jng2pmtsu
New Member
Hey there! New to the thread and the Cham world!!
I have a 5 month old Veiled Cham named Cavie that I rescued from a bad situation (i've had him since mid-March 2011)....absolutely wonderful little critter. He is doing fine and all from what I can tell (actively eating, doesnt seem to be dehydrated, etc)....just wanted to let you know what I was doing so I could get some constructive criticism before I find out too late that I'm doing something wrong! So, here goes:
Lighting: 75 watt Infrared heat bulb, on at all times and hangs about 6" above his enclosure. 75 watt uva, neodymuin basking bulb, on from 8 am -8 pm. (this is what the people at the pet store gave me when I rescued him, though I've read other things that make me question their advice). Temp in the basking area under the red light is approx 90-95 degrees, the rest of the cage stays about 80-90 degrees during the day, and is around 70-75 at night after the light is off. (I sleep with my ceiling fan on in my bedroom so that explains the drop in temperature to 70-ish I am assuming)
Food: Approx 10 large crickets every morning (dusted with calcium supplememt on Monday, Wednesday, and Fridays). Small bowl on Tuesday and Thursdays of fresh spinach leaves mixed with live mealworms, removed from enclosure after 4 hours to prevent spoilage. Wondering if I should switch to small crickets, though he seems to get them down fine....Any other ideas to make him as happy and healthy as possible??
Misting: I mist him heavily about 3-4 times a day, and though I never see him drink, he doesnt appear weak or seem like he's dehydrated. The top of his enclosure is mesh, and the rest of it is glass (and this is what he was in when I rescued him, though I know this isnt the absolute best for him, but I cant afford anything else at the moment.) I got a tip from a forum that said placing ice cubes on the mesh will create a make-shift drip system until I can get a good one....any thoughts? I am scared of the temp of the ice, so I havent done this yet, just the constant mistings. I use Reptisafe water conditioner whenever I fill up his mister. Humidity stays between 40 and 60.
Enclosure: Glass all around with a mesh top, about 4 feet tall and 2 1/2 feet wide. Plenty of hiding places (ie foliage and branches) and half the time I cant even find him since he's so young. He's good at hiding
The plants are all fake, again,they're what the "owners" had. I cleaned them off and changed the bedding to loose coconut husk when I rescued him.
I dont believe there is anything I am forgetting. Like I said, I am new at this and I just didnt want to see him suffer anymore. I was afraid if I did the research beforehand, he might not have made it. Please, if I am doing anything wrong or if you have suggestions, let me know. I have grown rather attached to this little guy and I want him to have a MUCH better life than what he had, so thanks for reading. God bless.
-Jess
I have a 5 month old Veiled Cham named Cavie that I rescued from a bad situation (i've had him since mid-March 2011)....absolutely wonderful little critter. He is doing fine and all from what I can tell (actively eating, doesnt seem to be dehydrated, etc)....just wanted to let you know what I was doing so I could get some constructive criticism before I find out too late that I'm doing something wrong! So, here goes:
Lighting: 75 watt Infrared heat bulb, on at all times and hangs about 6" above his enclosure. 75 watt uva, neodymuin basking bulb, on from 8 am -8 pm. (this is what the people at the pet store gave me when I rescued him, though I've read other things that make me question their advice). Temp in the basking area under the red light is approx 90-95 degrees, the rest of the cage stays about 80-90 degrees during the day, and is around 70-75 at night after the light is off. (I sleep with my ceiling fan on in my bedroom so that explains the drop in temperature to 70-ish I am assuming)
Food: Approx 10 large crickets every morning (dusted with calcium supplememt on Monday, Wednesday, and Fridays). Small bowl on Tuesday and Thursdays of fresh spinach leaves mixed with live mealworms, removed from enclosure after 4 hours to prevent spoilage. Wondering if I should switch to small crickets, though he seems to get them down fine....Any other ideas to make him as happy and healthy as possible??
Misting: I mist him heavily about 3-4 times a day, and though I never see him drink, he doesnt appear weak or seem like he's dehydrated. The top of his enclosure is mesh, and the rest of it is glass (and this is what he was in when I rescued him, though I know this isnt the absolute best for him, but I cant afford anything else at the moment.) I got a tip from a forum that said placing ice cubes on the mesh will create a make-shift drip system until I can get a good one....any thoughts? I am scared of the temp of the ice, so I havent done this yet, just the constant mistings. I use Reptisafe water conditioner whenever I fill up his mister. Humidity stays between 40 and 60.
Enclosure: Glass all around with a mesh top, about 4 feet tall and 2 1/2 feet wide. Plenty of hiding places (ie foliage and branches) and half the time I cant even find him since he's so young. He's good at hiding
The plants are all fake, again,they're what the "owners" had. I cleaned them off and changed the bedding to loose coconut husk when I rescued him.I dont believe there is anything I am forgetting. Like I said, I am new at this and I just didnt want to see him suffer anymore. I was afraid if I did the research beforehand, he might not have made it. Please, if I am doing anything wrong or if you have suggestions, let me know. I have grown rather attached to this little guy and I want him to have a MUCH better life than what he had, so thanks for reading. God bless.
-Jess
