Advice Please!

[gerhartrx]

Nice improvement. Looks like you have speant a ton of time on this new place. I would recomend one thing which could be good for two things:

put a couple hanging pothos plants in there. Veilds like to eat them when the get older and it will help with humidity (if you need it).

He was pretty pissed at you for taking him but I am sure he is over it now.

Great job!!! Have a good weekend.

 

[will187]

I am not offering any advice since I am a new owner also. But if you ask for advice and it is given by numerous people that have had great results and are respected from the others on the forum, I would take it Especially when they are all telling you the same thing- Get rid of that light, move them out and away from him.

Otherwise why would you ask for help? stay with that reptile store that you buy things from, they will tell you anything you want to hear and to get you to buy more.

I truly wish you the best with your new Cham and for his sake I hope you listen to the advice that has no financial gain, just love of the Chams.

ok. i have a few issues with this post. 1st: im not choosing not to take the advice of all the great people here, im just trying to make the best of what i have. ITS PHYSICALLY IMPOSSIBLE TO REMOVE HIS LIGHTS. HE IS INSIDE A VIVARIUM, DUE TO THE COLD TEMPERATURES HERE. PLEASE NOTE THIS IS IN CAPS NOT TO SHOW ANGER, RATHER TO MAKE IT BOLD AND OBVIOUS.
2nd:i feel your post was a little bit strongly worded, and without cause. i actually bought NOTHING from the place that was giving me advice. i have now proceeded to, but only after around 20 hours of phone conversation, photo exchange with the reptile center and comparison to the set-ups they use for theyre adult veileds (ive been watching theyre videos). the place i WAS buying things from, gave me a raw deal, and just wanted my money. the place i have been getting advice from, at no point tried to part me with any cash. they only wanted to help.
3rd:i didnt ask for help as such, rather just advice and feedback. the comments i have had on here so far have been GREAT AND VERY HELPFUL. THANK YOU ALL.. YOUR ALL DIAMONDS. unfortunatley, i have come to learn that keeping veileds in the UK is a very different science to keeping them in most parts of the states. the reptile center i have been talking to basically told me that screen enclosures ARE the best thing for them, but we JUST DONT HAVE THE TEMPERATURES, and the bad outweighs the good in that scenario, and that with proper care, maintenance and attention to detail, there is no reason i cannont achieve results like theirs ( i am using the EXACT set-up they use for veileds in the store.)
again, thanks for all the great advice guys.. your really helping me learn, and i hope you continue to throw in your 2 cents. i just wanted to re-clarify a few things.

 

[will187]

Nice improvement. Looks like you have speant a ton of time on this new place. I would recomend one thing which could be good for two things:

put a couple hanging pothos plants in there. Veilds like to eat them when the get older and it will help with humidity (if you need it).

He was pretty pissed at you for taking him but I am sure he is over it now.

Great job!!! Have a good weekend.

Thanks for the kind words my friend.

 

[docmacbj]

The Viv will be awesome

Im sure glad you got that viv, Im jelous. I think those vivs look great and function well also. Good idea in limiting height for now untill he gets bigger and more stable. Im sure that youll make sure that he wont be able to burn himself on that light when you grow the cage upwards just be careful mate. Your spot on saying that there is more than one right way to do this.

 

[SamanthaElle]

These people are wonderful. They know so much and jump in whenever you have a question.

Listen to them with an open heart and really consider them EXPERTS in the husbandry of chams. They have dealt with it all.

I got my little guy from a reptile shop and they told me some really crappy stuff, that I even knew was wrong (and I am a first time cham owner who researched for hours prior to having my cham)

Wish you and your veiled the best!

 

[kinyonga]

Will187 said..."ive been told they need maximum D3 and calcium to fortify theyre growing bones"...if you are using D3 from supplements you need to be careful with them. If you're using a vitamin powder with prEformed vitamin A in it you need to be careful with that too.

Here's some information about supplements, gutloading, etc....
Appropriate cage temperatures aid in digestion and thus play a part indirectly in nutrient absorption.

Exposure to UVB from either direct sunlight or a proper UVB light allows the chameleon to produce D3 so that it can use the calcium in its system to make/keep the bones strong and be used in other systems in the chameleon as well. The UVB should not pass through glass or plastic no matter whether its from the sun or the UVB light. The most often recommended UVB light is the long linear fluorescent Repti-sun 5.0 tube light. Some of the compacts, spirals and tube lights have caused health issues, but so far there have been no bad reports against this one.

Since many of the feeder insects we use in captivity have a poor ratio of calcium to phosphorus in them, its important to dust the insects just before you feed them to the chameleon at most feedings with a phos.-free calcium powder to help make up for it. (I use Rep-cal phosphorus-free calcium).

If you also dust twice a month with a phos.-free calcium/D3 powder it will ensure that your chameleon gets some D3 without overdoing it. It leaves the chameleon to produce the rest of what it needs through its exposure to the UVB light. D3 from supplements can build up in the system but D3 produced from exposure to UVB shouldn't as long as the chameleon can move in and out of it. (I use Rep-cal phos.-free calcium/D3).

Dusting twice a month as well with a vitamin powder that contains a beta carotene (prOformed) source of vitamin A will ensure that the chameleon gets some vitamins without the danger of overdosing the vitamin A. PrEformed sources of vitamin A can build up in the system and may prevent the D3 from doing its job and push the chameleon towards MBD. However, there is controversy as to whether all/any chameleons can convert the beta carotene and so some people give some prEformed vitamin A once in a while. (I use herptivite which has beta carotene.)

Gutloading/feeding the insects well helps to provide what the chameleon needs. I gutload crickets, roaches, locusts, superworms, etc. with an assortment of greens (dandelions, kale, collards, endive, escarole, mustard greens, etc.) and veggies (carrots, squash, sweet potato, sweet red pepper, zucchini, etc.)

Calcium, phos., D3 and vitamin A are important players in bone health and other systems in the chameleon (muscles, etc.) and they need to be in balance. When trying to balance them, you need to look at the supplements, what you feed the insects and what you feed the chameleon.

Here are some good sites for you to read too...
http://chameleonnews.com/07FebWheelock.html
http://web.archive.org/web/200605020...Vitamin.A.html
http://web.archive.org/web/200406080...d.Calcium.html
http://www.uvguide.co.uk/
http://web.archive.org/web/200601140...ww.adcham.com/
If you can't access the sites above that have the word "archive" in you can do it through the WayBackMachine.

 

[will187]

update. hey everyone. just wanted to post a few pics of my lil guy. took a before and after pic while he was shedding. check out how forlorn and depressed he looks just before, and how happy and liberated he looks after he's done.

 

[DavidBuchan]

He does look much happier now My little female hasn't eaten (except for one soldier fly) in two days, so I'm hoping she's just about to shed.......

 

[meleondollars]

Wow what a difference!

 

[will187]

update: hi guys. just thought id upload a cool pic i snapped of my lil guy today. btw, can anyone think of any good names for him? im stumped!

 

[bigben2057]

All you gotta do i move the uvb away from his basking spot aprox 2 feet i use a 10.0 with no probs.

 

[will187]

update: got some new toys for my lil fella today. oh btw, ive decided to call him Pedro
anyways, i wanted him to be able to make more use of the depth of the viv, and as he's getting bigger and heavier i decided that those little leaves wouldnt be able to take his weight for much longer. i was recommended (again by gary from the northampton reptile center) to a site that specialises in toys and decor for parrots. they sold some awesome java wood perches that attach really easily via bolt and wingnut. all i had to do was drill a small hole

i also bought some new vines to connect the branches, making a sort of "chameleon highway". its actually a smidge lower than his other decor, so no risk of burns, and i even have some more, even larger branches ready for when he hits adulthood. let me know what you guys think, and if anyone is interested in the site i got these great perches from, pm me with a link request.

 

[gerhartrx]

So awesome!!! What a great idea! You viv looks like it should be in the zoo!

 

[will187]

aww thanks alot. its taken a fair bit of work, and itll have to be rearranged as he grows, but im really happy with it so far.

 

[DavidBuchan]

The only things I'd change if it were mine is to get live plants instead (they really help with the humidity, and look much better). Also, I'd get a bunch of small branches in there, just big enough for him to get his tiny little feet around.......it's always a work in progress when they are growing so fast.........
I hesitate to ask, really, but is that a bowl or a waterfall attached to the side?

 

[will187]

The only things I'd change if it were mine is to get live plants instead (they really help with the humidity, and look much better). Also, I'd get a bunch of small branches in there, just big enough for him to get his tiny little feet around.......it's always a work in progress when they are growing so fast.........
I hesitate to ask, really, but is that a bowl or a waterfall attached to the side?

hey david. thanks for the reply my friend. as someone hailing from the UK aswell, i really do appreciate your input. to be honest, i always wanted real plants in there, i had a brief discussion with Gerhartx about it, but i still cant figure out a way to get the plants in there nad keep them alive. would it be better to just get potted plants and put stones over the earth? if so, how do i train them? would i have to tack them in? or just keep them growing till they get tall enough? i actually caught him trying to eat one of his leaves today, so i really do want to changed the plants for real ones, i just need the know-how

and dont worry, thats not a bowl OR a waterfall, thats his dripper. its one of the gimmicky "lucky reptile" ones

 

[wontbme]

you viv is amazing... can i pay you to come by my cage some time? LOL man i looked at mine and it looks like poop

 

[will187]

you viv is amazing... can i pay you to come by my cage some time? LOL man i looked at mine and it looks like poop

haha thanks for the kind words. it really isnt that hard to set-up a viv like this, just very expensive. ive spent about £500 (about $800-$1000) on this one alone not to mention consumables etc. and its far from perfect..theres still alot to be done. but i really appreciate the compliment, and in all honesty, if you ever wanted any help building one like this id be more than happy to help. the only problem is that if your in the states, you probably have too much heat for a wood/glass viv, and thats why mine was so easy.. everythings on the walls

 

[DavidBuchan]

hey david. thanks for the reply my friend. as someone hailing from the UK aswell, i really do appreciate your input. to be honest, i always wanted real plants in there, i had a brief discussion with Gerhartx about it, but i still cant figure out a way to get the plants in there nad keep them alive. would it be better to just get potted plants and put stones over the earth? if so, how do i train them? would i have to tack them in? or just keep them growing till they get tall enough? i actually caught him trying to eat one of his leaves today, so i really do want to changed the plants for real ones, i just need the know-how

and dont worry, thats not a bowl OR a waterfall, thats his dripper. its one of the gimmicky "lucky reptile" ones

Oh good, we've avoided that little controversy then........the easy way to do it is to keep them in the pots, you can arrange them over the branches and vines how you like, tying them and tacking them if you want. There's really nothing extra to keeping a house plant. My big Wardrarium was a wardrobe, but now it has a shelf halfway up with a castor oil plant in a pot.......
http://www.youtube.com/user/davebuchan81?feature=mhee#p/u/24/A-vBtTeBUN4

I don't mean to rub it in, but guess how much I spent?

 

[will187]

hey all. just wanted to post another pic i took of him yesterday, to get the general consensus. is he healthy? is there anything im not seeing? etc etc. let me know what you guys think.