Hey Guys and Gals, I've been doing my research and finally got my chameleon... he's a male and only 2 months old starting his 2nd shed, i wasn't expecting to get a baby but it happens, anyways, i don't know if this is the right spot for this thread, but I've been lurking around a couple different sites and researching, you guys have a great forum and community here! my girlfriend surprised me when we were out the other day and bought me the chameleon or rather we went to pick one out for my early birthday present, she fell in love with him immediately, me on the other hand was more nervous about supplies, i had a zoo med terrarium (12" X 12" X 18") laying around with some desert themed furnishings, and from researching about chameleons i knew i needed to setup his home before getting him, so as we rush to 3 or 4 different stores are town trying to find all the necessary equipment while closing time is eminent we barely make it back to the guy before he closed to pick the cham up. i got a bio vine and a exo-terra abutilon medium silk plant and a big chunk of wood for the bottom of the terrarium i already had laying around (cleaned it up of course). also grabbed some gut loading cricket food and some small crickets, and of course a repti-sun 5.0 UVB linear light as well as a 65w halogen for basking and 2 temp gauges (basking and lower level) and humidity gauge. and of course distilled water, mister, a fluker's dripper (they were out of the little drippers 
)and some wipe out 1 to clean the terrarium before putting it all together.
This is what it looked like all together basically, and then today i picked up some more fake plants as well as some more supplies, i picked up a zilla digital timer surge protector, a nighttime lamp (only to mimic moonlight and help him sleep better because I'm a insomniac and stay up while hes sleeping, not use to keep temps up, he has perfect night time temp drop of 10-15 degrees and falls asleep immediately), also picked up some reptivite, rep-cal with D3 (couldnt find rep-cal w/o D3 at my local stores, i talked to a manager at all of the stores and [this is when i chuckled to myself] told me that i cant overdose my chameleon on D3 and that his body will only convert or use the amount that is needed, so i just acknowledged him and will pick some up online without D3 [correct me if im wrong but from what i had researched the rep-cal with D3 is only to be used like twice a month and the re-cal w/o D3 is more like twice to four times a week?]) also got some more small crickets and a treat as well, some wax-worms).
His basking temp is around 88-90 F probably a little warmer since the basking spot is a little ways away from the strip thermometer i have on the side of the terrarium up there. i know babies like it a bit cooler due to not being able to proper thermo-regulate yet, from my research i know the basking is suppose to be around 95-105 F, 105 seems a bit too hot i think but that's just what I've read. and his lowest level temp is 75 F and the middle of the terrarium is about 82-84 F, also his humidity stays around 58%, lowest is 50%/highest is 65%, i've read around and seems to have around 60% as a good humidity, correct me if i need to adjust it. he started his second shed when i got him and when he was introduced into his new home roamed around and explored the entirety of his terrarium seemed quite happy, although i did notice him rubbing his eye against vines and whatnot, he was shedding on his eye sockets and that's what i thought he was trying to get off, I'm slightly worried that he might have an eye infection or something. his eye that he was rubbing against stuff, he doesn't keep it closed and it looks healthy from what i can tell ( not gunk in or around his eye, eye isn't recessed or swollen) both eyes look same in size and everything, probably just a new owners worries or something. he found his water source no problem and i have been misting the cage twice a day, he only ate one cricket when i brought him home that night but assumed he was probably fed that day and not too hungry, and the next day he ate about 6 (maybe more, couldn't watch him the whole day) these crickets were put into cage to roam freely also cut a red party cup down to size and positioned it in there and put some crickets in there to see if that was easier for him, he seemed to eat them all but still will not eat from my hand, but that will come in time, he is still getting settled in and is doing the standard showing his stress colors while roaming the environment to see if there are any other enemy chameleons in the area, he's been thermo-regulating surprisingly well, as much as i can tell without a infrared temp gun. i haven't seen any progress as far as him continuing to shed but like i said im sure hes still getting settled in before he continues that process, if not i m wondering if I'll have to pick up some shed ease or something. i guess that's all for now, I'll post some more pics up of the finished terrarium (or finished for now) when its light out. post up any and all comments (the more the better!)
)and some wipe out 1 to clean the terrarium before putting it all together.
This is what it looked like all together basically, and then today i picked up some more fake plants as well as some more supplies, i picked up a zilla digital timer surge protector, a nighttime lamp (only to mimic moonlight and help him sleep better because I'm a insomniac and stay up while hes sleeping, not use to keep temps up, he has perfect night time temp drop of 10-15 degrees and falls asleep immediately), also picked up some reptivite, rep-cal with D3 (couldnt find rep-cal w/o D3 at my local stores, i talked to a manager at all of the stores and [this is when i chuckled to myself] told me that i cant overdose my chameleon on D3 and that his body will only convert or use the amount that is needed, so i just acknowledged him and will pick some up online without D3 [correct me if im wrong but from what i had researched the rep-cal with D3 is only to be used like twice a month and the re-cal w/o D3 is more like twice to four times a week?]) also got some more small crickets and a treat as well, some wax-worms).
His basking temp is around 88-90 F probably a little warmer since the basking spot is a little ways away from the strip thermometer i have on the side of the terrarium up there. i know babies like it a bit cooler due to not being able to proper thermo-regulate yet, from my research i know the basking is suppose to be around 95-105 F, 105 seems a bit too hot i think but that's just what I've read. and his lowest level temp is 75 F and the middle of the terrarium is about 82-84 F, also his humidity stays around 58%, lowest is 50%/highest is 65%, i've read around and seems to have around 60% as a good humidity, correct me if i need to adjust it. he started his second shed when i got him and when he was introduced into his new home roamed around and explored the entirety of his terrarium seemed quite happy, although i did notice him rubbing his eye against vines and whatnot, he was shedding on his eye sockets and that's what i thought he was trying to get off, I'm slightly worried that he might have an eye infection or something. his eye that he was rubbing against stuff, he doesn't keep it closed and it looks healthy from what i can tell ( not gunk in or around his eye, eye isn't recessed or swollen) both eyes look same in size and everything, probably just a new owners worries or something. he found his water source no problem and i have been misting the cage twice a day, he only ate one cricket when i brought him home that night but assumed he was probably fed that day and not too hungry, and the next day he ate about 6 (maybe more, couldn't watch him the whole day) these crickets were put into cage to roam freely also cut a red party cup down to size and positioned it in there and put some crickets in there to see if that was easier for him, he seemed to eat them all but still will not eat from my hand, but that will come in time, he is still getting settled in and is doing the standard showing his stress colors while roaming the environment to see if there are any other enemy chameleons in the area, he's been thermo-regulating surprisingly well, as much as i can tell without a infrared temp gun. i haven't seen any progress as far as him continuing to shed but like i said im sure hes still getting settled in before he continues that process, if not i m wondering if I'll have to pick up some shed ease or something. i guess that's all for now, I'll post some more pics up of the finished terrarium (or finished for now) when its light out. post up any and all comments (the more the better!)
