Help me! New chamleon owner!

[ThatOneDisease]

Hello, I'm very new to this forum and desperately need some kind of guidance. I got a male nosy be panther chameleon as a gift just recently with very little time to prepare for his arrival.

I'm kinda freaking out as I have no idea what age he is and pet stores are just...not helpful as they keep trying to upsell me or say 2 very different things from what I read online from credible sources.

I'm currently feeding him pinhead crickets(small and greyish?) As I heard 6 months eat little ones. He's been drinking water as I'm manually misting and I do have a fogger. The person at the store only gave us a fogger saying that'd be enough(which from reading a lot on the forum doesn't sound correct). The cage is 18 by 18 and 36(?) He's no bigger than my hand, hence photo. There's picture of his cage. I did learn it needed to have layers to it with lower Temps as you go down and I tried my best with what I could to kinda give that for him.

He is eating and has taken food from me. His poop seems to look like the pictures that I see via online and here. He does drink water as I do manually mist and the fogger creates natural dripping for him(he likes to lick-drink it off the monsterra(?)). He's also drank water from my hand. I handle minimally. I think I've really only taken him out 3 times in almost the week he's been here and handling time is less than 5 minutes.

Also, I really need to know what kind of colors or shades mean what.
Here's kind of what I'm guessing each one's means that I've seen so far
Dark green/dark stripes/dark belly = basking, sunning
Light green/white stripe along body/whitish-greenish belly = calm, chilling
All white(?) = frightened
Green/white stripe/somewhat darker stripes/whitish greenish belly = stress(he typically looks like this if I handle him for a bit too long so that's how I've been able to tell to put him back(thankfully the times I've handled him were for so my partner could fix his cage).


Please ask me things that I didn't include because I really need all the help I can get. I've never owned a reptile nor did any of my family. I'm a student in college with a part time job. Hopefully I can get some help from you all or maybe what I should do with him in the worst case.

 

[kinyonga]

Can you please post a picture of your chameleon on/near something that will show its size? The insects might be too small.

 

[Fishlikeswater]

Hi! The previously mentioned partner, we aren’t able to get a picture at the moment because we’re out, but the side of the cage pictured is 18in so with some eyeballing math he’s about 5-6in long not including his tail, if that helps any. I also included a picture where he’s in ThatOneDisease’s hand.

 

[MissSkittles]

Hi and welcome! I’m working on a reply to help you with some of the basics.

 

[Fishlikeswater]

Can you please post a picture of your chameleon on/near something that will show its size? The insects might be too small.

Whoops, still getting used to this forum, I tried to reply to your message, but I added a rough estimate along with pictures I have.

 

[MissSkittles]

First, let me commend you for recognizing that pet stores may not be as helpful or as knowledgeable as many assume. Then, let me reassure you that we have all started at the beginning and we can help you to get your little beauty all set up and meet his needs, so that you are both happy and thriving in this new chapter of your lives.
There are some sources that will be excellent guides for you, such as https://chameleonacademy.com/chameleon-husbandry-program-getting-started-with-chameleons/ and Neptune the chameleon on YouTube. But let’s start with the basics here.
The first thing that you need is the correct uvb light. The standard is a linear T5HO fixture with either Arcadia 6% or ReptiSun 5.0. Avoid other brands as they have not yet proven worthy. The current uvb which you have, I’m afraid is not able to provide the levels needed or with any gradient. This may be perhaps the most expensive item which I will tell you that you need. Most pet stores (especially the chain stores) do not sell the correct UVB and you’ll need to order it on line. This is what you need. https://www.lightyourreptiles.com/products/arcadia-pro-t5-24-watt-fixture-22-5.html Make sure to specify the 6% strength. The length is 24” and will be perfect, even if it hangs over the top a little bit. Eventually, you will need to upgrade your cutie to a larger enclosure of at minimum 2x2x4’. Once you get the uvb light, you can then set your basking branch at a distance of 8-9” below the light. This will give the ideal uvb level.
The dual dome light is quite useful still and you’ll keep the basking bulb in place on one side. You can use the other side for a plant grow bulb if you like. For basking, your white light is perfect as colored lights can hurt sensitive googly eyes. You do need to ensure that your basking temp is no higher than 85F. Since your guy is a bit younger, he’ll do fine at 80F too. Generally the digital thermometers/hygrometers with the wired probe ends are ideal for accuracy. Some use smart meters too, and those are fine afaik.
Next is humidity. Do not run a fogger/humidifier during the day or unless temps are below at least 68-70F. Heat plus high humidity increases risks for respiratory infections. If your night time temps are below 68-70, that is when you will want to fog and boost humidity as high as you can get it. It simulates the natural hydration cycle chameleons get in the wild. For daytime, it’s best to mist or spray for at least 2 minutes, twice daily - right before lights go on and off. You’ll want to look to the urate (white part of the poos) to determine if your guy is getting enough hydration. White or cream color means well hydrated. A little bit of yellow or orange on one end is also ok. Mostly or all dark orange/yellow means you need to add more hydration opportunity. This can be done with an additional misting in the afternoon or some use a dripper (only run for 15-20 minutes).
The next most important aspect of husbandry is supplementation. Unfortunately we aren’t able to provide all of the needed nutrients in captivity, so we need to add them. For daily use, you need a phosphorus-free calcium without D3. Lightly dust every insect with this daily. Ther’s a few other ways to provide vitamins and D3, but the easier way is to use a quality combination product - many of us like and use either Repashy calcium plus with LoD or ReptiVite with D3. This you’ll want to use for one feeding either every other week or twice a month (it all works out whichever you choose).
This is getting a bit long, so let me stop for now and let you digest this and formulate any questions you may have.

 

[ThatOneDisease]

First, let me commend you for recognizing that pet stores may not be as helpful or as knowledgeable as many assume. Then, let me reassure you that we have all started at the beginning and we can help you to get your little beauty all set up and meet his needs, so that you are both happy and thriving in this new chapter of your lives.
There are some sources that will be excellent guides for you, such as https://chameleonacademy.com/chameleon-husbandry-program-getting-started-with-chameleons/ and Neptune the chameleon on YouTube. But let’s start with the basics here.
The first thing that you need is the correct uvb light. The standard is a linear T5HO fixture with either Arcadia 6% or ReptiSun 5.0. Avoid other brands as they have not yet proven worthy. The current uvb which you have, I’m afraid is not able to provide the levels needed or with any gradient. This may be perhaps the most expensive item which I will tell you that you need. Most pet stores (especially the chain stores) do not sell the correct UVB and you’ll need to order it on line. This is what you need. https://www.lightyourreptiles.com/products/arcadia-pro-t5-24-watt-fixture-22-5.html Make sure to specify the 6% strength. The length is 24” and will be perfect, even if it hangs over the top a little bit. Eventually, you will need to upgrade your cutie to a larger enclosure of at minimum 2x2x4’. Once you get the uvb light, you can then set your basking branch at a distance of 8-9” below the light. This will give the ideal uvb level.
The dual dome light is quite useful still and you’ll keep the basking bulb in place on one side. You can use the other side for a plant grow bulb if you like. For basking, your white light is perfect as colored lights can hurt sensitive googly eyes. You do need to ensure that your basking temp is no higher than 85F. Since your guy is a bit younger, he’ll do fine at 80F too. Generally the digital thermometers/hygrometers with the wired probe ends are ideal for accuracy. Some use smart meters too, and those are fine afaik.
Next is humidity. Do not run a fogger/humidifier during the day or unless temps are below at least 68-70F. Heat plus high humidity increases risks for respiratory infections. If your night time temps are below 68-70, that is when you will want to fog and boost humidity as high as you can get it. It simulates the natural hydration cycle chameleons get in the wild. For daytime, it’s best to mist or spray for at least 2 minutes, twice daily - right before lights go on and off. You’ll want to look to the urate (white part of the poos) to determine if your guy is getting enough hydration. White or cream color means well hydrated. A little bit of yellow or orange on one end is also ok. Mostly or all dark orange/yellow means you need to add more hydration opportunity. This can be done with an additional misting in the afternoon or some use a dripper (only run for 15-20 minutes).
The next most important aspect of husbandry is supplementation. Unfortunately we aren’t able to provide all of the needed nutrients in captivity, so we need to add them. For daily use, you need a phosphorus-free calcium without D3. Lightly dust every insect with this daily. Ther’s a few other ways to provide vitamins and D3, but the easier way is to use a quality combination product - many of us like and use either Repashy calcium plus with LoD or ReptiVite with D3. This you’ll want to use for one feeding either every other week or twice a month (it all works out whichever you choose).
This is getting a bit long, so let me stop for now and let you digest this and formulate any questions you may have.

Thank you so much- really. This is a huge responsibility kinda thrown on me and I was in desperate need of some reassurance and actually credible tips.

I did infact read that foggers are to be shut off during the day and turned on more so at night. It's very weird that the pet store people were telling me all day every day for it. So I have a couple questions and some comments.

1. I did get the vitamins. I'll have to wait a bit to show what I got but it is calcium without d3.

2. Feeding. How much a day should I feed him? Currently I've been feeding him 6 big crickets but recently like I said I got 100 small ones so I can go to the 10 small crickets a day but please correct me if I'm wrong.

3. Misting. Is it needed for a mister? Misters are pretty expensive and I've heard a tad hassle to deal with as needs a drainage bucket and I have carpet floors- I have been manually misting however kind of throughout the day when I'm not working. Again, I work part time and have class so misting in morning and night is more do-able for me.

4. Food. What kind of food should I give him? Like I said I bought lots of crickets recently and I wanted to get him some worms for the vitamins. I tried superworms as I did actually find Neptune before this and she said those but he seemed like- afraid of them? He's not afraid of the tongs as I said he took crickets from that easy. So not sure what kind of worms I should get for him as a treat.

I'll let you answer but these are just some kinda "urgent questions" that I keep getting confused on.

 

[IrohtheVeiled]

Thank you so much- really. This is a huge responsibility kinda thrown on me and I was in desperate need of some reassurance and actually credible tips.

I did infact read that foggers are to be shut off during the day and turned on more so at night. It's very weird that the pet store people were telling me all day every day for it. So I have a couple questions and some comments.

1. I did get the vitamins. I'll have to wait a bit to show what I got but it is calcium without d3.

2. Feeding. How much a day should I feed him? Currently I've been feeding him 6 big crickets but recently like I said I got 100 small ones so I can go to the 10 small crickets a day but please correct me if I'm wrong.

3. Misting. Is it needed for a mister? Misters are pretty expensive and I've heard a tad hassle to deal with as needs a drainage bucket and I have carpet floors- I have been manually misting however kind of throughout the day when I'm not working. Again, I work part time and have class so misting in morning and night is more do-able for me.

4. Food. What kind of food should I give him? Like I said I bought lots of crickets recently and I wanted to get him some worms for the vitamins. I tried superworms as I did actually find Neptune before this and she said those but he seemed like- afraid of them? He's not afraid of the tongs as I said he took crickets from that easy. So not sure what kind of worms I should get for him as a treat.

I'll let you answer but these are just some kinda "urgent questions" that I keep getting confused on.

Touching on number 3: I’ll give you my lived experience, my life has gotten a lot easier since programming a mister for my Cham, and it’s less stressful for both of us when the hydration cycle is automated. They do take just a bit to set up but with some planning it is not too bad. They are a touch expensive but the mistking system is worth the price tag when you are ready though you’d probably want to focus on the other areas of concern first

Number 4: @MissSkittles should have a helpful infographic regarding this. But, crickets dubia roaches, silk worms, horn worms BSLF are all solid staple feeders. Super worms as treats as they’re quite fatty. Most importantly, gut loading feeders is important. I personally use repashi bug burger

I don’t know if the person who got you the Cham realizes but with animals like this, the cheapest part about owning them is literally the animal itself, the lights, enclosures and equipment do cost money too.

Though in the same breath they’re awesome animals that are enriching to those who own them!

 

[MissSkittles]

I’m currently away from home and unable to give much of a reply. When I get back home, if no one else adds their help, I’ll be back to you with more.

 

[IrohtheVeiled]

 

[MissSkittles]

Okey doke…I’m back.
You’ve already been given the feeder graphic. For his size, I’d try 1/2” feeders. The general rule is to keep feeders smaller than the space between the eyes. For wormy feeders, we go by the diameter of them, but also just kind of instinct about them too. Hornworms can grow massive literally overnight, so only buy what your guy can eat in a day or two. For feeding amount, he’s still got a lot of growing to do, so you can/should be giving him at least 10-12 feeders daily, plus treats. Keep an eye on his casque for bulging. If you start to notice it’s bulging, cut back on his feeding. In about a month or so, start cutting back anyhow on his feeders and then frequency of feeding. By the time he’s around a year old, you’ll be wanting him to be getting fed about 3-4 feeders, either every other day or three days per week. I feed all of mine (which are all established adults) 3 days a week with treat once a week. I like to feed a variety and since I have a decent number of insectivores, I always have a variety of different feeders available. My staple feeders are crickets, discoid roaches (Florida’s legal version of dubia) and silkworms. Every now and then I add bsfl to the rotation, but I usually let them pupate into fun flying treats. Treats are usually just 1-2 (depending on size) bugs…Superworms, waxworms or an extra silkworm. I do advise getting or making a feeding station. Not only does it help to contain the feeder bugs, but your chameleon will always know where his food is and you can tell how much he’s eating. There are different types. I like the shooting gallery. https://tkchameleons.com/products/shooting-gallery?variant=30018608595032 Then there is Full Throttle https://www.fullthrottlefeeders.com/ the lunch log https://sunsetchameleons.com/product/chameleon-feeder/ and so many more. Poke some drainage holes in a tall plastic deli cup and zip tie it to a branch and there ya go. Do NOT tong feed. Far too many chameleons have had accidents involving tongs and suffered everything from a temporary pulled muscle to actually losing their entire tongue from injury. Also, a warning about hornworms as these have very strong grasps on some surfaces and can also result in injured tongues. I only hand feed hornworms and for when one of mine is feeling too shy to take it from my hand, I put it on an upside down or shallow deli cup.
I’m going to add another graphic for you about what to feed your bugs. You need to feed them well and keep them healthy so that they are more nutritious. I don’t specifically gutload, but I do keep them well fed at all times. I have bearded dragons, so the bugs get the same fresh organic produce that I feed the dragons…greens (dandelion, turnip, mustard, arugula, watercress, escarole, etc), different types of squashes, carrot, sweet potato, bell pepper, green beans and just a touch of fruit (berries usually or banana which my roaches love). I also use Repashy Bug Burger to supplement the bugs diet and for when I’m lazy or in a rush. Puréed veggies ice cubes are also good for this. I also add bee pollen to the bug burger when I make it or will on occasion sprinkle some on the fresh veggies for the bugs.

Whichever calcium that you bought, do make sure that it is phosphorus-free. Most are, but check anyhow. Just about all of the insects are higher in phosphorus than calcium, so we need to balance it out. Only bsfl have the ideal ratio and don’t really need calcium dusting. Some powders are stickier than others. It might take a bit of practice to not end up with powdered donut bugs. I put a tiny pinch in a deli cup and let the bugs dust themselves as they move around. (Yes, I love my deli cups )
For misting, it can be a cheap spray bottle from a dollar store, a pressurized sprayer or a splurge on a Mist King system. A finer mist is preferred by your chameleon, which the Mist King provides in addition to convenience. But you should be avoiding directly spraying your chameleon anyhow if hand spraying.
Looking at your enclosure, you do want to add more branches or vines. It can be a challenge to hang things but there are solutions. One which I’ve been using lately is attaching garden trellis to the frame. Posting some pics of enclosures I’ve made to give you an idea.
Once again, I’ve talked a huge amount and will again, give you time to digest it while I feed my Bebe silkies. *my favorite bug…they’re so cute when itty bitty.

 

[ThatOneDisease]

Okey doke…I’m back.
You’ve already been given the feeder graphic. For his size, I’d try 1/2” feeders. The general rule is to keep feeders smaller than the space between the eyes. For wormy feeders, we go by the diameter of them, but also just kind of instinct about them too. Hornworms can grow massive literally overnight, so only buy what your guy can eat in a day or two. For feeding amount, he’s still got a lot of growing to do, so you can/should be giving him at least 10-12 feeders daily, plus treats. Keep an eye on his casque for bulging. If you start to notice it’s bulging, cut back on his feeding. In about a month or so, start cutting back anyhow on his feeders and then frequency of feeding. By the time he’s around a year old, you’ll be wanting him to be getting fed about 3-4 feeders, either every other day or three days per week. I feed all of mine (which are all established adults) 3 days a week with treat once a week. I like to feed a variety and since I have a decent number of insectivores, I always have a variety of different feeders available. My staple feeders are crickets, discoid roaches (Florida’s legal version of dubia) and silkworms. Every now and then I add bsfl to the rotation, but I usually let them pupate into fun flying treats. Treats are usually just 1-2 (depending on size) bugs…Superworms, waxworms or an extra silkworm. I do advise getting or making a feeding station. Not only does it help to contain the feeder bugs, but your chameleon will always know where his food is and you can tell how much he’s eating. There are different types. I like the shooting gallery. https://tkchameleons.com/products/shooting-gallery?variant=30018608595032 Then there is Full Throttle https://www.fullthrottlefeeders.com/ the lunch log https://sunsetchameleons.com/product/chameleon-feeder/ and so many more. Poke some drainage holes in a tall plastic deli cup and zip tie it to a branch and there ya go. Do NOT tong feed. Far too many chameleons have had accidents involving tongs and suffered everything from a temporary pulled muscle to actually losing their entire tongue from injury. Also, a warning about hornworms as these have very strong grasps on some surfaces and can also result in injured tongues. I only hand feed hornworms and for when one of mine is feeling too shy to take it from my hand, I put it on an upside down or shallow deli cup.
I’m going to add another graphic for you about what to feed your bugs. You need to feed them well and keep them healthy so that they are more nutritious. I don’t specifically gutload, but I do keep them well fed at all times. I have bearded dragons, so the bugs get the same fresh organic produce that I feed the dragons…greens (dandelion, turnip, mustard, arugula, watercress, escarole, etc), different types of squashes, carrot, sweet potato, bell pepper, green beans and just a touch of fruit (berries usually or banana which my roaches love). I also use Repashy Bug Burger to supplement the bugs diet and for when I’m lazy or in a rush. Puréed veggies ice cubes are also good for this. I also add bee pollen to the bug burger when I make it or will on occasion sprinkle some on the fresh veggies for the bugs.
View attachment 366978

Whichever calcium that you bought, do make sure that it is phosphorus-free. Most are, but check anyhow. Just about all of the insects are higher in phosphorus than calcium, so we need to balance it out. Only bsfl have the ideal ratio and don’t really need calcium dusting. Some powders are stickier than others. It might take a bit of practice to not end up with powdered donut bugs. I put a tiny pinch in a deli cup and let the bugs dust themselves as they move around. (Yes, I love my deli cups )
For misting, it can be a cheap spray bottle from a dollar store, a pressurized sprayer or a splurge on a Mist King system. A finer mist is preferred by your chameleon, which the Mist King provides in addition to convenience. But you should be avoiding directly spraying your chameleon anyhow if hand spraying.
Looking at your enclosure, you do want to add more branches or vines. It can be a challenge to hang things but there are solutions. One which I’ve been using lately is attaching garden trellis to the frame. Posting some pics of enclosures I’ve made to give you an idea.
Once again, I’ve talked a huge amount and will again, give you time to digest it while I feed my Bebe silkies. *my favorite bug…they’re so cute when itty bitty.

(Anyone feel free to reply to this by the way.)
Okay this helps a lot and definitely telling me that I need to spend a hell more money lol- it's crazy because again, I was told from like the stores that "Oh its easy, it's so chill and once you get the stuff it's easy" and I'm just- ugh. Again, thank you so much for your time so far. I wish i really got a chance to research before getting him because it's kinda hell right now scrambling to get the money for all this stuff so he doesn't get sick or anything. I genuinely care alot about him and I've been panicking all day while at work and class wondering if he's okay(I'm just a worried parent if that says anything about how much I care). By the way, his poops do look good and that part is a cream color and looks similar to the examples Neptune did show in her videos.

I have been monitoring his food intake and I will be making those feeder cups(I'll do the little homemade you you mentioned or the shooting range because that looks pretty simple to put up and fill). Again, bless me, I was told that to just kinda dump some crickets and stuff in. So far, he's actually caught every single one I put in but honestly fof mine and his, he'd probably rather I put it in a place he can just get whenever he wants.

I....am debating on investing on a Mistking. As of now, I have fake plants(I know the risks and I have been watching him, he doesn't chew on them thankfully) and plan to get at least 2 real ones(monsterra definetly because he loves that one to hide and drink off of) and then rest fake to mix it up. I don't exactly have a green thumb and again, I'm not home alot so an automatic mister would..probably be beneficial it's just money.

And thank you for telling me about the tongs! Honestly, I was thinking about that so thank you alot for warning me. And about the superworms because I'd love to give him the treats and stuff but again he seemed to back away from it and get nervous(?). I just wanna know if this is normal or something I should be worried about. Waxworms I know are that other option but imma be honest...I'm terrified of them as I have a very deep fear of maggots. Cockroaches too but I'm willing to be okay with them for him(and i will buy some for that variety), it's mainly maggots I'm afraid of. I do currently have a place that sells bugs for a cheap price so that is the least of my worries.

I will be getting a vine plant and yeah, I know I should get more on the side of his enclosure. 90% sure that'd also help with his humidity. Also if you have any other tips to help hold humidity to that 75% - 100% mark during the night that'd be super helpful. Lately it's just been stopping at 50%-60% and temps at night are 70-72F. Also speaking of this, I will be purchasing that uvb(I knew I had to and was literally talked out of buying it from pet store people. I'm starting to really dislike pet store people after all this lol-)

Lastly, because this is alot and again...this was given as a gift with very little time fof me to even agree to it, I would really like to know if anything happened to where I realize I cannot properly take care of him, where could I go to ask? I hate to even ask this but it's definitely been on my mind this past week and last week when I got him. Again, I care about this lil guy a lot and I want to make sure he's not getting dumped in the woods or back into a stuffy pet store if that worse case happens.

 

[ehdee6]

It can all be overwhelming at first, and may seem like a money pit. I remember remarking to my pet store that the chams cost more than a horse. But, once you buy all the right equipment, the cost will start to balance.

I also thought I needed a mistking; but if you're on a budget, there are options to buy that will work until you can save up for one. I bought a moistenland mister from Amazon; with the intent of buying the mistking if it was a dud, but I'm happy with it, It's been working great!

I'd also highly recommend getting an Arcadia UVB light instead of zoomed. They're much better at disbursing the UVB light and the bulbs last twice as long!

I would really like to know if anything happened to where I realize I cannot properly take care of him, where could I go to ask?

Please come to us if you ever feel you can no longer care for your little love. I've seen chams go to new homes all over the world on this forum. We'll help you find new home, if needed.

We're here to help and support you as much as we can.

Welcome to the chamily!

 

[IrohtheVeiled]

(Anyone feel free to reply to this by the way.)
Okay this helps a lot and definitely telling me that I need to spend a hell more money lol- it's crazy because again, I was told from like the stores that "Oh its easy, it's so chill and once you get the stuff it's easy" and I'm just- ugh. Again, thank you so much for your time so far. I wish i really got a chance to research before getting him because it's kinda hell right now scrambling to get the money for all this stuff so he doesn't get sick or anything. I genuinely care alot about him and I've been panicking all day while at work and class wondering if he's okay(I'm just a worried parent if that says anything about how much I care). By the way, his poops do look good and that part is a cream color and looks similar to the examples Neptune did show in her videos.

I have been monitoring his food intake and I will be making those feeder cups(I'll do the little homemade you you mentioned or the shooting range because that looks pretty simple to put up and fill). Again, bless me, I was told that to just kinda dump some crickets and stuff in. So far, he's actually caught every single one I put in but honestly fof mine and his, he'd probably rather I put it in a place he can just get whenever he wants.

I....am debating on investing on a Mistking. As of now, I have fake plants(I know the risks and I have been watching him, he doesn't chew on them thankfully) and plan to get at least 2 real ones(monsterra definetly because he loves that one to hide and drink off of) and then rest fake to mix it up. I don't exactly have a green thumb and again, I'm not home alot so an automatic mister would..probably be beneficial it's just money.

And thank you for telling me about the tongs! Honestly, I was thinking about that so thank you alot for warning me. And about the superworms because I'd love to give him the treats and stuff but again he seemed to back away from it and get nervous(?). I just wanna know if this is normal or something I should be worried about. Waxworms I know are that other option but imma be honest...I'm terrified of them as I have a very deep fear of maggots. Cockroaches too but I'm willing to be okay with them for him(and i will buy some for that variety), it's mainly maggots I'm afraid of. I do currently have a place that sells bugs for a cheap price so that is the least of my worries.

I will be getting a vine plant and yeah, I know I should get more on the side of his enclosure. 90% sure that'd also help with his humidity. Also if you have any other tips to help hold humidity to that 75% - 100% mark during the night that'd be super helpful. Lately it's just been stopping at 50%-60% and temps at night are 70-72F. Also speaking of this, I will be purchasing that uvb(I knew I had to and was literally talked out of buying it from pet store people. I'm starting to really dislike pet store people after all this lol-)

Lastly, because this is alot and again...this was given as a gift with very little time fof me to even agree to it, I would really like to know if anything happened to where I realize I cannot properly take care of him, where could I go to ask? I hate to even ask this but it's definitely been on my mind this past week and last week when I got him. Again, I care about this lil guy a lot and I want to make sure he's not getting dumped in the woods or back into a stuffy pet store if that worse case happens.

Coming from someone who’s bought a Cham on impulse without knowing their needs I empathize with your situation, this form will point you in the right direction. I’d give you an order of operations of what I’d focus on starting from square one.

-you have an 18x18x36 cage, I’d upgrade to a 2x2x4 reptibreeze (affordable, solid option)

-establish a vet for your friend while you wait for it, get a fecal float done (this should be done once a year to confirm there’s no parasite issues. Coming from experience you want to do this from housing your Cham in a long term enclosure, doing this would’ve saved me a lot of pain down the line as mine actually did have a nasty parasite issue, I got him at a convention)

- once no parasites are confirmed, build out a long term enclosure, get the lights that are needed, I believe miss skittles listed the recommended ones already. This is the fun part! (Start with 3 lives plants, there’s lists of Cham safe plants but I will say Pothos is super common for trailing plants grow fast and are hardy) Neptune the chameleon has a video about preparing plants and branches for an enclosure. For securing branches and planters to the sides of your cage I cannot reccomend dragon ledges enough. I like them so much I switched to a DS hybrid enclosure this year. Out of all of this stuff, the lights, dragon ledges and cage probably run 200-300 bucks with a little more for plants and random materials. As far as lighting goes Arcadia T5HO is the gold standard in my opinion, and I use the Arcadia jungle dawn to give full spectrum light to my plants.

After you’ve gotten to this point, I’d say a mister would be your next viable upgrade. That being said you’re right you do need a plan for drainage. There’s plenty of posts about this though.

Post your progress here and others will give you feedback as you go.

Best of luck! This is what my current setup looks like. I like the floating garden method. The dragon ledges on the side of this cage allows you to achieve this by acting as a means to mount branches that serve as brackets for the rest of the structure, I have all the plants double potted so I can switch them out as needed without much disruption. The DS hybrid is expensive but and I wouldn’t recommend as a first cage but it’s very thoughtfully designed and includes the drainage tray and mesh floor you see. But you could basically achieve the same effect purchasing dragon ledges and securing them to a reptibreeze instead.

 

[IrohtheVeiled]

Also if you check the site sponsor list,

Light your reptiles are a great vendor for the lighting you need.

 

[MissSkittles]

I realize I forgot to post some pics of my enclosures. (Typical for me ) Perhaps that’s for the best though, as I’ve added one that I think you might benefit from seeing. Let me give you a bit of my history with chameleons though.
I didn’t even really know what a chameleon looked like irl when I offered to take my stepdaughter’s. I was given a partial chameleon kit with a working red light bulb, broken coil uvb, 2 plastic plants (the hard and sharp ones) and a plastic vine along with some mealworms. My instructions were to give her a mealworm a day and spray the leaves as chameleons lap the water drops from them. All I can say is thank the universe for Google, which eventually led me here. It took me awhile to get everything set up properly and I did inadvertently waste time and money on the wrong stuff. That was a bit over 6 years ago, and I’ve stuck around to pass on the help and encouragement that I received here.

This was a few months in and when I upgraded to a 2x2x4’. Mostly fake plants and not even enough of them, the dowels molded quickly and it all was just lacking…but it was the best I could do at the time and somehow me and my sweet Grumpy girl got through it together. This is also showing the size difference of enclosures. The most important thing you need to get now asap is the correct uvb. It is absolutely essential and unfortunately, there is no substitute or cheaper option.



I kept the small enclosure and rescreened it. I’ve used it for those times when I’ve had baby chameleons. This is how I set it up. I have a large center plant - a schefflera (umbrella plant) worked perfectly. In the back, I put some upside down plant pots and sat a pothos on it and a dracanae sitting in the front. The fat branches on the sides I attached to the frame at the corners and then used those to attach branches. They needed to be bent in order for the door to close properly.


This was set up for a panther and I was a bit more advanced in my keeping. I have Dragon Ledges to hold plants and branches. https://dragonstrand.com/dragon-ledges/You can see the mist heads of the Mist King in the back and since I used a hibiscus, I have a strong plant light on top next to the uvb and basking light.




This may help you with safe plants for your guy. While having a colorful variety is great, your chameleon won’t care if all he has is an enclosure full of pothos. You can buy one or two big bushy pothos plants and separate them into several. Then as they grow, take some clippings and start new plants. If ‘buy’ isn’t in your vocabulary atm, ask some friends or family if you can have some clippings of their pothos or philodendrons. Most offices have pothos too and if you ask sweetly, you might be able to get a clipping or two from them.

Yes, keeping chameleons can be expensive to get started with, but it doesn’t have to be everything all at once or having the extras. I scavenge for branches (most of us do) and after a good wash and better rinse, they’re good to go. Arcadia UVB bulbs last at least a year. It’s okay to use the fake plants until you can replace them with real. While a veterinary wellness visit and fecal check for parasites is always ideal, as long as your guy isn’t showing any signs of ill health, it can wait. Start a veterinary savings fund for yourself. Give yourself a chance to succeed.