First Cham! Dark all the time and lays sideways, please help!!

Hytgh5

New Member


Chameleon Info:
  • Your Chameleon - He’s a 11 month panther chameleon. I’ve only had him for 4 days
  • Handling - Only when first arrived
  • Feeding - I try to feed my chameleon crickets but he’ll only eat about 4 and just loses interest. So I feed him a couple of horn worms and maybe 1/2 super worms because I feel like he’s not really watching as he should. I try to feed around noon or maybe 10am How are you gut-loading your feeders?- will be making my own gutload with greens and fruits soon
  • Supplements - I have repticalcium w/o D3 and reptivite w D3
  • Watering - I hand mist him about 3 times about for about 1m or 2. Have a dripper that lands on a life pothos. Have not seen him drink
  • Fecal Description - He’s poop is a darkish brow and a white yellowish half. Has not been tested
  • History - have only had him a couple of days

Cage Info:
  • Cage - 24x24x48 zoomed screen
  • Lighting - I have a reprisun t5ho fixture with a 10.0 reptisun uvb(accidentally broke 5.0 that came w fixture). I also have a fuckers sun dome 10inch. Have a couple different heat bulbs(was told to use a different one, will show in pics) lights turn on at 8am and off at 7pm.
  • Temperature - I have a temp gun that reads about 90 on basking spot and a thermostat that says 91. Rest of cage reads about 76 right now w temp gun.
  • Humidity - I have 2 different hydro meters, 1 read about 80% and the other reads 50%..
  • Plants - i have 3 life plants. I have a pothos, Schefflera and a bromeliad
  • Placement - cage is in guest room. Near a fan but rarely on. Only turn it on to move the air a little bit. Air vent on opposite side of the room. No traffic at all. Move him to guest room so he wouldn’t see cats and dog. Almost 2 feet off the ground.
  • Location - Central Florida

Current Problem - The chameleon has been dark since I put him inside the cage. He was bright when I got him, he only shows he’s colors as soon as the lights go off. He lays sideways under the basking spot, not all the time but often. I’m a little worried, have never had a cham before but I’m not sure if he’s supposed to be doing this or not. Nor am I sure if it’s because he need to get used to his new home. Only have had for 4 days.
- He barely eats the crickets but will eat super worms and horn worms without a problem.
-The breeder told me to not feed him dark crickets, bout a box and they were all dark.
-He also told me to not use the br30 floodlight for plant grouth 75w (heat bulb) and used one for reptiles instead so I bought a zilla day white light incandescent 75w instead.
-sometimes he gets a little angry if I try to move nothing in the cage if imma hand gets near him. But when I got him he didn’t reslly care When I handled him.
-actually found him in the bottle of the cage sitting like a dog once.
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This is when I first got him -
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Hydrometer -
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Cage -
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Someone please help. I don’t know if im just freakin out and he just need to get used to it or no. I’ll be getting a mist king next week hopefully. If you have any advice for anything It will be greatly appreciated. I just want to give this guys the best husbandry possible. We moves around the cage. As I typed all of this he moved from top all the way to the floor and turned bright
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He’s kind of just hanging onto the side of the cage aslmost on the floor. Started moving back up after a while.
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I got lower wattage (65 and 50) to try out

Also if anyone get point me to a good source of roaches I can buy it would be greatly appreciated. And a good forum for what to feed, only have crickets, hornworms and superworms at the moment
Thank you everyone

 
I wouldn't try to hand feed him now. I would interact with him as little as possible for a couple of weeks, let him feel safe. Also more foliage for him to hide in would help him feel more secure. He needs a period of adjustment. Try to relax a little bit yourself, give him some space.
 
I wouldn't try to hand feed him now. I would interact with him as little as possible for a couple of weeks, let him feel safe. Also more foliage for him to hide in would help him feel more secure. He needs a period of adjustment. Try to relax a little bit yourself, give him some space.
Okay sounds good, I’ll buy him more plants!
 
Okay sounds good, I’ll buy him more plants!
And some more branches/vines for all levels up to the basking spot. Give lots of options and plenty cover. You don't have to buy, you can collect some.

Please also keep a very close eye on his basking spot temperature. Either with an infrared temp gun or a digital thermometer with a probe that you can place right at that spot. Ideally, use a dimming thermostat to automatically adjust the basking temps.

Another thing to watch will be the rope ladder. The rope will hold moisture and begin to go mouldy over time. You don't want mold in there at all.

You've got a cracking young boy there! Don't stop reading and trying to improve.
 
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