Am I missing something?

Shrews01 · Feb 1, 2019

Hello Everyone,

I feel like I’m missing something. I bought a 4 month panther on sort of a whim. So, night 1 I set him up in a bin with dowel rods, fake leaves, a dripper, and a heat lamp. The next day I found an 18x12x20 screen cage, so I put everything in it, along with him. A week later after scowering this site and every YouTube video I could find I bought the following: xl reptibreeze, mistking, t8 reptisun 5.0, cricket gut load, made a cricket cup, a Pothos, a umbrella tree, 2 humidity gauges (digital), and 2 temp gauges (digital) and put him in it that same day. The thing is he’s only eating 1-3 small to medium crickets a day. I’m worried he should be eating more. He also doesn’t seem to move around much. His lights go out at 8:00, but at 5:00 he’s on his sleeping branch occasionally in and out of sleep at 5:00. Does this seem normal? Is there something more I should do? I’ll fill out that form and post it below this. Thank you

timw1 · Feb 1, 2019

Wow, looks like you did a ton of research in a very short period of time! Good on you! At that age he should eat like a champ. I'm sure it is just him being in a new environment, but please do fill the form out.

Shrews01 · Feb 1, 2019

Chameleon Info:
Your Chameleon - Male, panther 4.5 months old. I’ve had him for 2 weeks
Handling - 1 x a week
Feeding - Repashy gut loaded crickets, in the morning
Supplements - Calcium w/o d3 everyday
Watering - Mistking, 2 minutes every 3 hours, 5 minutes at noon, misting stops at 7. Haven’t seen him drink because I’m at work
Fecal Description - Well, formed wet with white cap, never been tested

Cage Info: Reptibreeze xl
Lighting - Reptisun 5.0 t8. And 53 watt halogen basking bulb
Temperature - Basking: 85. Bottom: 65, middle: 68, night time: 65
Humidity -Digital humidity guage hi: 70. Low: 35
Plants - Pothos, umbrella tree
Placement - Top of cage 6ft. Vent near by on the side, but the 3 sides of enclosure are sealed with very thick plastic
Location - Michigan

timw1 · Feb 1, 2019

You are off to a good start, remember calcium with d3 twice a month and a multi vitamin twice a month as well. Please consider offering more insects, such as roaches, silkworms (when you can get them), Black Soldier fly larva ( he will love those, and you will thank me......trust), superworms, and hornworms. Oh, and gutload your feeders with greens and other fruits and veggies (search function).

Shrews01 · Feb 2, 2019

Do you think my ambient temps are too low?

Beman · Feb 2, 2019

Hi there congrats on your baby! Great job making changes quickly. Here is the link to your care sheet https://www.chameleonforums.com/care/caresheets/panther/

I do not know the ins and outs of panthers but @timw1 does and will be able to comment on your ambient temps.
So when they get into a new environment and your making changes it can be a little overwhelming. Have you tried any other feeders? With the feeder cup is there something attached to the back that your feeders can crawl up or are they just in the bottom part? You might try lowering its position a bit so that the closest branch sits above the bottom part of the hole you cut in the bottle. They can be picky at times. My guy loves dubia but will not eat them from his cup. Only from my hand or if I hold up a little plastic bowl with them in it for him. He owns me lol.
With the lights are you doing a 12 hour cycle all off and then all on? With no other light during the night? My guy is on a 6-6 cycle and by 5 he is moving into his sleep area getting ready to put on his pajama colors lol.