Feeder?

[Rango_TheManEater]

Hey everyone! I’m happy to say that Rango is getting better. I’m feeding him calcium-only powder via crickets once a week, and his UVB has been replaced.

When Rango doesn’t eat from my tongs (he’s a bit sassy sometimes!), I tend to place his food in a running feeder I made. I followed a YouTube tutorial for it, making sure I used non-toxic glue and that I filed the edges of the plastic to avoid cuts.

But Rango doesn’t seem interested in his feeder. Is there something wrong with it? Maybe the fabric is too dark?

(Rango was peeking at the camera while I took pictures )

 

[LizardLurkin]

I'm glad he's getting better!
Now I'm curious too. Most feeders I see use white or other such bright colors. I wonder if the contrast helps them to see the food items better?
Or maybe he doesn't quite understand it yet since it's new?

As an aside, am I reading this correctly: you said you are feeding him calcium only powder once a week?
Calcium without d3 should be offered at every meal. Every insect you feed him should be lightly dusted with calcium without D3 (and should not appear like powdered donuts.)
Supplementation scheduling is very confusing, but I want to make sure you understand it for his benefit
Neptune's explanation might help to understand more in her short.





PS
Did you draw your icon? It's cute.

 

[ehdee6]

I cover my DIY containers in green tape. I'm not sure if it matters, but they use them? ... I bought a fancy one, but it started to smell like crickets, and no matter how much I washed it, I couldn't get rid of the smell. ... So now I just use disposable containers, toss them out once a month and make a new one. I did try not taping it once and Littlefoot kept aiming at the bottom of the container where they all hung out, until I taped it up.

 

[Rango_TheManEater]

I'm glad he's getting better!
Now I'm curious too. Most feeders I see use white or other such bright colors. I wonder if the contrast helps them to see the food items better?
Or maybe he doesn't quite understand it yet since it's new?

As an aside, am I reading this correctly: you said you are feeding him calcium only powder once a week?
Calcium without d3 should be offered at every meal. Every insect you feed him should be lightly dusted with calcium without D3 (and should not appear like powdered donuts.)
Supplementation scheduling is very confusing, but I want to make sure you understand it for his benefit
Neptune's explanation might help to understand more in her short.





PS
Did you draw your icon? It's cute.

Thank you for the heads up! I’ll be dusting his food with calcium powder a bit more frequently. I just didn’t want to accidentally overdo it, y’know?

And yes, I did! Thank you

 

[Beman]

I cover my DIY containers in green tape. I'm not sure if it matters, but they use them? ... I bought a fancy one, but it started to smell like crickets, and no matter how much I washed it, I couldn't get rid of the smell. ... So now I just use disposable containers, toss them out once a month and make a new one. I did try not taping it once and Littlefoot kept aiming at the bottom of the container where they all hung out, until I taped it up.

View attachment 364996View attachment 364997

I would avoid using tape of any kind in a chameleon cage. Moisture from the cage will cause it to lift off the surface. This can become a particularly unsafe thing with chams. We have seen everything from chams trying to eat it to getting it stuck to their skin and it pulling their skin from their bodies.

 

[Beman]

Hey everyone! I’m happy to say that Rango is getting better. I’m feeding him calcium-only powder via crickets once a week, and his UVB has been replaced.

When Rango doesn’t eat from my tongs (he’s a bit sassy sometimes!), I tend to place his food in a running feeder I made. I followed a YouTube tutorial for it, making sure I used non-toxic glue and that I filed the edges of the plastic to avoid cuts.

But Rango doesn’t seem interested in his feeder. Is there something wrong with it? Maybe the fabric is too dark?

(Rango was peeking at the camera while I took pictures )

Supplements were already covered so I wont go back over that. But It could be a few things... It is brand new and he is not sure of it. The black background makes it so the insect blend in. The insects you are offering... I would refrain from large superworms they can bite and you can end up with mouth rot. Looks like you have a darkling beetle in there. I would not feed these off. They have an extremely hard exoskeleton which can be difficult for small chams to deal with.

I would avoid tongs... All it takes is one bad target and you can severely damage their tongue.

Typically with a new feeder run you need to load it up with insects they eat normally. Most typically we would use crickets. These constantly move and catch their attention in the feeder run. So about a dozen of those and let him do the rest.

With the plastic bottle you used... Take a lighter and run along that cut edge. It will dull it out so there is reduced risk of slicing.

 

[ehdee6]

I would avoid using tape of any kind in a chameleon cage. Moisture from the cage will cause it to lift off the surface. This can become a particularly unsafe thing with chams. We have seen everything from chams trying to eat it to getting it stuck to their skin and it pulling their skin from their bodies.

Just clarifying. The cup one I hold on to while they eat out of it, so I'm watching them. The bowl I toss out and make a new one if it shows any wear, and I hand mist so it never gets wet.

This is a very valid point, the tape won't hold up to the moisture; and something to keep in mind, if you're just leaving it in the cage and not taking it out before misting it will fall apart quickly from the water.

 

[Rango_TheManEater]

Supplements were already covered so I wont go back over that. But It could be a few things... It is brand new and he is not sure of it. The black background makes it so the insect blend in. The insects you are offering... I would refrain from large superworms they can bite and you can end up with mouth rot. Looks like you have a darkling beetle in there. I would not feed these off. They have an extremely hard exoskeleton which can be difficult for small chams to deal with.

I would avoid tongs... All it takes is one bad target and you can severely damage their tongue.

Typically with a new feeder run you need to load it up with insects they eat normally. Most typically we would use crickets. These constantly move and catch their attention in the feeder run. So about a dozen of those and let him do the rest.

With the plastic bottle you used... Take a lighter and run along that cut edge. It will dull it out so there is reduced risk of slicing.

Thank you for the advice, Beman! I’ll change the insects and load him up with some crickets instead, alongside fixing his feeder itself.

 

[ehdee6]

Update: I bought green plastic containers to use instead. I'm sure it'll work the same and no tape. If I could edit my first post, I would.

Thank you for the words of wisdom @Beman.