Just got first chameleons last week! Looking for feedback on set up and chameleons, over worried chamdad.

Glorgnak

New Member
Jackson is about 8-9 months
Veiled about 2-3 months
The veiled doesn't seem to be eating much and staying in this spot for the most part once I put food bowl I made in. I've done a stupid amount of research before and after I got them and still feel so overwhelmed and at a loss here. I try to avoid their room as much as possible unless needing to do something.
 

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Chameleon Info:
  • Your Chameleon - high white translucent veiled, 2-3 months according to dealer, apparently male.
  • Jackson's approx 8 months, male
  • Handling - Haven't touched them yet other than to move into enclosures.
  • Feeding - veiled-pinhead crickets, and flightless fruitflys, maybe 1 or 2 wax and meal worms and 1 hornworm so far. Feed around 9 am and leave them all day. Using mazuri better bug gut loading diet.
  • Supplements - repticalcium without d3, attempted 3 days out of 8. Zoomed reptivite. 1 day out of 8
  • Watering - mist before lights come on and after they go off. Varying amount of time. At least 2-3 mins each time. Sonic humidifier at night. Dripper occasionally during day. Have seen them both drink once or twice. Very lucky happenstance.
  • Fecal Description - poops and urate seemed on par when last cleaned but haven't found any in few days. No test for parasites yet.
  • History - got them from 2 different vendors at expo

Cage Info:
  • Cage Type - reptibreeze mesh cage. 1 side blocked off with wax paper.
  • Lighting - 2 dome lighting.use repti basking spot lamp, 50w and sunglow coil bulb 5 uvb. Lights on around 7. Off around 7
  • Temperature - cage stick usually around low 80's varying mildly throughout day. At night 60-70 degrees varying. Usually on the lower side though. Gauge in middle of units.
  • Humidity - varies 30-60 during day. 70-90 at night. Have live plants and use humidifier at night.
  • Plants - all real other than maybe 1 fake hanging plant on walls. Got all plants from high end reptile store all suggested for them.
  • Placement - they have there own room. Air vents blocked but ceiling fan always on and small directional fan oscillating at varying speeds throughout day facing cages. No traffic except me or the missus. On tallest desk in room
  • Location - southeast Pennsylvania. Near philadelphia.

Current Problem - just want some extra opinion and feedback on my new fellas! Have wanted them my whole life and finally together enough that 8 was able to get them and now I just really really don't want to mess up!

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Please Note:
  1. The more details you provide the better and more accurate help you will receive.
  2. Photos can be very helpful.
 
Just pulled this out of Jackson's (balzamons) cage. Did he regurgitate this? Too much food?
 

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I’ll put my feedback in red. Remember, is only for veiled unless I can share what little I do know about Jackson’s, in which case I’ll specify. :)
Chameleon Info:
  • Your Chameleon - high white translucent veiled, 2-3 months according to dealer, apparently male.
  • Jackson's approx 8 months, male
  • Handling - Haven't touched them yet other than to move into enclosures.
  • Feeding - veiled-pinhead crickets, and flightless fruitflys, maybe 1 or 2 wax and meal worms and 1 hornworm so far. Feed around 9 am and leave them all day. Using mazuri better bug gut loading diet. For both: Is definitely better to add some fresh greens, veggies and a bit of fruit to your gutloading. I primarily feed my feeders fresh produce and use Repashy Bug Burger just as a small addition. Attaching both feeder and gutloading graphics below. For your veiled, he’s still just a baby so you can pretty much feed him as much as he can eat in about a 15-20 minute period. Below 3 months old he should be getting this twice a day.
  • Supplements - repticalcium without d3, attempted 3 days out of 8. Zoomed reptivite. 1 day out of 8 Does the Reptivite have D3? For both, you’ll want to lightly dust at every feeding with the calcium without D3. The veiled will need a multivitamin and calcium with D3 twice a month for each. Usually you alternate using them at one feeding every week. If the Reptivite has D3, that is both combined and you’ll use one feeding every other week. You Jackson’s will need the multivitamin and D3 only for one feeding per month for each. Again, if the Reptivite has D3, you’d use that just once every month.
  • Watering - mist before lights come on and after they go off. Some do it this way, but I personally prefer to mist right before lights out so they are still awake enough to drink. Varying amount of time. At least 2-3 mins each time. Sonic humidifier at night. Dripper occasionally during day. Have seen them both drink once or twice. Very lucky happenstance. Yes! Many chameleons (like all of mine :cautious:) are secretive drinkers.
  • Fecal Description - poops and urate seemed on par when last cleaned but haven't found any in few days. No test for parasites yet. Is always a good idea for a veterinary wellness check and a fecal. Better to learn of any potential problems before they become a problem.
  • History - got them from 2 different vendors at expo

Cage Info:
  • Cage Type - reptibreeze mesh cage. 1 side blocked off with wax paper. I can’t tell what size they are. Your veiled will need a minimum 2x2x4’ enclosure as he gets older and bigger. Jackson’s are smaller, so I honestly don’t know their minimum size. However, I believe in giving animals as much space as we can.
  • Lighting - 2 dome lighting.use repti basking spot lamp, 50w and sunglow coil bulb 5 uvb. Lights on around 7. Off around 7 Your 12 hour schedule is perfect. Your uvb isn’t. You have a mercury vapor uvb, which is not recommended unless you have a solarmeter 6.5 to monitor uv levels. The standard for both of your cham’s is a T5 fixture with either a ReptiSun 5.0 or Arcadia 6% uvb bulb. It needs to be long enough to span the width of each enclosure. As the solarmeter runs about $225-250, it’s much better to get the correct lighting for around $60-65 each. The distance from the correct uvb light to basking area should be about 8-9”.
  • Temperature - cage stick usually around low 80's varying mildly throughout day. At night 60-70 degrees varying. Usually on the lower side though. Gauge in middle of units. This is where the care between the two is changing. Your veiled shouldn’t be any higher than 80f at basking area. When he becomes full grown, it can go up a few degrees, but as keep my guy just below 85. Night time drop for both is important, but Jackson’s need it much cooler than veileds. Veileds can handle lower temps, they just don’t need them as much as Jackson’s do. Night temps should get down to around 65 I believe.
  • Humidity - varies 30-60 during day. This is close to similar for both, but you don’t want it to exceed 50% during the day. 70-90 at night. Good for both. Have live plants and use humidifier at night.
  • Plants - all real other than maybe 1 fake hanging plant on walls. Got all plants from high end reptile store all suggested for them. Your veiled will eventually start nibbling on his plants, so he needs them all to be live and safe. Your Jackson’s plants also need to be safe. Here’s a great list to go by. https://chameleonacademy.com/plants/
  • Placement - they have there own room. Air vents blocked but ceiling fan always on and small directional fan oscillating at varying speeds throughout day facing cages. No traffic except me or the missus. On tallest desk in room The higher they are, the safer they’ll feel. May I ask why you are using the fan? Does it heat up or get stuffy in their room? The air circulation a fan will provide is excellent. I just would make sure it’s angled either down to the floor or up to the ceiling rather than directly on them.
  • Location - southeast Pennsylvania. Near philadelphia.

Current Problem - just want some extra opinion and feedback on my new fellas! Have wanted them my whole life and finally together enough that 8 was able to get them and now I just really really don't want to mess up! Aww…congrats on finally getting your little guys! 🥰 Chameleons are awesome creatures and just wonderful to watch, learn about and figure out their personalities and various quirks. They can be a challenge at times and especially when just starting out with them. There’s just so much horrible care info out there that it’s hard not to fall victim to it. The most accurate and up to date info is athttps://chameleonacademy.com/chameleon-husbandry-program-getting-started-with-chameleons/ There is also species specific info there, which is what I am going by for your Jackson’s. Most of us enjoy helping new keepers get everything just right for their scaled babies, so don’t hesitate to ask questions, share pics, progress and just become part of the ‘chamily’.
4C915910-D4A3-4900-ACF0-765EF6AEA196.jpeg 96E5B819-36A5-4553-B636-0CA41129994E.jpeg
 
I’ll put my feedback in red. Remember, is only for veiled unless I can share what little I do know about Jackson’s, in which case I’ll specify. :)
Chameleon Info:
  • Your Chameleon - high white translucent veiled, 2-3 months according to dealer, apparently male.
  • Jackson's approx 8 months, male
  • Handling - Haven't touched them yet other than to move into enclosures.
  • Feeding - veiled-pinhead crickets, and flightless fruitflys, maybe 1 or 2 wax and meal worms and 1 hornworm so far. Feed around 9 am and leave them all day. Using mazuri better bug gut loading diet. For both: Is definitely better to add some fresh greens, veggies and a bit of fruit to your gutloading. I primarily feed my feeders fresh produce and use Repashy Bug Burger just as a small addition. Attaching both feeder and gutloading graphics below. For your veiled, he’s still just a baby so you can pretty much feed him as much as he can eat in about a 15-20 minute period. Below 3 months old he should be getting this twice a day.
  • Supplements - repticalcium without d3, attempted 3 days out of 8. Zoomed reptivite. 1 day out of 8 Does the Reptivite have D3? For both, you’ll want to lightly dust at every feeding with the calcium without D3. The veiled will need a multivitamin and calcium with D3 twice a month for each. Usually you alternate using them at one feeding every week. If the Reptivite has D3, that is both combined and you’ll use one feeding every other week. You Jackson’s will need the multivitamin and D3 only for one feeding per month for each. Again, if the Reptivite has D3, you’d use that just once every month.
  • Watering - mist before lights come on and after they go off. Some do it this way, but I personally prefer to mist right before lights out so they are still awake enough to drink. Varying amount of time. At least 2-3 mins each time. Sonic humidifier at night. Dripper occasionally during day. Have seen them both drink once or twice. Very lucky happenstance. Yes! Many chameleons (like all of mine :cautious:) are secretive drinkers.
  • Fecal Description - poops and urate seemed on par when last cleaned but haven't found any in few days. No test for parasites yet. Is always a good idea for a veterinary wellness check and a fecal. Better to learn of any potential problems before they become a problem.
  • History - got them from 2 different vendors at expo

Cage Info:
  • Cage Type - reptibreeze mesh cage. 1 side blocked off with wax paper. I can’t tell what size they are. Your veiled will need a minimum 2x2x4’ enclosure as he gets older and bigger. Jackson’s are smaller, so I honestly don’t know their minimum size. However, I believe in giving animals as much space as we can.
  • Lighting - 2 dome lighting.use repti basking spot lamp, 50w and sunglow coil bulb 5 uvb. Lights on around 7. Off around 7 Your 12 hour schedule is perfect. Your uvb isn’t. You have a mercury vapor uvb, which is not recommended unless you have a solarmeter 6.5 to monitor uv levels. The standard for both of your cham’s is a T5 fixture with either a ReptiSun 5.0 or Arcadia 6% uvb bulb. It needs to be long enough to span the width of each enclosure. As the solarmeter runs about $225-250, it’s much better to get the correct lighting for around $60-65 each. The distance from the correct uvb light to basking area should be about 8-9”.
  • Temperature - cage stick usually around low 80's varying mildly throughout day. At night 60-70 degrees varying. Usually on the lower side though. Gauge in middle of units. This is where the care between the two is changing. Your veiled shouldn’t be any higher than 80f at basking area. When he becomes full grown, it can go up a few degrees, but as keep my guy just below 85. Night time drop for both is important, but Jackson’s need it much cooler than veileds. Veileds can handle lower temps, they just don’t need them as much as Jackson’s do. Night temps should get down to around 65 I believe.
  • Humidity - varies 30-60 during day. This is close to similar for both, but you don’t want it to exceed 50% during the day. 70-90 at night. Good for both. Have live plants and use humidifier at night.
  • Plants - all real other than maybe 1 fake hanging plant on walls. Got all plants from high end reptile store all suggested for them. Your veiled will eventually start nibbling on his plants, so he needs them all to be live and safe. Your Jackson’s plants also need to be safe. Here’s a great list to go by. https://chameleonacademy.com/plants/
  • Placement - they have there own room. Air vents blocked but ceiling fan always on and small directional fan oscillating at varying speeds throughout day facing cages. No traffic except me or the missus. On tallest desk in room The higher they are, the safer they’ll feel. May I ask why you are using the fan? Does it heat up or get stuffy in their room? The air circulation a fan will provide is excellent. I just would make sure it’s angled either down to the floor or up to the ceiling rather than directly on them.
  • Location - southeast Pennsylvania. Near philadelphia.

Current Problem - just want some extra opinion and feedback on my new fellas! Have wanted them my whole life and finally together enough that 8 was able to get them and now I just really really don't want to mess up! Aww…congrats on finally getting your little guys! 🥰 Chameleons are awesome creatures and just wonderful to watch, learn about and figure out their personalities and various quirks. They can be a challenge at times and especially when just starting out with them. There’s just so much horrible care info out there that it’s hard not to fall victim to it. The most accurate and up to date info is athttps://chameleonacademy.com/chameleon-husbandry-program-getting-started-with-chameleons/ There is also species specific info there, which is what I am going by for your Jackson’s. Most of us enjoy helping new keepers get everything just right for their scaled babies, so don’t hesitate to ask questions, share pics, progress and just become part of the ‘chamily’.
View attachment 311602View attachment 311603
Thank you so much for responding and giving any help possible.
Fan is low near ground just pointed in direction of cages, sorry for missunderstanding. All the real plants we have in both set up are veiled safe for consumption :)
Will work on perfecting temperatures and basking spots (not too far off suprisingly)
Cages are 16x16x30
I did get 1 bar light (slimline tropical fixture, includes tropical 25 uvb t8 flourescent bulb) that I have been alternating days between chams. Need a second one.
Will schedule vet and fecal, just really nervous about transporting them approx. 30 mins to nicest reptile vet nearby. And didn't wanna do it till they where a little more settled in.
Need to get d3.
Will start doing natural gutload! Wanted to just not sure where I can get all the ingredients. Looking at the grocery store confuses me some lol.
 
The slimline fixture I believe has a plastic cover over the uvb bulb. That needs to be removed as uvb can’t penetrate thru it. To use that T8 fixture, you’ll need to get a 10.0 uvb bulb for correct levels.
It’s pumpkin season and those and various winter squashes, sweet potatoes and such are great additions to your bug’s food. For greens, I use the same that I feed my beardie which is arugula, watercress, collards, a little chard, mustard or turnip greens. Avoid things like spinach and kale which have oxalates that bind to calcium. I don’t give a lot of fruit…just a few blueberries, raspberries, maybe a little bit of apple. I try to get organic when I can find it. Usually farmer’s markets are great sources for fresh organic produce.
It’s truly not as bad as you’d think to transport to a vet. Usually we put the cham in a box (with a few air holes of course) and as it’s dark, they sleep thru the ride.
Hopefully one of the Jackson’s keepers will pop on and better advise you on their care. I tried, but not having one I really don’t know more than I can read about them.
 
Hi there, I have experience with Jackson’s Xanthalophus. I can’t tell from your picture if that’s what he is. I will only be addressing things for your jacksons. He needs at least a 2x2x4 foot screen cage with a T5ho fixture and either a reptisun 5.0 or 6% bulb at least 24 inches long to span the width of the top of his cage. The basking branch needs to be 8-9 inches below. You’ll need about a 60 watt incandescent or halogen bulb for heat and then some kind of grow lighting for the plants. Now Jackson’s chams are very shy and don’t like to be handled generally so take it slow with him. They like basking temp of around 80 and humidity 50% or below during the day and at night they need a big temp drop into the low 60 ‘s or even into the 50’ s if you can manage it. The humidity needs to be 80% or above at night. This can be hard to achieve depending on where you live. To help boost humidity most of us either use shower curtains on 3 sides of the wire cage or apply window shrink wrap like you’d apply to your windows in winter to keep out drafts or you can purchase a dragon strand cage that 3 solid sides and only the front is screen. You’ll need a mistking that is programmable to mist when you need it to and for how long you want it to mist. You may need a fogger at night as well to give the fog effect that Jackson’s are used to having where they live. There’s some thought that this is how they get their water. Feeding is about the same as for veileds. Make sure to gutload your feeder insects before feeding them to your Cham. You’ll need to lightly dust your insects with repticalcium NO D3 at every feeding except once a month and at that feeding you’ll lightly dust with reptivite with D3. Jackson’s chams are very sensitive to supplements so be sure to lightly dust your insects, we don’t want the powdered donut effect at all. So your Jackson’s Cham supplement will be different than your veileds.
 
Watering, you’ll want to set your mist king to go off an hour after lights out and then an hour before lights on for at least 2-3 minutes. If this and fogging doesn’t get your humidity up enough at night then you might want to set your mistking to go off a couple more times during the night. For a fogger, the cheapest way to go is to get a ultrasonic humidifier from Amazon and take the top off where the fog comes out and get some pvc pipe and get one long piece long enough to go from the top of the humidifier to the top of your cage, then get two elbow pieces and another short piece of pipe. N top of the long piece place an elbow then attach the short piece and then another elbow to aim it down into the cage top. You’ll want to fog from about 1 am to around 5 am. Now this is going to create some water in the bottom of your cage so you’ll need a drainage system. This is getting to be a long post so you can ask about that later if you want. Remember each of these chams need their own cage. You can’t keep chams together. It stresses them out and males are very territorial. mssSkittles gave you some great info on your veiled and the guides on insects and plants is good for Jackson’s as well. Welcome by the way!
 
I would still appreciate feedback on how they look if anyone can help please.
Also the little guy just doesn't seem to be eating much or just not that interested.
Could he be starting a shed/first shed?
 

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The lights and supplement are the most important so start there first and then of course as you can afford it do the rest. You’re doing great and I can tell you really care about your chams! If you have any problems finding things let us know and maybe we can give you some links to stuff. I’m not as good at that as others but someone will help!
 
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