i need some help!

[richpass6]

hey i have had a nosey be panther chameleon for baout a week now. he is 4 months old and has been eating and drinking everyday. he basks in an 80-86 degree area and has plenty of spots to hide and cool, etc.. the humidity stays anywhere between 40 and 70 degrees. it fluctuates but i have a mister that mists 4 times a day for 30 seconds, se is getting plenty of water. i also have a decent amount of live plants that are same for the chameleon. my set up is really nice but for some reason, today, i have noticed he would randomly open his mouth. he doesnt look sick and he is eating what could it be? also i noticed he seems very scared and tends to climb upsidedown on the cage. how could improve on making my chameleon feel more at home.

 

[Joy Leaf]

-How big is the cage?
-What are you using for UVB?
-4 intervals at 30 seconds isnt very long. Try maybe 2 sessions, minute or two in the morning and 1 30 second to 1 minute in the late afternoon/early evening (a couple hours before lights out). That will give him a better chance to drink.
-How much traffic is in the room? People/pets?
-Whats your feeding/supplement schedule?

 

[pssh]

Does he only open his mouth while basking? Usually an open mouth while basking means he is too hot, but climbing of the ceiling means he's too cold or there isn't enough climbing space. Try adding more vines and perches. If he only opens his mouth while basking, lower the temp to 80.

 

[richpass6]

the cage is a standard aluminum for a juvenile chameleon, i have floresent UVB and a blue light for heat. i got the set-up from screameleons. i am using palm, i have vines, ivy, aswell as a spider plant. he has plenty of climnign space. he eats well and drinks

 

[richpass6]

he eats 10 crickets a day. they are given to him in the morning. he gets rep-cal calcium dust every other day on his crickets and a multivitamin dust every 2 weeks. he is on a 12 hour cycle usually 7 to 7
i am going to set the spraying time to long than 30 seconds. i am goign to put it at 45secs every 3 hours
so 4 times day, which helps regulate the humidity and wate rmy plants

 

[pssh]

What size is the cage in inches? Does he only open his mouth when he sits under the lightbulb? I also suggest getting him a normal house bulb that's about 40-60 watts instead of that blue bulb. They recognize the light it puts out with heat like the sun. In the wild the sun doesn't put out blue rays does it? Keep it natural.

what is your exact dusting schedule? When do you give calcium with d3? Have it spray for at least a minute each time, maybe even two if you want. Three times a day is good.

 

[richpass6]

i honestly dont know what kind of bulb it is, it came with my setup but the color of the blub is blue, im guessign the wavelength is blue as well which is best becaus eall other colors in the spectrum arent as strong. i will give an incandescent bulb a try. the tank is 18 X 12 X 20 inches, so its not very big. he make sit aroudn the cage easily and finds his food

 

[richpass6]

the sun does emit blue and red UV ray it actually emits the whoel color spectrum but blue and red are the strongest

 

[pssh]

But it doesn't look blue. The chameleons don't know that, so a plain Jane bulb is best. If the sun turned blue all of a sudden I'd be confused, wouldn't you Be? I suppose I could have used better words, most people just find it easier to understand simpler language.

Anyways, does he only open his mouth while basking?

 

[richpass6]

i guess he was under the lamp when he did it, but i hasen done it caus ehe has been moving around (away form the heat). also he likes to climb the cage, but there are plenty of plants and shelter...

i am at school right now so i have had help with takign care of him ( he is back at home)
i would usually be more on top of his behaviors and gettign to know him since he is new. he ssem healthy though. i mena he eats, gets his vitamins (calcium every othe rdya and multi vitamin every 2 weeks on crickets). he eats about 10 day right now. an dis already showing some beautiful color...maybe im jsut buggin out caus ethis is my first chameleon

 

[richpass6]

i just went to turn up his light and noticed he was under the lamp and his mouth was open. the thermometer said it was only 73...? im so puzzeled by this.

 

[pssh]

Is it a digital thermometer? Does he ever make clicking noises?

He need plain calcium w/o d3 every day, calcium w/ d3 twice a month, and a multivitamin once to twice a month.

 

[richpass6]

damn i only have the one with d3... hmm ok i nee dot get th eother one then ok

 

[pssh]

Do you use a digital thermometer? D3 can build up in the system and can cause toxic side effects so stop using it so much. Buy a plain calcium.

 

[richpass6]

yes i use a digital therm.. idk i have this manuel from screameleons and it says to give calcium w/ 3d every other day for juveniles and then twice a week for adults. i also give him crickets dusted in repcal multi-vitamin once every 2 weeks

 

[pssh]

It depends on the type/brand of calcium. However, most on here recomend twice a month for the repcal brand. With the pink label right?

 

[richpass6]

yeah its the one with the pink label. so, im just gunna say it, im an idiot lol. i set up the tank wrong and a realized that last night. so i decided to fix it ( bad idea). anyways my cham was bugging out and he def thought i was going to eat him and he almost got cruched from the door on the cage. long story short, he seems fine and now he has a nice set where the branched are giving him the option of 3 different levels of heat..yada yada. i also noticed today he is very dark, as if he is going to hate me forever haha