MissSkittles
Chameleon Enthusiast
-Veiled chameleon, male, around 6 months, had for around 2 weeks We can help you confirm gender if you like. Males have prominent nubs (tarsal spurs) on their hind heels, while females do not. As he matures, males also have taller casques and vertical bars of color. This was my little guy, Hammlet when he was around 3 months old or so.
-handling every couple days for maybe 5-10 mins It’s important to build and maintain trust. As he matures, he may adopt the stereotypical veiled attitude, but trust is still very important. I like using silkworms for hand feeding.
-feeding 12-16 black soldier fly larvae dusted in calcium and once every 2 weeks dusted in multivitamin. i’m switching to crickets next week and will be gut loading with fresh veggies BSFL are good feeders, as are crickets, but variety is always best. Many on line vendors sell species specific variety packs, which are great if you have just one or two insectivores. Always keep in mind that healthy insect feeders mean a healthy insect eater. There are a few commercial preparations which are okay. I like Repashy Bug Burger for those days when in a rush or lazy.
-supplement brand is repcal Repcal is fine for your calcium without D3, that you’re using every feeding. For a multivitamin though, the better options are either Repashy calcium Plus LoD or ReptiVite with D3. They have a better form of vitamin A.
-water through misting system twice a day, How long are your misting sessions? Preferably 2 minutes before lights on and off fogger at night Only fog when night temps are below at least 20 , and dripper during day Ok, but only run for about 15-20 mins.
-feces look ms normal, not too runny Always best to get a fecal done to check for parasites. Just about every vet will require a visit for this.
-cage is a combo, with solid sides and mesh front, 2x2x4 ok, very good. I do have to encourage people to go bigger if at all possible.
-arcadia t5 5.0 uvb perfect. As @Beman already advised, it’s best to move your uvb to the center. Basking area should be about 20-22 cm below lights , arcadia 100w halogen heat bulb, seems kind of strong for the temps you’re getting
. 7am-7pm
-top temps 22-25 celsius, bottom temps 15-17 celsius how are you measuring temps? Are you using a temp gun? Temps seem low for a 100w halogen bulb. I suggest using a digital thermometer with a wired probe end to better determine basking temp…provided you aren’t already.
-humidity 40-50 upper part during day, 70 plus at night, misting system and fogger good
-live plants, mostly pothos and one umbrella plant good
-cage is in my room away from vents and is 2 ft off the ground. Good
-located in alberta canada super good, eh.
-problem, almost always wants to come out, have seen glass surfing, pale colour sometimes This is very often/most often with veileds because there is something about their enclosure that they are wanting to escape. I’m really wondering about your temps. That would also explain him being pale, as they darken when absorbing heat and uvb, which he might be too hot already. Recheck your temps using another device or method…or try a lower wattage basking bulb, like a 60 or 75w. Someone else might have a better or different answer about this, but this is what I think and suspect.
-handling every couple days for maybe 5-10 mins It’s important to build and maintain trust. As he matures, he may adopt the stereotypical veiled attitude, but trust is still very important. I like using silkworms for hand feeding.
-feeding 12-16 black soldier fly larvae dusted in calcium and once every 2 weeks dusted in multivitamin. i’m switching to crickets next week and will be gut loading with fresh veggies BSFL are good feeders, as are crickets, but variety is always best. Many on line vendors sell species specific variety packs, which are great if you have just one or two insectivores. Always keep in mind that healthy insect feeders mean a healthy insect eater. There are a few commercial preparations which are okay. I like Repashy Bug Burger for those days when in a rush or lazy.
-supplement brand is repcal Repcal is fine for your calcium without D3, that you’re using every feeding. For a multivitamin though, the better options are either Repashy calcium Plus LoD or ReptiVite with D3. They have a better form of vitamin A.
-water through misting system twice a day, How long are your misting sessions? Preferably 2 minutes before lights on and off fogger at night Only fog when night temps are below at least 20 , and dripper during day Ok, but only run for about 15-20 mins.
-feces look ms normal, not too runny Always best to get a fecal done to check for parasites. Just about every vet will require a visit for this.
-cage is a combo, with solid sides and mesh front, 2x2x4 ok, very good. I do have to encourage people to go bigger if at all possible.
-arcadia t5 5.0 uvb perfect. As @Beman already advised, it’s best to move your uvb to the center. Basking area should be about 20-22 cm below lights , arcadia 100w halogen heat bulb, seems kind of strong for the temps you’re getting
. 7am-7pm-top temps 22-25 celsius, bottom temps 15-17 celsius how are you measuring temps? Are you using a temp gun? Temps seem low for a 100w halogen bulb. I suggest using a digital thermometer with a wired probe end to better determine basking temp…provided you aren’t already.
-humidity 40-50 upper part during day, 70 plus at night, misting system and fogger good
-live plants, mostly pothos and one umbrella plant good
-cage is in my room away from vents and is 2 ft off the ground. Good
-located in alberta canada super good, eh.
-problem, almost always wants to come out, have seen glass surfing, pale colour sometimes This is very often/most often with veileds because there is something about their enclosure that they are wanting to escape. I’m really wondering about your temps. That would also explain him being pale, as they darken when absorbing heat and uvb, which he might be too hot already. Recheck your temps using another device or method…or try a lower wattage basking bulb, like a 60 or 75w. Someone else might have a better or different answer about this, but this is what I think and suspect.
why do you suggest only running the dripper for 15-20 mins? i run mine all day because he seems dehydrated. i’m also wondering about age. your guy seems wayyyy bigger than mine so i feel like mines younger than they said. i’ll attach a photo. im also wondering if he’s underweight. thank you for taking the time to help me out.
