Repost from the other day 3-6 month female jackson chameleon

Acruz18

New Member
help.



Chameleon Info:

  • Your Chameleon - Female Jackson chameleon 3-6 months
  • How long has it been in your care? 2 weeks
  • Handling - Too often before i saw others post, we do not touch now
  • Feeding - Sm/MD crickets What amount? 3/6 a day (but now is not eating
  • What is the schedule? Morning 9am - 6pm night
  • How are you gut-loading your feeders? Crickets with wafoo
  • Supplements - What brand and type of calcium and vitamin products are you dusting your feeders with and what is the schedule? Herptivite with beta carotene multivitamins lightly dusted repta calcium 1time a month
  • Watering - What kind of watering technique do you use? Drip and misting
  • How often and how long to you mist? 2 times a day until cage and plants are damp and droplets of water on plants
  • Do you see your chameleon drinking? NO
  • Fecal Description - Briefly note colors and consistency from recent droppings. Has this chameleon ever been tested for parasites? White, tint of orange and has not been tested
  • History - Any previous information about your cham that might be useful to others when trying to help you. Was bought at reptile expo



Cage Info:

  • Cage Type - Describe your cage (Glass, Screen, Combo?) What are the dimensions? Screen cage honestly not sure on dimensions
  • Lighting - What brand, model, and types of lighting are you using? UVB bulb from pet smart tropical UVB fluorescent bulb 13 Watt
  • What is your daily lighting schedule? Day 9am till 9 PM light 9pm till 9am dark
  • Temperature - What temp range have you created (cage floor to basking spot)? 70ish daytime Lowest overnight temp? Trying to get 60 high 50 low (fan is currently aim at it to keep temp down How do you measure these temps? Reptile thermometers
  • Humidity - What are your humidity levels? 80-85
  • How are you creating and maintaining these levels? What do you use to measure humidity? Misting & live plants thermometer for humidity
  • Plants - Are you using live plants? If so, what kind? Schefflera arboricola, golden pothos
  • Placement - Where is your cage located? On top of stand
  • Is it near any fans, air vents, or high traffic areas? No to high traffic areas no to vents and normally no to fan
  • At what height is the top of the cage relative to your room floor? 48 inches from stand to floor
  • Location - Where are you geographically located? Pennsylvania

We had to trickle water in her mouth to re hydrate her (we had cage set up all wring and lighting wrong. With the few responses i had on that post i went into action and got things needed to properly have her cage set up and make her feel at home. I believe she may be drinking on her own the droplets of water from the plants but i have not seen with my wyes her do it. I am worried she is not eating tho and if so this will be day 3 of no food i use crickets but what is a feeder? Maybe id benefit with one of those for her. Attached are pictures of last night (she looks ill) but then today in her plant with uvb bulb on top of cage hoovering down she changed color and looks better
 

Attachments

  • 3B34B882-7775-4A5C-A438-C50BC2D4C8E8.jpeg
    3B34B882-7775-4A5C-A438-C50BC2D4C8E8.jpeg
    264.8 KB · Views: 92
  • FB8D6007-332D-4B33-8B88-C3DBA2B2C8EE.jpeg
    FB8D6007-332D-4B33-8B88-C3DBA2B2C8EE.jpeg
    273.5 KB · Views: 110
  • 22E9D16F-B0B7-40EA-8E24-90A265CA82F0.png
    22E9D16F-B0B7-40EA-8E24-90A265CA82F0.png
    643.4 KB · Views: 108
Also can you at least try to figure out the dimensions? A general idea is better than literally no information. And the type of UVB you're using, is it coiled or linear? What are you gut loading your crickets with?

We could use a lot more detail.
 
16" L X 16" W X 30" H

Attached is the light, it does not say what your asking

Crickets were in box attached is the crickets we got but size sm/md an they have a gut load thing inside the box but we also purchased another item to gutload them with but have not used it yet as that was my next question
 

Attachments

  • 27511A96-C835-45CD-9692-ECAD669B5F82.png
    27511A96-C835-45CD-9692-ECAD669B5F82.png
    351.4 KB · Views: 59
  • 936884F3-E609-4417-B85B-29AA12086D4C.png
    936884F3-E609-4417-B85B-29AA12086D4C.png
    314.3 KB · Views: 72
  • 27ADA6CE-E0F0-4635-ACB3-167D3473F52B.png
    27ADA6CE-E0F0-4635-ACB3-167D3473F52B.png
    429.1 KB · Views: 68
I have adjusted what was asked from previous post as well.

Only light i am currently using is uvb bulb during the day time and no light at night. Her cage is at 70 right now i cant get it below unless fan is directed at cage at night i have a rotating fan that i use to help cool it close to 60 (we do not have AC unit in yet to keep rooms cooler at night)
 
Ok so I dont know anything about Jackson's, but I do know that all of those things that you just linked are not sufficient for your cham. You need to find yourself a liner UVB bulb, the one you have is a compact bulb and it does not produce enough UVB for your cham. The gutload you are using is pretty much worthless, you need to get fresh gutload full of green leafy veggies. You are also going to need to upgrade the size of your enclosure, sooner rather than later.
 

Attachments

  • chameleon-uvb-light.jpg
    chameleon-uvb-light.jpg
    203.6 KB · Views: 51
  • chameleon-non-uvb-light.jpg
    chameleon-non-uvb-light.jpg
    184.7 KB · Views: 59
  • chameleon-supplements.jpg
    chameleon-supplements.jpg
    203.3 KB · Views: 62
  • chameleon-gutload.jpg
    chameleon-gutload.jpg
    189.5 KB · Views: 105
  • chameleon-food.jpg
    chameleon-food.jpg
    182.8 KB · Views: 70
Ok so I dont know anything about Jackson's, but I do know that all of those things that you just linked are not sufficient for your cham. You need to find yourself a liner UVB bulb, the one you have is a compact bulb and it does not produce enough UVB for your cham. The gutload you are using is pretty much worthless, you need to get fresh gutload full of green leafy veggies. You are also going to need to upgrade the size of your enclosure, sooner rather than later.


Okay to all of that,
 
^^ Good advise but lets get her back to eating regularly before we put her through another cage change. I will be back after I clear my desk with some solutions to your temperature issues etc.
 
I'm going to color code my responses.
Red - Do Now
Orange - Soon
Green - When you upgrade the cage

Chameleon Info:

  • Your Chameleon - Female Jackson chameleon 3-6 months
  • How long has it been in your care? 2 weeks
  • Handling - Too often before i saw others post, we do not touch now You can try hand feeding when she is settled and healthy again in a couple months. We'll go over that later.
  • Feeding - Sm/MD crickets What amount? 3/6 a day (but now is not eating Crickets are fine for this week but you will want to add more variety. Small Superworms only one or two maximum at a time weekly or to break a hunger strike, you will need the extra smalls. You can try those now to see if she will eat. Cup feed only one as an appetite test. I would also like to see her get some very small hornworms and/or silkworms. They are good sources of hydration, as they are very juicy. There are many places you can order on line many are on the sponsor links list here.
  • What is the schedule? Morning 9am - 6pm night You can feed earlier in the evening if possible not critical at this point.
  • How are you gut-loading your feeders? Crickets with wafoo ??? The gut load list is on a jpg that Daesie11 posted above I mix a variety of those veggies in a food processor and freeze it in logs and shave off portions to gut load the insects, mostly the crickets for now, it's more convenient that way.
  • Supplements - What brand and type of calcium and vitamin products are you dusting your feeders with and what is the schedule? Herptivite with beta carotene multivitamins lightly dusted repta calcium 1time a month This is going to get complicated because she is probably overdosed on D3 right now. What I'm going to tell you would be best done under the supervision of a veterinarian and I would encourage you to do so. I'm only telling you what I would do for my animals and why. It is not a substitute for veterinary care. D3 is key for calcium absorption and distribution in the bones. Excess D3 will pull calcium out of the bones and deposit it in the organs. This will eventually cause organ failure. She is probably feeling a bit toxic right now. There could be other things going on but this is common in Jackson's with her history. Fasting her for a week is usually recommended while some of the D3 clears out of her system but because she is young I would still feed her but limit the amount by half for a week if she start eating in the next day or two. She is still growing so should use the D3 faster than an adult. Vitamin A as retinol balances D3 in the body so getting a dose of that into her ASAP is very important. You can use a smear of it from a human vitamin A capsule on a feeder but she should have this the next time she eats just once. Hold off on plain calcium for a week or so we don't want it ending up in her organs but if she shows any signs of weakness, wobbling or shaking give her a little calcium. (this is why I think a vet's supervision is best) You will have a balancing act the next week or so eliminating the excess D3 and deciding when to start back on calcium.
    Once this month is over there are two supplement schedules I recommend. Caresheet-"Feeder insects should be lightly dusted with powdered supplement before being fed to your chameleon. As a montane species (native to higher altitudes) Jackson's have decreased supplementation requirements compared to tropical species due to metabolism differences. Use calcium (without D3 or phosphorus) twice a week, a multivitamin once a month, and calcium with D3 once a month." or The Repashy Calcium plus loD, bee pollen and plain calcium that I use.
  • Watering - What kind of watering technique do you use? Drip and misting
  • How often and how long to you mist? 2 times a day until cage and plants are damp and droplets of water on plants You are going to need to do longer misting especially now 3-5 minutes. You want her hydrated to support her organs while she clears the D3. Your arm is going to get tired. I hope you have a pressurized sprayer. You will need a way to collect the water, a drainage system. Sitting the cage over a dish bin may work for now. Run a dripper daily as well. Think about investing in a misting system you won't be sorry. I like Climist and MIstKing.
  • Do you see your chameleon drinking? NO Now that she has the plants you may not see her drink but keep checking her urates to monitor her hydration.
  • Fecal Description - Briefly note colors and consistency from recent droppings. Has this chameleon ever been tested for parasites? White, tint of orange and has not been tested It's always good to get a fecal to the vet
  • History - Any previous information about your cham that might be useful to others when trying to help you. Was bought at reptile expo


Cage Info:

  • Cage Type - Describe your cage (Glass, Screen, Combo?) What are the dimensions? Screen cage honestly not sure on dimensions She will need a 18x18x36 in a few months but would love to have a 24x24x48 if you have the room. Lets just not stress her out with a cage change right now
  • Lighting - What brand, model, and types of lighting are you using? UVB bulb from pet smart tropical UVB fluorescent bulb 13 Watt As everyone has mentioned these compact fluorescent bulbs are junk and will not be good for her long term. A linear fixture and bulb will provide much better UVB and will be necessary. I would look for one to fit the cage you plant get later and let it hang over the edge of this small cage.
  • What is your daily lighting schedule? Day 9am till 9 PM light 9pm till 9am dark Good that's going to help.
  • Temperature - What temp range have you created (cage floor to basking spot)? 70ish daytime Lowest overnight temp? Trying to get 60 high 50 low (fan is currently aim at it to keep temp down How do you measure these temps? Reptile thermometers I would like her to have an ambient of 70˚-72˚F and a basking temperature no higher that 78˚ for the next few months. You can use a basking bulb but lift that side of your fixture up couple inches and only use a 40 watt bulb for bathroom vanities if you need it. Once you get the linear fixture you can raise and lower the whole dual fixture as necessary. To get your temperatures down at night run the cool mist humidifier and place frozen cooler packs on the top of the cage when you go to bed over where she sleeps. The fan is going to steal too much of your humidity so don't point it at the cage.
  • Humidity - What are your humidity levels? 80-85 Great for night time or as high as 100%. Your day time humidity doesn't need to stay that high all day the basking light should dry things up during the day between misting. Is PA that humid? or is it from your efforts?
  • How are you creating and maintaining these levels? What do you use to measure humidity? Misting & live plants thermometer for humidity
  • Plants - Are you using live plants? If so, what kind? Schefflera arboricola, golden pothos Great
  • Placement - Where is your cage located? On top of stand Great
  • Is it near any fans, air vents, or high traffic areas? No to high traffic areas no to vents and normally no to fan Great
  • At what height is the top of the cage relative to your room floor? 48 inches from stand to floor
  • Location - Where are you geographically located? Pennsylvania
We had to trickle water in her mouth to re hydrate her (we had cage set up all wring and lighting wrong. With the few responses i had on that post i went into action and got things needed to properly have her cage set up and make her feel at home. I believe she may be drinking on her own the droplets of water from the plants but i have not seen with my wyes her do it. I am worried she is not eating tho and if so this will be day 3 of no food i use crickets but what is a feeder? Maybe id benefit with one of those for her. Attached are pictures of last night (she looks ill) but then today in her plant with uvb bulb on top of cage hoovering down she changed color and looks better I'm glad she is showing signs of improving. I don't want to make a bunch of changes to her cage but she should have horizontal branches starting from 6 inches below the UVB light and at a variety of levels throughout the cage.
I'm sure I wasn't clear on all of this so if you need clarification or suggestions on how to get this done please feel free to ask. I know this is a lot to process.
 
I got wax worms for her i got a tropical light and heat light i will need to get branches

It has been very humid in PA the last few days
 

Attachments

  • 895A1214-AC4E-42F8-9CE9-87592E8A4809.jpeg
    895A1214-AC4E-42F8-9CE9-87592E8A4809.jpeg
    195.6 KB · Views: 69
  • C35F1776-78B8-4016-B26B-EB231A3FFA8F.jpeg
    C35F1776-78B8-4016-B26B-EB231A3FFA8F.jpeg
    217.2 KB · Views: 64
  • BA79981C-A664-45C3-AD51-9AF9CC092073.jpeg
    BA79981C-A664-45C3-AD51-9AF9CC092073.jpeg
    178 KB · Views: 67
  • 8361B733-44F9-4A76-AC8E-22E88D8D6EA9.jpeg
    8361B733-44F9-4A76-AC8E-22E88D8D6EA9.jpeg
    179.2 KB · Views: 71
Also it cane with this blue light but lady suggested for basking the 100W and about 4 inches from too be her basking area. If 100w is too much i can switch to the 60w
 
This is where chameleon keeping goes from being a science to being an art form. It will entirely depend on what temperatures her basking spot becomes. You will just have to adjust accordingly. I would start with the 60 watt if it isn't enough go higher to the 100, too hot go to a 40 watt. Keep the other bulbs for when it all changes this winter.
 
Back
Top Bottom