pls talk on here(for joe)

[joe]

right, i am going to high school in about 6 month, ive 2 lizards in the past i loved them both but they both died. the first one, sparks, the bearded dragon, not even the vet knows how he died he just did in the night without any signs. The second a berber skink named memphis he would not eat whatsoever. i did hardly even handle him i offerd him lots of food, he was also fine but he died, of not eating i think

 

[blackbetty]

right, i am going to high school in about 6 month, ive 2 lizards in the past i loved them both but they both died. the first one, sparks, the bearded dragon, not even the vet knows how he died he just did in the night without any signs. The second a berber skink named memphis he would not eat whatsoever. i did hardly even handle him i offerd him lots of food, he was also fine but he died, of not eating i think

Wait so you are what? 13? How are you going to afford this?> Auto misters are Really expensive!the cham alone is anywhere from 125+ plus shipping if you go through a reputable breeder..Are you parents aware? I would be frazzled if my kid came to me and expected me to shell out darn near 500 for the right supplies for something they will PROBABLY lose interest in, especially as you get older and develop a more social life outside of the home...\\My daughter had to earn her cornsnake and does weekly chores to pay for its food.

 

[ToniandGizmo]

is it uncooth to ask how old you are and are you sure you're ready to care for such a demanding animal? Remember that this is a life you will be responsible for and not just another "cool" thing to have.

Read the links that were provided. They sum up just about everything you need to know. Then come back and post questions to clarify.

Luis

Well said luis. Joe I hope you really, really think about what you are getting into with these animals. Just setting their cages up so that they can be healthy costs a lot of money. Then there are the feeder requirements and costs. The feeders need to be gutloaded and dusted with different vitamins and minerals (depending on the age and sex of the chameleon eating them). It's a lot of work. I've already painfully seen another newbie on this forum who (obviously) blindly went out and purchased a chameleon because they felt that their previous experience with reptiles (not chameleons) was enough to warrant acquiring a cham.

Here's what I did. I purchased my first cham 16 years ago from a friend who owned a petshop with his father. She was a veiled chameleon and probably could not have been more than 8 weeks old. He only had mine and my chams best interest in mind (unlike many petshops). He gave me the best advice (for that time period) that he could.

Miraculously, she lived to the ripe old age of 6 1/2. It took me 9 years before I felt I was ready for another. When I started researching, I realized that many, many new things had been discovered regarding their care. It took me another year of reading everything I could (and finding this forum) before I felt I was capable of caring for one.

Please, don't rush into this, the life you save may be a chameleons. Research, research, research. I wish you all the best.

 

[chambabysitter1]

Want me to layout my expenses so far? I haven't even bought a cham yet. Not till saturday, but I did get everything else.

$70 - Cage from LLL
$35 - UVB Light and Fixture
$0 - Leftover Dome Lighting Fixture
$10 - UVA heat bulb
$24 - Supplements
$7 - Fine mister
$12 - Big Ol Shefflera
$15 - bonsai pot with legs so no bugs can hide and die under the plant
$4 - Organic Potting soil
$5-20 - Drainage Solution

Probably a few more things. I could have cut some corners maybe, but I wanted a legit setup. I mean, wouldn't you want a nice house to live in too? That was my logic.

Missing a few things that could vary for others like table and stuff. Still haven't gotten bugs or a feeding solution for that either.

All together I've tossed in a good $200 so far, and like I said, I don't even own a chameleon yet.

 

[blackbetty]

Thats why i estimate around 500. You gotta account for food everyday as well. PLants that will die nd need replaced. Bulbs that need to be replaced every 6 months.. He is looking at automisters which run the upwards of $200 as well...Im glad he is here getting the info..but I still wondering how financially he can do it...NOne of Business..but he just needs to be aware that this isnt a buy it and set for life kinda thing..it does continue to cost..especially if it becomes ill..

 

[ToniandGizmo]

Want me to layout my expenses so far? I haven't even bought a cham yet. Not till saturday, but I did get everything else.

$70 - Cage from LLL
$35 - UVB Light and Fixture
$0 - Leftover Dome Lighting Fixture
$10 - UVA heat bulb
$24 - Supplements
$7 - Fine mister
$12 - Big Ol Shefflera
$15 - bonsai pot with legs so no bugs can hide and die under the plant
$4 - Organic Potting soil
$5-20 - Drainage Solution

Probably a few more things. I could have cut some corners maybe, but I wanted a legit setup. I mean, wouldn't you want a nice house to live in too? That was my logic.

Missing a few things that could vary for others like table and stuff. Still haven't gotten bugs or a feeding solution for that either.

All together I've tossed in a good $200 so far, and like I said, I don't even own a chameleon yet.

Hey ChamSitter, pm sent.

 

[blackbetty]

We are not trying to scare you, Just show you the reality of taking care of this lovely creature.. its not a cheap hobby by any means.

 

[chambabysitter1]

Hey ChamSitter, pm sent.

Oh hey there. You can see in the SBCK thread in LizardLounge that my first SBCK meeting was actually last tuesday. I had a blast and it was a pleasure meeting everyone. You being in lakewood, we should totally just carpool next time. Driving to LA can suck!

To joe: Yeah man, like betty said, I wasnt trying to scare you, just present the reality of the financial responsibilities that go along with a cham. Also be sure to include a backup fund for vet bills. You never know, I got quite a bit stashed away just for the chameleon's health.

 

[ToniandGizmo]

Oh hey there. You can see in the SBCK thread in LizardLounge that my first SBCK meeting was actually last tuesday. I had a blast and it was a pleasure meeting everyone. You being in lakewood, we should totally just carpool next time. Driving to LA can suck!

To joe: Yeah man, like betty said, I wasnt trying to scare you, just present the reality of the financial responsibilities that go along with a cham. Also be sure to include a backup fund for vet bills. You never know, I got quite a bit stashed away just for the chameleon's health.

Carpooling to the next SBCK meeting is a great idea. Will pm you as the time gets closer.

Sorry to get off the subject of this thread... back on track now. Joe, let us know how things progress for you. If you do go ahead, post pics of your set up. Everyone here will help you on it if needed.

The breeder that I got Gismo from absolutely insisted that I e-mail pictures of his cage BEFORE they would ship him to me. Just in case there were changes that I needed to make.

 

[joe]

yeh i lost sleep on this lol . I live in the north-eat of england and there is not many good breeders close to me. I dont really no where to go when i am ready, i dont like it when the chameleons have to travel miles in a plastic box to get home

 

[joe]

umm i think your in dollors for this...i hope. ive got most things like the mister, ive got one of those
all you need to do is submerge the mister in water and let it go for a while
i think i need a new uv light, from what you told me i should go and buy some new real plants. ummm just put paper towels as the substrate... just problems with getting the chameleon now

 

[joe]

and ventilation. some members are saying to remove the top of my wood cage and replace that with mesh/ventilated stuff. i have also got to air vents at the back of the cage, would i need more, around 6?

 

[luevelvet]

Well said luis. Joe I hope you really, really think about what you are getting into with these animals. Just setting their cages up so that they can be healthy costs a lot of money. Then there are the feeder requirements and costs. The feeders need to be gutloaded and dusted with different vitamins and minerals (depending on the age and sex of the chameleon eating them). It's a lot of work. I've already painfully seen another newbie on this forum who (obviously) blindly went out and purchased a chameleon because they felt that their previous experience with reptiles (not chameleons) was enough to warrant acquiring a cham.

Here's what I did. I purchased my first cham 16 years ago from a friend who owned a petshop with his father. She was a veiled chameleon and probably could not have been more than 8 weeks old. He only had mine and my chams best interest in mind (unlike many petshops). He gave me the best advice (for that time period) that he could.

Miraculously, she lived to the ripe old age of 6 1/2. It took me 9 years before I felt I was ready for another. When I started researching, I realized that many, many new things had been discovered regarding their care. It took me another year of reading everything I could (and finding this forum) before I felt I was capable of caring for one.

Please, don't rush into this, the life you save may be a chameleons. Research, research, research. I wish you all the best.

We have similar histories with our Chams. I first purchased mine when I was 16 too, from a breeder in NY. I had to give them back to the breeder 3 years later because I had to move out of the house, well, I decided to wait 12 years before we purchased our current chameleon, and almost a thousand dollars later, we have a Meller's. It all adds up, even if you DIY much of it, it still costs a tremendous amount of money.

I was amazed at the amount of info there is now. I remember having to find a petstore that sold Phillipe's books. Heck I think I still have my Reptiles Vet's handbook from '94. In those days you would be hard pressed to find a vet decent enough to know about chams.

Ahh, the good ol' days. Doing everything by a book that was published many years prior. If only we had resources like this site back then...

Anyway... IMHO I don't think it's wise to invest in such a commitment at such a young age. I remind you again that this is so much more sensitive of a life than a Bearded Dragon is and not for nothing, you didn't seem to do to well with that.

Slow down. Take your time. It's not a race to get something in that cage. If you have questions about what light etc etc...then re-read all of the links that were previously posted.

Good luck and make sure you make the right decisions. Its all about the right decisions...

Luis

 

[joe]

i still got a little while till i get my chameleon, half a year... maybe am just really unlucky with lizards..?

 

[ToniandGizmo]

i still got a little while till i get my chameleon, half a year... maybe am just really unlucky with lizards..?

Good. Then this won't be so much of an "impulse" buy. Use this time to do your research. Have everything set up BEFORE you make your purchase. And please if you are going through with this, post pics of your cage after you've set it up.

The members here on this forum are wonderful at helping you take care of the last minute changes you most surely will have to make to your cage.

 

[joe]

yeh a will post as many pictures as my camera will hold and ile keep asking about things to make sure im doing everything right

 

[ToniandGizmo]

yeh a will post as many pictures as my camera will hold and ile keep asking about things to make sure im doing everything right

Wonderful! That's how we all learned. Remember there is no such thing as a stupid question.

I admit I was a little concerned when I began reading your posts, but as the time (and questions) continued, it became very clear that you are taking this very seriously and that your main concern is not to "fill a cage" but to keep a healthy cham.

Are your parents supporting your decision? It's good to have them on your side with this one.

 

[joe]

well my mum always hates the idea of a reptile but in about 2 months she's all over it lol, she just cant get her head round feeding it , my dad thinks its great, he's looking forward to getting it too.

 

[blackbetty]

well my mum always hates the idea of a reptile but in about 2 months she's all over it lol, she just cant get her head round feeding it , my dad thinks its great, he's looking forward to getting it too.

THAT IS AWESOME!

Like I said, search through enclosures, or even image search the internet so you can better get an image of what things should look like. People here are very helpful and only want the best for you and your cham so we are pleased that you are researching so far in advance.

 

[ToniandGizmo]

well my mum always hates the idea of a reptile but in about 2 months she's all over it lol, she just cant get her head round feeding it , my dad thinks its great, he's looking forward to getting it too.

That's good news. I'm going to wager a bet about your mom. When she sees this creature with it's crazy little eyes and it's prehensile monkey tail (not to mention those incredibly weird feet), she's going to become fascinated with it (at least). I'll definately give her a break about the feeding part. That's pushing the envelope a little bit