Adopted Rango from Petco a month ago

[Adamaticsquid]

I decided to change my setup to vertical and put the basking lamp off to the side and gets about 82 degrees and 40 to 70 humidity hanging around 50 to 60 %. I take him out daily and he loves it and feed him super worms and crickets and colard greens Any suggestions or feedback on raising a veiled cam?

 

[The Wild One]

Pictures please, and welcome to the forums!

 

[Adamaticsquid]

Here is my setup

 

[Adamaticsquid]

Here's an upclose photo

 

[kinyonga]

If the lid of your cage is glass the UVB is doing the chameleon no good. The basking area should be at the top of the cage to give a range of temperatures throughout the cage.

If you answer the questions in the how to ask for help thread at the top of the health forum we can help you with it.

 

[Adamaticsquid]

If the lid of your cage is glass the UVB is doing the chameleon no good.

Oh really so I should put it on the side where the screen is then. Okay I'll try that out. Thanks for the heads up

 

[kinyonga]

Actually the lid should be screen and the lights should both be in the top IMHO.

Notice I added to the previous post

 

[Adamaticsquid]

If the lid of your cage is glass the UVB is doing the chameleon no good. The basking area should be at the top of the cage to give a range of temperatures throughout the cage.

If you answer the questions in the how to ask for help thread at the top of the health forum we can help you with it.

I will make the changes.

 

[Adamaticsquid]

Made some new changes uvb and basking is up above. Gonna add a second uvb to cover the rest of the bottom. Also, I have an under tank heating pad. Is it necessary? I don't think so

 

[Carlton]

Made some new changes uvb and basking is up above. Gonna add a second uvb to cover the rest of the bottom. Also, I have an under tank heating pad. Is it necessary? I don't think so

No heat pad under the cage. From what you've written so far it sounds as if you've gotten some poor husbandry information. Be aware that much of what someone at Petco told you (or sold you) may be wrong. There is much better information in the veiled caresheet and husbandry articles located under the Resources tab at the top of the forum. I suspect you'll see there are other changes you should make to keep your nice little guy healthy. Keeping the bottom of that cage clean is going to be a hassle; looks like you have to remove everything in order to change/clean the carpet. Your cham won't appreciate the disruption as he gets older and more territorial.

 

[Adamaticsquid]

No heat pad under the cage. From what you've written so far it sounds as if you've gotten some poor husbandry information. Be aware that much of what someone at Petco told you (or sold you) may be wrong. There is much better information in the veiled caresheet and husbandry articles located under the Resources tab at the top of the forum. I suspect you'll see there are other changes you should make to keep your nice little guy healthy. Keeping the bottom of that cage clean is going to be a hassle; looks like you have to remove everything in order to change/clean the carpet. Your cham won't appreciate the disruption as he gets older and more territorial.

I will check out the references tab. Yeah the Petco people some know most most know nothing

 

[Adamaticsquid]

Okay, I removed the heating pad. Just need my new lighting from chewy.com cleaning is pretty simple. End of the day he goes to the top after the basking light goes off and then I remove the water bowls that catch the water and good wipe down and he’s happy. He seems pretty content and I’m sure the changes I make gets him more and more content. He eats well, drinks water, nice shedding

 

[kinyonga]

Having a UVB light along the side of the cage how is your chameleon going to get away from the UVB when it wants to? The lights need to be on screen but the screen needs to be on the top of the cage IMHO.

Are you using any supplements? How are you providing water?
How do you feed and gutload the insects? Lots of other questions that it would be helpful to be answered. If you answer the questions in the how to ask for help thread near the top of the health forum like I asked.

You have a nice chameleon that looks like it's healthy...and if you don't get your husbandry right it won't be healthy for long....just trying to help you prevent that.

 

[Adamaticsquid]

I mist often since I’m home all day and a droplet system. I buy gut loaded crickets and super worms and every 3 day dust them with supplements and calcium mixture. The uvb only covers half of the tank vertically when he wants to get away from it, he goes to the bottom with a wood perch and chills and eats crickets. I’m getting a whole new enclosure that is screened all the way around and lights at the top inside the enclosure. Putting 1200 in to it including a misting system. Just trying to work with what I bought but I will go to the health forum. I really appreciate helping a beginner.

 

[kinyonga]

When you don't give particulars...like the brand name and whether the supplements are just calcium, calcium with phos, and/or with D3 or vitamins with the type of vitamin A and/or D3, etc then it means i can't tell you if what you're doing is going to cause or prevent health issues...sorry.

Not a fan of buying any Insect that says its gutloaded. I'd rather do it myself so I know that it is and what it's gutloaded with. Not a fan of commercial gutload a as a rule either.

 

[Carlton]

Sorry folks, here's some basic biology 101. An insect (or any other animal for that matter) that's "gutloaded" only stays that way until they poop! Gut contents are gone after that. To keep insects worth anything you have to keep FEEDING THEM a healthy diet.