First timer chameleon questions

[gfgabriel]

So im gonna be getting a baby blue bar chameleon soon and just have a couple questions specifically for panther chameleon since I've heard everything varies.

I have a screened cage that is 2' x 2' x 4' and am planning to put him in there. I have read that it is okay as long as i cup or hand feed him with is what I'm going to do so will that be alright? Should i also put his cage by a shaded window and have it open to let air in or is the ventilation in a closed room fine?

For temperature I've read many different ranges but think i will keep the ambient temperature at around 75 and basking at 85? my room temperature is usually around 75. I am also REALLY confused about the basking light position. I've seen many people put it directly on top of the cage but wouldn't this heat the cage extremely hot and I know small chameleons are known to climb upside down on the top part of the cage . Wouldn't this burn them? If so does anyone have an idea of how to raise the dome up where it's not directly on the cage? Or is it ok to just put the dome directly on top?

About the humidity; i have the zoo med dual thermometer and humidity gauge.The temperature i know is right for sure but the humidity is usually always around 60-70% when its just on my desk. i have two of them and they both display the same thing. Is the humidity really this high normally? I live in san diego if that helps. If this is the correct humidity level i read thats the range for panthers so would i still need to mist his cage or can i just use a dripper for water supply? If i were to mist it then wouldn't the humidity be too high?

For lights i have read how bad the zilla brand is but i was wondering if i can just use their light fixture because its not as expensive as other brands and use the 5.0 reptisun uvb light in there? i also have the zoo med repti basking spot lamp bulb 50 watts and am planning to put this at a distance where the basking area will reach a max of 85 degrees. i have a dome for the basking bulb so will it be alright to put this directly on top of the cage or will he burn himself if he crawls up onto the top?

im confused about the feeding. i have read to give them a certain amount of food and also to give them all the food they can eat. does anyone know the right amount as in how many times a day AND how much food per feeding?

i will be dusting the insects with calcium every feeding and give him repeal multivitamin with beta carotene twice a month. About D3 how many times should i use that?

At the store i will be buying it, what signs should i look out for to tell if he is sick in order to avoid spending a lot of money to just have it die? This is my first time having a chameleon so i really want to make sure everything is okay.

 

[NHenn]

Welcome to the forums, you came to the right place! My responses are below, hope they help!

So im gonna be getting a baby blue bar chameleon soon and just have a couple questions specifically for panther chameleon since I've heard everything varies.

I have a screened cage that is 2' x 2' x 4' and am planning to put him in there. I have read that it is okay as long as i cup or hand feed him with is what I'm going to do so will that be alright? Should i also put his cage by a shaded window and have it open to let air in or is the ventilation in a closed room fine? That is going to be a large cage for your little guy. Honestly I recommend getting a smaller cage until he is older. If that isn't feasible, be sure he has plenty of places to hide. You will also most likely have to cup feed him because of the size. Keep the cage away from the windows and any drafts he will be fine in your room.

For temperature I've read many different ranges but think i will keep the ambient temperature at around 75 and basking at 85? my room temperature is usually around 75. I am also REALLY confused about the basking light position. I've seen many people put it directly on top of the cage but wouldn't this heat the cage extremely hot and I know small chameleons are known to climb upside down on the top part of the cage . Wouldn't this burn them? If so does anyone have an idea of how to raise the dome up where it's not directly on the cage? Or is it ok to just put the dome directly on top?Your temps look fine. Ambient can be a little lower if you wish. As for the basking light, you are correct, do not place it right on top as it can very easily burn him. Keep it a few inches off so the temps are no so extreme.

About the humidity; i have the zoo med dual thermometer and humidity gauge.The temperature i know is right for sure but the humidity is usually always around 60-70% when its just on my desk. i have two of them and they both display the same thing. Is the humidity really this high normally? I live in san diego if that helps. If this is the correct humidity level i read thats the range for panthers so would i still need to mist his cage or can i just use a dripper for water supply? If i were to mist it then wouldn't the humidity be too high? I don't know if that is standard for your area but that is fine for your chameleon. When you mist it will spike but the cage needs to dry out between mistings so it will drop back down.

For lights i have read how bad the zilla brand is but i was wondering if i can just use their light fixture because its not as expensive as other brands and use the 5.0 reptisun uvb light in there? i also have the zoo med repti basking spot lamp bulb 50 watts and am planning to put this at a distance where the basking area will reach a max of 85 degrees. i have a dome for the basking bulb so will it be alright to put this directly on top of the cage or will he burn himself if he crawls up onto the top? I had all ZooMed fixtures so I don't know about the Zilla ones. Personally I recommend getting your lights from LightYourReptiles.com, you can't go wrong with them.

im confused about the feeding. i have read to give them a certain amount of food and also to give them all the food they can eat. does anyone know the right amount as in how many times a day AND how much food per feeding?For a little one, give him as much as he wants to eat. He is growing and needs to eat. When he is about a year old, then you can cut back to a normal amount. I feed once a day, if there are left over crickets at night remove them and give less the next day. If there are no crickets give him more the next day.

i will be dusting the insects with calcium every feeding and give him repeal multivitamin with beta carotene twice a month. About D3 how many times should i use that?D3 twice a month

At the store i will be buying it, what signs should i look out for to tell if he is sick in order to avoid spending a lot of money to just have it die? This is my first time having a chameleon so i really want to make sure everything is okay.I recommend getting a chameleon from a site sponsor or a senior member, then you won't have to worry about getting a sick chameleon or something different than what you really want.

 

[Carlton]

I have a screened cage that is 2' x 2' x 4' and am planning to put him in there. I have read that it is okay as long as i cup or hand feed him with is what I'm going to do so will that be alright? Yes, that size will be OK, but while he's very small you could portion part of it off so it's a little easier for him to hunt. Should i also put his cage by a shaded window and have it open to let air in or is the ventilation in a closed room fine?You don't need the window open. Air flow in a room is fine. You just don't want a completely closed terrarium type setup.

For temperature I've read many different ranges but think i will keep the ambient temperature at around 75 and basking at 85? my room temperature is usually around 75. I am also REALLY confused about the basking light position. I've seen many people put it directly on top of the cage but wouldn't this heat the cage extremely hot and I know small chameleons are known to climb upside down on the top part of the cage . Wouldn't this burn them? Not necessarily. Depending on the wattage of the bulb it is usually best to leave a little space between the bulb and the cage mesh to dissipate heat. You can raise the light dome up off the mesh in various ways. Hang the fixture from a bracket, use a clamp attached to the cage frame, or rest the rim of the dome on something heat resistant. You will want to experiment with the light to adjust the height so the resulting temp at the perch he'll use to bask reaches the correct temp. If so does anyone have an idea of how to raise the dome up where it's not directly on the cage? Or is it ok to just put the dome directly on top?

About the humidity; i have the zoo med dual thermometer and humidity gauge.The temperature i know is right for sure but the humidity is usually always around 60-70% when its just on my desk. i have two of them and they both display the same thing. Is the humidity really this high normally? Probably not. The analog types can get stuck at one level over time especially if the humidity level doesn't fluctuate much. You could test it by putting it near your shower and checking the level before, during, and a while after someone uses it. I live in san diego if that helps. If this is the correct humidity level i read thats the range for panthers so would i still need to mist his cage or can i just use a dripper for water supply? If i were to mist it then wouldn't the humidity be too high? As long as the cage can dry out between mistings the humidity probably won't stay too high. I really doubt your house RH level is over 60% normally. That would really be a sauna!

For lights i have read how bad the zilla brand is but i was wondering if i can just use their light fixture because its not as expensive as other brands and use the 5.0 reptisun uvb light in there?If the fixture is rated for the same watt bulb it should work. i also have the zoo med repti basking spot lamp bulb 50 watts and am planning to put this at a distance where the basking area will reach a max of 85 degrees. i have a dome for the basking bulb so will it be alright to put this directly on top of the cage or will he burn himself if he crawls up onto the top? Set the light up and check the surface temp of the cage mesh. The main reason some of us prefer using non-contact temp guns to check temperatures is because you can easily get the surface temp of anything you point it at in a matter of seconds. However, it probably won't get hot enough to burn his feet.

im confused about the feeding. i have read to give them a certain amount of food and also to give them all the food they can eat. does anyone know the right amount as in how many times a day AND how much food per feeding?As fast growing babies let them eat all they want. You'll soon figure out how much he will eat during the day. Females benefit from restricted feeding however. Once he's grown his growth rate and metabolism will slow down and he can be fed every other day.

i will be dusting the insects with calcium every feeding and give him repeal multivitamin with beta carotene twice a month. About D3 how many times should i use that? Every two weeks.

At the store i will be buying it, what signs should i look out for to tell if he is sick in order to avoid spending a lot of money to just have it die? This is my first time having a chameleon so i really want to make sure everything is okay.[/QUOTE]First, quiz them on their husbandry and how long he's been in their care. If it seems off, the cham might have some problems already. Ask where they got him (who the breeder was), and if you want, check the breeder online. He should be alert, eyes fully open during the day, reactive to activity around the cage. He should change color in response to handling. His eye turrets should look fully rounded, not sunken.

 

[gfgabriel]

Thank you so much for the crystal clear answers! Just to make sure, is this correct. Rep cal calium without d3 every feeding. zoo med repivite with d3 every 2 weeks.rep cal herbitivte with beta carotene every 2 weeks. Every 2 weeks means just one feeding right(10 crickets) not for the whole day? When i do the d3 and herbitivte do i skip the regular calcium those feedings or the whole day? Thank you.

 

[NHenn]

Sorry I missed your last question till now. Yes your schedule is correct.

I only feed my chameleons once a day so so I just dust them all and then feed them. Yes since the repivite with D3 also contains calcium you can skip the regular calcium that day.