how old is my boy?

Well I am impressed. We have a lot of younger members here. Those that pick up all the details like you have are far ahead of a lot of adults we get in the forum. lol

So remember your feeding all in the morning. So he can bask all day. I think feeder runs are great. Full throttle feeders makes a great one. the 3 inch round.

With the fan have it oscillating so it is rotating. You just do not want to blast air into a cage.

Start reading this site if you have not yet. https://chameleonacademy.com/
thank you!!

i will try to feed my guy in the morning, but it's hard since i leave for school at 6:30am and his lights are still off.. im able to feed him at around 2:30-3:00pm, is that fine?

i could feed him in the morning on weekends, but would that interfere with his habits?

yes, my fan is a ceiling fan, and i'll read that now. thank you once again :)
 
@siennas ...welcome to the forum and the world of chameleons!
Also, you said...i appreciate the tips! i am 15 years old and all he is my very first reptile, so it's great to have someone to guide me" so good to see a person your age being so responsible with a pet! Keep up the good work!
thank you so much! it makes me happy to have people like you guys here for me whenever i need help with my cham :)
 
thank you!!

i will try to feed my guy in the morning, but it's hard since i leave for school at 6:30am and his lights are still off.. im able to feed him at around 2:30-3:00pm, is that fine?

i could feed him in the morning on weekends, but would that interfere with his habits?

yes, my fan is a ceiling fan, and i'll read that now. thank you once again :)
what time in the evenings are lights turning off?
 
@Beman hi beman! i have a question about my chameleon. he seems to always be basking a lot and whenever he is, he is a dark color. i currently am using a 60 watt incandescent household bulb. is this too cold for him?

when i first got him, i used a 75 watt flukers heat bulb, but noticed he was gaping (only for a few seconds) a few times everyday. but along with this, i noticed he would explore his enclosure more.

any advice would be appreciated, thank you!
 
@Beman hi beman! i have a question about my chameleon. he seems to always be basking a lot and whenever he is, he is a dark color. i currently am using a 60 watt incandescent household bulb. is this too cold for him?

when i first got him, i used a 75 watt flukers heat bulb, but noticed he was gaping (only for a few seconds) a few times everyday. but along with this, i noticed he would explore his enclosure more.

any advice would be appreciated, thank you!
his basking branch is about 6.5 inches away from the basking light. i still have to measure temperatures for them both separately, but that is just what i observed.
 
@Beman hi beman! i have a question about my chameleon. he seems to always be basking a lot and whenever he is, he is a dark color. i currently am using a 60 watt incandescent household bulb. is this too cold for him?

when i first got him, i used a 75 watt flukers heat bulb, but noticed he was gaping (only for a few seconds) a few times everyday. but along with this, i noticed he would explore his enclosure more.

any advice would be appreciated, thank you!
Hi there... So it is normal for a young cham to bask frequently. Darker color at basking is normal as well. They darken up to attract more heat.

As long as it is 80 at the basking branch he is getting the temp he needs.

Gaping indicates them trying to cool off. The issue is they will bake themselves even if they are getting way too hot.

How close is your UVB to the branch below it? Basking branch under heat is sitting a little closer then I prefer... What temps are you getting at the branch and how are you testing these?
 
Hi there... So it is normal for a young cham to bask frequently. Darker color at basking is normal as well. They darken up to attract more heat.

As long as it is 80 at the basking branch he is getting the temp he needs.

Gaping indicates them trying to cool off. The issue is they will bake themselves even if they are getting way too hot.

How close is your UVB to the branch below it? Basking branch under heat is sitting a little closer then I prefer... What temps are you getting at the branch and how are you testing these?
the closest to the UVB is 7 inches away. is this too close for him?

i use a digital thermometer and i will check the temp soon. i don't want to disturb him lol

thank you!
 
i just did the temps, it is at 79.5. also, sorry for all the questions, but is him resting his belly on the branch normal? here is a pic.
image.jpg
 
Ok so your branches are better and more within limits. So we aim for a 3 UVI level at the branch. This is the UVB strength to simplify it. Veileds have a range of exposure of basically 2-6 UVI. 2 being the lowest and 6 being the highest level of exposure.

So fixtures and bulb strengths along with type of screen it is sitting on all impact these levels. Screen reduces the output by about 40%. Which is actually good for us with T5HO fixtures. Because they have an intense output level. So with your T5HO fixture and a 5.0 UVB bulb. Sitting on top of the aluminum window screen of your cage your looking for a measured distance of about 8-9 inches to put him into that 3 UVI level. Your sitting right about 7.5 inches now which is still within limits and exposure would be approximately a 4 UVI level. So still within the needed range. Now as baby matures and reaches adult sizes I would drop down the branches another inch. Right now he sits lower but the taller he sits off the branches he will be sitting in higher UVI levels.

Upper levels above 6 become dangerous for continuous exposure. With the sun the UVI level increases as the sun rises. High noon strongest exposure level then as it starts to go down it reduces again. So a cham is never in continuous high exposure levels in its natural environment. We do not know all of the negative impacts of over exposure. But the logical ones would include cancer, growths, skin issues. Etc. Just like us being out in the sun being burned. Those that do not use SPF to protect their skin and who are always out in the sun tend to have long term issues with their skin.

In Chams UVB is needed to help with the D3 conversion process that happens in their bodies. It is what keeps their bones strong and impacts appetite as well. So under exposure issues can be things like MBD.

Zoo med bulbs should be replaced every 9 months as well. So mark your calendar for that.

Him sitting on the branch like that is normal. They like to be comfortable basking and lay typically so that one whole side of the belly has complete exposure. :)
 
Ok so your branches are better and more within limits. So we aim for a 3 UVI level at the branch. This is the UVB strength to simplify it. Veileds have a range of exposure of basically 2-6 UVI. 2 being the lowest and 6 being the highest level of exposure.

So fixtures and bulb strengths along with type of screen it is sitting on all impact these levels. Screen reduces the output by about 40%. Which is actually good for us with T5HO fixtures. Because they have an intense output level. So with your T5HO fixture and a 5.0 UVB bulb. Sitting on top of the aluminum window screen of your cage your looking for a measured distance of about 8-9 inches to put him into that 3 UVI level. Your sitting right about 7.5 inches now which is still within limits and exposure would be approximately a 4 UVI level. So still within the needed range. Now as baby matures and reaches adult sizes I would drop down the branches another inch. Right now he sits lower but the taller he sits off the branches he will be sitting in higher UVI levels.

Upper levels above 6 become dangerous for continuous exposure. With the sun the UVI level increases as the sun rises. High noon strongest exposure level then as it starts to go down it reduces again. So a cham is never in continuous high exposure levels in its natural environment. We do not know all of the negative impacts of over exposure. But the logical ones would include cancer, growths, skin issues. Etc. Just like us being out in the sun being burned. Those that do not use SPF to protect their skin and who are always out in the sun tend to have long term issues with their skin.

In Chams UVB is needed to help with the D3 conversion process that happens in their bodies. It is what keeps their bones strong and impacts appetite as well. So under exposure issues can be things like MBD.

Zoo med bulbs should be replaced every 9 months as well. So mark your calendar for that.

Him sitting on the branch like that is normal. They like to be comfortable basking and lay typically so that one whole side of the belly has complete exposure. :)
thank you so much! i appreciate all the info and i love learning new things about my little guy. i'll definitely keep this information in mind when he gets older.

also, im contemplating on getting my plants a grow bulb. is it possible for them to survive just with the T5HO UVB bulb?
 
thank you so much! i appreciate all the info and i love learning new things about my little guy. i'll definitely keep this information in mind when he gets older.

also, im contemplating on getting my plants a grow bulb. is it possible for them to survive just with the T5HO UVB bulb?
if they are house plants yes others no
 
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