Feedback please

[dmoney]

Hey guys,

I am new to chameleons and would like some feedback on their set up. I just got them today, so I am thinking they are still a little nervous from the 2 hour car ride. They haven't eaten anything today so makes me a little nervous. Anyways here is a link to the video I made. Any feedback at all will be very much appreciated. Special thanks to Erik (eriksorg) for some AWESOME ideas all ready.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1F9EOM6z20c&feature=mh_lolz&list=HL1309057826

 

[Rob G]

Looks good except for I see no basking areas and you should put some smooth rocks that are to big for the chams to eat over the soil in the pots. And also is the uvb light a reptisun 5.0 or reptiglo 5.0? What is your supplimentation schedule and what are you gutloading the feeders with?

 

[Justin Ward]

i would replace those analog gauges with digital ones, and cover your soil in your plants with big smooth rocks (bigger than your chams head) so they dont accidentally ingest any soil...other than that it looks good, nice chams

 

[Rob G]

So suppliment schedule should be calcium w/o d3 every/every other feeding, calcium w/ d3 twice a month and multivitamin such as herptivite once or twice a month. The feeders can be gutloaded with carrots, collard greens, oats, bok choy, apples, oranges, dandelion greens, bee pollen, dandelion pollen, that's just a few off the top of my head. Probably a 60 watt household bulb from the hardware store for that adult and mayyybe a 40 watt if anything for now with the little one

 

[dmoney]

Yep that is a repti sun 5.0. I didn't set up the basking area because the temp in the cage was 85. I didn't want to make it too hot. Is this right or should I still use a basking light even if its 85 in the cage. Thanks for the rock idea that makes since. I gutload with a mix of oats and dog food. Also fruits and vegis.

 

[Shrilly]

Yep that is a repti sun 5.0. I didn't set up the basking area because the temp in the cage was 85. I didn't want to make it too hot. Is this right or should I still use a basking light even if its 85 in the cage. Thanks for the rock idea that makes since. I gutload with a mix of oats and dog food. Also fruits and vegis.

thats pretty continues hot hopefui;;y it cools down ALOT during the night your keeping it as an outdoor enclosure?

 

[Rob G]

Ditch the dog food asap, it is hazardous to the cham. And then nevermind to the basking light. If it is 85 in the cage how are you creating a heat gradient so that the cham can cool off if he wants to?

 

[Shrilly]

ditch the dog stuff

 

[Shrilly]

Ditch the dog food asap, it is hazardous to the cham. And then nevermind to the basking light. If it is 85 in the cage how are you creating a heat gradient so that the cham can cool off if he wants to?

thats what i was thinking

 

[Rob G]

Already covered ditchin the dog food shrilly. And dmoney, if you chams have no place to cool down when they want to it can lead to health issues

 

[Shrilly]

ya i dont know how to delete posts yet i was helping another member and writing them thinking i was on their thread but got shot back onto this thread and posted misinformation didnt know how to fix it but type something sorry man

 

[Rob G]

Imo I would have 85-88 basking temp, and then with the cool temp towards the bottom being around the low-mid 70's

 

[dmoney]

I live in San Diego so my house at night gets down to 65 at night then tops at 85 during the day. Most of the time it's in the 70's at my house, and the I would use the heat lamp. You guys think this is ok? Also ditching the dog food out of the roach chow.

One more thing to add when it gets into the upper 80's ite only for an hour or so when the sun is coming into the windows. I thought some natural sun would be ok as long as the temps stay in the 80's.

 

[Justin Ward]

I live in San Diego so my house at night gets down to 65 at night then tops at 85 during the day. Most of the time it's in the 70's at my house, and the I would use the heat lamp. You guys think this is ok? Also ditching the dog food out of the roach chow.

One more thing to add when it gets into the upper 80's ite only for an hour or so when the sun is coming into the windows. I thought some natural sun would be ok as long as the temps stay in the 80's.

the beneficial rays wont pass through the glass of the window...it only helps if its open

 

[kirekameleon]

I live in San Diego so my house at night gets down to 65 at night then tops at 85 during the day. Most of the time it's in the 70's at my house, and the I would use the heat lamp. You guys think this is ok? Also ditching the dog food out of the roach chow.

One more thing to add when it gets into the upper 80's ite only for an hour or so when the sun is coming into the windows. I thought some natural sun would be ok as long as the temps stay in the 80's.

UVB does not pass through everything and I think glass and plastic are a few. If that is making it hot then I would find a different spot to maintain a reliable temp setting for your cham. Take him/her outside to sun, just my opinion though, others may have better advice for you. My cage is 88 degrees basking coroner and 73 degrees opposite coroner. My cage is about twice the size of yours and your current heatlamp is bigger than mine.

 

[Rob G]

UVB does not pass through everything and I think glass and plastic are a few. If that is making it hot then I would find a different spot to maintain a reliable temp setting for your cham. Take him/her outside to sun, just my opinion though, others may have better advice for you. My cage is 88 degrees basking coroner and 73 degrees opposite coroner. My cage is about twice the size of yours and your current heatlamp is bigger than mine.

He didn't have a heatlamp on his cage. It was the fixture for his uvb bulb

 

[dmoney]

the beneficial rays wont pass through the glass of the window...it only helps if its open

I wasn't worried about the beneficial rays, because I have a UVB on the. I just thought they might like some natural sun. The windows are open too, so they should be ok.

 

[dmoney]

Ok I have some digital gauges and the bottom of the tank is 75 the basking area is 85 and the humidity is 45.

 

[SonTigerPantherCham]

You should think of natural sun as often as possible, the benefits of it outweigh the linear by far. Think of your linear as your backup, not primary.
all my chams get a minimum of 1 hr of outside time a day, weather permitting. More whenever possible