Need advice on what else I need to do before I get my chameleon

[BigDogThe1st]

Sometime this January I plan on getting a veiled chameleon. For supplements I will dust with plain calcium daily and multivitamins on the 1st and 15th of every month and calcium with d3 on the 7th and the 21st of every month. The basking temp is anywhere from 84 to 86 degrees. The middle ranges from 72 to 75 degrees and the floor is 68 to 70 degrees. I would like to get some answers to a few of my questions
1.Food and Gutloading: The pet store I am getting him from only sells crickets, super worms, mealworms, and a type of roach which I believe is Dubia? The roaches were to big and all looked dead anyway. I will buy ceickets and supr worms for now and already have some mealworms for my hedgehog. I know what to gutload with in terms of fresh foods but still need help with water and dry gutload. I plan on ordering hornworm from Great Lake Hornworms when the weather warms up ( Dang North Dakota!). When I order the worms I was planning on getting the gutload they sell. Does anyone know if it is any good or If I should use something better like cricket crack or bug burger?
2. Transporting him: The pet store I am getting him from is only a 5-10 minutes drive depending on traffic. What can I do to make the drive less stress full? When I get him home what should I do to make home feel more comfortable? Should I mist before hand? Should I have ceickets in there for him right away or after he settles in? Any help would be greatly appreciated
My setup and one of the chams at the store ------>http://imgur.com/a/JBeg2

 

[Masked Gecko]

Welcome to the forums, great to get advice first. I see a dual dome, are you planing on using a coiled UV bulb as a source? Also are you staring out with a baby? There is really nothing you can do to make the trip less stresful besides not handling it, let it get used to its set up first and you'll be fine

 

[BigDogThe1st]

Can you explain further on what you mean by using the coiled uv as a source? Do you mean as a source for uvb? When he gets bigger and I upgrade his cage I will get the long straight uvb bulb instead of the coiled. And yes he is a baby. I don't know his age but his body is about 2-2.5" long

 

[jannb]

Welcome to the forums! It always nice to see people here doing their research before getting a chameleon. I have a blog for new keepers that you might find helpful. It tells how I have successfully raised veileds over the years.
https://www.chameleonforums.com/blo...-keepers-young-veiled-panther-chameleons.html

 

[Masked Gecko]

Can you explain further on what you mean by using the coiled uv as a source? Do you mean as a source for uvb? When he gets bigger and I upgrade his cage I will get the long straight uvb bulb instead of the coiled. And yes he is a baby. I don't know his age but his body is about 2-2.5" long

Yea I meant as your UV source, there has been problems with coiled bulbs before. You should try to get a linear bulb soon since you were planning on getting one anyways. You should check out Janns link, besides that I think you're set.

 

[Carlton]

Can you explain further on what you mean by using the coiled uv as a source? Do you mean as a source for uvb? When he gets bigger and I upgrade his cage I will get the long straight uvb bulb instead of the coiled. And yes he is a baby. I don't know his age but his body is about 2-2.5" long

While there are CF UV bulbs that work, personally I still prefer the linear tube UVB lights. They seem to light the cage more evenly and provide a larger area within which the cham can get access to the UV. And, there are fewer reports of eye issues with the linears such as ReptiSun 5.0 and the Arcadia lights.