I think Blu is mad

[BlusMom]

She's staying colored except at night. She's pretty restless, staying puffed up with her tongue down as if she's being threatened. I haven't changed anything in her terrarium except I put a large bowl of sand in case she's clutch, but I really don't think she is. I'm not sure what it is, I've had her since January.

 

[ERKleRose]

Welcome on here! Sorry in advance for all of the questions! Blu's cage needs more plant cover (all veiled-tested and live, especially in front of her lay bin), more branches (of multiple species and diameters, just none from toxic or sap-producing trees), and more vines (preferably all live, just no Exo terra, moss, or fake vines with leaves on them). What color is her basking light? Is the sand in her lay bin moist enough to hold a tunnel and not collapse? I can't really tell because of the angle and screen, but she might have eggs.
Here are two great cage set-up links:
(link no longer valid)
https://chameleonacademy.com/setting-up-a-chameleon-cage/

Filling out this form in as much detail as possible will be super helpful, too!

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.

--------------

Please Note:

1. The more details you provide the better and more accurate help you will receive.
2. Photos can be very helpful.

 

[MissSkittles]

I see root pouches and leaf litter. Is your enclosure bioactive with substrate layers and clean up crew? If so, you really don’t need a lay bin. Just make sure to keep you substrate moist enough to hold a tunnel. Btw, the bowl of sand would be way to small for a lay bin anyhow. Minimum size would be at least 12” wide and long with around 6” deep of sand.

 

[BlusMom]

I see root pouches and leaf litter. Is your enclosure bioactive with substrate layers and clean up crew? If so, you really don’t need a lay bin. Just make sure to keep you substrate moist enough to hold a tunnel. Btw, the bowl of sand would be way to small for a lay bin anyhow. Minimum size would be at least 12” wide and long with around 6” deep of sand.

Yes it is bioactive with substrate layers. That's what I thought but she's been walking around a lot so I was wondering if maybe she didn't like it.

 

[BlusMom]

Welcome on here! Sorry in advance for all of the questions! Blu's cage needs more plant cover (all veiled-tested and live, especially in front of her lay bin), more branches (of multiple species and diameters, just none from toxic or sap-producing trees), and more vines (preferably all live, just no Exo terra, moss, or fake vines with leaves on them). What color is her basking light? Is the sand in her lay bin moist enough to hold a tunnel and not collapse? I can't really tell because of the angle and screen, but she might have eggs.
Here are two great cage set-up links:
(link no longer valid)
https://chameleonacademy.com/setting-up-a-chameleon-cage/

Filling out this form in as much detail as possible will be super helpful, too!

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.

--------------

Please Note:

1. The more details you provide the better and more accurate help you will receive.
2. Photos can be very helpful.

Chameleon Info:

• Your Chameleon - Veiled, female, and I'm not sure how old she is. I bought her from petco in the beginning of January.
• Handling - Almost never, she's not a fan.
• Feeding - I gut load medium crickets and small dubia roaches with carrots and mustard greens. She eats 5 crickets or roaches in the morning and 5 around 4pm.
• Supplements - I dust with calcium without d3 everyday except on Sundays. On Sundays I rotate a multivitamin with d3 and calcium with d3.
• Watering - I have a repti rain at for 15 seconds every 6 hours. She is a healthy drinker. She will even drink from me pouring water in her terrarium when I water the plants.
• Fecal Description - Healthy pooper, dirt brown firm poo with white urate. Never been tested.
• History - She likes to eat and drink. She eats her plants in her terrarium. She loves wandering jews so much they are almost completely gone. As they grow she eats all the leaves off. She eats her tree too.

Cage Info:

• Cage Type - Describe your cage (Glass, Screen, Combo?) What are the dimensions?
• Exoterra x large tall screen cage
• Lighting - What brand, model, and types of lighting are you using? What is your daily lighting schedule?
• T5 UVB exoterra, 60watt white zilla heat lamp
• Temperature - What temp range have you created (cage floor to basking spot)? Lowest overnight temp? How do you measure these temps?
• Basking spot is 80 degrees, lower cage is around 72-75. At night it gets around 66-68. I have 2 thermostats in her cage.
• Humidity - What are your humidity levels? How are you creating and maintaining these levels? What do you use to measure humidity?
• Humidity is almost always at 50 or right above/ right below. Reptirain is in a timer and I water the plants.
• Plants - All live plants, gardenia, wandering jew, purple jew, the big one is a type of palm. I forgot the name.
• 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 in my room on top of my dresser. I have a ceiling fan but I never put it higher than low. The air vent is on the opposite side of the room. The top of the cage is over 6ft from the floor.
• Location - Where are you geographically located?
• Houston TX

Current Problem - Staying puffed up, dark markings like she's stressed about something. I left her cage open to see if she would come out since she's been pacing a lot. She eventually came out and went to her crickets. She started climbing the curtains so I moved her to the bed and fed her a couple crickets from the tweezers. She climbed around a while and was her normal green. I put her back in her cage and spots came right back out.

 

[MissSkittles]

Your husbandry looks pretty good, except you’re over-feeding. She should be old enough that you can cut her back to 3-4 feeders once in the morning, every other day. Besides obesity, over-feeding can lead to overly large clutches of eggs which in turn leads to increased risk of egg-binding. After she’s laid her first clutch, she should be getting 3-4 feeders 3 days a week. You could add more variety to her feeders and their gutload if you wanted. Attaching sheets. You could also increase the length of your misting to at least 2 minutes each time (2-3 times a day).
I’m thinking she may be receptive. Is this her first cycle? If so, how long ago did she start showing colors and patterns? Was she restless before? If she just very recently showed colors/patterns and started being restless, she’s receptive and won’t be ready for egg laying for at least a few weeks or more.

 

[ERKleRose]

So you only need one supplement with D3 in it. What brand(s) of supplements do you use? For gutload ingredients, the more there is the better! You’ll also want a different brand UVB bulb when you get the chance, either Zoo Med ReptiSun 5.0 or Arcadia 6% (replace yearly), placed 8-9” away from her basking branch. Her humidity levels should be between 30-50% during the day (preferably on the lower end of that) and can go up higher at night. What do you use to measure her humidity? Each misting session (at least twice a day- preferably around lights on and lights off) needs to be a minimum of 2-5+ minutes long each time, as well. I second the receptive theory, too.

 

[BlusMom]

I'm sorry I don't know what yall mean by receptive?
Her UVB is a ZooMed 5.0 that was my error, I keep it on 12 hours off 12 hours everyday. I have a humidity gauge in her cage. She's shown colors more and more after every shedding since January. I've never weighed her, but when I first got her, he torso was 2 inches long, last time I measured her, she was 5 inches long.

 

[MissSkittles]

So you only need one supplement with D3 in it. What brand(s) of supplements do you use? For gutload ingredients, the more there is the better! You’ll also want a different brand UVB bulb when you get the chance, either Zoo Med ReptiSun 5.0 or Arcadia 6% (replace yearly), placed 8-9” away from her basking branch. Her humidity levels should be between 30-50% during the day (preferably on the lower end of that) and can go up higher at night. What do you use to measure her humidity? Each misting session (at least twice a day- preferably around lights on and lights off) needs to be a minimum of 2-5+ minutes long each time, as well. I second the receptive theory, too.

I missed all that! Great catch!

I'm sorry I don't know what yall mean by receptive?
Her UVB is a ZooMed 5.0 that was my error, I keep it on 12 hours off 12 hours everyday. I have a humidity gauge in her cage. She's shown colors more and more after every shedding since January. I've never weighed her, but when I first got her, he torso was 2 inches long, last time I measured her, she was 5 inches long.

Receptive is when your little lady is sexually mature and is ready and wanting to mate. I think of it as she gets all dressed up and is searching for a man. Basically, she is in heat. It always comes before being gravid, or ready to lay eggs.
Since egg laying takes a great deal out of our sweet ladies and shortens their lives, we try to reduce not only the number of eggs they produce, but the frequency that they produce them. Keeping your basking temps no higher than around 80 and limiting feeding to 3-4 feeders, 3 days a week is how we do this. As they are still growing and need nutrients, I‘m very iffy about starting this regimen until after they’ve laid for the first time.
I have 2 lady veileds and this is what I do for them. Both are around 2 years old and each one has laid only twice. One went almost an entire year between laying. The other hasn’t laid since Feb 2020.
Having your husbandry as perfect as possible is essential so that they won’t have any problems laying their eggs.
Regarding the supplements (that I missed), you can either get a multivitamin without D3 and then you’ll use that and the calcium with D3 one feeding every other week for each, rotating them so they aren’t given together. Or, just use the multivitamin with D3 at one feeding every other week. I use Reptivite with D3 as it also contains preformed vitamin A which is good for eye health.
Having the correct uvb (I missed this too) is absolutely needed. The long light that you have...is that your uvb? If so, I’m guessing it is a T8 fixture. Those can be used, but the bulb would have to be a 10.0 or 12% strength. T5 with a 5.0 or 6% bulb is recommended as it is better. You also need to have it span the width of your enclosure. Right now, as she basks she isn’t really getting adequate uvb levels. The 2 lights should be closer to each other.
It would also be a good idea to add more branches and vines for her to travel on.
Here’s a pic of one of my enclosures to give you an idea. It isn’t as pretty as I’d like, but it makes my chams happy.

 

[BlusMom]

I use the reptivite as well and alternate it Sundays with the calcium d3. Example this Sunday she gets calcium with d3 because last Sunday she got the multivitamin with d3. This is what I use daily.

 

[ERKleRose]

I use the reptivite as well and alternate it Sundays with the calcium d3. Example this Sunday she gets calcium with d3 because last Sunday she got the multivitamin with d3. This is what I use daily.

The Reptivite you use needs to be the non D3 version

 

[BlusMom]

I missed all that! Great catch!

Receptive is when your little lady is sexually mature and is ready and wanting to mate. I think of it as she gets all dressed up and is searching for a man. Basically, she is in heat. It always comes before being gravid, or ready to lay eggs.
Since egg laying takes a great deal out of our sweet ladies and shortens their lives, we try to reduce not only the number of eggs they produce, but the frequency that they produce them. Keeping your basking temps no higher than around 80 and limiting feeding to 3-4 feeders, 3 days a week is how we do this. As they are still growing and need nutrients, I‘m very iffy about starting this regimen until after they’ve laid for the first time.
I have 2 lady veileds and this is what I do for them. Both are around 2 years old and each one has laid only twice. One went almost an entire year between laying. The other hasn’t laid since Feb 2020.
Having your husbandry as perfect as possible is essential so that they won’t have any problems laying their eggs.
Regarding the supplements (that I missed), you can either get a multivitamin without D3 and then you’ll use that and the calcium with D3 one feeding every other week for each, rotating them so they aren’t given together. Or, just use the multivitamin with D3 at one feeding every other week. I use Reptivite with D3 as it also contains preformed vitamin A which is good for eye health.
Having the correct uvb (I missed this too) is absolutely needed. The long light that you have...is that your uvb? If so, I’m guessing it is a T8 fixture. Those can be used, but the bulb would have to be a 10.0 or 12% strength. T5 with a 5.0 or 6% bulb is recommended as it is better. You also need to have it span the width of your enclosure. Right now, as she basks she isn’t really getting adequate uvb levels. The 2 lights should be closer to each other.
It would also be a good idea to add more branches and vines for her to travel on.
Here’s a pic of one of my enclosures to give you an idea. It isn’t as pretty as I’d like, but it makes my chams happy.
View attachment 301800

This is the light fixture and bulb I use, and her multivitamin.

 

[MissSkittles]

This is the light fixture and bulb I use, and her multivitamin.

Ok, so your uvb is a T8. If you use T8, you need a 10.0 or Arcadia 12% uvb bulb.
Reptivite with D3 is great! It is multivitamin and D3 combo so you’ll use calcium without D3 for all feedings except one feeding every other week, in which you’ll use the Reptivite with D3. No other supplement is needed.

 

[ERKleRose]

With a T8 fixture and bulb, you'll want the basking branch to be 7-8" below the bulb