measures temp and humidity. The analog gauges are notoriously inaccurate. Digital ones with a probe or something like a Govee are much better.
  • Humidity - 40-80% I saw it go higher when I misted while the light was on, which I didn’t know I shouldn’t be doing. Ideal humidity during the day is between 30-50%, so that’s perfect. It will spike when you mist, but that’s ok and unavoidable. I give a mid day misting while the lights are on. I mist right around the times light go on/off, mid day and a couple of very brief 15 seconds mistings at night to boost humidity just a little. If you can achieve a night time temp drop below at least 21c, you can run a cool mist humidifier and boost your humidity all the way up to 100%. It simulates the natural hydration chams get from fog.
  • Plants - Yes, I have a golden pothos and calathea inside the enclosure. I used plastic plants at first because that’s what they recommended, but I took it out as soon as I read here that I shouldn’t be using plastic plants inside the enclosure. Yes, your veiled will eat his plants so they need to be clean, live and safe. Some plants do need additional special lighting.
  • Placement - it is in the living room beside our ac/heater. It is in a high traffic area, I have kids. It is probably 2 ft above the ground. Height=safety for chameleons.
  • Location - Ontario, Canada
  • Current Problem - I just wanted to see if there is any advice on how I can make the enclosure better. Also, I’ve noticed that my cham has been tapping on the glass trying to escape, this started when I removed the plastic plants inside and changed them with live plants. Every since then, he’s been trying to escape through the top screen and on the side glass. He’s also been hanging out at the bottom of the enclosure and os having a hard time getting back up because there is nothing at the bottom for him to hold on to. The sooner you upgrade him to his adult sized enclosure, the happier he’ll be. Adding lots of branches to travel on, plants to take shade and hide in will create a more naturalistic environment for him and he will be more content. When chams are trying to get out of their enclosure, it usually means they don’t like it in there. You can use branches from outside. Just give a little scrub with a gentle dish soap like Dawn, a really thorough rinse and let dry in the sun if possible. No need to remove bark, bake or otherwise sterilize. I do need to tell you that the black vine that you have will shed micro particles which as your cham is shedding and may rub his itchy head/face against, can get the particles in his eyes.
177B6CE4-CBB2-47B5-A8BA-7FCEEB59B51D.jpeg
E37C59C1-CF0E-4390-88ED-812FDAEEAE93.jpeg
5C89FFAE-8381-409C-B261-5DED2732A627.jpeg
 
MissSkittles said:
I’m so glad you’re here so soon after getting your chameleon. I’m even gladder that you’re seeming open to advice and making needed changes. :)
  • Your Chameleon - He is a male transparent veiled chameleon. I’ve only had him since Saturday, so 2 days.
  • Handling - so far, I’ve handled him when I transferred him from the box that they out him in to his enclosure. And then yesterday again when I had to fix and clean his enclosure because the lady at the store put wood chips “bedding” on the enclosure. After reading here, I’ve learned that the bedding isn’t necessary so I cleaned it up. Also, I’ve seen my cham eating some of the wood chips. Keeping the floor bare is best. You will need to figure out how to manage excess water drainage though.
  • Feeding - Haven’t fed him anything yet because as per the store, we shouldn’t feed it for 3 days. I’d love to know where she got that from. They may not want to eat for a few days until they settle in, but we still offer food. But I plan on giving him crickets, calci worms, and silkworms. Advice on this would be greatly appreciated 😊 Those are good staple feeders. Attaching graphics for you. He looks to be around 3-4 months old maybe, so you’ll want to give him around 12-15 appropriately sized feeders once daily in the morning. As he gets older you’ll gradually reduce the amount and frequency, so that by the time he’s around 9-10 months old he’s getting 3-4 feeders every other day or 3 days a week.
  • Supplements - Reptivite without D3 and repticalcium without d3. Not even sure how to use this. I think one is for every feeding and one is every 2 weeks? Please correct me if I am wrong. You’ll use the calcium without D3 lightly dusted for every feeding, except when using a different supplement. The Reptivite you’ll use for one feeding every other week. You’ll need a calcium with D3, which you’ll also use one feeding every other week (alternating with the Reptivite).
  • Watering - I use a mister. I’ve only started misting it once in the morning and once at night after lights off. Perfect. How long are you misting for? Usually 2 minutes is best.
  • Fecal Description - brownish black, i think, urates was white with yellow color. Ive only seen him poop twice since Saturday. Once on Saturday then Yesterday. No poop today. It’s always good to have a veterinary wellness check and a fecal check for parasites…especially with animals from big box pet stores.
  • History - No known history.


Cage Info:

  • Cage Type - exo terra 18 x 18 x 24. This size is great for now, but your little guy will be a big guy before you know it and will be needing a minimum of 2x2x4’ enclosure. I keep my males in double that and they do use all the space.
  • Lighting - zoomed tropical uvb and heat lighting kit. Reptisun 5.0 uvb compact flourescent lamp (13w) and daylight blue reptile bulb (60w). This is what the store recommended. Well, at least they didn’t sell you the chameleon kit. :rolleyes: The problem with this type of uvb is your chameleon would need to be exactly 2” directly below it to get adequate levels. The standard is a linear T5HO fixture with either ReptiSun 5.0 or Arcadia 6% uvb bulb. Then you’ll have your basking area about 8-9” below. The uvb fixture should be long enough to span the width of your enclosure.
  • Temperature - i haven’t checked temps at night. But it ranges from 20-24 degrees. During the day it goes up to 28 degrees. Perfect basking temp. Good night temp drop. I use the zoomed one that measures temp and humidity. The analog gauges are notoriously inaccurate. Digital ones with a probe or something like a Govee are much better.
  • Humidity - 40-80% I saw it go higher when I misted while the light was on, which I didn’t know I shouldn’t be doing. Ideal humidity during the day is between 30-50%, so that’s perfect. It will spike when you mist, but that’s ok and unavoidable. I give a mid day misting while the lights are on. I mist right around the times light go on/off, mid day and a couple of very brief 15 seconds mistings at night to boost humidity just a little. If you can achieve a night time temp drop below at least 21c, you can run a cool mist humidifier and boost your humidity all the way up to 100%. It simulates the natural hydration chams get from fog.
  • Plants - Yes, I have a golden pothos and calathea inside the enclosure. I used plastic plants at first because that’s what they recommended, but I took it out as soon as I read here that I shouldn’t be using plastic plants inside the enclosure. Yes, your veiled will eat his plants so they need to be clean, live and safe. Some plants do need additional special lighting.
  • Placement - it is in the living room beside our ac/heater. It is in a high traffic area, I have kids. It is probably 2 ft above the ground. Height=safety for chameleons.
  • Location - Ontario, Canada
  • Current Problem - I just wanted to see if there is any advice on how I can make the enclosure better. Also, I’ve noticed that my cham has been tapping on the glass trying to escape, this started when I removed the plastic plants inside and changed them with live plants. Every since then, he’s been trying to escape through the top screen and on the side glass. He’s also been hanging out at the bottom of the enclosure and os having a hard time getting back up because there is nothing at the bottom for him to hold on to. The sooner you upgrade him to his adult sized enclosure, the happier he’ll be. Adding lots of branches to travel on, plants to take shade and hide in will create a more naturalistic environment for him and he will be more content. When chams are trying to get out of their enclosure, it usually means they don’t like it in there. You can use branches from outside. Just give a little scrub with a gentle dish soap like Dawn, a really thorough rinse and let dry in the sun if possible. No need to remove bark, bake or otherwise sterilize. I do need to tell you that the black vine that you have will shed micro particles which as your cham is shedding and may rub his itchy head/face against, can get the particles in his eyes.
View attachment 321761View attachment 321762View attachment 321763
Click to expand...
Thank you so much for all of these info, advice and suggestions. I will definitely look into getting him a bigger enclosure.

Actually, I think they did try to sell the whole chameleon kit by suggesting which things to get 😂

As for the black rope, he barely goes on it. I use it hold up the branches that I have it. But, should I just get rid of it then?
 
keigee said:
Thank you so much for all of these info, advice and suggestions. I will definitely look into getting him a bigger enclosure.

Actually, I think they did try to sell the whole chameleon kit by suggesting which things to get 😂

As for the black rope, he barely goes on it. I use it hold up the branches that I have it. But, should I just get rid of it then?
Click to expand...
I would say to get rid of the black vine just to avoid any possible risk. Fluker’s makes some decent vines and I use some like this. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07BF9RW5L/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1 I try to use mainly natural branches and just one vine where needing to add a connecting ‘road’.
 
I've never used an artificial vine at all. With a decent center piece plant and sufficient branches & such, artificial vines shouldn't be necessary.

There are—however—some live chameleon-safe plants that make excellent vines.
Golden Pothos
Inchplant
Philodendron
Madagascar Jasmine (if you can find one).

The first 3 are quite fast-growing (12" per month).

There are lots of good (and relatively inexpensive ways of supporting branches. Some require anchoring to the frame—others do not.
 
MissSkittles said:
I would say to get rid of the black vine just to avoid any possible risk. Fluker’s makes some decent vines and I use some like this. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07BF9RW5L/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1 I try to use mainly natural branches and just one vine where needing to add a connecting ‘road’.
Click to expand...
Thanks! I’ll look into that. I did remove the black vine and just rearranged the branches a little.

I’ve noticed my cham is still trying to tap on the glass sides of his enclosure. I put the plastic plants vines that the store sold me outside of his enclosure to “give him some more privacy from the kids”, but I think he’s been trying to get on those that’s why he’s been tapping on the glass sides.” But why would he want those plastic plants? He roams around the enclosure just fine. He goes everywhere, but we often see him on the glass sides trying to get on the plastic plants,
 
Klyde O'Scope said:
I've never used an artificial vine at all. With a decent center piece plant and sufficient branches & such, artificial vines shouldn't be necessary.

There are—however—some live chameleon-safe plants that make excellent vines.
Golden Pothos
Inchplant
Philodendron
Madagascar Jasmine (if you can find one).

The first 3 are quite fast-growing (12" per month).

There are lots of good (and relatively inexpensive ways of supporting branches. Some require anchoring to the frame—others do not.
Click to expand...
Thank you for the suggestions. I will definitely look into those things once I get a bigger enclosure. Still haven’t found a good size.
 
keigee said:
Thanks! I’ll look into that. I did remove the black vine and just rearranged the branches a little.

I’ve noticed my cham is still trying to tap on the glass sides of his enclosure. I put the plastic plants vines that the store sold me outside of his enclosure to “give him some more privacy from the kids”, but I think he’s been trying to get on those that’s why he’s been tapping on the glass sides.” But why would he want those plastic plants? He roams around the enclosure just fine. He goes everywhere, but we often see him on the glass sides trying to get on the plastic plants,
Click to expand...
Animals don’t understand glass, so that may be why he’s thinking he can climb on them. However, I believe once you can upgrade him to a larger enclosure, he’ll stop trying to get out.
 
keigee said:
I’ve noticed my cham is still trying to tap on the glass sides of his enclosure. I put the plastic plants vines that the store sold me outside of his enclosure to “give him some more privacy from the kids”, but I think he’s been trying to get on those that’s why he’s been tapping on the glass sides.” But why would he want those plastic plants? He roams around the enclosure just fine. He goes everywhere, but we often see him on the glass sides trying to get on the plastic plants,
Click to expand...
I'm not sure what you mean by "tapping on the glass". Some reptiles don't understand glass, and will keep trying to get through no matter how many times they can't. Tortoises are notorious for this.
....
This leads to them becoming very distressed in a glass enclosure, they can see that there is more to the world and they want to go and investigate it, yet, whenever they try to get there – they bump into this invisible wall that stops them from doing so.

Tortoises cannot understand what glass is because there is nothing like it in the wild. Even so, they are known as persistent creatures so your tortoises will stress herself out trying to get to that new place and bumping into the invisible glass wall over and over again.
https://www.tortoiseowner.com/aquariums-are-terrible-for-tortoises-heres-why/
Click to expand...
but I've heard of it with other reptiles as well.

keigee said:
Thank you for the suggestions. I will definitely look into those things once I get a bigger enclosure. Still haven’t found a good size.
Click to expand...
Is DIY an option? I may be able to help (point you if nothing else) with that.

What (general) area are you in? I ask to determine if all-screen or hybrid is more appropriate for your location.
 
Klyde O'Scope said:
I'm not sure what you mean by "tapping on the glass". Some reptiles don't understand glass, and will keep trying to get through no matter how many times they can't. Tortoises are notorious for this.

but I've heard of it with other reptiles as well.


Is DIY an option? I may be able to help (point you if nothing else) with that.

What (general) area are you in? I ask to determine if all-screen or hybrid is more appropriate for your location.
Click to expand...
He was basically trying to grab on the plastic plants that are hanging outside his enclosure. Everytime he roams around and goes to glass side where the plastic plants are, he keeps reaching on to it and wouldn’t leave the spot for a very long time. Its like he was tapping on the glass trying to get out, I guess?

I was considering a DIY, so I have been checking out pinterest for ideas, but haven’t decided how to do it yet. I am from Toronto, Canada. If you can point me to where I cant get a larger enclosure that would be great. I’ve been searching, but can’t seem to find one. I’ve only been seeing the reptibreeze starter kit or the medium one 🤦‍♀️
 
keigee said:
He was basically trying to grab on the plastic plants that are hanging outside his enclosure. Everytime he roams around and goes to glass side where the plastic plants are, he keeps reaching on to it and wouldn’t leave the spot for a very long time. Its like he was tapping on the glass trying to get out, I guess?
Click to expand...
Yes, that sounds like the "not understanding glass" phenomenon.

keigee said:
I was considering a DIY, so I have been checking out pinterest for ideas, but haven’t decided how to do it yet. I am from Toronto, Canada. If you can point me to where I cant get a larger enclosure that would be great. I’ve been searching, but can’t seem to find one. I’ve only been seeing the reptibreeze starter kit or the medium one 🤦‍♀️
Click to expand...
https://zenhabitats.ca/ (Prices should be in Canadian $, and FREE SHIPPING)
For Toronto (or anywhere around the Great Lakes), I would recommend a hybrid enclosure. They're much easier to control temps & humidity than with all-screen, which usually need significant mods for this climate. More specifically, I'd suggest
https://zenhabitats.ca/collections/...4-pvc-panel-reptile-enclosure-by-zen-habitats
OR
https://zenhabitats.ca/collections/...4-pvc-panel-reptile-enclosure-by-zen-habitats

I'm working on some DIY designs, but they're all based on using the same 1" aluminium framing.

I've also designed in wood.
 
Klyde O'Scope said:
Yes, that sounds like the "not understanding glass" phenomenon.


https://zenhabitats.ca/ (Prices should be in Canadian $, and FREE SHIPPING)
For Toronto (or anywhere around the Great Lakes), I would recommend a hybrid enclosure. They're much easier to control temps & humidity than with all-screen, which usually need significant mods for this climate. More specifically, I'd suggest
https://zenhabitats.ca/collections/...4-pvc-panel-reptile-enclosure-by-zen-habitats
OR
https://zenhabitats.ca/collections/...4-pvc-panel-reptile-enclosure-by-zen-habitats

I'm working on some DIY designs, but they're all based on using the same 1" aluminium framing.

I've also designed in wood.
Click to expand...
Ohh great! Thanks for the links. The 4x2x4 is out of stock. I’ll keep an eye out on that.

I’ve considered one that is made of wood too, but I’m not knowledgeable enough to pull this off. Haha!
 
keigee said:
Ohh great! Thanks for the links. The 4x2x4 is out of stock. I’ll keep an eye out on that.
Click to expand...
*** sold out - expected preorder sale in march ***
Should be available soon. I'd email, call, or chat.

For a hybrid, IMO they've got the most bang for the buck. (Or I'd be designing something else)
 
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