husbandry review
- Thread starter Fchamel
- Start date
Hi hun... Fill this out with your updated info.Hello! I would like to get my husbandry reviewed! Thanks!
And images of the enclosure.Chameleon Info:
- Your Chameleon - The species, sex, and age of your chameleon. How long has it been in your care?
- Handling - How often do you handle your chameleon?
- Feeding - What are you feeding your cham? What amount? What is the schedule? How are you gut-loading your feeders?
- Supplements - What brand and type of calcium and vitamin products are you dusting your feeders with and what is the schedule?
- Watering - What kind of watering technique do you use? How often and how long to you mist? Do you see your chameleon drinking?
- Fecal Description - Briefly note colors and consistency from recent droppings. Has this chameleon ever been tested for parasites?
- History - Any previous information about your cham that might be useful to others when trying to help you.
Cage Info:
- Cage Type - Describe your cage (Glass, Screen, Combo?) What are the dimensions?
- Lighting - What brand, model, and types of lighting are you using? What is your daily lighting schedule?
- Temperature - What temp range have you created (cage floor to basking spot)? Lowest overnight temp? How do you measure these temps?
- Humidity - What are your humidity levels? How are you creating and maintaining these levels? What do you use to measure humidity?
- Plants - Are you using live plants? If so, what kind?
- Placement - Where is your cage located? Is it near any fans, air vents, or high traffic areas? At what height is the top of the cage relative to your room floor?
- Location - Where are you geographically located?
Current Problem - The current problem you are concerned about.
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Please Note:
- The more details you provide the better and more accurate help you will receive.
- Photos can be very helpful.
Fchamel
Chameleon Enthusiast
Hi hun... Fill this out with your updated info.
Chameleon Info:
- Your Chameleon - The species, sex, and age of your chameleon. How long has it been in your care? Veiled, female, almost 6 months. I got her in august
- Handling - How often do you handle your chameleon? I don't handle her very often because she thinks my thumb is a worm. She is not being aggressive.
- Feeding - What are you feeding your cham? What amount? What is the schedule? How are you gut-loading your feeders? I feed her 5-8 feeders every day. BSFL, superworms, Dubias, and sometimes crickets. I gutload with collard green, sweet potato, blackberries, carrot
- Supplements - What brand and type of calcium and vitamin products are you dusting your feeders with and what is the schedule? calcium without d3 every feeding. I know you did point out to me that I should use vitimans without d3. I will change that. But I do do calcium with d3 twice a month.
- Watering - What kind of watering technique do you use? How often and how long to you mist? Do you see your chameleon drinking? I hand spray the enclosure and plants 2-3 times a day. She does not drink in front of me. I also have a fogger.
- Fecal Description - Briefly note colors and consistency from recent droppings. Has this chameleon ever been tested for parasites? Compact with a white end, and watery urate. She has not been tested.
- History - Any previous information about your cham that might be useful to others when trying to help you.
Cage Info:
- Cage Type - Describe your cage (Glass, Screen, Combo?) What are the dimensions? so I bought the chameleon kit and changed it like crazy. They were so wrong
- Lighting - What brand, model, and types of lighting are you using? What is your daily lighting schedule? I use the reptisun t8 10.0.
- Temperature - What temp range have you created (cage floor to basking spot)? Lowest overnight temp? How do you measure these temps? I have a hygrometer/ thermometer.
- Humidity - What are your humidity levels? How are you creating and maintaining these levels? What do you use to measure humidity? With hygrometer right now it is 58% Hum 77 deg F
- Plants - Are you using live plants? If so, what kind? I have a pothos plant, and are adding more over time.
- Placement - Where is your cage located? Is it near any fans, air vents, or high traffic areas? At what height is the top of the cage relative to your room floor? Her cage is located in the office where tons of natural UVB come in. It is about as high as a kitchen table.
- Location - Where are you geographically located? I am located in NC, United State.
Current Problem - The current problem you are concerned about.
--------------
Please Note:
- The more details you provide the better and more accurate help you will receive.
- Photos can be very helpful.
MissSkittles
Chameleon Enthusiast
Hey there! Putting feedback in red.
Cage Info:
- Your Chameleon - The species, sex, and age of your chameleon. How long has it been in your care? Veiled, female, almost 6 months. I got her in august
- Handling - How often do you handle your chameleon? I don't handle her very often because she thinks my thumb is a worm. ?She is not being aggressive.
- Feeding - What are you feeding your cham? What amount? What is the schedule? How are you gut-loading your feeders? I feed her 5-8 feeders every day. BSFL, superworms, Dubias, and sometimes crickets. Good choice and variety. She’s old enough that you’ll want to reduce her feedings though. 3-4 feeders every other day is good. After she lays her first clutch of eggs, reduce her further to 3 feeders 3 days a week. I gutload with collard green, sweet potato, blackberries, carrot Very good
- Supplements - What brand and type of calcium and vitamin products are you dusting your feeders with and what is the schedule? calcium without d3 every feeding. I know you did point out to me that I should use vitimans without d3. I will change that. But I do do calcium with d3 twice a month. Yes, you need to add a multivitamin twice a month. Is best to alternate one feeding every week with calcium with D3 one week and multivitamin the next.
- Watering - What kind of watering technique do you use? How often and how long to you mist? Do you see your chameleon drinking? I hand spray the enclosure and plants 2-3 times a day. She does not drink in front of me. I also have a fogger. When are you using the fogger? It should only be for a few hours at night when temps are cool.
- Fecal Description - Briefly note colors and consistency from recent droppings. Has this chameleon ever been tested for parasites? Compact with a white end, and watery urate. She has not been tested.
- History - Any previous information about your cham that might be useful to others when trying to help you.
Cage Info:
- Cage Type - Describe your cage (Glass, Screen, Combo?) What are the dimensions? so I bought the chameleon kit and changed it like crazy. They were so wrong So your young lady is big enough that she’s outgrown the chameleon kit enclosure and needs an upgrade. Minimum recommended size is 2x2x4’ or equivalent.
- Lighting - What brand, model, and types of lighting are you using? What is your daily lighting schedule? I use the reptisun t8 10.0. I’m not as knowledgeable with uvb as members like @Beman . I think this is ok, but know that a T5 with a 5.0 or 6% bulb is better. What is your schedule? What is your basking light?
- Temperature - What temp range have you created (cage floor to basking spot)? Lowest overnight temp? How do you measure these temps? I have a hygrometer/ thermometer. But what is basking temp? Ideal it should be at 80 max.
- Humidity - What are your humidity levels? How are you creating and maintaining these levels? What do you use to measure humidity? With hygrometer right now it is 58% Hum 77 deg F Ok...here’s temp. Humidity is a bit high. Ideal is between 30-50% during the day and at night can increase greatly.
- Plants - Are you using live plants? If so, what kind? I have a pothos plant, and are adding more over time. Great start and my favorite for chams! You could very easily make more pothos from clippings. Just root them in water and plant. Even though she may not have yet tried nibbling any fake leaves, the risk is still there. Once I replaced all my fake with real, I stuck the fake onto the outside of the enclosure for added privacy from my prying eyes.
- Placement - Where is your cage located? Is it near any fans, air vents, or high traffic areas? At what height is the top of the cage relative to your room floor? Her cage is located in the office where tons of natural UVB come in. It is about as high as a kitchen table.
- Location - Where are you geographically located? I am located in NC, United State.
- Looking at your pic, you need to add many more branches and vines. She can’t use all of that empty space and it’s wasted. You can use washed branches from outside...avoid pine and other trees with sap. You also need more plant cover higher up. You could get a taller plant like a schefflera. You want a higher leafy area that she can hide in. This will help you in figuring out ways to attach more branches. For her upgrade, I’d suggest Dragon Ledges from DragonStrand. They are awesome!
Fchamel
Chameleon Enthusiast
@MissSkittles I will be offline for the night, but will reply to your questions tomorrow. Thank you so much for your feedback!
Fchamel
Chameleon Enthusiast
Here is my feedback!
Hello! so I will reduce her feeding. I have no idea how to use the fogger, but I will get a timer to run it at night. So for the lighting, I turn her basking and UVB on in the morning (8:00) At night, (around 9) I turn both lights off, and her night light blue on. My basking temp is pretty high at 95F. I am going to remove it at once and make sure she stays warm. I am going to go out in my yard today and collect sticks. Plus plant that pothos root.
Hello! so I will reduce her feeding. I have no idea how to use the fogger, but I will get a timer to run it at night. So for the lighting, I turn her basking and UVB on in the morning (8:00) At night, (around 9) I turn both lights off, and her night light blue on. My basking temp is pretty high at 95F. I am going to remove it at once and make sure she stays warm. I am going to go out in my yard today and collect sticks. Plus plant that pothos root.
There should not be any lights on at night. Chameleons need total darkness to sleep well. A temperature drop at night is actually beneficial and you only need to worry if it gets below 60F at night.
95F is MUCH too high for a chameleon especially for a female. You want a basking temp in the low 80s. The bulb you posted is only 25W which is very small. I would try to get a 60W bulb and see what temps that gives you, and use a 75W if need be.
Here is my video all about heat and chameleons:
95F is MUCH too high for a chameleon especially for a female. You want a basking temp in the low 80s. The bulb you posted is only 25W which is very small. I would try to get a 60W bulb and see what temps that gives you, and use a 75W if need be.
Here is my video all about heat and chameleons:
Fchamel
Chameleon Enthusiast
That you so much for the feedback! Unfortunately, the one that is 95F Is a 60W. I will remove the night light. Would the 25W be okay?
MissSkittles
Chameleon Enthusiast
It can be a little tricky to balance temps with correct uvb level. I’m not sure how far away your basking area should be with a T8. With a T5 with a 5.0 bulb it’s usually around 8-9”.
With a T8 and a 10.0 your looking at a range of 5-7 inches below. this would be roughly a UVI 2-3 level.
Fchamel
Chameleon Enthusiast
@MissSkittles @Beman I measured the sticks and branches with a tape measure and they are the correct lengths. I appreciate your help so much. Oh, and @MissSkittles I planted the pothos vine.
Just remember this is the distance for below the UVB not below the heat fixture. You can drop the distance for the heat fixture one which will reduce temps below it if you can not raise the fixture. A temp gauge with a probe hooked in at the branch below the heat is always a good way to know what the temps are hitting.
Fchamel
Chameleon Enthusiast
Okay, thanks! The branches are below the uvb. And I will make on for the heat lamp. How many inches for the heat lamp? I have a digital thermometer with a probe in the terrarium.
I would put it at least 9 inches away for heat. Depending on bulb wattage and type. You will need to recheck to make sure basking is not over 78-80max for her.
