Enclosure problem!!! :s

[superstylist]

Ok so I have a vivarium that is 2x2x3ft, basking temp 30, humidity 30

the problem is that i cannot get the moisture levels up to 70 and maintain it there, as its a wooden enclosure it cannot take too much water as over time it will rot. tomorrow im going to buy soil and real plants to help boost this i already have a fogger and a dripper... should i keep a heat mat under the substrate to help evaperate the excess water to boost humidity?

ALSO: he has tiny black scabs in random places what are they? are they cricket bites?

 

[carol5208]

First off, would not recommend substrate in chameleon cages. It gets wet and can breed bacteria, not to mention it can be inijested by your chameleon and cause problems. Secondly, the humidity does not need to be a constant 70%. Around 50% is good with spikes after you mist. Lastly, please post pics of the "scab"s you are talking about!

 

[superstylist]

cant post pics as the cham is in the other house atm but it looks like he lost a spike with black around it and the black scab is only a 3mm to 4mm in different sections 1 spike and two more on his tail

 

[carol5208]

how close is his basking light? It could be a burn. What are you housing him in?

 

[superstylist]

he is in a vivarium and im sure they are not heat burns they are too small...

it looks like 1 spike has been gnawed down and a couple scabs on his tail the pet shop owner said that they are black cricket bites can they really do that? and will his spike grow back?

 

[Carlton]

Ok so I have a vivarium that is 2x2x3ft, basking temp 30, humidity 30

the problem is that i cannot get the moisture levels up to 70 and maintain it there, as its a wooden enclosure it cannot take too much water as over time it will rot. tomorrow im going to buy soil and real plants to help boost this i already have a fogger and a dripper... should i keep a heat mat under the substrate to help evaperate the excess water to boost humidity?

ALSO: he has tiny black scabs in random places what are they? are they cricket bites?

You are always going to have problems balancing humidity with the wood. Takes a lot of maintenance IMHO. Is the wood sealed at all? The only way you are going to avoid rot is to seal it completely and be ready to repeat the coatings as needed. This is one of many reasons screen enclosures often work better for chams. In some places (such as the UK) keepers do use solid sided cages for chams, but it doesn't work everywhere.

Instead of planting live plants directly (which will also rot your cage and encourage molds), get the largest bushiest potted plants that will fit, and spray them. Don't use a heat mat under the cage. It will prevent a range of temp and humidity zones your cham will need to thermoregulate itself.

Without a pic we can't guess about the scabs. Something isn't right so we need more information.

 

[Carlton]

he is in a vivarium and im sure they are not heat burns they are too small...

it looks like 1 spike has been gnawed down and a couple scabs on his tail the pet shop owner said that they are black cricket bites can they really do that? and will his spike grow back?

Yes, crix can and to chew on the cham when it's asleep. Don't free range them at night. The spike will not grow back.

 

[carol5208]

No I don't think the spikes will grow back. I have seen damage to chameleons before on their spikes on here and they are permanent. Someone correct me if I am wrong please. Can you post some pics for members to see? Pet stores do not always know what they are talking about. Sometimes, but most of the time no. YES crickets can bite and that is why it is recomended to remove all uneaten ones from your enclsoures, especially at night when you chameleon is sleeping.

 

[superstylist]

yes the wood is sealed... and i was going to have glass fitted, i was going to put soil in and live plants it just seems like its too big to propperly regulate temp/humidity he has been shedding for over a week now and i read its only meant to take a couple days

 

[Carlton]

yes the wood is sealed... and i was going to have glass fitted, i was going to put soil in and live plants it just seems like its too big to propperly regulate temp/humidity he has been shedding for over a week now and i read its only meant to take a couple days

How old is your cham? As they get older the amount of time it takes them to shed increases because they are not growing as fast.

If you have enough live foliage in the cage and can adjust the air flow that cage isn't too large to regulate (my largest cage for a pair of deremensis was 5'x5'x4', and they are a montane wet forest species). The problem is most likely that you simply can't spray it down enough without damaging the wood...so the cham ends up too dry most of the time. How dry is your local climate and your house? If the air in the room is dry all the cage moisture is being pulled out away from the cham.

One advantage to screen cages is, you can regulate humidity more easily by hanging plastic sheeting or shower curtains on the sides and there isn't water damage.