new member and soon to be cham owner

[Renegade]

hey everyone i keep on hearing about it on every youtube vid on chameleons.

so anyway lets get started, names Ren, 21 live in london UK. Been wanting to get a chameleon for about 8 months now but i was in no mans land but now i got a little more knowledge and alot more time on my hands to get one of these badboys so i gathered all my n00b info and have desiding to post and get some advice and for my soon to be panther but before i purchase from a breeder i jus wanna go thru my checklist n gets some pointers from the pro.

ive got:

-reptibreeze xl (fella is gnna be a baby so it might seem like a big ass viv but ive got loads of real n fake plants ready to go in and vines n bamboo so the little dude can get about easy)

-x2 exo terra 60cmx60cm background (just for looks but im not too sure if im even gnna use them)

-repti-sun 5.1 uvb

-a 70w light bulb for basking lamp (yh i so cheaped out lol)

exo terra thermo-hygro reader

and a plug timer to turn everything on n off

im looking on getting a mistking and a decent looking dripper to boot.

im abit ify about the humidity situation as the weather in London is poor rains quite abit n its cold so i expect im gonna need so aid getting to that 65%>
on the flip side of things if that level is reached is there any need to get a auto mister?

dripper? i know about the pin prick at the bottom of a cup or the ice cubes melting on top but my question is how long do i let it go on for, do i leave the cup dripping a full 24 hours or just the 12hours that the lights and everything else run.

diet- ok so i hear crickets locusts mealworms waxworms n abit of veg are all good for them but what i would like to know is how much do i feed it and how often. i was told once a day but how many crickets do i go for? its g0nna be young so im guessing the mealworms are better suitedbut for how long? and how much worms shud i give him. i got suppliments like herptivite (with d3) and rep-cal calcium (without d3) do i use the calcium 3 days a week and the herptivite once a month?

anything i missed out guys please let me know teach me the ways of the wise any thing you can do to help i would grately appricate that and so sorry for the epic post

 

[jannb]

Welcome to the chameleon forums, a great place to learn about chameleons. If you are getting a panther or veiled here's a link that will tell you what you will need along with links to pictures of most items.
https://www.chameleonforums.com/blo...-keepers-young-veiled-panther-chameleons.html

 

[Renegade]

thanks man this is a big help

 

[Renegade]

sorry for the double post. so i should get a small chage for the first few months then upgade to the 2ftx2ftx4ft.
anybody know a good dripper?

 

[kinyonga]

Welcome to the world of chameleons!

Here's some information to get you started.......
Exposure to proper UVB, appropriate temperatures, supplements, a supply of well-fed/gutloaded insects, water and an appropriate cage set-up are all important for the well-being of your chameleon.

Appropriate cage temperatures aid in digestion and thus play a part indirectly in nutrient absorption.

Exposure to UVB from either direct sunlight or a proper UVB light allows the chameleon to produce D3 so that it can use the calcium in its system to make/keep the bones strong and be used in other systems in the chameleon as well. The UVB should not pass through glass or plastic no matter whether its from the sun or the UVB light. The most often recommended UVB light is the long linear fluorescent Repti-sun 5.0 tube light. Some of the compacts, spirals and tube lights have caused health issues, but so far there have been no bad reports against this one.

Since many of the feeder insects have a poor ratio of calcium to phosphorus in them, its important to dust the insects just before you feed them to the chameleon at most feedings with a phos.-free calcium powder to help make up for it. (I use Rep-cal phosphorus-free calcium).

If you also dust twice a month with a phos.-free calcium/D3 powder it will ensure that your chameleon gets some D3 without overdoing it. It leaves the chameleon to produce the rest of what it needs through its exposure to the UVB light. D3 from supplements can build up in the system but D3 produced from exposure to UVB shouldn't as long as the chameleon can move in and out of it. (I use Rep-cal phos.-free calcium/D3).

Dusting twice a month as well with a vitamin powder that contains a beta carotene (prOformed) source of vitamin A will ensure that the chameleon gets some vitamins without the danger of overdosing the vitamin A. PrEformed sources of vitamin A can build up in the system and may prevent the D3 from doing its job and push the chameleon towards MBD. However, there is controversy as to whether all/any chameleons can convert the beta carotene and so some people give some prEformed vitamin A once in a while. (I use herptivite.)

Gutloading/feeding the insects well helps to provide what the chameleon needs. I gutload crickets, roaches, locusts, superworms, etc. with an assortment of greens (dandelions, kale, collards, endive, escarole, mustard greens, etc.) and veggies (carrots, squash, sweet potato, sweet red pepper, zucchini, etc.)

Calcium, phos., D3 and vitamin A are important players in bone health and other systems in the chameleon (muscles, etc.) and they need to be in balance. When trying to balance them, you need to look at the supplements, what you feed the insects and what you feed the chameleon.

Here are some good sites for you to read...
http://chameleonnews.com/07FebWheelock.html
http://web.archive.org/web/200605020...Vitamin.A.html
http://web.archive.org/web/200406080...d.Calcium.html
http://www.uvguide.co.uk/
http://raisingkittytheveiledchameleon.blogspot.com/
http://web.archive.org/web/200601140...ww.adcham.com/

 

[Ekproject]

Welcome. Also u can try just blocking the bottom half of the cage so it seems smaller. Save some money. Also u can try to build ur own. Jdog has an awesome post on building ur own on youtube. Best of luck.

 

[Renegade]

thats good stuff guys thanks a bunch really good reads there too gave me some great info.

i like the sound of getting the big viv and then just blocking it off to make it seem smaller.

just a quick question on misting, if the humidity is at he correct % and a dripper is in place for regular water is a auto or hand misting really needed?

i dont have a problem getting a auto mister i also dont mind hand misting only problem with that is a have work a few times a week and would miss so misting time and also on my days off im abit lazy and wake up late.

secondly, do i let the dripper run for the full 12 hours that everything else will be on for (lights and what not) or do i just let it rock 24hours non stop?

i imaging not cos i dont expect the little fella to drink so late at night and i dont wanna wake up to puddles forming at the bottom of the tank lol but i just wanted some experienced advice.

 

[pinocchiosmommy]

Welcome to the forums! I haven't been on here long either, but I have been soaking up all the information on this site. There are many helpful people that share their knowledge.

 

[Renegade]

for sure dude, over here in UK no one has nothing on chams in london this place really helps