New ... and wanting to learn about misting

[Box]

I have recently inherited a 4-5 month old veiled male. I have kept crested geckos for years, but I'm new to chams. I'm trying to read all I can find to make sure I'm doing the right thing. I've read conflicting things about misting.

What is the most current info. I live in San Diego. We've had the little guys for about 1 1/2 months and he seems very healthy, eats well etc.

 

[Ace]

since you are in SD, full screen cage 2 x 2 x 4 ft for adult cham, anything smaller for younger ones

a linar tube reptisun 5.0 for uvb

any household bulb for basking heat , place at a corner of the cage should be around 85-90, the rest of the cage 70-78

at night turn off all lights, they do not need any heat as low as 60 degrees

watering is misting/ spraying the cage and plants, and a water dripper - they lick water off the leaves, you do not have to mist the cham, you can use a spray bottle or a misting system, i suggest aquazamp, mistking etcfeed crickets, dubias, superworms, hornworms, silkworms, mantids, etc

gutload your crix with healthy fruits and veggies( what they eat is then eaten by the cham)

avoid tomatoes, brocolli, and spinache, all block calcium absorbtion

supplememts
use calcium without d3 powder on most feedings (rep-cal or Miner-all)
use calcium with d3 2x a month
herptivite 2x a month

this is the general basic info you should know and apply to keep a veiled/panther alive and well

safe plants to use is ficus benjamina, pothos, hibiscus and umbrella plant (schefferela arboricola)

other species it varies by temp, humidity, space, etc

 

[Box]

Thanks. I appreciate you sharing the info. I had my guy on an umbrella plant. He ate a leaf or two. Is this okay/normal?

 

[Rob G]

Veileds will eat vegetation, it is normal. But be careful that he doesn't eat to much of the plant because it is in fact mildly toxic to chameleons if ingested. And ace, wouldn't 2x(even 1x for multivite) a month with d3 and multivite be adequate?

 

[Ace]

veileds, yeah lol

might try to give him some friut and maybe kale so you wont lose a plant

 

[Ace]

Veileds will eat vegetation, it is normal. But be careful that he doesn't eat to much of the plant because it is in fact mildly toxic to chameleons if ingested. And ace, wouldn't 2x(even 1x for multivite) a month with d3 and multivite be adequate?

yeah it really goes more to how good you gutload imo, not so much supplements except for plain calcium

 

[Box]

Thanks, guys. I've got some organic kale in the garden. A new use!

 

[Rob G]

Some good fruits and veggies to feed veileds would be collard greens, thin carrot shavings, thin pieces of apple, bok choy, watermelon, kale, if you have hibiscus they like the flowers. There's plenty more but that's just off the top of my head. I wish you the best of luck with your new guy and that he lives a long healthy life

 

[Ace]

Some good fruits and veggies to feed veileds would be collard greens, thin carrot shavings, thin pieces of apple, bok choy, watermelon, kale, if you have hibiscus they like the flowers. There's plenty more but that's just off the top of my head. I wish you the best of luck with your new guy and that he lives a long healthy life

awsome choices my velied at the time loved hisbiscus flowers

 

[Rob G]

yeah it really goes more to how good you gutload imo, not so much supplements except for plain calcium

True. I do plain calcium every feeding, d3 1x a month in the summertime when I can take the cham outside a lotbut 2x a month in the winter, then multivite 1x a month. My gutload has kale, collard and mustard greens, carrots, apples, oranges, oats, butternut squash, potato, green pepper. I rotate different combinations everytime I replace them though.

 

[laurie]

Thanks, guys. I've got some organic kale in the garden. A new use!

I don't know where in San Diego you are, people say san diego meaning escondido to the border. If you are anywhere near the ocean so it doesn't get super hot - above 90, if you can give him an outside cage for a good part of the day so he can be in shade or sun this is great. He does need an enclosed cage. If you get one of the stand up curly misters for kids and aim it at the cage it will be perfect. Just turn to hose on a trickle to make it mist him. Good luck and welcome to the forum.