Help me! New chamleon owner!

Mist twice a day, you can make a diy dripper with a solo cup with some ice cubes in it with pin holes on the bottom this will allow water to slowly enter the enclosure

You can also feed soft body feeders like horn worms to help with hydration they’re basically sacs of water

As long as half the urate is white you are okay
 
IrohtheVeiled said:
Also based on your last picture his eyes look nice and full that’s another indicator hydration is adequate for the time being
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I don't know if I mentioned this but I do mist in mornings and during the day and before bed kinda like you all said. While I'm at work, my mother mists for me in the afternoon. I showed her how to do it and told her to not hit him with the water(I think you all said that but I did find on my own very quickly he doesn't like water sprayed near him). So he constantly has spots to hydrate but a drippers would probably just be better and more reliable until I get a Mistking.

Also yes, the urate was small but half was that white cream color and the other was yellow.

I should probably also ask about handling or maybe how to properly handle. If there's a thread for this already, please feel free to link! I don't handle him...really at all. I kinda just hold my hand out and maybe see if he wants to? I never grab him or "force him" to come on me. One I kinda sprayed some water on my hand(cleaned hands beforehand-)to leave little droplets and he came on my hand and drank a lil bit. I just thought I'd ask for tips.
 
So this is good on all fronts your intuition is spot on. Encourage but don’t force interaction

Hand feeding treats is a good way to encourage interaction. Building trust with your Cham is good practice for times where you may need to transport to the vet or do some other task like administering meds (I had to apply meds to my veiled for the duration of over a month straight as he got a thermal burn I had to address, I didn’t appreciate how much heat is retained in a hybrid cage when I first made the switch.)

A mid day mist is fine just don’t drench the enclosure while your lamps are on but if you want passive running water which some chams like a dripper is a good option
 
IrohtheVeiled said:
You can also feed soft body feeders like horn worms to help with hydration they’re basically sacs of water
Click to expand...
Replying back to this about hornworms. I have just a few questions or maybe someone who may know but what is proper care for them? I remember hearing their scat is very toxic so, how many should I get, what kind of container?

i also did just get some today actually and he took it! I didn't place it in the feeder cup because it had cloth in there it can stick on- I just used the top of the plastic container they came in. Also I read a few threads on yhem and heard they squirt?? Which I found out they do buy feeding them- (very nasty :(( ) however, new development. Before, he'd turn his head away from superworms. He did the same today and I was starting to loose a little hope but holding it just a second longer, he took it! So I'm gonna give superworms another try because maybe he just needed to inspect it a lil longer :D
 
hornworms normally come in a cup with food in it with mesh

You store the cup upside down and all the droppings that way don’t fall in the food and are easy to clean

Don’t buy too many at once as they grow quick. I order mine online and get them super small due to this
 
IrohtheVeiled said:
hornworms normally come in a cup with food in it with mesh

You store the cup upside down and all the droppings that way don’t fall in the food and are easy to clean

Don’t buy too many at once as they grow quick. I order mine online and get them super small due to this
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Yup, exactly how it came and I asked what was in the food/puree to double check(potato, carrot, vegatable puree). I got a "small" size for now just to even see if he'd like it. But I'll see how big they get tomorrow and depending on so, I'll return them and get much, much smaller ones as they did show me that at first.

I did buy his new light as well and here is what it looks like. It is the Reptisun like Neptune and Skittles had mentioned. Is this okay? If not, I can return it.
 

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This is the new uvb in. I haven't misted yet because he's still in his sleepy spot. I think for what I'm gonna keep as a fake plant is the giant leaf one becasue he's been sleeping underneath and drinking on it.

Also the back cover is just a plastic, shower curtain texture tablecloth I cut. Let me know though if that's not okay! I literally put that one this morning so I could mist with no issue

I already talked aboit his feeder cup and that he's using it! But I do plan on getting the better one that's wood colors to blend more with his enclosure.

Also, I did ask my dad(who does environmental outside work) if he could bring some branches back he finds, ones with no sap and stuff, for me to clean and fill his cage with. My aunt and grandmother also have pothos in their gardens so I'm gonna try to get clippings and fashion them in the cage very soon.
 

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It might be the angle, but that looks like a really low laying setup. you should have a hang out area around 8-10" away from the UVB bulb. Even if its just one angled stick.
 
nightanole said:
It might be the angle, but that looks like a really low laying setup. you should have a hang out area around 8-10" away from the UVB bulb. Even if its just one angled stick.
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I just measured to double check for ya!
His sunning spot is about 8-9" away from the heat bulb and uvb. I plan to add more branches this weekend or today and I'll make sure they are that length away.
 
ThatOneDisease said:
I just measured to double check for ya!
His sunning spot is about 8-9" away from the heat bulb and uvb. I plan to add more branches this weekend or today and I'll make sure they are that length away.
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OK good. Unfortunately bulb strength is exponentally lower as you move away. So your 8" measurement might be perfect at uvi 3.0. But 16" is going to be like uvi 1.0 or 0.5, its not going to be half.

So like you said you just need a sunning area so the cham can have a choice. You will find they kinda make laps, so will sun, then do their business, then come back a few hours later and warm up again, repeat.
 
You’ll know you have a very balanced heat and UV gradient when your Cham does make laps and use the whole cage

It’s easier to add branch systems higher up when you do have dragon ledges or make a lattice system on the sides to angle branches
 
Yes, he does make laps and pretty much uses every plant and branch in cage. Speaking of, I did the dripper like yall recommended and he's been drinking that so I'll be doing that now. (Maybe less ice cubes or smaller holes because it drips alot and I don't know/have a draining system yet. Most of the time the water just drys because of the flat bottom and I'm not DRENCHING it when I mist. Plus the plants keep most of it from going all to the bottom)
 
ThatOneDisease said:
Yes, he does make laps and pretty much uses every plant and branch in cage. Speaking of, I did the dripper like yall recommended and he's been drinking that so I'll be doing that now. (Maybe less ice cubes or smaller holes because it drips alot and I don't know/have a draining system yet. Most of the time the water just drys because of the flat bottom and I'm not DRENCHING it when I mist. Plus the plants keep most of it from going all to the bottom)
Click to expand...

I use icecubes. You will go mad trying to tune the spigot to drip once every few seconds.
 
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