Hello, brand new chameleon owner here. I have a question regarding lighting & basking. I currently am using the Reptisun 5.0HO combo lamp and a 100W basking bulb for my 1 month (I think?) old chameleon. I am struggling to understand the requirements of these and how it all works together for my little guy Dexter. I keep reading about "basking" being under the UV bulb, but that is not the "basking bulb" I have purchased and set up. I know the basking bulb is to deliver heat, right? Is it not for basking as well? Does he need to bask under the UV bulb? In my set up, I have the basking bulb in the back, and the light is outside the cage, suspended up off the cage. It has a dimmer switch, so it is not all the way turned up. I have the a thermometer/hygrometer set up next to it and his basking temp. is set at 84 F. The Reptisun long lamp combo is in front of that basking bulb, so towards the front of the cage. It is resting on top of the cage. My concern is that he likes to climb up on the top of the enclosure ceiling and lay directly under the UV bulb. I don't want him to burn as that light is just above him on the screen (it doesn't give off heat, but UV burns). Is he trying to bask under the UVB instead of the basking bulb? I know he needs UV AND heat...so he needs all those lights. Should I try to suspend the UVB light bulb so he doesn't burn his toes & belly hanging upside down directly under it? Also worth noting: he stays pretty dark (especially when basking). When I tried to encourage him down from the ceiling, he didn't seem to budge, so I turned off the whole Reptisun unit for a few minutes and walked away. When I came back, he was off the ceiling and was a much more light green color--does that mean something? Thanks for any help as I am a newbie (5 days) with my guy!
Baby Veiled Chameleon basking/lighting help
- Thread starter Dexter.
- Start date
MissSkittles
Chameleon Enthusiast
Hi. I’m not able to give as much explanation as I’d like right now. But it sounds like you have a screw in uvb, which is incorrect. You need a linear T5ho with either Arcadia 6% or ReptiSun 5.0 bulb. Little ones don’t really need heat as long as temps are around high 70’s. Any hotter than 80 is too much for a baby.
Veiled chameleon. I’ll have to take pictures tomorrow and share.
No, I have a Reptisun 5.0 I read they need lower heat temps-basking at 84. Is this incorrect?
MissSkittles
Chameleon Enthusiast
Ok. When you said,
it sounded as though you have the dual dome light and using a screw in uvb bulb. The screw in bulbs are probably responsible for a large percentage of mbd in reptiles as they have almost no range beyond a couple of inches. With the linear T5HO with a 5.0 uvb bulb, the distance between the light and basking branch needs to be about 8-9” . Babies younger than about 3-4 months need a cooler basking temp of no higher than 80. Babies younger than 1 month need no basking light usually, unless your temps are less than about 75. The ideal for them is around 76-78. Once adult, we keep our girls cooler at 80 but our boys can have basking temps of around 85.
Little ones like to walk upside down along the screen top which places them at a high risk for burns. So to prevent burns, we raise the lights a couple of inches off the screen. There’s different ways to do this. I use little wire baskets from the dollar store to raise my lights…not terribly pretty, but it’s only temporary.
I’d like to see some pics of your chameleon and enclosure. All too often we find and fall victim to some of the tremendous amount of misinformation about how to keep our chameleon. The best time to ensure all is correct is when just starting out.
Thanks for the info. I’ve read to keep the basking at 84, but I’ll definitely lower. I’m posting pictures of my guy and his enclosure. I got him at Repticon and the guy said he was about a month old. I’ve had him a week today. He has not eaten without assistance. I have assisted him by using tweezers and when I get close he opens his mouth and I drop the dubia roach or super worm in. That’s the only eating he’s done. I can’t find much online about how much he should eat that doesn’t vary widely from 2-20 bugs/crickets. Any advice on amounts? Getting a new dish to try tomorrow.Ok. When you said,
it sounded as though you have the dual dome light and using a screw in uvb bulb. The screw in bulbs are probably responsible for a large percentage of mbd in reptiles as they have almost no range beyond a couple of inches. With the linear T5HO with a 5.0 uvb bulb, the distance between the light and basking branch needs to be about 8-9” . Babies younger than about 3-4 months need a cooler basking temp of no higher than 80. Babies younger than 1 month need no basking light usually, unless your temps are less than about 75. The ideal for them is around 76-78. Once adult, we keep our girls cooler at 80 but our boys can have basking temps of around 85.
Little ones like to walk upside down along the screen top which places them at a high risk for burns. So to prevent burns, we raise the lights a couple of inches off the screen. There’s different ways to do this. I use little wire baskets from the dollar store to raise my lights…not terribly pretty, but it’s only temporary.
I’d like to see some pics of your chameleon and enclosure. All too often we find and fall victim to some of the tremendous amount of misinformation about how to keep our chameleon. The best time to ensure all is correct is when just starting out.
MissSkittles
Chameleon Enthusiast
He is young, but my guess would be around 3-4 months old. He is very thin and so I would be feeding him 20 or so feeders daily. Give a variety of well fed feeders, like silkworms, roaches, etc. Grasshoppers are a great feeder but limited sources to get them. Try dragonhoppers.com
I’m not able to reply more than this atm (am at work) but will give more info when I can.
I’m not able to reply more than this atm (am at work) but will give more info when I can.
Enclosure pics. His basking lamp is back left. His Reptisun 5.0HO lamp combo is half hanging half resting up 2 inches off cage. If I hang both sides it pushes basking bulb to shine back Benin’s cage instead of inside, so that’s why it’s lopsided (for now until he stops ceiling hanging.
MissSkittles
Chameleon Enthusiast
Your little cutie should be eating willingly and have a huge appetite…as veileds often do. I need to caution against using the tongs to offer him feeders. So very many chameleons have had serious tongue damage that way. The best thing to do is to use a feeding station. There are several types out there and you can make your own if you choose. I like the shooting gallery style https://tkchameleons.com/products/shooting-gallery?variant=30018608595032 and have made my own versions. Just watch for any sharp edges if you make your own and never use tape in with a cham. With a feeding station, they always know where to find their food and will even check it every now and then just in case some bugs might have magically appeared in it. It will also help prevent the feeders from escaping.
Due to his poor appetite, you should definitely get a fecal check for parasites.
Due to his poor appetite, you should definitely get a fecal check for parasites.
Thanks for the responses. I've lowered his basking temp down to 80, and now he's still hanging up on the ceiling, but directly under the basking bulb instead of the UV bulb. I put my hand directly under the bulb on top of the screen and I don't find it too hot, so hopefully he's okay doing that?
I've read he should like to eat--but he has yet to eat on his own (I have had him 8 days now). I've managed to get him to eat 5 feeders a day (currently I have dubia roaches and superworms for him. BSFL are on their way), but that is holding it out on tongs, and when he opens his mouth, dropping the bug in. I know he's not "feeding" like a toddler would--this is his "get away from me" response with his mouth, but at least if I drop a bug in and he chews it up I know he is at least getting something in.
I had a white dish in his enclosure (I think a bird feeding cup). He never ate out of it. I moved it to a new location--still nothing. I purchased a clear feeder that looks like an open box, where the bugs can crawl up the back and he can get them that way. I just put it in this morning with 9 feeders (roaches/superworms). He has yet to eat one, but I'll keep an eye.
He has an initial pet visit/parasite check on Friday afternoon. In the meantime, should I keep feeding him?? I hate to see him go hungry if I just leave him be and don't get any feeders into him.
MissSkittles
Chameleon Enthusiast
Yes, you do need to keep making attempts to feed him. Some chameleons can be secretive about eating. While they are focusing both eyes on their prey, they are vulnerable to becoming prey themselves. So, leave the food in the feeding station and walk away. One of mine is rather private/secret about his eating and he won’t touch his bugs until he is certain I won’t be in the room. Leave the feeding station where it is high and he can see the feeders moving from his basking area. Find a good spot for it and just leave it there…don’t move it around.
Another reason for chameleons not to eat (besides parasites) is if the feeders are too large. Anything bigger than the space between his eyes, he can’t swallow/eat. I like to give all of mine smaller feeders than they can handle.
I meant keep trying with the tongs. He has had food available 24/7 since he came home. I count the feeders, and he hasn’t eaten one—even when he’s been by himself for hours. I had to move the white dish because I had to rearrange some plants in the enclosure when I cleaned it out. Then I got the new one so the bugs can run up the back. I’ve seen him watching them (he knows they are there), he just never eats them. The only food he has had since he’s been with me (8 days) is the ones I drop in his mouth from the tongs. If the tongs are bad….is that worse than starving? That’s my question—he doesn’t go back until Friday and I don’t want him to not have any food…but I also don’t want him to be injured either.
MissSkittles
Chameleon Enthusiast
As long as he isn’t shooting his tongue out to grab a feeder from the tongs, you can use them. Your vet may want you to give a liquid nutrition, like carnivore care or ReptaBoost. If so, you’ll need to know that the airway in in the front of the mouth, so you’ll aim for the back of the throat.
If we’ve ruled everything else out, there’s a very high likelihood he has parasites. Make sure to collect a poo to take. You have 24 hours before the appointment to try to collect & it can be stored in the fridge.
If we’ve ruled everything else out, there’s a very high likelihood he has parasites. Make sure to collect a poo to take. You have 24 hours before the appointment to try to collect & it can be stored in the fridge.
Ok, thank you so much for all your help! He hasn't shot his tongue out yet--that I've seen that is. I don't want to hope for parasites, but I do hope we get a resolution for why he's not eating. At this rate, I'm managing to get about 4-5 feeders a day in him, so at the least he has some nutrition, even though it's not enough. Friday cannot come soon enough for this poor boy!
