New to chameleons lots of questions

[Ethanwest]

I just got a new veiled chameleon I always wanted one as a kid so I was at my local pet store to get a iguana and changed my mind but I have a lot of questions since I don't know much about them I have him in a 10g for right now going to be moving him into a 75g once I get moved here's my questions
How often do I mist the cage
How often do u feed and what's best for him ( I'm feeding meal worms atm got crickets coming in the mail )
How long do I keep heat lamp on
I have a live vine in there is it ok it's just a house plant
And with me working 9 hrs a day and not trusting to leave a heat lamp on should I use a fluorescent while I'm at work till I get off and run the heat lamp for about 6 hours or should I just run the heat lamp while I'm at work and make my days his night time
And do I need a under tank heating pad kinda iffy on those to because I've heard a lot about them catching on fire
The only source of heat right now is the lamp

 

[Peachypink]

I just got a new veiled chameleon I always wanted one as a kid so I was at my local pet store to get a iguana and changed my mind but I have a lot of questions since I don't know much about them I have him in a 10g for right now going to be moving him into a 75g once I get moved here's my questions
How often do I mist the cage
How often do u feed and what's best for him ( I'm feeding meal worms atm got crickets coming in the mail )
How long do I keep heat lamp on
I have a live vine in there is it ok it's just a house plant
And with me working 9 hrs a day and not trusting to leave a heat lamp on should I use a fluorescent while I'm at work till I get off and run the heat lamp for about 6 hours or should I just run the heat lamp while I'm at work and make my days his night time
And do I need a under tank heating pad kinda iffy on those to because I've heard a lot about them catching on fire
The only source of heat right now is the lamp

What kind of Cham did you get? You really need to get educated in them in a hurry.

Start by going to the resources tab at the top of the forums and look under care sheets. Find they type of Cham you have and read it, reread it and read it again. I can not stress this enough...follow it to the letter. From you questions it is pretty clear that you didn't do the research first so you are starting off behind the curve. You need to get it right quickly.

Once you have read it, then come and start asking questions. We will all help you and your little guy get set up for a great life.

 

[Peachypink]

I just got a new veiled chameleon I always wanted one as a kid so I was at my local pet store to get a iguana and changed my mind but I have a lot of questions since I don't know much about them I have him in a 10g for right now going to be moving him into a 75g once I get moved here's my questions
How often do I mist the cage
How often do u feed and what's best for him ( I'm feeding meal worms atm got crickets coming in the mail )
How long do I keep heat lamp on
I have a live vine in there is it ok it's just a house plant
And with me working 9 hrs a day and not trusting to leave a heat lamp on should I use a fluorescent while I'm at work till I get off and run the heat lamp for about 6 hours or should I just run the heat lamp while I'm at work and make my days his night time
And do I need a under tank heating pad kinda iffy on those to because I've heard a lot about them catching on fire
The only source of heat right now is the lamp

Sorry, I just realized you said a veiled....

Here is the care sheet for the veiled....
https://www.chameleonforums.com/care/caresheets/veiled/

Chams are very different from other reptiles. They need a screen cage, not a tank. They can be very susceptible to respiratory issues and need air flow.

A undertank heater is a no go. They need heat from a basking lamp as well as UVB.

Meal worms are not the best staple feeder. They have a high chitin level and are harder to digest. Good staples would be crickets, roaches, silk worms. Treats can be super worms, Black Soldier Flies and Larve(also known as calci worms of phoenix worms), hornworms, wax worms, butter worms. Variety is best. And they must be properly gut loaded. The resources tab will show you the proper gut loading veggies and fruits under Food and Nutrition.

They drink from the droplets on the leaves so spraying several times a day is a must. An automatic mister is a great investment and the longer I have mine, the more I am feeling that it is a must for cham keeping.

What you are trying to do is get their set up as close to what they have in nature, Mimicking the lighting with sun up and sun down. Having your lights on a timer is they way to go. They need both the heat and UVB during the day and darkness at night. No heat necessary at night.

Veilds do eat fruits and veggies so live plants are a must with them as they will munch on what is in their enclosure.

Like I said above. Read over the care sheets and we will help you get all set up right.

 

[kinyonga]

You said..."I just got a new veiled chameleon I always wanted one as a kid so I was at my local pet store to get a iguana and changed my mind but I have a lot of questions since I don't know much about them I have him in a 10g for right now going to be moving him into a 75g once I get moved here's my questions"...how old is it? Is it male or female?

You asked..."How often do I mist the cage"...at leat twice a day. More often is better..but be sure to stop in time for the cage to dry out by night.

You asked..."How often do u feed and what's best for him ( I'm feeding meal worms atm got crickets coming in the mail )" this depends on the age and the sex of the chameleon. You need to feed/gutload the insects properly and dust them with proper supplements before feeding them to the chameleon.


You asked..."How long do I keep heat lamp on"...12 hours a day.

You said...."I have a live vine in there is it ok it's just a house plant " ...it depends on what it is. Veiled chameleons will chew on plants so it has to be nonpoisonous to them and well washed so there is no residual insecticide or fertilizer on the leaves. It's recommended to cover the soil with stones that are definitely too big for the chameleon to ingest.

You said..."And with me working 9 hrs a day and not trusting to leave a heat lamp on should I use a fluorescent while I'm at work till I get off and run the heat lamp for about 6 hours or should I just run the heat lamp while I'm at work and make my days his night time"...I would put it on a timer if you can't be there when it should go on and off. Be careful with a heat light on such a small cage...it will overheat the cage easily. Also age again is a factor...babies are kept cooler than adults. Also you only need a regular incandescent household bulb in a hood for heat...but you need a UVB light ...preferably a long linear one so your chameleon can produce D3.

You asked..."And do I need a under tank heating pad kinda iffy on those to because I've heard a lot about them catching on fire
The only source of heat right now is the lamp"...the chameleon is arboreal so there's no need for a heating pad.

If you didn't already have the chameleon I would have said learn more before getting one. You have a lot to learn quickly if you want it to live. Please read as much info on here as possible about cage set up...supplements...needs for D3, vitamin A, calcium and phosphorous...and reproductive issues if you have a female.

 

[Peachypink]

Also, here is a link to the safe plants that can be used in the enclosure....
http://flchams.com/chameleon-safe-plant-list/

 

[WAMBO]

Follow the caresheet exactly. Do not tailor it to your own needs. It is an instruction sheet to best fulfill the needs of your chameleon. If you don't, you may end up with a short-lived pet. Good luck. I'm confident that you can do it!