Need advice on setup changes to make

LadyRivlin

New Member
Hi guys! New chameleon keeper here. I’ve learned a lot in the past couple of months. I’m overhauling my setup this week and was looking for some advice on a few details and to see if some of the changes I’m planning are appropriate. Most of this is related to the terrarium, but there are some nutrition and health questions, as well.

Chameleon Info:
◦ Your Chameleon - The species, sex, and age of your chameleon. How long has it been in your care?
Pascal is a female veiled. In my care since 3/28/19. I bought her from Petsmart in ABQ, NM, where they told me she was 3-4 months old. So now I guess she is 4-5 months old, but I have looked at pictures of other chameleons and I’m thinking she might be older. She is about 7 inches from nose to vent.

◦ Handling - How often do you handle your chameleon?
The only times I handle her is if I’m moving her from one enclosure to another. I’ve only done this once since I got her. She tries to bite if you get too close, but will come running up to my hand if I have food. She also despises my phone, so nearly every photo I get of her, she looks pissed off.

◦ Feeding - What are you feeding your cham? What amount? What is the schedule? How are you gut-loading your feeders?
Her diet is about 40% crickets, 50% wild caught moths, 20% a combination of waxworms, mealworms, and super worms. I try to catch about 15 moths in the evening to give her (I recently learned that she should be fed in the morning, so I’ll be changing this). If we have small crickets, I give her about 15, if large, I give her 6-8. We remove any she doesn’t eat. I was using Fluker’s gel because my husband has it for his tarantula feeders, but I’ve been doing frozen strawberries, mangoes and spinach for the past week. When I give her worms, I hand feed her until she’s not interested anymore, usually 4-8.

◦ Supplements - What brand and type of calcium and vitamin products are you dusting your feeders with and what is the schedule?

I got Repti-Calcium calcium with D3 originally and have been dusting once or twice a week.

◦ Watering - What kind of watering technique do you use? How often and how long to you mist? Do you see your chameleon drinking?
I have a spray bottle and mist her 4 times a day for about 3-5 minutes. I see her drinking from the droplets that form on her crest, but not from the leaves or anything else.

◦ Fecal Description - Briefly note colors and consistency from recent droppings. Has this chameleon ever been tested for parasites?
She has brown, formed, kind of slimy-looking droppings and white pasty dropping that sometimes have a yellowish tinge on one end. No parasite testing has been done.

◦ History - Any previous information about your cham that might be useful to others when trying to help you.
She has shed once since we got her, about 3 weeks ago.

Cage Info:
◦ Cage Type - Describe your cage (Glass, Screen, Combo?) What are the dimensions?
I have an exo-terra glass terrarium 12x12x18 currently. The top is screen.

◦ Lighting - What brand, model, and types of lighting are you using? What is your daily lighting schedule?
I have the exoterra fixture that fits the terrarium with a 26w UVB CFL in it. The brand is All Living Things (generic at Petsmart). The light is on from 8am to 8pm most of the time. It sometimes gets turned off around 10pm.

◦ Temperature - What temp range have you created (cage floor to basking spot)? Lowest overnight temp? How do you measure these temps?
I have a combo analog hygrometer/thermometer that sits low in the terrarium (about 2 inches from the bottom). The lowest temp I’ve seen around 5am was 65 degrees. I use a ZooMed nano lamp with a ceramic heater at night and on cool days. The highest temp has been around 75 degrees with the thermometer where it is now. I used to have the thermometer near the top just under the heater, and the highest temp there was 88 degrees.

◦ Humidity - What are your humidity levels? How are you creating and maintaining these levels? What do you use to measure humidity?
The humidity gets down to 45-50% in the morning. It’s usually around 60% during the day before a misting. I have the combo analog hygrometer/thermometer. I mist 4 times daily and she is in a glass enclosure.

◦ Plants - Are you using live plants? If so, what kind?
I do have live plants including a heavenly bamboo, some dracaena spikes, a couple of asparagus ferns. I did have some petunias, but they died. The dracaenas and heavenly bamboo aren’t doing too well either.

◦ 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?
The cage is located in my son’s room in a corner, pretty low traffic. The top of the cage is about 5 ft off the floor. We have a mini fan set up near the bottom of the terrarium to help air flow through the bottom vents up through the top screen. It is not always on, just when it is really warm or if the substrate seems too wet.

◦ Location - Where are you geographically located?
I am in Mimbres, New Mexico. Very, very dry climate.

Current Problem -
She seems healthy for the time-being, but I am wondering about the tannish coloring of her feet (see photos). Is this a normal or should I be worried? We have a high mineral content in our well water and it seems like it leaves water spots on her skin when it dries. Is that ok? If not, what can I do about it?

Otherwise, I understand there are some changes I need to make, and as I mentioned before, I want to make sure the changes are appropriate.

I’m going to get her a bigger terrarium. I’m thinking an exoterra med xtall (18x24x36). I am at a loss for lighting for this. I am confused by the different care sheets that I’ve seen. I had bought a 26w UVB CFL, but I’ve seen info on here saying that they don’t give out that much UVB. Is they somewhere I can read more about the science of lighting? I would like to use another exoterra hood because of the fit. What bulb would be recommended for this?
I’m also going to be getting a multivitamin and calcium without D3. How do I know which ones are high quality?
Homemade gutload- I’m planning to blend bee pollen, spirulina, carrots and collards to start with. Is this ok? How do you prepare them? How much do you give to feeders and how often? How much do you make at a time and how do you store it?
I’m going to get a dripper. Does the tube need to go into the tank? Does it need a rock or something to drip from?
I’m going for a vivarium setup, so I got some isopods and springtails. I’m also going to get some different plants, a creeping fig and a dwarf schefflera. I’m getting some drainage substrate to go on the bottom of the tank. How deep should the drainage layer be? And do I need a mat between layers or not?
I want to get another thermometer to keep at the top of the enclosure. What are your thoughts on liquid crystal strips vs analog vs digital?

If you see anything I’m not addressing, please tell me.
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Hi guys! New chameleon keeper here. I’ve learned a lot in the past couple of months. I’m overhauling my setup this week and was looking for some advice on a few details and to see if some of the changes I’m planning are appropriate. Most of this is related to the terrarium, but there are some nutrition and health questions, as well.

Chameleon Info:
◦ Your Chameleon - The species, sex, and age of your chameleon. How long has it been in your care?
Pascal is a female veiled. In my care since 3/28/19. I bought her from Petsmart in ABQ, NM, where they told me she was 3-4 months old. So now I guess she is 4-5 months old, but I have looked at pictures of other chameleons and I’m thinking she might be older. She is about 7 inches from nose to vent.

◦ Handling - How often do you handle your chameleon?
The only times I handle her is if I’m moving her from one enclosure to another. I’ve only done this once since I got her. She tries to bite if you get too close, but will come running up to my hand if I have food. She also despises my phone, so nearly every photo I get of her, she looks pissed off.

◦ Feeding - What are you feeding your cham? What amount? What is the schedule? How are you gut-loading your feeders?
Her diet is about 40% crickets, 50% wild caught moths, 20% a combination of waxworms, mealworms, and super worms. I try to catch about 15 moths in the evening to give her (I recently learned that she should be fed in the morning, so I’ll be changing this). If we have small crickets, I give her about 15, if large, I give her 6-8. We remove any she doesn’t eat. I was using Fluker’s gel because my husband has it for his tarantula feeders, but I’ve been doing frozen strawberries, mangoes and spinach for the past week. When I give her worms, I hand feed her until she’s not interested anymore, usually 4-8.

◦ Supplements - What brand and type of calcium and vitamin products are you dusting your feeders with and what is the schedule?
I got Repti-Calcium calcium with D3 originally and have been dusting once or twice a week.

◦ Watering - What kind of watering technique do you use? How often and how long to you mist? Do you see your chameleon drinking?
I have a spray bottle and mist her 4 times a day for about 3-5 minutes. I see her drinking from the droplets that form on her crest, but not from the leaves or anything else.

◦ Fecal Description - Briefly note colors and consistency from recent droppings. Has this chameleon ever been tested for parasites?
She has brown, formed, kind of slimy-looking droppings and white pasty dropping that sometimes have a yellowish tinge on one end. No parasite testing has been done.

◦ History - Any previous information about your cham that might be useful to others when trying to help you.
She has shed once since we got her, about 3 weeks ago.

Cage Info:
◦ Cage Type - Describe your cage (Glass, Screen, Combo?) What are the dimensions?
I have an exo-terra glass terrarium 12x12x18 currently. The top is screen.

◦ Lighting - What brand, model, and types of lighting are you using? What is your daily lighting schedule?
I have the exoterra fixture that fits the terrarium with a 26w UVB CFL in it. The brand is All Living Things (generic at Petsmart). The light is on from 8am to 8pm most of the time. It sometimes gets turned off around 10pm.

◦ Temperature - What temp range have you created (cage floor to basking spot)? Lowest overnight temp? How do you measure these temps?
I have a combo analog hygrometer/thermometer that sits low in the terrarium (about 2 inches from the bottom). The lowest temp I’ve seen around 5am was 65 degrees. I use a ZooMed nano lamp with a ceramic heater at night and on cool days. The highest temp has been around 75 degrees with the thermometer where it is now. I used to have the thermometer near the top just under the heater, and the highest temp there was 88 degrees.

◦ Humidity - What are your humidity levels? How are you creating and maintaining these levels? What do you use to measure humidity?
The humidity gets down to 45-50% in the morning. It’s usually around 60% during the day before a misting. I have the combo analog hygrometer/thermometer. I mist 4 times daily and she is in a glass enclosure.

◦ Plants - Are you using live plants? If so, what kind?
I do have live plants including a heavenly bamboo, some dracaena spikes, a couple of asparagus ferns. I did have some petunias, but they died. The dracaenas and heavenly bamboo aren’t doing too well either.

◦ 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?
The cage is located in my son’s room in a corner, pretty low traffic. The top of the cage is about 5 ft off the floor. We have a mini fan set up near the bottom of the terrarium to help air flow through the bottom vents up through the top screen. It is not always on, just when it is really warm or if the substrate seems too wet.

◦ Location - Where are you geographically located?
I am in Mimbres, New Mexico. Very, very dry climate.

Current Problem -
She seems healthy for the time-being, but I am wondering about the tannish coloring of her feet (see photos). Is this a normal or should I be worried? We have a high mineral content in our well water and it seems like it leaves water spots on her skin when it dries. Is that ok? If not, what can I do about it?

Otherwise, I understand there are some changes I need to make, and as I mentioned before, I want to make sure the changes are appropriate.

I’m going to get her a bigger terrarium. I’m thinking an exoterra med xtall (18x24x36). I am at a loss for lighting for this. I am confused by the different care sheets that I’ve seen. I had bought a 26w UVB CFL, but I’ve seen info on here saying that they don’t give out that much UVB. Is they somewhere I can read more about the science of lighting? I would like to use another exoterra hood because of the fit. What bulb would be recommended for this?
I’m also going to be getting a multivitamin and calcium without D3. How do I know which ones are high quality?
Homemade gutload- I’m planning to blend bee pollen, spirulina, carrots and collards to start with. Is this ok? How do you prepare them? How much do you give to feeders and how often? How much do you make at a time and how do you store it?
I’m going to get a dripper. Does the tube need to go into the tank? Does it need a rock or something to drip from?
I’m going for a vivarium setup, so I got some isopods and springtails. I’m also going to get some different plants, a creeping fig and a dwarf schefflera. I’m getting some drainage substrate to go on the bottom of the tank. How deep should the drainage layer be? And do I need a mat between layers or not?
I want to get another thermometer to keep at the top of the enclosure. What are your thoughts on liquid crystal strips vs analog vs digital?

If you see anything I’m not addressing, please tell me.
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first of all, mealworms and wax worms should only ever be a treat, try dubia roaches those are great for chameleons.

supplements should be every day calcium no d3 twice a month calcium with d3 and twice a month multivitamin

mist for at least 2 mins 3 times a day and 5 min showers daily

she will need a minimum 18x18x36 terrarium but preferably 2x2x4 and screen

you need a linear uvb and seperate heat source

@Brodybreaux25 should be able to help with your bioactive questions, he made a great bioactive for his guy Roux

@Beman has a lot of graphics on gutload and supplement

hopefully you find this helpful and good luck!!!
 
(1) Fluker's gutload is useless for chameleons. Spinach is a bad choice as well. Focus the gutload on things like collard greens, turnip greens, mustard greens, sweet potato, bee pollen, alfalfa, papaya, etc. See the feeding and gutload section of the forum for more advice on this. If you want a pre-made dry gutload, then use Cricket Crack

(2) Your supplement schedule will quickly lead to her decline. Way too much D3 and not enough everything else. You need three different types of supplements. Calcium with NO vitamin D3 for daily use, calcium WITH vitamin D3 twice a month, and a multivitamin twice a month.

(3) That enclosure is massively too small for her (or really any veiled chameleon). In addition to supplements, this is what you should change first. A 24x24x48 inch screen enclosure will suit her nicely (if you're worried about keeping humidity up, you can wrap a couple of the sides with plastic sheets). 12x12x18 cannot keep anything but the tiniest of species.

(4) While your misting schedule would normally be very good in an appropriately sized cage, in her enclosure it's a recipe for disaster. Four 5 minute misting sessions will very quickly flood a 12x12x18 and bring on respiratory infection, especially because she's in glass.

(5) CFL bulbs are not acceptable for chameleon keeping and will deprive her of the UVB she requires to live. Switch this to a linear UVB ASAP.

(6) Bamboo is toxic to chameleons, and veileds are plant eaters.

Your plans for the future sound like a big improvement, though! You're on the right track
 
Hi there and welcome. I am going to just add feedback in red in your help form. It is easier for me to follow all aspects with you this way. :)



Chameleon Info:

◦ Your Chameleon - The species, sex, and age of your chameleon. How long has it been in your care?

Pascal is a female veiled. In my care since 3/28/19. I bought her from Petsmart in ABQ, NM, where they told me she was 3-4 months old. So now I guess she is 4-5 months old, but I have looked at pictures of other chameleons and I’m thinking she might be older. She is about 7 inches from nose to vent. I think she is probably about 4-5 month range... Alot plays into their size... genetics, feeders, lighting, and supplements.



◦ Handling - How often do you handle your chameleon?

The only times I handle her is if I’m moving her from one enclosure to another. I’ve only done this once since I got her. She tries to bite if you get too close, but will come running up to my hand if I have food. She also despises my phone, so nearly every photo I get of her, she looks pissed off. They can be very temperamental. While some are more accepting of their human servants others may never be... You can try building trust which is important when it comes to the necessary things like cleaning and vet trips. Here is a link to a blog that I did that may be helpful. https://www.chameleonforums.com/blogs/building-trust-with-your-chameleon.2396/



◦ Feeding - What are you feeding your cham? What amount? What is the schedule? How are you gut-loading your feeders?

Her diet is about 40% crickets, 50% wild caught moths, 20% a combination of waxworms, mealworms, and super worms. I try to catch about 15 moths in the evening to give her (I recently learned that she should be fed in the morning, so I’ll be changing this). If we have small crickets, I give her about 15, if large, I give her 6-8. We remove any she doesn’t eat. I was using Fluker’s gel because my husband has it for his tarantula feeders, but I’ve been doing frozen strawberries, mangoes and spinach for the past week. When I give her worms, I hand feed her until she’s not interested anymore, usually 4-8.

So be careful with wild caught insects... You have no way of knowing if they have been exposed to pesticides or parasites. Wax worms are all fat and mealworms have a very very low nutritional value with the possibility of impaction. Gutload needs to be expanded upon you want more dark leafy greens and rotate these week over week to provide a diverse nutrient base. Be careful with over feeding. Females really need to be carefully monitored with feeding and how high their heat is due to egg production. The more food and higher heat the more eggs. Here is a good blog link https://www.chameleonforums.com/blogs/egg-laying-and-the-laying-bin.345/ I will add graphics.



◦ Supplements - What brand and type of calcium and vitamin products are you dusting your feeders with and what is the schedule?


I got Repti-Calcium calcium with D3 originally and have been dusting once or twice a week. You need to get a calcium WITHOUT D3 and dust with this every feeding except 2 times a month when you will dust with a calcium WITH D3 and 2 times a month when you will dust with a multivitamin. Pick a day of the week and rotate between the two.



◦ Watering - What kind of watering technique do you use? How often and how long to you mist? Do you see your chameleon drinking?

I have a spray bottle and mist her 4 times a day for about 3-5 minutes. I see her drinking from the droplets that form on her crest, but not from the leaves or anything else. It does not look like she has many large leaves to drink from or branches to get up out of the dirt. Pothos plants are really great for them. THey will hold the water drops better. adding a little dripper on a very slow drip. dripping onto the leaves will help with her drinking.



◦ Fecal Description - Briefly note colors and consistency from recent droppings. Has this chameleon ever been tested for parasites?


She has brown, formed, kind of slimy-looking droppings and white pasty dropping that sometimes have a yellowish tinge on one end. No parasite testing has been done. I always advice to get a fecal done. Most vets will let you bring in a fresh sample without bringing in the cham since it can be stressful on them.



◦ History - Any previous information about your cham that might be useful to others when trying to help you.


She has shed once since we got her, about 3 weeks ago.



Cage Info:

◦ Cage Type - Describe your cage (Glass, Screen, Combo?) What are the dimensions?

I have an exo-terra glass terrarium 12x12x18 currently. The top is screen. Way way too small.... You will need to be able to add a permanent lay bin. So larger is always better.



◦ Lighting - What brand, model, and types of lighting are you using? What is your daily lighting schedule?


I have the exoterra fixture that fits the terrarium with a 26w UVB CFL in it. The brand is All Living Things (generic at Petsmart). The light is on from 8am to 8pm most of the time. It sometimes gets turned off around 10pm. You will need a T5HO linear fixture with a 10.0 bulb but you need to upgrade her enclosure so get one to fit the new enclosure. Do this sooner then later it is very important to provide the correct UVB so they do not develop MBD which is very bad for females to have since they have to lay eggs. Needs to be on a 12 hours on and 12 hours total darkness.



◦ Temperature - What temp range have you created (cage floor to basking spot)? Lowest overnight temp? How do you measure these temps?


I have a combo analog hygrometer/thermometer that sits low in the terrarium (about 2 inches from the bottom). The lowest temp I’ve seen around 5am was 65 degrees. I use a ZooMed nano lamp with a ceramic heater at night and on cool days. The highest temp has been around 75 degrees with the thermometer where it is now. I used to have the thermometer near the top just under the heater, and the highest temp there was 88 degrees.

Absolutely no heat at night... They need the temp drop and can safely have it drop to 50 degrees. You should get a heat gun to measure the exact temp where she is able to bask. She should be right around 82-83 degrees since she is female. heat impacts egg production.



◦ Humidity - What are your humidity levels? How are you creating and maintaining these levels? What do you use to measure humidity?


The humidity gets down to 45-50% in the morning. It’s usually around 60% during the day before a misting. I have the combo analog hygrometer/thermometer. I mist 4 times daily and she is in a glass enclosure.

Veileds day time humidity should be between 30-50% max... Higher at night when the enclosure is at its coolest.



◦ Plants - Are you using live plants? If so, what kind?


I do have live plants including a heavenly bamboo, some dracaena spikes, a couple of asparagus ferns. I did have some petunias, but they died. The dracaenas and heavenly bamboo aren’t doing too well either. You do not have enough light right now for the plants to grow. They may also be a bit water logged. Be careful what plants you use because Veileds eat plants. Go by this list. https://www.chameleonforums.com/care/plants/



◦ 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?


The cage is located in my son’s room in a corner, pretty low traffic. The top of the cage is about 5 ft off the floor. We have a mini fan set up near the bottom of the terrarium to help air flow through the bottom vents up through the top screen. It is not always on, just when it is really warm or if the substrate seems too wet.



◦ Location - Where are you geographically located?

I am in Mimbres, New Mexico. Very, very dry climate.
 
And here is the rest. We have a character count restriction.

Current Problem -

She seems healthy for the time-being, but I am wondering about the tannish coloring of her feet (see photos). Is this a normal or should I be worried? We have a high mineral content in our well water and it seems like it leaves water spots on her skin when it dries. Is that ok? If not, what can I do about it? Switch to distilled water or Reverse osmosis water.



Otherwise, I understand there are some changes I need to make, and as I mentioned before, I want to make sure the changes are appropriate.



I’m going to get her a bigger terrarium. I’m thinking an exoterra med xtall (18x24x36). I am at a loss for lighting for this. I am confused by the different care sheets that I’ve seen. I had bought a 26w UVB CFL, but I’ve seen info on here saying that they don’t give out that much UVB. Is they somewhere I can read more about the science of lighting? I would like to use another exoterra hood because of the fit. What bulb would be recommended for this?

Here is a good video that describes in more detail.... You want a T5HO linear fixture with a 10.0 bulb. Basking branch about 8 inches below the top screen where the fixture sits.

I’m also going to be getting a multivitamin and calcium without D3. How do I know which ones are high quality? Everyone has their favorites. You will get a lot of different answers here lol.

Homemade gutload- I’m planning to blend bee pollen, spirulina, carrots and collards to start with. Is this ok? How do you prepare them? How much do you give to feeders and how often? How much do you make at a time and how do you store it? need more dark leafy greens. You can blend them and put it in icecube trays. Take out and give one every day to feeder. You can lay it on a paper towel so the water soaks into that instead of all over your feeder container.

I’m going to get a dripper. Does the tube need to go into the tank? YES Does it need a rock or something to drip from? You want it dripping down plant leaves. Get a pothos they are the best for this and are very forgiving when it comes to lighting and moisture..

I’m going for a vivarium setup, so I got some isopods and springtails. I’m also going to get some different plants, a creeping fig and a dwarf schefflera. I would do pothos instead of the fig. I’m getting some drainage substrate to go on the bottom of the tank. How deep should the drainage layer be? And do I need a mat between layers or not?

I want to get another thermometer to keep at the top of the enclosure. What are your thoughts on liquid crystal strips vs analog vs digital?

I use wired digital with probe at basking. Digital without wires halfway down and a third from the bottom. I also use a heat gun.





Here are additional resources.

https://www.chameleonbreeder.com/

https://www.chameleonforums.com/care/

https://www.chameleonforums.com/care/caresheets/veiled/

Supplements pic.jpeg
Gutloading 101.jpeg
UVB lighting pic.jpeg
nonUVB pic.jpeg
Basic Feeder pic.jpeg
 
Thank you so much for the information! I had found the basic care sheets recently, and saved them for reference. The video is very helpful. I really wanted to know the “why” about the lights.

I have reviewed the chameleon-safe plant list, and the plants I started with were the things on the list that I could find in my town (I went to Walmart, Ace, and a local nursery trying to find appropriate plants). I’m going to be ordering the new stuff online, and I will get some devil’s ivy as you suggested.
 
Truly the land of enchantment. My family will be making a trip to White Sands this summer.
Haha yes. Military ppl had another name for it lol. Are you going to see the trinity site? Only thing I didn’t go see while living right there but hard to see when it’s only open twice a year and only sells a few tickets.
 
Haha yes. Military ppl had another name for it lol. Are you going to see the trinity site? Only thing I didn’t go see while living right there but hard to see when it’s only open twice a year and only sells a few tickets.
Haha! Maybe. We might just enjoy the sand. We went a few years ago and didn’t see the trinity site then either. We’re going that way for an Amtgard event.
 
And here is the rest. We have a character count restriction.

Current Problem -

She seems healthy for the time-being, but I am wondering about the tannish coloring of her feet (see photos). Is this a normal or should I be worried? We have a high mineral content in our well water and it seems like it leaves water spots on her skin when it dries. Is that ok? If not, what can I do about it? Switch to distilled water or Reverse osmosis water.



Otherwise, I understand there are some changes I need to make, and as I mentioned before, I want to make sure the changes are appropriate.



I’m going to get her a bigger terrarium. I’m thinking an exoterra med xtall (18x24x36). I am at a loss for lighting for this. I am confused by the different care sheets that I’ve seen. I had bought a 26w UVB CFL, but I’ve seen info on here saying that they don’t give out that much UVB. Is they somewhere I can read more about the science of lighting? I would like to use another exoterra hood because of the fit. What bulb would be recommended for this?

Here is a good video that describes in more detail.... You want a T5HO linear fixture with a 10.0 bulb. Basking branch about 8 inches below the top screen where the fixture sits.

I’m also going to be getting a multivitamin and calcium without D3. How do I know which ones are high quality? Everyone has their favorites. You will get a lot of different answers here lol.

Homemade gutload- I’m planning to blend bee pollen, spirulina, carrots and collards to start with. Is this ok? How do you prepare them? How much do you give to feeders and how often? How much do you make at a time and how do you store it? need more dark leafy greens. You can blend them and put it in icecube trays. Take out and give one every day to feeder. You can lay it on a paper towel so the water soaks into that instead of all over your feeder container.

I’m going to get a dripper. Does the tube need to go into the tank? YES Does it need a rock or something to drip from? You want it dripping down plant leaves. Get a pothos they are the best for this and are very forgiving when it comes to lighting and moisture..

I’m going for a vivarium setup, so I got some isopods and springtails. I’m also going to get some different plants, a creeping fig and a dwarf schefflera. I would do pothos instead of the fig. I’m getting some drainage substrate to go on the bottom of the tank. How deep should the drainage layer be? And do I need a mat between layers or not?

I want to get another thermometer to keep at the top of the enclosure. What are your thoughts on liquid crystal strips vs analog vs digital?

I use wired digital with probe at basking. Digital without wires halfway down and a third from the bottom. I also use a heat gun.





Here are additional resources.

https://www.chameleonbreeder.com/

https://www.chameleonforums.com/care/

https://www.chameleonforums.com/care/caresheets/veiled/

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Also a substrate can be a recipe for disaster if you don’t know what your doing. Will get mold etc. and your not able to exam your chameleons fecal matter as well as I would like to unless you catch them in “the process”. I prefer clear floor with plants mounted on side but everyone is different listen to chameleon breeder podcast Bill has some of the best most consistent info out there.
 
Also a substrate can be a recipe for disaster if you don’t know what your doing. Will get mold etc. and your not able to exam your chameleons fecal matter as well as I would like to unless you catch them in “the process”. I prefer clear floor with plants mounted on side but everyone is different listen to chameleon breeder podcast Bill has some of the best most consistent info out there.
Sorry beman i meant to reply to her thread. But was just adding onto what you said cuz I agree.
 
Also a substrate can be a recipe for disaster if you don’t know what your doing. Will get mold etc. and your not able to exam your chameleons fecal matter as well as I would like to unless you catch them in “the process”. I prefer clear floor with plants mounted on side but everyone is different listen to chameleon breeder podcast Bill has some of the best most consistent info out there.
Thanks, I will look up that info. I have heard a lot of good things about the Chameleon Breeder podcast and I watched a video cast about chameleon handling by him the other day.
 
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