supplementing my veileds diet??
- Thread starter marsell
- Start date
Miss Lily
Chameleon Enthusiast
Welcome! Firstly 100 degrees is way too hot for a female, and probably an adult male too.
Please fill this out so we can help you!
Cage Info:
* Cage Type - Describe your cage (Glass, Screen, Combo?) What are the dimensions?
* Lighting - What brand, model, and types of lighting are you using? What is your daily lighting schedule?
* Temperature - What temp range have you created (cage floor to basking spot)? Lowest overnight temp? How do you measure these temps?
* Humidity - What are your humidity levels? How are you creating and maintaining these levels? What do you use to measure humidity?
* Plants - Are you using live plants? If so, what kind?
* Placement - Where is your cage located? Is it near any fans, air vents, or high traffic areas? At what height is the top of the cage relative to your room floor?
* Location - Where are you geographically located?
Chameleon Info:
* Your Chameleon - The species, sex, and age of your chameleon. How long has it been in your care?
* Handling - How often do you handle your chameleon?
* Feeding - What are you feeding your cham? What amount? What is the schedule? How are you gut-loading your feeders?
* Supplements - What brand and type of calcium and vitamin products are you dusting your feeders with and what is the schedule?
* Watering - What kind of watering technique do you use? How often and how long to you mist? Do you see your chameleon drinking?
* Fecal Description - Briefly note colors and consistency from recent droppings. Has this chameleon ever been tested for parasites?
* History - Any previous information about your cham that might be useful to others when trying to help you.
* Current Problem - The current problem that you are concerned about.
Pictures are helpful
Please fill this out so we can help you!
Cage Info:
* Cage Type - Describe your cage (Glass, Screen, Combo?) What are the dimensions?
* Lighting - What brand, model, and types of lighting are you using? What is your daily lighting schedule?
* Temperature - What temp range have you created (cage floor to basking spot)? Lowest overnight temp? How do you measure these temps?
* Humidity - What are your humidity levels? How are you creating and maintaining these levels? What do you use to measure humidity?
* Plants - Are you using live plants? If so, what kind?
* Placement - Where is your cage located? Is it near any fans, air vents, or high traffic areas? At what height is the top of the cage relative to your room floor?
* Location - Where are you geographically located?
Chameleon Info:
* Your Chameleon - The species, sex, and age of your chameleon. How long has it been in your care?
* Handling - How often do you handle your chameleon?
* Feeding - What are you feeding your cham? What amount? What is the schedule? How are you gut-loading your feeders?
* Supplements - What brand and type of calcium and vitamin products are you dusting your feeders with and what is the schedule?
* Watering - What kind of watering technique do you use? How often and how long to you mist? Do you see your chameleon drinking?
* Fecal Description - Briefly note colors and consistency from recent droppings. Has this chameleon ever been tested for parasites?
* History - Any previous information about your cham that might be useful to others when trying to help you.
* Current Problem - The current problem that you are concerned about.
Pictures are helpful
Ok. Excuse my ignorance I picked her up from a herp show and the breeders were the source of my info. Basking side 100-105 low side 85 so thats what I went with.
Cage Info:
* Cage Type - Describe your cage (Glass, Screen, Combo?) What are the dimensions?
ten gallon glass aquarium with a screen top.
* Lighting - What brand, model, and types of lighting are you using? What is your daily lighting schedule?
100 watt mvb megaray about 14 hours of light a day
* Temperature - What temp range have you created (cage floor to basking spot)? Lowest overnight temp? How do you measure these temps?
Basking area100-105 low side 85
* Humidity - What are your humidity levels? How are you creating and maintaining these levels? What do you use to measure humidity?
No idea what humidity levels I have. I set ice cubes on the screen periodically through the day.
* Plants - Are you using live plants? If so, what kind?
fake plants
* Placement - Where is your cage located? Is it near any fans, air vents, or high traffic areas? At what height is the top of the cage relative to your room floor?
Living room 4 foot from the floor no fans or vents in the vicinity.
* Location - Where are you geographically located?
Indiana
Chameleon Info:
* Your Chameleon - The species, sex, and age of your chameleon. How long has it been in your care?
Veiled, female, 3 months old, has been in my care for one month
* Handling - How often do you handle your chameleon?
twice a day for 10 to fifteen minutes
* Feeding - What are you feeding your cham? What amount? What is the schedule? How are you gut-loading your feeders?
crickets only, 15 a day, 5/5/5 morning noon and night, I keep my own crickets and gut load with a standard high calcium cricket food I picked up.
* Supplements - What brand and type of calcium and vitamin products are you dusting your feeders with and what is the schedule?
No supplements hence my question.
* Watering - What kind of watering technique do you use? How often and how long to you mist? Do you see your chameleon drinking?
Mist once a day, set ice cubes on screen and allow to drip down, yes I see her drinking often
* Fecal Description - Briefly note colors and consistency from recent droppings. Has this chameleon ever been tested for parasites?
Has not been tested for parasites, black and white solid consitency
* History - Any previous information about your cham that might be useful to others when trying to help you.
She is active and alert, eats on a regular basis seems happy, doesn't spend alot of time basking, which I assume is due to the heat.
* Current Problem - The current problem that you are concerned about.
Should I supplement the feed.
Cage Info:
* Cage Type - Describe your cage (Glass, Screen, Combo?) What are the dimensions?
ten gallon glass aquarium with a screen top.
* Lighting - What brand, model, and types of lighting are you using? What is your daily lighting schedule?
100 watt mvb megaray about 14 hours of light a day
* Temperature - What temp range have you created (cage floor to basking spot)? Lowest overnight temp? How do you measure these temps?
Basking area100-105 low side 85
* Humidity - What are your humidity levels? How are you creating and maintaining these levels? What do you use to measure humidity?
No idea what humidity levels I have. I set ice cubes on the screen periodically through the day.
* Plants - Are you using live plants? If so, what kind?
fake plants
* Placement - Where is your cage located? Is it near any fans, air vents, or high traffic areas? At what height is the top of the cage relative to your room floor?
Living room 4 foot from the floor no fans or vents in the vicinity.
* Location - Where are you geographically located?
Indiana
Chameleon Info:
* Your Chameleon - The species, sex, and age of your chameleon. How long has it been in your care?
Veiled, female, 3 months old, has been in my care for one month
* Handling - How often do you handle your chameleon?
twice a day for 10 to fifteen minutes
* Feeding - What are you feeding your cham? What amount? What is the schedule? How are you gut-loading your feeders?
crickets only, 15 a day, 5/5/5 morning noon and night, I keep my own crickets and gut load with a standard high calcium cricket food I picked up.
* Supplements - What brand and type of calcium and vitamin products are you dusting your feeders with and what is the schedule?
No supplements hence my question.
* Watering - What kind of watering technique do you use? How often and how long to you mist? Do you see your chameleon drinking?
Mist once a day, set ice cubes on screen and allow to drip down, yes I see her drinking often
* Fecal Description - Briefly note colors and consistency from recent droppings. Has this chameleon ever been tested for parasites?
Has not been tested for parasites, black and white solid consitency
* History - Any previous information about your cham that might be useful to others when trying to help you.
She is active and alert, eats on a regular basis seems happy, doesn't spend alot of time basking, which I assume is due to the heat.
* Current Problem - The current problem that you are concerned about.
Should I supplement the feed.
sandrachameleon
Chameleon Enthusiast
Yes, you need supplements, though good gutloading reduces dependacy on supplements.
info on supplements: https://www.chameleonforums.com/blogs/sandrachameleon/65-supplements.html
Info on good gutloading (fresh fruit and veg is the best gutload):
https://www.chameleonforums.com/blogs/sandrachameleon/75-feeder-nutrition-gutloading.htmlhttps://www.chameleonforums.com/blogs/sandrachameleon/75-feeder-nutrition.html
https://www.chameleonforums.com/blogs/sandrachameleon/57-gutloading-links.html
100degrees is far too hot
Good info on keeping a female veilded:
http://raisingkittytheveiledchameleon.blogspot.com/2007/12/keeping-female-veiled.html
The aquarium is not a good choice of housing - she's going to need a bigger home very soon. Info on cages:
https://www.chameleonforums.com/blogs/sandrachameleon/82-enclosures-housing.html
Ice cubes are not a good way of providing water or humidity. You will need to buy a humidity guage. you will need to mist and drip room temp water for her to drink.
Info on hydtration: https://www.chameleonforums.com/blogs/sandrachameleon/92-hydration-importance.html
P.S. - welcome to Chameleon Keeping
Its very rewarding, though perhaps not easy.
info on supplements: https://www.chameleonforums.com/blogs/sandrachameleon/65-supplements.html
Info on good gutloading (fresh fruit and veg is the best gutload):
https://www.chameleonforums.com/blogs/sandrachameleon/75-feeder-nutrition-gutloading.htmlhttps://www.chameleonforums.com/blogs/sandrachameleon/75-feeder-nutrition.html
https://www.chameleonforums.com/blogs/sandrachameleon/57-gutloading-links.html
100degrees is far too hot
Good info on keeping a female veilded:
http://raisingkittytheveiledchameleon.blogspot.com/2007/12/keeping-female-veiled.html
The aquarium is not a good choice of housing - she's going to need a bigger home very soon. Info on cages:
https://www.chameleonforums.com/blogs/sandrachameleon/82-enclosures-housing.html
Ice cubes are not a good way of providing water or humidity. You will need to buy a humidity guage. you will need to mist and drip room temp water for her to drink.
Info on hydtration: https://www.chameleonforums.com/blogs/sandrachameleon/92-hydration-importance.html
P.S. - welcome to Chameleon Keeping
Its very rewarding, though perhaps not easy.
Last edited:
pssh
Avid Member
Welcome to chameleons!
So that cage should be switched to a screen one as soon as possible. If you were to consider keeping a veiled in a glass one, the dimensions need to improve durastically and to improve the air flow. Your lights should be on a 12/12 schedule or you can try to replicate the environment and change it with the seasons, but 14/10 in the winter is too long. I dont know about megaray bulbs, but most members recomend using a standard house bulb and a reptisun 5.0 or uvb. Her basking temp should be around 80 degrees.
You can easily make a dripper out of a plastic cup with a hole poked in the bottom with warm water in it, not ice cubes. You shoudl mist more than the one you are doing. Mist 2+ times a day and get a hydrometer to measure the humidity. It should be around 50% humidity when the cage is dry, and 70-80% when misting.
You should use live plants in your enclosure, but make sure they are clean and safe. http://flchams.com/safe_plant_list.asp is a website with a safe plant list. Make sure it's not toxic so if she eats any it wont hurt her. Her cage shoudl be up higher so that she's above your eye level. Also, chameleons can die from stress and handling usually produces stress so be carefull about how much you handle her.
Fifteen crickets a day is probably too much. I feed about 6-10 crickets to my 3 month old veiled male. 6 if they're bigger, 10 if they're smaller. Or an equivalent with other feeders. You should use fresh veggies and a dry gut load to gut load. Use leafy greens like kale and collards and fruits like apple and orange. Anything high in calcium is sually good.
I use the 1st, 3rd, and 5th, suplements on this site. http://lllreptile.com/store/catalog/reptile-supplies/vitamins-medicines-and-cage-cleaners/ Use a calcium w/o d3 at almost every feeding (when an adult, everyother feeding) use the calium w/ d3 2-3 times a month max, and the multi vitamin 1-2 times a month max.
EDIT: A 18x18x36 cage is required for her as an adult. Now you can either use a smaller cage, or the adult cage, but cup feed her so you can monitor feeding.
So that cage should be switched to a screen one as soon as possible. If you were to consider keeping a veiled in a glass one, the dimensions need to improve durastically and to improve the air flow. Your lights should be on a 12/12 schedule or you can try to replicate the environment and change it with the seasons, but 14/10 in the winter is too long. I dont know about megaray bulbs, but most members recomend using a standard house bulb and a reptisun 5.0 or uvb. Her basking temp should be around 80 degrees.
You can easily make a dripper out of a plastic cup with a hole poked in the bottom with warm water in it, not ice cubes. You shoudl mist more than the one you are doing. Mist 2+ times a day and get a hydrometer to measure the humidity. It should be around 50% humidity when the cage is dry, and 70-80% when misting.
You should use live plants in your enclosure, but make sure they are clean and safe. http://flchams.com/safe_plant_list.asp is a website with a safe plant list. Make sure it's not toxic so if she eats any it wont hurt her. Her cage shoudl be up higher so that she's above your eye level. Also, chameleons can die from stress and handling usually produces stress so be carefull about how much you handle her.
Fifteen crickets a day is probably too much. I feed about 6-10 crickets to my 3 month old veiled male. 6 if they're bigger, 10 if they're smaller. Or an equivalent with other feeders. You should use fresh veggies and a dry gut load to gut load. Use leafy greens like kale and collards and fruits like apple and orange. Anything high in calcium is sually good.
I use the 1st, 3rd, and 5th, suplements on this site. http://lllreptile.com/store/catalog/reptile-supplies/vitamins-medicines-and-cage-cleaners/ Use a calcium w/o d3 at almost every feeding (when an adult, everyother feeding) use the calium w/ d3 2-3 times a month max, and the multi vitamin 1-2 times a month max.
EDIT: A 18x18x36 cage is required for her as an adult. Now you can either use a smaller cage, or the adult cage, but cup feed her so you can monitor feeding.
sandrachameleon
Chameleon Enthusiast
The open cage topper will likely be a great improvement
All screen is not necessarily better - a lot depends on your ambient environment
How to make a dripper:
https://www.chameleonforums.com/drippers-19143/#post177210
Welcome to the forum!
In addition to other comments...veiled females can lay eggs even when not mated so once she is about 4 or 5 months old, there should be a suitable place in the cage for her to dig to show you that she needs to lay eggs. Failure to provide her with a place can lead to eggbinding and eventually death.
Appropriate temperatures aid in digestion and thus play a part in nutritent absorption.
Exposure to UVB either from an appropriate UVB light or direct sunlight allows the chameleon to produce D3 which allows it to use the calcium in its system. Neither source of UVB should not pass through glass or plastic.
Its important to dust the insects before feeding them to the chameleon at most feedings with a phos.-free calcium powder to help make up for the often poor ratio of calcium to phos.
I also dust twice a month with a vitamin powder that contains a beta carotene (prOformed) source of vitamin A. Beta carotene won't build up in the system like prEformed sources will. However, its not known if all/any chameleons can convert the beta carotene so some people give a little prEformed vitamin A once in a while. Excess prEformed vitamin A can interfere with the D3 and push the chameleon towards MBD...so don't overdo it.
I dust twice a monthe lightly with a phos.-free calcium/D3 powder. D3 from supplements can build up in the system, so be careful with it too.
Gutloading/feeding your insects a good diet is important too. You can gutload/feed crickets, roaches, superworms, etc. with a wide assortment of greens (dandelions, kale, collards, endive, escarole, etc.) and veggies (carrots, squash, sweet potatos, sweet red pepper, etc.).
A veiled can also be given the above greens and veggies and a small amount of fruit (apple, pear, melon, berries, etc.).
Here are some good sites...
http://adcham.com/
http://web.archive.org/web/20060502...rnals.com/vet/index.php?show=5.Vitamin.A.html
http://web.archive.org/web/20060421.../index.php?show=6.Vitamin.D3.and.Calcium.html
http://chameleonnews.com/?page=article&id=102
http://www.uvguide.co.uk/
Hope this helps!
In addition to other comments...veiled females can lay eggs even when not mated so once she is about 4 or 5 months old, there should be a suitable place in the cage for her to dig to show you that she needs to lay eggs. Failure to provide her with a place can lead to eggbinding and eventually death.
Appropriate temperatures aid in digestion and thus play a part in nutritent absorption.
Exposure to UVB either from an appropriate UVB light or direct sunlight allows the chameleon to produce D3 which allows it to use the calcium in its system. Neither source of UVB should not pass through glass or plastic.
Its important to dust the insects before feeding them to the chameleon at most feedings with a phos.-free calcium powder to help make up for the often poor ratio of calcium to phos.
I also dust twice a month with a vitamin powder that contains a beta carotene (prOformed) source of vitamin A. Beta carotene won't build up in the system like prEformed sources will. However, its not known if all/any chameleons can convert the beta carotene so some people give a little prEformed vitamin A once in a while. Excess prEformed vitamin A can interfere with the D3 and push the chameleon towards MBD...so don't overdo it.
I dust twice a monthe lightly with a phos.-free calcium/D3 powder. D3 from supplements can build up in the system, so be careful with it too.
Gutloading/feeding your insects a good diet is important too. You can gutload/feed crickets, roaches, superworms, etc. with a wide assortment of greens (dandelions, kale, collards, endive, escarole, etc.) and veggies (carrots, squash, sweet potatos, sweet red pepper, etc.).
A veiled can also be given the above greens and veggies and a small amount of fruit (apple, pear, melon, berries, etc.).
Here are some good sites...
http://adcham.com/
http://web.archive.org/web/20060502...rnals.com/vet/index.php?show=5.Vitamin.A.html
http://web.archive.org/web/20060421.../index.php?show=6.Vitamin.D3.and.Calcium.html
http://chameleonnews.com/?page=article&id=102
http://www.uvguide.co.uk/
Hope this helps!
sandrachameleon
Chameleon Enthusiast
She needs to be able to dig a tunnel, turn around lay eggs then come out. Im not sure peat would hold a tunnel. I usually use damp sand, sometimes a sand and soil mix. The container needs to be At Least as deep as she is long. Mine have refused to lay if the sand wasnt at least 12" deep. I suggest 12" wide, 18"deep/height
