New keeper, worrying about hydration

[Beppo]

Chameleon Info:

• Your Chameleon - Ambaja Panther Chameleon -male- in my care for just over 2 weeks. His hatch hate was in july of 2022
• Handling - Have not except to place in home
• Feeding - I am cup feeding my chameleon placing the cup in his enclosure before i leave for work. About 10 bugs hes eating a little over half most days but is shedding so loss of appetite. I am feeding him silk worms, bsfl, dubia, and super worms. I use collard greens, endive, escarole, mustard greens and dandilion greens, sweet red peppers, sweet potatos and carrots to gut load
• Supplements - Supplements are calcium by rep cal without d3 every feeding and reptivite with d3 twice a month
• Watering - I have a mistking misting system and it goes off at 1:30 am for 2 mins then again at 630 am for 3 mins and then 7:45 for 1 minute and 6:30 pm for 3 mins also using dripper for a few hours in the afternoon
• Fecal Description - long and brown with bright white urates but the brown appears pretty dry, and this is where i am concerned, it may just be that i am not finding them until days later?? Vet appointment for fecal but not until April 12th
• History - He is brand new

Cage Info:

• Cage Type - 24 by 24 by 48 Dragon Strand PVC hybrid
• Lighting - Arcadia 6% linear t5 ubv, 36 inch jungle dawn plant light, arcadia halogen flood light 75 watt on dimmer. Plant and ubv come on at 7 am and basking light comes on at 730 am all go off at 7pm
• Temperature -80 at basking spot 70’s below , measure with laser temp gun stays about 65-70 at night
• Humidity - my humidity is ranging from 45 to 65 percent during the day and up to 95 at night using a govee sensors with phone app and also honeywell humidity sensor
• Plants - pothos, lipstick plant, mass cane, philodenron
• Placement - my living room, the room is divided in half by one step down and this portion of the room on the step down has bay windows which he is not facing near a bathroom that is generally only used by my son. His house is placed well above eye level on a industrial shop rack shelf
• Location - PNW

Current Problem - worried if he is getting enough water… or that my hydration teqniue needs some tweeking .. i have a fogger and my temps do drop to about 68-70 at night but im feeling uncertain if fogging is what i should do as i know if it get too warm it is a big reason for RI and I am not sure what a fogging schedule would look like for me i have looked at the chameleon academy for this but it doesnt give specifics…

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[Beppo]

I have had him for a month now, (i didnt catch and update that part )

 

[kinyonga]

You said…”long and brown with bright white urates but the brown appears pretty dry, and this is where i am concerned, it may just be that i am not finding them until days later??”…white urates indicates good hydration.

How old is he?

 

[Beppo]

You said…”long and brown with bright white urates but the brown appears pretty dry, and this is where i am concerned, it may just be that i am not finding them until days later??”…white urates indicates good hydration.

How old is he?

Im sorry i dont know his exact age but his hatch date was in july so a little over 6 months?

 

[Beppo]

Im sorry i dont know his exact age but his hatch date was in july so a little over 6 months?

I guess I just pick something new every week when it comes to my days off to worry about with him. I knew the white was a good sign but worried about finding them always when they look so dry and crunchy. I think I need to just calm down now. Thanks for your response

 

[elizaann2]

I guess I just pick something new every week when it comes to my days off to worry about with him. I knew the white was a good sign but worried about finding them always when they look so dry and crunchy. I think I need to just calm down now. Thanks for your response

You’re doing a great job.

 

[Beppo]

You’re doing a great job.

Thank you

 

[elizaann2]

Thank you

You’re very welcome!

 

[ChamelaChameleon]

I guess I just pick something new every week when it comes to my days off to worry about with him. I knew the white was a good sign but worried about finding them always when they look so dry and crunchy. I think I need to just calm down now. Thanks for your response

My guy drops his load in the same place at the same time of day. On load drop day, I place paper towels in the drop zone. FYI - I have a ton of poop pics. I use them as a measure of hydration and health.

 

[Beppo]

That’s a great idea. I’m going to try that thank you. I have seen pictures of other peoples chameleon poop and what a hydrated one looks like and I guess that’s what I’m concerned but I guess everyone feeds different things ect so maybe I need to stop comparing his to others? I never thought I’d be obsessing over his poop. I did this with my sons bearded dragon too though. I know I’ll calm down eventually.