ok guys few questions

[kuskye25]

1. i use a feeder cup and usually it also collects her poop and pee as its under her normal perch, today i saw the pee in the cup then a clear smear, she ate her poop, is this bad and has anyone else seen this? i feed every other day as much as she will eat....

2.baby flys in my live pothos plant and in the encloser, how do i keep them at bay, i have fly traps and strips hanging collecting crap loads of them but they are just getting more and more? if repotting the plant is the answer wow ill have to tear my hole encloser apart and stress my cham to its max? other sudjestions please.... the encloser gets cleaned daily, obviously i can only take poop out of the plant if i can see it....

thanks

 

[royden]

Poop eating happens, but you should try to avoid it. Get that poop cleaned out, or reposition the feeder cup so it doesn't get pooped in. Chams tend to poop in the same place, I'd get a new cup if the toilet cup continues to be used as such after you reposition it.

Fungal gnats reproduce in the soil of your plant. The top layer of the soil needs to be remove and replaced with river rocks or polished stones. Make it so you can't see any soil, just stones. The gnats will eventually go away.

Also putting some dish soap into the soil helps kill the gnats but you need to be sure that your cham is not eating dirt, or shooting it's tongue down there.

 

[kuskye25]

Poop eating happens, but you should try to avoid it. Get that poop cleaned out, or reposition the feeder cup so it doesn't get pooped in. Chams tend to poop in the same place, I'd get a new cup if the toilet cup continues to be used as such after you reposition it.

Fungal gnats reproduce in the soil of your plant. The top layer of the soil needs to be remove and replaced with river rocks or polished stones. Make it so you can't see any soil, just stones. The gnats will eventually go away.

Also putting some dish soap into the soil helps kill the gnats but you need to be sure that your cham is not eating dirt, or shooting it's tongue down there.

ok thanks very helpful

When i asked about potting noone told me to not use a top layer of soil and use rock, although ive seen this in pictures, makes sense now, much thanks

And now to stress the hell out of my cham, she is in the i hate humans phase i guess, she runs from me at almost any cost.

 

[royden]

The need to gut or refurnish your cage will come. I also once expected my setup would last forever and grow into a small jungle. The I started doing regular fecals. cursed parasites.

Your chameleon will handle the stress of a cage cleaning fine. Don't let it bother you that it bothers him. He'll get over it eventually.

 

[kuskye25]

The need to gut or refurnish your cage will come. I also once expected my setup would last forever and grow into a small jungle. The I started doing regular fecals. cursed parasites.

Your chameleon will handle the stress of a cage cleaning fine. Don't let it bother you that it bothers him. He'll get over it eventually.

ok ill try, i always feel bad for all my animals, its probably what makes me have such good animal care....

 

[royden]

Compassion is a good thing, but remember that it can hinder your husbandry. It's no fun to hold a cham tight, while prying open his mouth so you can administer medication. They don't like it one bit (and neither do I), and it really stresses them out. I'd rather have a healty cham then a stress free cham.

Too much compassion will get in the way of good husbandry.

 

[kuskye25]

Compassion is a good thing, but remember that it can hinder your husbandry. It's no fun to hold a cham tight, while prying open his mouth so you can administer medication. They don't like it one bit (and neither do I), and it really stresses them out. I'd rather have a healty cham then a stress free cham.

Too much compassion will get in the way of good husbandry.

Dont worry im not that freaky, i know when something needs done you do it and do it now. My piranha taught me how to be nice to the animal but still do everyhting nessesary to make it 100% as good as a captive animal can be. My red belly is crazy to deal with sometimes, other piranha arent as skidish as red bellied P's.

 

[kuskye25]

anyway flys taken care of "took top soil off the plant and replaced it with clean smooth rocks" and feeder cup spot is relocated.... good to go. thanks

 

[sandrachameleon]

fungus gnats are linked to high humidity and soil moisture levels - so try not to overwater your plant (hard to do maybe in a cham cage!). Its good advice to remove the top inch or soil and replace with sand and rocks on top of that. Also you could use a predatory mite, Hypoaspis miles, or a nematode, Steinernema feltiae, which offer good, natural control of fungus gnat larvae.

 

[ponders]

Just make sure the rocks you are using are too big to be swallowed by accident.

 

[fear742]

any ideas where to find these mites?

 

[sandrachameleon]

I've used nematodes before, for my greenhouse. I got them at local nursery and have seen them at a local organic gardening and lawncare place. I'm sure you could find them by mail order if you do a search with your location in mind. TIP: Make sure the date stamp is still valid as they only have a three month shelf life. If you live in BC you could try these:
http://www.thebuglady.ca/index.htm
http://www.thenatural-gardener.com/

 

[kuskye25]

Just make sure the rocks you are using are too big to be swallowed by accident.

they are big rocks quarter to half dollar size.... thanks though

I've used nematodes before, for my greenhouse. I got them at local nursery and have seen them at a local organic gardening and lawncare place. I'm sure you could find them by mail order if you do a search with your location in mind. TIP: Make sure the date stamp is still valid as they only have a three month shelf life. If you live in BC you could try these:
http://www.thebuglady.ca/index.htm
http://www.thenatural-gardener.com/

cool man ill look into this....