Veiled Chameleon has a purple tint

[ykspinz]

I’m new to chams and have had this boy (I’m pretty sure male) for a couple days now. I have no clue how old he is, was guessing 1-3 months? Was just wondering if he looks healthy, working on getting a new uvb, using a 100w daytime blue light + a reptisun 5.0 UVB. Temps right now are 95f at his basking spot, 80-90f mid cage, and 70-78f at night, humidity is about 30-45%. Eats about 5-6 gutloaded crickets 1x a day. Mist for 2 mins 30 mins after lights turn on and go off. I have golden pothos and a money tree in there right now, going to take the fake vines out and put more sticks in. Any suggestions/help?

 

[GrannyK]

Welcome to the forum! He is a real cutie!
I am not fluent on veileds but i think that basking temp is high, I think close to 85 87 is good. The night time temp should be right around 68-70 degrees or lower. High nighttime temps can cause uri. Did he just shed? It looks it also, what is your lighting fixture for uvb and feeding supplements schedule? Pics of lights and bottles are helpful. I’m sure someone with veild experience will chime in, I just wanted to get you started.
Sometimes a full husbandry review is helpful if you are open to that. I will put it below feel free to copy and paste your answers so the experienced keepers can see a full picture of chams environment and help them live their best lives lol.

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.

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?


Everyone here is wonderful so don’t be embarrassed to ask questions whenever you need.

 

[GrannyK]

If you think he is under 3 mos I would remove the basking light completely. Tiny babies are super prone to dehydration and he looks itty bitty and super adorable btw but I am not good at guessing age.

 

[ykspinz]

Welcome to the forum! He is a real cutie!
I am not fluent on veileds but i think that basking temp is high, I think close to 85 87 is good. The night time temp should be right around 68-70 degrees or lower. High nighttime temps can cause uri. Did he just shed? It looks it also, what is your lighting fixture for uvb and feeding supplements schedule? Pics of lights and bottles are helpful. I’m sure someone with veild experience will chime in, I just wanted to get you started.
Sometimes a full husbandry review is helpful if you are open to that. I will put it below feel free to copy and paste your answers so the experienced keepers can see a full picture of chams environment and help them live their best lives lol.

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.

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?


Everyone here is wonderful so don’t be embarrassed to ask questions whenever you need.

Thank you ! I will have it filled out here in a minute.

 

[ykspinz]

He is still currently shedding, I currently have a Zoo Med ReptiSun 5.0 UVB Tropical Compact Fluorescent Bulb and a Thrive Reptile Daytime Blue Heat Bulb, I have a Zoo Med Reptisun T5 HO 5.0 on the way.

I have been feeding him around 4-6 crickets a day, dusting them with Zoo Med Repti Calcium without D3.





Your chameleon - Veiled chameleon, I believe a male, I’m guessing somewhere around 1-3 Months old. He’s been in my care for 5 Days.

Handling - 1-2x a day

Feeding - He is currently being fed 4-6 Crickets a day, I try to feed him at around 1-3pm everyday. I just started gut loading them yesterday with carrots and lettuce.

Supplements - Zoo Med Repti Calcium without D3, I am gonna order vitamins with D3 and planning to use it every other week

Watering - I have a manual mister at the moment, planning on getting a mistking mister soon. 2x a day, 15 mins after lights turn on at 7am for 2 mins, same at 7pm. Yes, every time I mist he always goes and drinks off the money tree leaves.

Fecal Description - Brown and White, I haven’t seen any yellow. No I don’t think he has been tested.



Cage Type - It is a ZooMed Reptibreeze Reptile cage, 2’2’4.

Lighting - I have a Zoo Med ReptiSun 5.0 UVB Tropical Compact Fluorescent Bulb and a 100watt Thrive Reptile Daytime Blue Heat Bulb

Temperature - 70 at cage floor, 90-95 at basking spot. 60-70 lowest temp at night. I have 2 Thermometers one at the top by the basking spot, and one at the bottom of the cage, I also have a hydrometer.

Humidity - 35-45 during the day, 40-45 at night. Misting, and after I added a Pothos and a money tree, the humidity went up. A Hydrometer.

Plants - A Golden Pothos and a Money Tree

Placement - It is in my room. It is kind of close to being under a vent, but I’ve closed it. Not a high traffic area. The top of the cage is about 4/5 Feet off the ground, I have it setup on a computer desk.

Location - Utah.

 

[ERKleRose]

Is anyone already working on this?

 

[Beman]

Is anyone already working on this?

Can you hun? I do not have time today.

 

[GrannyK]

Is anyone already working on this?

Not me, I’ve just began dabbling in the reviews, I’m not fully confident yet in advising overall so appreciate you stepping in when you do. I’m comfortable with individual questions or a few but after that I’m still in putting it all together phase. I’ll share a husbandry form and welcome, that’s my expertise right now.

 

[ERKleRose]

Can you hun? I do not have time today.

On it, could you do an age guess though? I’m no good with veiled ages

Not me, I’ve just began dabbling in the reviews, I’m not fully confident yet in advising overall so appreciate you stepping in when you do. I’m comfortable with individual questions or a few but after that I’m still in putting it all together phase. I’ll share a husbandry form and welcome, that’s my expertise right now.

No problem, it’s great that you’re wanting to help! The more the merrier, and keep getting practice in, it’s the best way to learn (and you can always ask for help/assistance/guidance/etc)!

@ykspinz give me a few to go over your form

 

[ykspinz]

On it, could you do an age guess though? I’m no good with veiled ages


No problem, it’s great that you’re wanting to help! The more the merrier, and keep getting practice in, it’s the best way to learn (and you can always ask for help/assistance/guidance/etc)!

@ykspinz give me a few to go over your form

Okay thank you! I really appreciate all the support

 

[ERKleRose]

Okay thank you! I really appreciate all the support

No problem at all, that’s why we have this community!


Welcome on here! I know this is a lot of info I’m about to throw at you, so ask any questions you need! There are no stupid questions, we’re here to help! My feedback will be in red, and I’ve attached helpful images and links below:


He is still currently shedding, I currently have a Zoo Med ReptiSun 5.0 UVB Tropical Compact Fluorescent Bulb and a Thrive Reptile Daytime Blue Heat Bulb, I have a Zoo Med Reptisun T5 HO 5.0 on the way. How long has he been shedding? Chams that small should be shedding quickly in one big poof, so something is off if it’s been more than a day. I’ll get into the lighting in the lighting section below

I have been feeding him around 4-6 crickets a day, dusting them with Zoo Med Repti Calcium without D3. I’ll get into this in the feeding section below

Your chameleon - Veiled chameleon, I believe a male, I’m guessing somewhere around 1-3 Months old. He’s been in my care for 5 Days. You do indeed have a male. 1 and 3 months vastly differ in care. I’ll be giving you info for a 3 month old veiled. If he is indeed younger, @jannb can give you the correct info for his age! She breeds veileds and is much more knowledgeable than me! Where did you get him from?

Handling - 1-2x a day You don’t want to stress him out. I’d limit handling, especially for right now while he settles in to his new home. Is he coming to you or are you picking him up? I’ve linked a great trust building blog below for later though!

Feeding - He is currently being fed 4-6 Crickets a day, I try to feed him at around 1-3pm everyday. I just started gut loading them yesterday with carrots and lettuce. That is far too little! If he is 3 months olds, he should be eating as many 1/4” bugs as he can eat two times a day (veileds can chow down on easily a dozen or more each feeding). For the morning feeding, you want to aim for about an hour after his basking light turns on. Where are you getting your crickets from? Big chain pet stores sadly have a higher risk of parasites in their crickets, so it’s best to order them online. The only place I recommend and buy crickets from myself is Ghann’s Crickets! I’ve linked their website below! The rule of thumb for feeders is you want them to be no wider than the space between your cham’s eyes. If you get/hatch out teeny tiny (1/4” or smaller) horn worms, or start to feed them once he’s bigger, make sure to either feed them in a smooth cup or bowl or to hand feed them, as they have a powerful grip that has caused tongue injuries in chams before when they won’t let go of a branch or whatever they’re holding on to. How are you giving him his bugs? Letting them loose in the enclosure, putting them in a bowl/cup, putting them in a feeder, etc?
Gutloading is very important, and the bugs need much more variety than carrot and lettuce. I’ve attached both gutloading and feeder variety charts below, the more variety the better for each! If you want links to places you can order bugs from online, let us know!

Supplements - Zoo Med Repti Calcium without D3, I am gonna order vitamins with D3 and planning to use it every other week This is great! Make sure to use that every feeding to lightly coat the bugs (no powdered donut looking bugs) right before feeding them off, except for once every two weeks (your schedule is perfect!), when you’ll use a multivitamin with D3. I recommend you get Repashy CalciumPlus LoD as your multivitamin with D3 (it has a jacksons chameleon on the label)! The other option is Zoo Med Reptivite with D3, but it contains phosphorus, which is what we try to limit and balance out by supplementing calcium

Watering - I have a manual mister at the moment, planning on getting a mistking mister soon. 2x a day, 15 mins after lights turn on at 7am for 2 mins, same at 7pm. Yes, every time I mist he always goes and drinks off the money tree leaves. Awesome! I’d adjust the morning misting to be closer to lights on if you can. You can also add a dripper so he has a water source during the day if you want/if you notice he’s thirstier than what the mistings give him. Do you have a drainage solution set up to catch the excess water?

Fecal Description - Brown and White, I haven’t seen any yellow. No I don’t think he has been tested. Do you have an experienced chameleon vet near you? If you don’t know, we can help you find one! Once he’s bigger, it’s always a good idea to get fecal tests done to check for parasites (you want 3 poops in a row tested to make sure he’s clear, and you want them less than 24 hours old when you drop them off- you can store them in the fridge if needed if you can’t drop them off as soon as he poops). The vet can also take x-rays to make sure his bones are nice and strong and he hasn’t developed metabolic bone disease (mbd)

 

[ERKleRose]

Cage Type - It is a ZooMed Reptibreeze Reptile cage, 2’2’4. That size is perfect! Once he’s bigger (or before then if you want), I’d look into cages (diy or commercially made) that are 4’x2’x4’ tall or bigger, as what you have is considered the bare minimum for an adult veiled. 4’x2’x4’ tall (or bigger) is the recommended size for an adult veiled; go as big as you can!
The moss vines and Exo Terra vines need to be taken out and replaced ASAP. Moss vines can cause foot issues, and Exo Terra vines shed debris that can get, and have gotten, into chams’ eyes and cause eye/health issues. All of the fake plants need to go too, as veileds will eat anything, especially plants, so they’re a risk for impaction if eaten, which can be fatal. You want only veiled safe live plants (I’ll go into more detail on that in the plant section below). Could you post a pic of his entire cage (lights to bottom), please? You want lots of branches and vines (real or fake safe ones, no moss or Exo Terra vines or any fake vines with fake leaves on them) throughout the cage with plenty of real (veiled safe) plants, too, for cover and drinking opportunities. I’ve linked two cage set up guides below for inspiration!

Lighting - I have a Zoo Med ReptiSun 5.0 UVB Tropical Compact Fluorescent Bulb and a 100watt Thrive Reptile Daytime Blue Heat Bulb These both need to be replaced ASAP, they will cause health issues! You’ve ordered a Zoo Med ReptiSun T5 HO 5.0 linear uvb bulb and fixture? What length did you get? When that comes in, you want the uvb bulb to be 8-9” away from your cham’s basking branch. If your cham screen climbs, you’ll need to raise the entire fixture above the cage instead of resting it on top of the cage. You’ll replace the Zoo Med uvb bulb every 6 months. If in 6 months you decide to switch to Arcadia (the other trusted uvb brand) uvb bulbs (you’ll get the 6% strength), you only have to replace Arcadia’s uvb bulbs once a year. If you decide to get a Solarmeter 6.5 (I cannot recommend this enough, it’s literally a life saver!), that will tell you the exact distance to place your basking branch from the uvb bulb (you want a UVI level of 3 at the top of your cham’s back when he’s on his basking branch), exactly when to replace the uvb bulbs (once the UVI is cut in half to 1.5), and is the only way to know if a uvb bulb comes in defective
You need to get a white light basking bulb instead. A plaint white light incandescent bulb works perfectly! I use the Exo Terra multipurpose daylight heat lamp bulb myself, and unlike hardware store incandescent bulbs, they’re available in all states since they’re reptile specific! I’ve linked the Exo Terra website page on them below so you know what to look for! You want the heat bulb to be 9”+ away from the basking branch. It, too, will have to be raised if he screen climbs.

Temperature - 70 at cage floor, 90-95 at basking spot. 60-70 lowest temp at night. I have 2 Thermometers one at the top by the basking spot, and one at the bottom of the cage, I also have a hydrometer. The daytime ambient temp at the cage floor is perfect, but his basking temps are way too hot! At his age (if he is 3 months old), you want his basking temp to be 80*F. Basking temps need to be specifically measured with a probed digital thermometer. You’ll place the probe where the top of your cham’s back is when he’s on his basking branch. Nighttime temps are great! Are your thermometers and hygrometer digital? If not, you can get digital combos! There needs to be at least one digital thermometer and one digital hygrometer (or just one digital thermometer/hygrometer combo instead) near the top of the cage and the same (one of each or one combo one) near the bottom of the cage, as well, to accurately monitor everything

Humidity - 35-45 during the day, 40-45 at night. Misting, and after I added a Pothos and a money tree, the humidity went up. A Hydrometer. Daytime humidity levels are perfect! If you can keep your nighttime temps 65*F or lower (again, for a 3 month veiled or older), you can add a cool mister fogger at night to increase humidity levels ( up to 80-100%) and hydration! I’ve added a link that goes over fogging below!

Plants - A Golden Pothos and a Money Tree Awesome, those are both veiled safe! I’ve added a chameleon safe plant list below, pick only the veiled tested plants on it! Before adding a plant into his cage, you want to wash it first (root ball and all) with either Dawn dish or diluted Physan (make to scrub each leaf), then rinse it extremely, extremely (extremely) well! After you wash it, you’ll repot it with organic potting soil then cover the soil with rocks too big for him to eat until there is no visible soil

Placement - It is in my room. It is kind of close to being under a vent, but I’ve closed it. Not a high traffic area. The top of the cage is about 4/5 Feet off the ground, I have it setup on a computer desk. Perfect (as long as the vent stays closed)!

Location - Utah.


Here’s all of the links I’ve mentioned, along with two extra ones at the end:
https://www.chameleonforums.com/blogs/building-trust-with-your-chameleon.2396/ (Trust building blog)
https://www.ghann.com/ (Ghann’s Crickets)
(link no longer valid) (Cage set up guide)
https://chameleonacademy.com/setting-up-a-chameleon-cage/ (Cage set up guide)
https://exo-terra.com/products/lighting/heat-lamps/ (Heat bulb to get- you might have to play around with the wattages)
https://chameleonacademy.com/fogging-for-chameleons/ (Fogging)
https://chameleonacademy.com/plants/ (Safe plants list)
https://chameleonacademy.com/chameleon-husbandry-program-getting-started-with-chameleons/ (Read through every module, this is the most accurate and science-based chameleon care available!)
https://chameleonacademy.com/veiled-chameleon-care/ (This is the most up to date care sheet available, though the daytime humidity can go down to 30%, the basking temp is for an adult veiled only- you don’t even have to go that hot-, and the feeding schedules are much more nuanced than that depending on age and gender)

 

[ERKleRose]

https://chameleonacademy.com/veiled-chameleon-care/ (This is the most up to date care sheet available, though the daytime humidity can go down to 30%, the basking temp is for an adult veiled only- you don’t even have to go that hot-, and the feeding schedules are much more nuanced than that depending on age and gender)

*basking temps are for an adult MALE veiled only

 

[ykspinz]

How long has he been shedding? Chams that small should be shedding quickly in one big poof, so something is off if it’s been more than a day.

He started shedding yesterday around 2-3pm, he still has a couple spots to shed off but his color returned to green, no longer looks grey/ashy.

Where did you get him from?

I got him from petco, they didn’t tell me much about him, including the gender, age, nothing really. All they really said was using fake plants was a good idea because using live ones is just 1 more thing to keep alive..

Is he coming to you or are you picking him up?

Sometimes he will come up to me, sometimes he won’t, I try not to handle him a lot, and I haven’t at all since he’s been shedding.

Where are you getting your crickets from? Big chain pet stores sadly have a higher risk of parasites in their crickets, so it’s best to order them online. The only place I recommend and buy crickets from myself is Ghann’s Crickets! I’ve linked their website below!

I was getting them from Petco but I just ordered some from that website! Thank you for the insight!

How are you giving him his bugs? Letting them loose in the enclosure, putting them in a bowl/cup, putting them in a feeder, etc?

At first I was just putting them in his cage but I made the mistake of putting substrate (repti bark) in the bottom and I was reading the forums and I learned that they can accidentally eat one if they try to get a cricket that’s on the substrate. I took all the substrate out today and it’s just a bare bottom with 3 plants, as of right now I’m just hand feeding him them because he doesn’t really like to come down from his money tree.

You can also add a dripper so he has a water source during the day if you want/if you notice he’s thirstier than what the mistings give him. Do you have a drainage solution set up to catch the excess water?

I was thinking about putting a dripper but I don’t have a drainage solution! Is there anyone I can order/make one? Any help would be greatly appreciated! Almost every time I mist he goes straight to drinking water, he isn’t very shy about it in front of me.

Do you have an experienced chameleon vet near you? If you don’t know, we can help you find one!

I don’t think I do but I will do some research.

The moss vines and Exo Terra vines need to be taken out and replaced ASAP. Moss vines can cause foot issues, and Exo Terra vines shed debris that can get, and have gotten, into chams’ eyes and cause eye/health issues. All of the fake plants need to go too, as veileds will eat anything, especially plants, so they’re a risk for impaction if eaten, which can be fatal. You want only veiled safe live plants (I’ll go into more detail on that in the plant section below).

After reading this I took the moss vines out, and I’m going to take the exo terra vines out tomorrow as soon as I can! I appreciate you letting me know.

Could you post a pic of his entire cage (lights to bottom), please? You want lots of branches and vines (real or fake safe ones, no moss or Exo Terra vines or any fake vines with fake leaves on them) throughout the cage with plenty of real (veiled safe) plants, too, for cover and drinking opportunities

As of today I took out all the fake ones except for the Exo Terra vines as I stated above. I want to add branches but I just don’t know where to find any, I was reading on here that baking sticks can make them safe for chams? I will post before and after pics at the bottom of this post.

You’ve ordered a Zoo Med ReptiSun T5 HO 5.0 linear uvb bulb and fixture? What length did you get?

Yes! It will be here tommorow, it is a 24” fixture and bulb. Also I am going to go pickup a Exo Terra daylight bulb tommorow as well, what wattage would you recommend?

The daytime ambient temp at the cage floor is perfect, but his basking temps are way too hot! At his age (if he is 3 months old), you want his basking temp to be 80*F. Basking temps need to be specifically measured with a probed digital thermometer. You’ll place the probe where the top of your cham’s back is when he’s on his basking branch. Nighttime temps are great! Are your thermometers and hygrometer digital?

I have my probed thermometer by his basking spot, I ended up turning off his heat bulb to try and cool it down, it sits at about 80*-82*. I have another thermometer down towards the bottom of the cage. The basking spot thermometer is digital, but the hygrometer and the floor thermometer are not.

This is before, a little messy but don’t worry I keep it clean.

This is after, I removed all the substrate, removed the fake vines, and removed the fake moss vines. I also added another Golden Pothos, I don’t think he really likes the Pothos tho, he generally only stays on the money tree and only really drinks from the money tree. The reason the temp is at 70*f is because is it night time, I only turned on my room light to take a picture. I still want to add branches and I want to add a vine for him to climb on, any suggestions?

Again thank you everyone for all your help! Yall have been very supportive!

 

[ykspinz]

If he is indeed younger, @jannb can give you the correct info for his age! She breeds veileds and is much more knowledgeable than me!

I honestly have no idea how old he is, I’m very new to chams, comparing to other veileds he looks around 2 months? I have no clue.

 

[Beman]

On it, could you do an age guess though? I’m no good with veiled ages

I am pretty sure that is a cham kit cage set up. So 16 inches across... Based on the image of the baby where you can see the full cage I am thinking right about 3-4 months max. Granted husbandry and prior care can stunt growth so this is just a total guess based on where baby is right now. But if you look at its casque it is quite small as well which would line up with that 3ish month range.

 

[ykspinz]

I am pretty sure that is a cham kit cage set up. So 16 inches across... Based on the image of the baby where you can see the full cage I am thinking right about 3-4 months max. Granted husbandry and prior care can stunt growth so this is just a total guess based on where baby is right now. But if you look at its casque it is quite small as well which would line up with that 3ish month range.

Yeah it is, I just realized it’s not 2’x2’x4’ im going to get a new cage today as well as the lighting.

 

[ERKleRose]

Yeah it is, I just realized it’s not 2’x2’x4’ im going to get a new cage today as well as the lighting.

Make sure you get a uvb fixture and bulb that is at least 2’ long. You can also use a 3’ set if you lay/hang it diagonally across the top of the cage. You can also get a 4’ fixture now instead if you plan on giving him an even bigger cage in the future (4’x2’x4’ tall or bigger is recommended for adults)!

Edit: never mind, just saw you got a 2’ one!

 

[ERKleRose]

At first I was just putting them in his cage but I made the mistake of putting substrate (repti bark) in the bottom and I was reading the forums and I learned that they can accidentally eat one if they try to get a cricket that’s on the substrate. I took all the substrate out today and it’s just a bare bottom with 3 plants, as of right now I’m just hand feeding him them because he doesn’t really like to come down from his money tree.

You can make or buy a feeder run if you want! It keeps the bugs contained so you can monitor how many he is eating, along with not having to worry about removing the loose uneaten crickets out of the cage after feeding, but it still has enough room for the bugs to move around to catch his eye!
Here’s links to them:
https://dragonstrand.com/constructing-a-chameleon-feeder-run/ (diy feeder run instructions- knitting mesh is a better option for the climbing surface)
https://tkchameleons.com/collections/accessories/products/shooting-gallery (Large or small; Rainbow Mealworms also sells these)
https://www.fullthrottlefeeders.com/feedercups (I’ve also made a diy version of this with pvc pipe and knitting mesh)
https://sunsetchameleons.com/product/chameleon-feeder/

I was thinking about putting a dripper but I don’t have a drainage solution! Is there anyone I can order/make one? Any help would be greatly appreciated! Almost every time I mist he goes straight to drinking water, he isn’t very shy about it in front of me.

Here’s a great thread on solutions keepers have come up with:
https://www.chameleonforums.com/threads/drainage-systems-for-cages-get-creative.102038/
DragonStrand also sells premade versions:
https://dragonstrand.com/alternative-cage-manufaturers/

As of today I took out all the fake ones except for the Exo Terra vines as I stated above. I want to add branches but I just don’t know where to find any, I was reading on here that baking sticks can make them safe for chams? I will post before and after pics at the bottom of this post.

You can order them online from reptile shops, but it’s way cheaper to harvest them from pesticide free areas around you! Safe woods include manzanita, oak, maple, birch, crepe myrtle, any hardwood/non-toxic and non-sap-producing tree! There are multiple ways to clean them, the easiest are baking them (if they fit in your oven or even grill) and/or using Dawn dish and hot water (scrubbing really well), then rinsing very, very well and letting the branches air dry in the sun

Yes! It will be here tommorow, it is a 24” fixture and bulb. Also I am going to go pickup a Exo Terra daylight bulb tommorow as well, what wattage would you recommend?

It depends on a lot of factors. I’d start with the 40 or 60 watt, get bulbs that are one higher and one lower wattage than the one(s) you get, test them out, and return the ones that don’t produce the correct temperatures

I have my probed thermometer by his basking spot, I ended up turning off his heat bulb to try and cool it down, it sits at about 80*-82*. I have another thermometer down towards the bottom of the cage. The basking spot thermometer is digital, but the hygrometer and the floor thermometer are not.

Great! Make sure the probe is where his back is when he’s on his basking branch for accurate temps. What’s the temps at the bottom of the cage? Analog meters are not accurate, so they need to be replaced with digital ones. You can get digit thermometer/hygrometer combos so it’s 2-in-1! Get one for near the bottom of the cage and one for near the top of the cage

This is after, I removed all the substrate, removed the fake vines, and removed the fake moss vines. I also added another Golden Pothos, I don’t think he really likes the Pothos tho, he generally only stays on the money tree and only really drinks from the money tree. The reason the temp is at 70*f is because is it night time, I only turned on my room light to take a picture. I still want to add branches and I want to add a vine for him to climb on, any suggestions?

Much better! The two cage guide links I listed above are great to take ideas from! I’d move the second pothos near the top of the cage, and over time it will even vine out!

Again thank you everyone for all your help! Yall have been very supportive!

That’s why we’re here!

Everything else you mentioned is great! Keep us updated!

 

[ykspinz]

You can make or buy a feeder run if you want! It keeps the bugs contained so you can monitor how many he is eating, along with not having to worry about removing the loose uneaten crickets out of the cage after feeding, but it still has enough room for the bugs to move around to catch his eye!
Here’s links to them:
https://dragonstrand.com/constructing-a-chameleon-feeder-run/ (diy feeder run instructions- knitting mesh is a better option for the climbing surface)
https://tkchameleons.com/collections/accessories/products/shooting-gallery (Large or small; Rainbow Mealworms also sells these)
https://www.fullthrottlefeeders.com/feedercups (I’ve also made a diy version of this with pvc pipe and knitting mesh)
https://sunsetchameleons.com/product/chameleon-feeder/

Here’s a great thread on solutions keepers have come up with:
https://www.chameleonforums.com/threads/drainage-systems-for-cages-get-creative.102038/
DragonStrand also sells premade versions:
https://dragonstrand.com/alternative-cage-manufaturers/

You can order them online from reptile shops, but it’s way cheaper to harvest them from pesticide free areas around you! Safe woods include manzanita, oak, maple, birch, crepe myrtle, any hardwood/non-toxic and non-sap-producing tree! There are multiple ways to clean them, the easiest are baking them (if they fit in your oven or even grill) and/or using Dawn dish and hot water (scrubbing really well), then rinsing very, very well and letting the branches air dry in the sun

It depends on a lot of factors. I’d start with the 40 or 60 watt, get bulbs that are one higher and one lower wattage than the one(s) you get, test them out, and return the ones that don’t produce the correct temperatures

Great! Make sure the probe is where his back is when he’s on his basking branch for accurate temps. What’s the temps at the bottom of the cage? Analog meters are not accurate, so they need to be replaced with digital ones. You can get digit thermometer/hygrometer combos so it’s 2-in-1! Get one for near the bottom of the cage and one for near the top of the cage

Much better! The two cage guide links I listed above are great to take ideas from! I’d move the second pothos near the top of the cage, and over time it will even vine out!

That’s why we’re here!

Everything else you mentioned is great! Keep us updated!

Bottom cage temps are about 70 still, he never really goes down there tho.