Hello all im new here and would like some info

[kevarc]

im new to chameleon owning, but ive owned tons of reptiles from snakes to tortoise. not saying there the same but you get the idea. anyways just wanted to know what calcium i should be giving my little guy to help him develop. at the moment im feeding him crickets, that seems to be the staple diet for cham's. and is there a light or calcium to help them develop brighter color as well. would appreciate some insight.

Thanks
Kev

 

[jannb]

What kind of a chameleon do you have?

 

[kevarc]

BB ambilobe 2 1/2 months got him at pomona

 

[carol5208]

you need to get yourself three supplements to dust your feeders with. Calcium without d3 at every feeding, calcium with d3 twice a month and a multivitamin twice a month. Do you have a UVB light and a basking light? If so, what are you using? Also do you know about "gutloading" your crickets?? There are no special lights to produce better coloration. It is kinda luck of the draw on that!

 

[jannb]

Carol is correct. You might also find my blog for new keepers helpful.
https://www.chameleonforums.com/blo...-keepers-young-veiled-panther-chameleons.html

 

[kevarc]

you need to get yourself three supplements to dust your feeders with. Calcium without d3 at every feeding, calcium with d3 twice a month and a multivitamin twice a month. Do you have a UVB light and a basking light? If so, what are you using? Also do you know about "gutloading" your crickets?? There are no special lights to produce better coloration. It is kinda luck of the draw on that!

i have a 5.0 UVB and a 75w basking light 18inch cage/ the small one lol. haven't gutload the crickets yet still deciding if i should make some gutload or buy it at the store.

 

[carol5208]

Ok cool just didn't know if you knew about it! I don't use any store bought stuff, just my preference. Alot of people use this stuff called Cricket Crack and I beleive you can buy it online at Tikitiki Reptiles. Me, I just use fresh fruits and vegetables and leafy greens like kale and collard greens.

 

[melric]

I use cricket crack. It's a really good gutload some of my friends introduced me to. I bought my first BB Ambilobe's at Pomona also.

 

[kevarc]

Ok cool just didn't know if you knew about it! I don't use any store bought stuff, just my preference. Alot of people use this stuff called Cricket Crack and I beleive you can buy it online at Tikitiki Reptiles. Me, I just use fresh fruits and vegetables and leafy greens like kale and collard greens.

so i should dust the crickets every day with the calcium without d3? that wont be too much?

 

[carol5208]

no not all all. Just don't coat them so they are not too white. It is the basic supplement schedule most of us use and it seems to keep our chams healthy. The d3 calcium a couple of times a month. You live California so you will have the luxury like i do in getting your cham outside for natural sunlight so you especially do not want to use too much d3.

 

[kevarc]

no not all all. Just don't coat them so they are not too white. It is the basic supplement schedule most of us use and it seems to keep our chams healthy. The d3 calcium a couple of times a month. You live California so you will have the luxury like i do in getting your cham outside for natural sunlight so you especially do not want to use too much d3.

sweet thanks for all the very useful info. im glade i joined the forum. off to the store to get some calcium.

 

[kinyonga]

Here's some information to start you off.......
Exposure to proper UVB, appropriate temperatures, supplements, a supply of well-fed/gutloaded insects, water and an appropriate cage set-up are all important for the well-being of your chameleon.

Appropriate cage temperatures aid in digestion and thus play a part indirectly in nutrient absorption.

Exposure to UVB from either direct sunlight or a proper UVB light allows the chameleon to produce D3 so that it can use the calcium in its system to make/keep the bones strong and be used in other systems in the chameleon as well. The UVB should not pass through glass or plastic no matter whether its from the sun or the UVB light. The most often recommended UVB light is the long linear fluorescent Repti-sun 5.0 tube light. Some of the compacts, spirals and tube lights have caused health issues, but so far there have been no bad reports against this one.

Since many of the feeder insects have a poor ratio of calcium to phosphorus in them, its important to dust the insects before you feed them to the chameleon with a phos.-free calcium powder to help make up for it. (I use Rep-cal phosphorus-free calcium).

If you dust twice a month with a phos.-free calcium/D3 powder it will ensure that your chameleon gets some D3 without overdoing it. It leaves the chameleon to produce the rest of what it needs through its exposure to the UVB light. (Some UVB lights have been known to cause health issues, so the most often recommended one is the long linear fluorescent Repti-sun 5.0 tube light.) D3 from supplements can build up in the system but D3 produced from exposure to UVB shouldn't as long as the chameleon can move in and out of it. (I use Rep-cal phos.-free calcium/D3).

Dusting twice a month with a vitamin powder that contains a beta carotene (prOformed) source of vitamin A will ensure that the chameleon gets some vitamins without the danger of overdosing the vitamin A. PrEformed sources of vitamin A can build up in the system and may prevent the D3 from doing its job and push the chameleon towards MBD. However, there is controversy as to whether all/any chameleons can convert the beta carotene and so some people give some prEformed vitamin A once in a while. (I use herptivite.)

Gutloading/feeding the insects well helps to provide what the chameleon needs. I gutload crickets, roaches, locusts, superworms, etc. with an assortment of greens (dandelions, kale, collards, endive, escarole, mustard greens, etc.) and veggies (carrots, squash, sweet potato, sweet red pepper, zucchini, etc.)

Calcium, phos., D3 and vitamin A are important players in bone health and other systems in the chameleon (muscles, etc.) and they need to be in balance. When trying to balance them, you need to look at the supplements, what you feed the insects and what you feed the chameleon.

Here are some good sites for you and your parents to read...
http://chameleonnews.com/07FebWheelock.html
http://web.archive.org/web/200605020...Vitamin.A.html
http://web.archive.org/web/200604210...d.Calcium.html
http://www.uvguide.co.uk/
http://raisingkittytheveiledchameleon.blogspot.com/
http://web.archive.org/web/200601140...ww.adcham.com/