Starting over

R

RFD

New Member
i lost my Jackson last night-- thought I understood the environment and needs of Tito - apparently not.

So want to start from the beginning and get it right-- most of all not rush into this, so it is an eight week plan.

Cage 18x18x36
1- 13 UVB
1- Repti glow 5.0 15
2 - 40W Exo-terra heat lamps
1- Monsoon Mister (Yes- I know should have went with mist king)
1- Fogger
Vegetation - Pothos, Dracaena

Lighting All lighting comes on from 8 am to 8 pm

Misting -- twice a day 30-40 seconds 9am and 1 pm
Fogging - once a day - 90 minutes
Every other day Crickets, roaches and super worm
Supplements - Calcium W/ Vit D,twice a week, Calcium every feeding and Repivite w/D3every third feeding.

Basking temp - 80, Mid cage 72 -- roughly 70 night time
Humidity low-- either crapy gauges or 40% during light hours with short spike after mist/fog up to 55%-- night humidity 60+%

No Dripper
Several holes with drain pan under flooring, yet always appeared to be moist.

Read everything form too much water -- to too little - I think I under hydrated.

Chameleon stayed close to basking area. Never really moved to plants. Lighting 10 inches from top vine.

What did I miss?
 
I read through some of your old posts, and I think he may not have been getting enough water. Please do not take it personally or be sad at that, it's very easy to do. The good ting is that you are trying to learn and I feel you did try your best.

Personally I would ditch the fogger and get a dripper. Along with that, you will need to up the mistings. If you kept it at 2 times a day I would have it spraying for about 5 minutes. If you had three sprayings I would say 3 minutes would be ok for each spraying. Since you're waiting a while, I'd test each way to see how it works for you.

Chase
 
For a Jackson's, the supplement schedule is not quite right.

Calcium with NO D3 with every high phosphorus feeder (crickets, superworms, etc).

Multivitamin WITH D3 once a month only. I like to do it on the first.

For Jackson's, good nutrition in their insects is very important, since they can overdose on fat soluble vitamins like D3 and A more easily than other types of chameleons. I use a combination of fresh fruits and veggies and a premade bug diet called Bug Burger (there are others, but general avoid Zilla brand cricket cubes - the orange stuff).

There is a lot of off information on the internet, but the care sheets here are good.
 
My thought, since you already have the fogger, don't ditch it but save it for the winter when the ambient humidity is really low. In the winter, I run a cool mist humidifier for several hours in the day, but in the summer, we are very humid in the Midwest, so I don't run a humidity at all, just mistings.
 
Lathis said:
My thought, since you already have the fogger, don't ditch it but save it for the winter when the ambient humidity is really low. In the winter, I run a cool mist humidifier for several hours in the day, but in the summer, we are very humid in the Midwest, so I don't run a humidity at all, just mistings.
Click to expand...

I just wanted to clarify what I said. I didn't mean to throw it away, but more not having to use it. You brought up a good point about the winters.

Chase
 
Chase said:
I just wanted to clarify what I said. I didn't mean to throw it away, but more not having to use it. You brought up a good point about the winters.

Chase
Click to expand...

I agree with the dripper, tho. My Jax far prefers dripping water over misting. :D
 
Thanks for the support -- Do i stay with the jackson or go for a juvinile Panther or Veiled?

Would an older age of any the species be harder? What other reptile option do I have that enjoy and thrive in the same set up?
 
RFD said:
Thanks for the support -- Do i stay with the jackson or go for a juvinile Panther or Veiled?

Would an older age of any the species be harder? What other reptile option do I have that enjoy and thrive in the same set up?
Click to expand...

Whatever type of chameleon you get, older is usually better. Some places will sell you chameleons at 2 or 3 months old, but you want to look for a cham somewhere around 5 months at the least. Much less likely to have an unexpected passing with an established juvenile. Getting one from a solid breeder, not a pet store, is also a good idea. I'm sure people here on the forum can help you find a breeder with a good reputation - we have several here and also several as sponsors.

Jacksons aren't "hard" to keep, they just require a little bit different environment than a Veiled or a Panther. Some say that Veileds or Panthers are more forgiving in their care, but I don't know if that is really true as I have only had my Jax - I think it's more that they can accept a wider range of environmental conditions. So, to answer your question, I don't think there is a wrong or right type of chameleon for you.

As for other types of reptiles, there are other arboreal lizards that would like a similar set up but may not be as delicate as a chameleon, like an Cuban Knight Anole. They are very cute, too.
 
Lathis said:
My thought, since you already have the fogger, don't ditch it but save it for the winter when the ambient humidity is really low. In the winter, I run a cool mist humidifier for several hours in the day, but in the summer, we are very humid in the Midwest, so I don't run a humidity at all, just mistings.
Click to expand...

I agree. DON'T ditch the fogger! A dripper alone may not work for some jax. Not all chams use them reliably. Whether you will need it or not is hard to predict. An accurate humidity gauge will help you determine this, so plan on tracking it well.
 
"Misting -- twice a day 30-40 seconds 9am and 1 pm"...
not nearly enough for Jackson's... mine are misted every 3-4 hours for 2min each... Jackson's (especially) like lots of water... your humidity looks good...just up the misting schedule...
 
Yea, I think there needs to be more misting. I do 2 mins 4x/day. I may increase that a little more too. Also, I may have missed it, But how long did you have the Cham? How old was it? Where did you get it?
 
I had the Chameleon for I guess about two months, come to think of it, someone local was basically giving him away and did not know the age,
 
So after some consideration I have decided to go with a Nosy Be Panther. Now I need to find a breeder. Nosy Be seems hardy compared to the Jackson from what I have been reading.

Is anyone going to the Reptile Expo in NYC on July 12?

Has anyone dealt with our sponsors?

Is the Panther care the same as the Jackson? It appears I under water the Jackson lasT time.

Also - even though my gauges read the correct temp - should I increase wattage from 2 - 40W exo terra to maybe a 60W and a 40 watt -- temp mid - rage of a 18x18x36 cage were around 70 should I increase heat. Ambient temp in the room is about 75/summer and 60/winter.

The other thing I noticed that the room I used is low traffic but also low light. It receives 5 hours of sunlight during the day but nothing else. I used a 13W UVB and a 5.0 15W UVB in addition to the 2 heat bulbs 40W and 40W.

I will increase misting to 2 minute 3 times and day and use a dripper this time. i will supplement with the fogger during the winter for 3 hours a day in between misting.

SUGGESTIONS please
 
Last edited:
The care sheets are at the top if this site so that should answer all of your questions. I am no expert but I don't think you need two uvb lights. I am from the NJ/NYC area and I can tell you that I would never buy a chameleon at the White Plains reptile expo " from what I have seen". I have seen maybe one or two breeders at that show and the rest are just people who put chams in 40 gal tanks and sell them to anyone. IMO do your homework and buy from somone who is breeding them that will share information with you and prep you for your cham. I am sure you are ansy to get a new setup running because it is so exciting but just make sure your ready for it first. All that said I have never actually went to that show to purchase a Cham so I am sure if a breeder here does attend that show it would be a different experience then what I was talking about.
 
Thanks for your input-- Like I stated in the first post-- I am in no rush -- It will be an eight week process just setting up the cage. I have yet to hear from anyone on the forum who actually recommended a breeder. I do not want to go local unless they are legit.

over the past two months or so I have read every post and care page. Listened to some great sucess stories and realized some of my mistakes and will correct them.

But until I find a real breeder and not someone sitting in there garage looking for a way to amke extra cash I will not make a move. I have also looked at other possabilities frogs, geckos, anoles and the alligator lizard is really cool.

I am documenting the changes I make each week so that I can find the equalibrium needed to sucessfully enjoy an health and happy Chameleon.
So all support is appreciated

Shrum-- I have checked the care sheet and it does answer most questions and I followed them but still beleive that you have to learn and keep learning. That is why I created this post -- if your from NYC/NJ area who did you go to or recommend
 
I have not gotten my chameleons local I always went with breeders and had them shipped. My most recent chameleons came from the panther baron as well as canvas chameleons.
 
I have very good things to say about Bruce and Chameleonparadise.net. His little guy arrived super healthy and active, eating well. He's extremely full of information and makes sure everything is setup correctly before he even ships your chameleon to you. Worth a look.
 
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