Feedback on my first set-up, please?

[Beman]

Third time's a charm?

Which UVB bulb strength did you get a 6% or 2%

Right now with either strength the cham can get far too close to the UVB.

 

[Beman]

I am going to go through your entire husbandry form to make sure you get correct info for your baby Veiled. Give me a bit to get this done.

 

[Beman]

Ok see my feedback in red bold.

• Your Chameleon - Veiled, too young to determine sex (about 2 months old), and have had him/her one week today. Should be able to determine gender at this age... your looking at the back of the back feet for tarsal spurs if it is a male. If female it will be totally smooth. Take a pic from the side of the back foot up close and post it.
• Handling - When relocating from store to home and when moving from temporary cage to this cage.
• Feeding - Small crickets that are offered all types of cricket enhancement foods, along with carrots, cucumbers, cereal. Need to adjust your gutload see image below. Dusting them with calcium (no D) and will dust with vitamin supplement WITH vitamin D twice a month. Take a picture of your supplements so I can double check them. Offering as many crickets as he/she eats, about 6-10 per day. Baby should be eating far more than this, at this age they can easily take down 2 dozen. You need feeders that are no bigger than 1/4 of an inch. These are very very small feeders. Typically 1 to 2 week old crickets.
• Supplements - I believe the vitamin supplement is Reptivite, calcium powder is ZooMed. If this is correct and it is the reptivite with D3 it would be 2 times a month say the 1st and the 15th. All other feedings would be calcium without D3.
• Watering - Only watering thus far has been misting heavily before lights on and right before lights off and once mid-day. I have not seen him/her drink but have seen the stool and it looked good: some brown, some white. You will need to add a dripper so baby has access to water. More than likely it will not drink with you standing there spraying. A plastic solo cup with a few tiny holes in the bottom sitting on the top of the screen over plants and add ice cubes for a slow melt and drip.
• Fecal Description - Firm brown turning to looser white. No vet visit yet. Fecal is always a good idea to ensure there is not a parasite issue.
• History - Captive bred, two months old. No other info. Where did you get the baby from?

Cage Info:

• Cage Type - 24 x 18 x 36, combo. Top is screen, the two sides are 3/4 screen and 1/4 glass. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07Y866155/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o06_s00?ie=UTF8&th=1 This is fine for now. If you have a female it would work for an adult. If you have a male you will need to upgrade the cage. Cage style is fine as well since there is ventilation on the sides.
• Lighting - Arcadia Pro T5 and 100w heat bulb. Will replace the 100 with a 60 when this one is no longer working. Plant light arriving tomorrow. I need to know what bulb strength you got for the UVB 6% or 12%. Right now baby is sitting way too close using either bulb strength. 100 watt heat bulb needs to go now and drop back to a 60 watt. 100 watt will cook this baby.
• Temperature - Daytime bottom: 70 degrees, daytime top 85. Too hot. The max temp for an adult male is 85. For a young baby like this you want 75-80 max at the branch under the heat bulb. Otherwise you can dehydrate them rapidly. Nighttime bottom 64, nighttime top 67 degrees.
• Humidity -humidity average 30-40 day, 70-80 night. Digital hygrometer / thermometer. This is fine for a Veiled.
• Plants - Schleffera, Boston Fern, pothos, orchid, prayer plant, Christmas cactus. Will be purchasing a bromeliad. So this is where you have to be careful. Veileds eat their plants. Not all plants are considered safe due to this because people simply have not tested the long term effects. I would recommend sticking with Veiled tested plants. See image below for the veiled tested plants.
• Placement - Living room, two adults/no children. The AC behind the cage is covered with shrink wrap because we no longer use it. Cage is not located near the new AC unit nor any fans. Light schedule is 9:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. You may need to adjust your timing.... If the room is light earlier than 9am than the baby will be waking up with the sun which means wanting to bed down with sunset.
• Location - Where are you geographically located? Connecticut

 

[Klyde O'Scope]

Finally - someone who likes the cage!

I'm sorry; it got buried. It actually looks pretty good, but when asked for critiques different parts of my brain switch off & on. I did give a to your plants!

I know everyone advocates for "all mesh" but I just really don't feel comfortable with that in Connecticut.

Smart.

That's beginning to change in favor of hybrids. DS, Zen, Tamura, et al. are moving that way—as well as toward larger (48 x 24 x 48) enclosures.

The heat is on all winter and the AC is on all summer so it's always very dry in my house. I figured this was the perfect solution.

My plan is if I can provide the proper environment and care for this veiled, then I will move him/her into a larger enclosure and use this one for a carpet chameleon.
Sue

Sounds like a plan!

 

[SueAndHerZoo]

Ok see my feedback in red bold.

• Your Chameleon - Veiled, too young to determine sex (about 2 months old), and have had him/her one week today. Should be able to determine gender. Will get a photo and share when he/she is at a convenient place for back of foot viewing.
• Handling - When relocating from store to home and when moving from temporary cage to this cage.
• Feeding - Small crickets that are offered all types of cricket enhancement foods, along with carrots, cucumbers, cereal. Need to adjust your gutload see image below. The cricket gutload sheet mentions using a food processor and freezing, is there a recipe somewhere? What liquid do I use, filtered water? Do I give it to the crickets in liquid form or make it really thick? (Good Lord, I hardly even cook for me and hubby!) LOL Offering as many crickets as he/she eats, about 6-10 per day. Baby should be eating far more than this, at this age they can easily take down 2 dozen. You need feeders that are no bigger than 1/4 of an inch. These are very very small feeders. Typically 1 to 2 week old crickets. OK, will up the amount and get myself a feeder ASAP.
  • Watering - Only watering thus far has been misting heavily before lights on and right before lights off and once mid-day. I have not seen him/her drink but have seen the stool and it looked good: some brown, some white. You will need to add a dripper so baby has access to water. More than likely it will not drink with you standing there spraying. A plastic solo cup with a few tiny holes in the bottom sitting on the top of the screen over plants and add ice cubes for a slow melt and drip. Will make or buy.
  • Fecal Description - Firm brown turning to looser white. No vet visit yet. Fecal is always a good idea to ensure there is not a parasite issue. Will call local exotic pet vet but I'm sure they won't do a fecal without seeing him... really didn't want to stress him with travel yet.
  • History - Captive bred, two months old. No other info. Where did you get the baby from? Brace yourself - you're going to hate this: Petco! But I really am impressed with this particular location. EVERY living creature in there is so healthy, clean, well cared for, and the staff really seems to know and care about each different type. I spoke to the reptile guy several times before purchasing and he was very impressive. And I love that they turn away potential buyers if they don't feel the reptile will be properly cared for.
  • Cage Info:
    • Cage Type - 24 x 18 x 36, combo. Top is screen, the two sides are 3/4 screen and 1/4 glass. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07Y866155/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o06_s00?ie=UTF8&th=1 This is fine for now. If you have a female it would work for an adult. If you have a male you will need to upgrade the cage. Cage style is fine as well since there is ventilation on the sides. Yes, I really love the style, lots of ventilation yet lots of glass, too. If it's a female she will probably STILL get a bigger cage because I was planning on using this one for a carpet chameleon if and when they are ever available again. I'm on a few waiting lists.
    • Lighting - Arcadia Pro T5 and 100w heat bulb. Will replace the 100 with a 60 when this one is no longer working. Plant light arriving tomorrow. I need to know what bulb strength you got for the UVB 6% or 12%. Right now baby is sitting way too close using either bulb strength. 100 watt heat bulb needs to go now and drop back to a 60 watt. 100 watt will cook this baby. I got the 12% so I will either find a way to lift the light fixture a little or snap the high branches down lower. And I think I probably have a clamp on heat dome that I can lift the 100 watt bulb with to make it less potent.
    • Temperature - Daytime bottom: 70 degrees, daytime top 85. Too hot. The max temp for an adult male is 85. For a young baby like this you want 75-80 max at the branch under the heat bulb. Otherwise you can dehydrate them rapidly. Gee, you would think a baby would want it warmer. But that makes sense about the dehydration. Making a dripper as soon as I send this.
    • Humidity -humidity average 30-40 day, 70-80 night. Digital hygrometer / thermometer. This is fine for a Veiled. Wow, I got one right!
    • Plants - Schleffera, Boston Fern, pothos, orchid, prayer plant, Christmas cactus. Will be purchasing a bromeliad. So this is where you have to be careful. Veileds eat their plants. Not all plants are considered safe due to this because people simply have not tested the long term effects. I would recommend sticking with Veiled tested plants. See image below for the veiled tested plants. I don't think I have anything in there that is not considered safe but I'll double check.
    • Placement - Living room, two adults/no children. The AC behind the cage is covered with shrink wrap because we no longer use it. Cage is not located near the new AC unit nor any fans. Light schedule is 9:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. You may need to adjust your timing.... If the room is light earlier than 9am than the baby will be waking up with the sun which means wanting to bed down with sunset. OK, I'll observe and adjust if needed.... he's been through a lot having two new homes in a week.
    • Location - Where are you geographically located? Connecticut
  • 
    

And my questions/comments in bold blue:
Sue

 

[Beman]

And my questions/comments in bold blue:
Sue

lol see my reply

• Your Chameleon - Veiled, too young to determine sex (about 2 months old), and have had him/her one week today. Should be able to determine gender. Will get a photo and share when he/she is at a convenient place for back of foot viewing. Not a problem. You will want to know in the next few months because females have different care needs related to temps and food. Along with egg laying etc.
• Handling - When relocating from store to home and when moving from temporary cage to this cage.
• Feeding - Small crickets that are offered all types of cricket enhancement foods, along with carrots, cucumbers, cereal. Need to adjust your gutload see image below. The cricket gutload sheet mentions using a food processor and freezing, is there a recipe somewhere? What liquid do I use, filtered water? Do I give it to the crickets in liquid form or make it really thick? (Good Lord, I hardly even cook for me and hubby!) Use the gutload image and the portion amount suggestions in a food processor. Don't add any liquid. It should come out pretty thick.. Freeze in ice cube trays and pop out a new one each day to put in with feeders. You can also use commercial gutload like repashy bug burger. Mix as directed and store in the fridge. Cut out squares each day. LOL Offering as many crickets as he/she eats, about 6-10 per day. Baby should be eating far more than this, at this age they can easily take down 2 dozen. You need feeders that are no bigger than 1/4 of an inch. These are very very small feeders. Typically 1 to 2 week old crickets. OK, will up the amount and get myself a feeder ASAP. Great
  • Watering - Only watering thus far has been misting heavily before lights on and right before lights off and once mid-day. I have not seen him/her drink but have seen the stool and it looked good: some brown, some white. You will need to add a dripper so baby has access to water. More than likely it will not drink with you standing there spraying. A plastic solo cup with a few tiny holes in the bottom sitting on the top of the screen over plants and add ice cubes for a slow melt and drip. Will make or buy. Good
  • Fecal Description - Firm brown turning to looser white. No vet visit yet. Fecal is always a good idea to ensure there is not a parasite issue. Will call local exotic pet vet but I'm sure they won't do a fecal without seeing him... really didn't want to stress him with travel yet. Some will run a fecal for you first.
  • History - Captive bred, two months old. No other info. Where did you get the baby from? Brace yourself - you're going to hate this: Petco! But I really am impressed with this particular location. EVERY living creature in there is so healthy, clean, well cared for, and the staff really seems to know and care about each different type. I spoke to the reptile guy several times before purchasing and he was very impressive. And I love that they turn away potential buyers if they don't feel the reptile will be properly cared for. Ehhhh I am not a petco hater like some are. My boy is a petco baby and will be 4 in June... If you get them quick enough they do not have the health issues like some others do. I was asking mainly to ensure it was not a high risk seller.
  • Cage Info:
    • Cage Type - 24 x 18 x 36, combo. Top is screen, the two sides are 3/4 screen and 1/4 glass. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07Y866155/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o06_s00?ie=UTF8&th=1 This is fine for now. If you have a female it would work for an adult. If you have a male you will need to upgrade the cage. Cage style is fine as well since there is ventilation on the sides. Yes, I really love the style, lots of ventilation yet lots of glass, too. If it's a female she will probably STILL get a bigger cage because I was planning on using this one for a carpet chameleon if and when they are ever available again. I'm on a few waiting lists. Frank Payne is an amazing breeder of Carpet chameleons. Make sure you Vet anyone else... There are not too many breeding these.
    • Lighting - Arcadia Pro T5 and 100w heat bulb. Will replace the 100 with a 60 when this one is no longer working. Plant light arriving tomorrow. I need to know what bulb strength you got for the UVB 6% or 12%. Right now baby is sitting way too close using either bulb strength. 100 watt heat bulb needs to go now and drop back to a 60 watt. 100 watt will cook this baby. I got the 12% so I will either find a way to lift the light fixture a little or snap the high branches down lower. Ok so with the 12% you need a full 11-12 inches to the closest branch below. If you switch to a 6% bulb you need a full 8-9 inches between the fixture and the branch below. This puts the baby in a 3 UVI range. Right now your baby is in an extreme over exposure range with that 12%. And I think I probably have a clamp on heat dome that I can lift the 100 watt bulb with to make it less potent. Just get it up and away... You want a temp gauge with a probe for that basking area. At the branch you should be seeing temps of 77-78 Then a bit higher where the baby currently rises up into would be hitting a max temp of 80.
    • Temperature - Daytime bottom: 70 degrees, daytime top 85. Too hot. The max temp for an adult male is 85. For a young baby like this you want 75-80 max at the branch under the heat bulb. Otherwise you can dehydrate them rapidly. Gee, you would think a baby would want it warmer. But that makes sense about the dehydration. Making a dripper as soon as I send this. lol good. Yes... the issue is babies can get really sick with too much heat to the point that they actually can die.
    • Humidity -humidity average 30-40 day, 70-80 night. Digital hygrometer / thermometer. This is fine for a Veiled. Wow, I got one right!
    • Plants - Schleffera, Boston Fern, pothos, orchid, prayer plant, Christmas cactus. Will be purchasing a bromeliad. So this is where you have to be careful. Veileds eat their plants. Not all plants are considered safe due to this because people simply have not tested the long term effects. I would recommend sticking with Veiled tested plants. See image below for the veiled tested plants. I don't think I have anything in there that is not considered safe but I'll double check. The only two that you have that are technically Veiled safe is the Schleffera and the pothos. All the rest are not considered Veiled safe.
    • Placement - Living room, two adults/no children. The AC behind the cage is covered with shrink wrap because we no longer use it. Cage is not located near the new AC unit nor any fans. Light schedule is 9:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. You may need to adjust your timing.... If the room is light earlier than 9am than the baby will be waking up with the sun which means wanting to bed down with sunset. OK, I'll observe and adjust if needed.... he's been through a lot having two new homes in a week. Sounds good.
    • Location - Where are you geographically located? Connecticut

 

[SueAndHerZoo]

Thanks, guys, for the healthy and prompt replies and information. I am on Frank Payne's waiting list and he and I have exchanged several emails..... he's got some great YouTube videos also.
Sue