Hep Meh!

WeirdUncleBob

New Member
I have a male, veiled chameleon from petco that I got 10 days ago. The girl at the pet store said he was a few weeks old. Idk if she really knew what she was talking about, but he’s about 3.5” long not counting his tail. I had the chameleon info list almost finished, and I accidentally lost it. It’s hard to get filled out on my phone because eventually it stops letting me scroll down the list. I will get it done this weekend, but I need information now! Little Rocco is in a glass terrarium temporarily. I have a 24”x24”x48” on order, and I need to help determining wether I will need the Arcadia 12% or the 6% light for the new cage. Which do I need, and what are the determining factors? Right now I have this fixture:

https://www.petsmart.com/reptile/en...ch-terrarium-strip-light-fixture-5290790.html

With this bulb:

https://www.petsmart.com/reptile/en...e - LIA Only&utm_medium=PLA&utm_source=google

I know the chameleon is not a desert reptile. This light is recycled from a bearded dragon I had. I also have one of the spiral uvb bulbs in a dome fixture that I have read are basically useless. The terrarium is 30” and the linear light is only 20”, so I’m using the dome light to get better total coverage. The aforementioned bearded dragon was an attempted rescue that already had MBD. He didn’t make it, and it broke mine and my family’s hearts. I can’t let that happen to Rocco. I bought a reptisun 15 watt, T8 5.0 UVB bulb for the linear fixture, but I bought it without knowing if it’s better than what I currently have. Should I use the reptisun bulb in the linear fixture, or would the money be better spent on a different bulb for the dome fixture. I need to make sure this set up will hold him over until the new cage comes and I can get an Arcadia light. Money is an issue at the moment, and I need to spend wisely to save for the Arcadia. The tank he is in is 30” long, 12” deep and 18” tall. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
 

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I have used the long linear reptisun 5.0 UVB light for many years now with no problems.

Be careful not to bake him in that tank.

Please answer the questions in the how to ask for help thread near the top of the health forum so we can help you to make sure your husbandry is right so he doesn't end up with MBD or other issues.

Are you sure it's a male? Does he have tarsal Spurs?
 
You'll definitely want to purchase a bigger enclosure and ASAP. Veileds grow like weeds in the first few months of life. He (if it is a he) will need at very least a 2x2x4 enclosure. Chameleons need height being arboreal animals and all. I'd recommend scrapping what lighting you had for your Beardie and upgrading to new industry standard T5HO. It uses less energy and produces more power than the old T8s. For comparison a T8 with a 10.0 bulb is the same as a T5HO with a 5.0 bulb. You are very right that the coil bulbs are useless. They are best suited for small arboreal gecko species in small enclosures like 12x12x12s or 12x12x18s.
 
Yes, he definitely has tarsals spurs. I learned about tarsal spurs from this forum. I am so glad I found this site! Thank you for your reply. I will look at the thread you mentioned and answer the questions. I’m assuming the questions are the long list I already attempted to fill out with info on the animal, my husbandry and the enclosure, and I will have it done by tomorrow!
 
You'll definitely want to purchase a bigger enclosure and ASAP. Veileds grow like weeds in the first few months of life. He (if it is a he) will need at very least a 2x2x4 enclosure. Chameleons need height being arboreal animals and all. I'd recommend scrapping what lighting you had for your Beardie and upgrading to new industry standard T5HO. It uses less energy and produces more power than the old T8s. For comparison a T8 with a 10.0 bulb is the same as a T5HO with a 5.0 bulb. You are very right that the coil bulbs are useless. They are best suited for small arboreal gecko species in small enclosures like 12x12x12s or 12x12x18s.

Thank you. I understand he needs a bigger enclosure, and I have already purchased a screen enclosure with the exact dimensions you listed. I ordered it last Saturday, and hope to have it soon. I was planning to purchase a 24” Arcadia dual bulb fixture. I was planning to go with the Arcadia from lightyourreptiles as I have seen that name over and over on this forum. I am really having trouble wrapping my mind around the light ratings and all the numbers. I’ve had a ball python for 9 years, but I’m very new to uv lighting. I Can learn I just need help!
 
Thank you. I understand he needs a bigger enclosure, and I have already purchased a screen enclosure with the exact dimensions you listed. I ordered it last Saturday, and hope to have it soon. I was planning to purchase a 24” Arcadia dual bulb fixture. I was planning to go with the Arcadia from lightyourreptiles as I have seen that name over and over on this forum. I am really having trouble wrapping my mind around the light ratings and all the numbers. I’ve had a ball python for 9 years, but I’m very new to uv lighting. I Can learn I just need help!
Arcadia is the best. Their bulbs last 12months on average rather than 6 months like the ZooMeds. Honestly I don't know anything about Thrive to be able to recommend them or put them down in anyway. If you go with the dual T5HO fixture you'll want a 6500k plant light bulb and a 6% Arcadia UVB bulb to go in it. Have a basking branch that is precisely between 6-10" below the bulb. Unless you plan on adding a bunch of foliage you shouldn't need a 12% bulb in the T5HO variety. I use single T5HO fixtures with a 6% bulb for my male panthers. For my plants I'm using screw in LED bulbs. Here's a pic of my setups.
20191220_093644.jpg
 
That is good news because the 12% are currently sold out. We will order the light the minute our money is right. Thrive can’t be anything special. It is the cheapest option at pet smart. I bought it out of necessity. The beardie had no UV when I took him, and I had to get something. I feel irresponsible for adopting the Cham. I had no idea how expensive it would be, and I would’ve waited till I was better prepared. Ive learned a good lesson. It is a sin that they sell these babies at petsmart!
 
That is good news because the 12% are currently sold out. We will order the light the minute our money is right. Thrive can’t be anything special. It is the cheapest option at pet smart. I bought it out of necessity. The beardie had no UV when I took him, and I had to get something. I feel irresponsible for adopting the Cham. I had no idea how expensive it would be, and I would’ve waited till I was better prepared. Ive learned a good lesson. It is a sin that they sell these babies at petsmart!
Agreed. Chameleons aren't difficult once you figure out what they need and how they need it. But they're different. Mainly because they need heat, humidity, and airflow. Which can be difficult to obtain all 3 at the same time. On average I spent around $600 for each of my enclosures after lighting, faux plants, branches, vines, real plants and pots for them. And I consider my setups "budget" friendly
 
He’s a little cutie! :love: Until you get your screen enclosure you’re really going to have to keep a close eye on temps and humidity. If both are too high your little guy can get an upper respiratory infection.
You might want to start foraging for some sticks for the big enclosure. Avoid pine and other conifers. Oak is always good. Give them a good wash with Dawn and an even better rinse. If you don’t already have a Pothos, they are great for veileds...easy & fast growers, lots of vines, safe for little nibblers and easy to propagate from clippings.So glad you found the forum and will be getting a correct set up. Welcome!:)
 
Agreed. Chameleons aren't difficult once you figure out what they need and how they need it. But they're different. Mainly because they need heat, humidity, and airflow. Which can be difficult to obtain all 3 at the same time. On average I spent around $600 for each of my enclosures after lighting, faux plants, branches, vines, real plants and pots for them. And I consider my setups "budget" friendly

They are different! My girlfriend and I are devoted to our little man, and will give him everything he needs. He is a good boy. We see him drink every day, He poops regularly, and he loves to eat. He’s even let me hand feed him kale.
 
He’s a little cutie! :love: Until you get your screen enclosure you’re really going to have to keep a close eye on temps and humidity. If both are too high your little guy can get an upper respiratory infection.
You might want to start foraging for some sticks for the big enclosure. Avoid pine and other conifers. Oak is always good. Give them a good wash with Dawn and an even better rinse. If you don’t already have a Pothos, they are great for veileds...easy & fast growers, lots of vines, safe for little nibblers and easy to propagate from clippings.So glad you found the forum and will be getting a correct set up. Welcome!:)

He is a cute little man! Thank you for the advice. I will start looking for some good oak sticks. We do have a pothos, but it’s too tall for the little tank. I was having an easier time keeping the humidity level right than the basking temp, but now I’ve got it right at 85F. We are misting several times a day and using a homemade dripper a couple hours a day. I have to dry the tank out with paper towels after the dripper overflows the plant, but it’s working.
 
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