New to Chameleons

[troyboy1900]

It probably is getting a little old for you guys getting asked about being new to chameleons so I've searched as much as possible for answers before I posted. I just bought mine today. He is a Veiled Chameleon and about 5-6 inches long. I'm trying to keep the humidity up, but am having a little bit of trouble with the amount of heat I have for him. The water seems to be evaporating and escaping too fast. I mist heavily to the point where there is run off from the plants. The temperature inside here cage now is at about 90 at near the top of the cage. He is surprising active and climbs around the cage a lot (thought they were really slow and lazy before I got one). I am going to feed him later with small crickets I got from the pet store, but since its the first day I got him, I didn't have time to gut load them. I also have a UVB light on him. I keep him in a glass exo-terra cage that is about 18'' tall and about a foot wide with a mesh top, but I plan on getting him a full mesh cage and a lot bigger one when he gets a little bigger as I read is recommended. Just trying to make sure he's comfortable and not stressed. Any suggestions would help out a lot.

 

[pssh]

90 is too hot for a baby. 80 is more appropriate. 18 inches is way too small for a 3-4 month old, so if he is older than 3 months you need a bigger cage. His feeders should have been gutloaded before you bought him. As long as they have been eating for four hours you can go ahead and feed them to him, dusted with calcium w/o d3 of course!

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Here is some recommended information to include when asking for help in the health clinic forum. By providing this information, you will receive more accurate and beneficial responses. It might not be necessary to answer all these questions, but the more you provide the better. Please remember that even the most knowledgeable person can only guess at what your problem may be. Only an experienced reptile veterinarian who can directly examine your animal can give a true diagnosis of your chameleon's health.


Current Problem - The current problem you are concerned about.


Chameleon Info:
Your Chameleon - The species, sex, and age of your chameleon. How long has it been in your care?
Handling - How often do you handle your chameleon?
Feeding - What are you feeding your cham? What amount? What is the schedule? How are you gut-loading your feeders?
Supplements - What brand and type of calcium and vitamin products are you dusting your feeders with and what is the schedule?
Watering - What kind of watering technique do you use? How often and how long to you mist? Do you see your chameleon drinking?
Fecal Description - Briefly note colors and consistency from recent droppings. Has this chameleon ever been tested for parasites?
History - Any previous information about your cham that might be useful to others when trying to help you.

Cage Info:
Cage Type - Describe your cage (Glass, Screen, Combo?) What are the dimensions?
Lighting - What brand, model, and types of lighting are you using? What is your daily lighting schedule?
Temperature - What temp range have you created (cage floor to basking spot)? Lowest overnight temp? How do you measure these temps?
Humidity - What are your humidity levels? How are you creating and maintaining these levels? What do you use to measure humidity?
Plants - Are you using live plants? If so, what kind?
Placement - Where is your cage located? Is it near any fans, air vents, or high traffic areas? At what height is the top of the cage relative to your room floor?
Location - Where are you geographically located?


Pictures are helpful

 

[troyboy1900]

Your Chameleon - Veiled, Male, about 5 in long, got it today
Handling - not for 4-5 days so he gets used to his enclosure
Feeding - Haven't fed him yet, plan on giving him crickets gut loaded with apples/carrots, sprinkled with calcium/vitamins
Supplements - Need to get some tomorrow
Watering - misted about 4 times today for about 2 min each time
Fecal Description - hasn't yet
History - none

Cage Info:
Cage Type - 12'' wide, 12'' long, 18'' tall Exo-Terra glass sides, screen top
Lighting - UVB and heating light both by zoo med
Temperature - 80-90 degrees
Humidity - I measure with a hygrometer and it is at 30-40%
Plants - If so, what kind? none yet
Placement - the top of the cage is about 4 feet from the ground and it is not placed near any of the areas listed
Location - Where are you geographically located? Ohio

 

[pssh]

Raise the cage up high. Get live (safe) plants.

Is that length from nose to tail tip or snout to vent(butt)?
How old is it?
What brand of supplements and what is your schedule?
What us the brand/make/model of your UVB? Is it spiral/compact or linear?

You should gutload with romaine lettuce, kale, endive, collard greens, mustard greens, yams, carrots, apples, strawberries, oranges, and pears. More veggies than fruits too.

 

[OOOst16]

from what it sounds you got the tropical exotera kit ....DO NOT USE COIL UVB! if you havent herd there bad for there eyes!!!!!!!!! anything swirly or anything that is UVB and not a tube is bad!!...the hood that comes in the set with the exotera glass vented cage ...only hold coil uvbs! you must get rid of the coil! buy a reptisun 5.0 TUBE uvb or a reptilgo 5.0! those 2 are the best with the reptisun taking the lead.

 

[samthecham]

Please post pics of your setup so we can help you better.

 

[troyboy1900]

oh man, good thing you told me, i was using the coil, I'll definitely get rid of it and get some vitamins/calcium dusting stuff and the tube uvb tomorrow, it shouldn't get too hot to melt the plastic on the cage, but we'll see, I'll have to get a bigger cage too I guess. But he is still pretty young, and I can't really post any pictures of the exact setup, but here's the cage from exo terra.

Not my setup, but I have the exact cage minus the light.

.

And I'm gonna feed him twice a day with gut loaded crickets sprinkled with calcium w/o D3 every feeding, calcium w/ D3 twice a month and with vitamins twice a month.

Also, I'll probably get a lower wattage bulb for him since it is almost always 90 in his cage and I need to know what light to get for him at night...I have a blue or red one, both about the same wattage?

THANKS FOR THE HELP!!!

 

[renzo0684]

Have you thought about getting a screen cage? I think it would be better... They have good luck with that type of cage in the UK. Whats the average temp of your house or the room during these winter months?

 

[troyboy1900]

um...it never drops below 63 in our house in the winter at night. and I really want to get an all screen cage, but can't find any place around here that has any, so I'll probably end up ordering one off the internet.

 

[renzo0684]

um...it never drops below 63 in our house in the winter at night. and I really want to get an all screen cage, but can't find any place around here that has any, so I'll probably end up ordering one off the internet.

I built one for about 150 bucks.... if you dont have time to build one try LLL or Diycages.com

 

[troyboy1900]

ya, I wish I had time to build one right now, but currently I am getting my EMT certification in the next month and taking paramedic classes in the upcoming semester, not tryin to make excuses, lol, but I will have plenty of time this winter and will buy a screen cage that is adequate in the meantime...wish someone around here sold them. I will see if anyone sells the xl reptibreeze around here, probably will, thanks for all the help guys

 

[renzo0684]

ya, I wish I had time to build one right now, but currently I am getting my EMT certification in the next month and taking paramedic classes in the upcoming semester, not tryin to make excuses, lol, but I will have plenty of time this winter and will buy a screen cage that is adequate in the meantime...wish someone around here sold them. I will see if anyone sells the xl reptibreeze around here, probably will, thanks for all the help guys

Try craigs list you can get lucky sometimes....

 

[pssh]

No night time bulb. He'll be fine. Do you know his age? And is he 5-6 inches snout to vent? Or snout to tail? If he's only 5-6 inches snout to tail use a smaller cage first. A 2x2x4 is a bit overwhelming for a baby and they may not eat.

 

[lucky]

what are you using on the botom of your cage? its best to not use anything or to just place paper towels on the bottom easiest to clean. the substrate will just grow mold/bacteria, and could cause your chameleon to get impacted. your house temps should be okay to not need a night heat lamp. you want the temp to drop when they sleep at least ten degrees. the cage looks nice other wise and i think until you can get your screen cage it will be okay as long as you get a lower wattage bulb. goodluck and welcome to the forums

 

[troyboy1900]

sorry, thats from snout to tip of tail, compared to other pictures on here, he seems pretty small, probably a couple of months old

 

[pssh]

Yeah, then try to use a smaller screen cage first if you can. Or use a 2x2x4 and block off the bottom half till he's bigger.

 

[troyboy1900]

and since your replying so fast, lol, what is the humidity range I should keep him in, because I found a website that specifically said that veilds need a low humidity but I fought all day to keep it high, so I'll get a dripper tomorrow as well as a lower wattage bulb.

 

[pssh]

40-50 when the cage is dry, and 70-90 when misting. It should hang in the 60-70 range fir an hour or so after you spray.

 

[lucky]

veileds can TOLERATE lower humidity but its not usually recomended. my cage stays in the 40-50% range then when i mist goes to the 70%. if you need help in this area look into getting a humidifier in the room you chameleon is in. cool mist type.

 

[pssh]

Thought I'd add, make sure you're measuring with a digital thermometer/hydrometer as the other kinds from petco that just stick on are crap.