Before I buy my veiled chameleon

[jasimmons86]

I have my cage all set up for my 1st male veiled chameleon
this is also my first reptile of any kind

my cage is a 12" x 12" x 30", fully glass except for the front panel which
is is a wire mesh.
this cage is basically a 20 gallon fish aquarium standing on end.
(this tank with be temporary, I plan on building a bigger one in a few months)

day time temps
95 in the basking spot
83 average in the cage

night time temps
65 in the cool spots
75 in the warm spots

I haven't got my uvb light yet, but I know i am going with reptisun 5.0, that seems to be what everyone else has and also has the best ratings.

I am having trouble with humidity which seems to be alot of peoples problems.
20% on the low end
45% after I spray, i am looking to get a small hibiscus to put in the cage to help with humidity.

I went out in my back yard and broke some sticks off a tree, I sterilized them and put them in the cage. They are wrapped with some fake vines i got from walmart, which have also been sterilized.

for water I have a little dripper

Food?
I am confused I've read a lot of threads but i cant seem to find the answer I am looking for.

my main feeder i plan to be crickets
1.)what is gut loading?...is that just keeping the crickets fed?
2.)dusting the crickets? something about d3?
what does this mean.
3.) how many crickets should i be keeping on hand at any given time?
How long will crickets live, can i get by with ordering once a month?
4.)are there any good places near me to order crickets? they are too expensive at my local Petco, and most of there crickets are doa from the reviews Ive read.

I live in southern Illinois

is there a list of stuff that i must have to keep the crickets nutritional enough
for my new chameleon.

I plan to also on the side feed him wax worms, super worms and greens.

i think that covers most everything i have to say.
Am i on the right track here, or am i getting way over my head and over thinking everything?
I just want to do this right, and make sure i can give this new pet a great home.

thanks for all the advice, and i plan on posting pics as soon as i get him, which will be a couple weeks.

 

[ghettomike]

Hello, welcome to the forum and you are going about this the right way, informing yourself before you get your new guy how old is your cham going to be?day time temps
95 in the basking spot is too hot especially for babies/juvies and females. mid to high 80's is good for an adult male. low 80's for babies/females83 average in the cage

night time temps
65 in the cool spots
75 in the warm spots

I haven't got my uvb light yet, but I know i am going with reptisun 5.0, (I recommend the tube style as opposed to coil style) that seems to be what everyone else has and also has the best ratings.

I am having trouble with humidity which seems to be alot of peoples problems.
20% on the low end
45% after I spray, i am looking to get a small hibiscus to put in the cage to help with humidity. ( hibiscus are hard to keep alive without special plant lighting and mine is currently not doing so well and I have good lights on it lol, alot of people will buy 2 and rotate them outside, I also have used schleffera with good success and would recommend that)I went out in my back yard and broke some sticks off a tree, I sterilized them and put them in the cage. They are wrapped with some fake vines i got from walmart, which have also been sterilized.

for water I have a little dripper you will need to mist the enclosure for a few minutes (until everything is dripping wet) a few times a day as well.Food?
I am confused I've read a lot of threads but i cant seem to find the answer I am looking for.

my main feeder i plan to be crickets
1.)what is gut loading?...is that just keeping the crickets fed? Gutloading is feeding your feeders (crickets/roaches, superworms etc) a variety of good greens (mustard greens, kale, dandelion greens etc) fruits and veggies before your cham eats them so it will benefit from it. the better your feeders eat the better and healthier your cham will eat. (stay away from brocolli and spinach as it actually blocks calcium absorbtion2.)dusting the crickets? something about d3? 3 types of supplements are recommended (this is my schedule) 1) calcium without d3 at most feedings 2) calcium with d3 once every 2 weeks and 3) a multivitamin every 2 weeks alternate of the d3 calcium) d3 is the vitamin that chams produce from receiving sunlight that helps them metabolize the calcium which aids in bone health. outdoor chams do not need supplemented with d3 because they get enough from the natural sun but when they are kept inside it is required because they dont get enough from the artificial lighting.3.) how many crickets should i be keeping on hand at any given time?
How long will crickets live, can i get by with ordering once a month? If you get a baby or young cham be prepared to keep lots on hand as they eat alot. you can get by with ordering a month at a time as long as you take care of them. I also really recommend using a variety of feeders (super worms, silk worms, hornworms, roaches etc) as different insects have different nutritional values and kets face it would'nt you get bored of eating the same thing everyday? lol I also recommend eventually breeding your own insect colony if you want to save $$$ on feeders in the long run.4.)are there any good places near me to order crickets? they are too expensive at my local Petco, and most of there crickets are doa from the reviews Ive read. I cant help you there but try looking at ordering from one of the site sponsors. somebody else will hopefully chime in for more info.

 

[Ace]

I have my cage all set up for my 1st male veiled chameleon
this is also my first reptile of any kind

my cage is a 12" x 12" x 30", fully glass except for the front panel which
is is a wire mesh.
this cage is basically a 20 gallon fish aquarium standing on end.
(this tank with be temporary, I plan on building a bigger one in a few months)

day time temps
95 in the basking spot
83 average in the cage

night time temps
65 in the cool spots
75 in the warm spots

I haven't got my uvb light yet, but I know i am going with reptisun 5.0, that seems to be what everyone else has and also has the best ratings.

I am having trouble with humidity which seems to be alot of peoples problems.
20% on the low end
45% after I spray, i am looking to get a small hibiscus to put in the cage to help with humidity.

I went out in my back yard and broke some sticks off a tree, I sterilized them and put them in the cage. They are wrapped with some fake vines i got from walmart, which have also been sterilized.

for water I have a little dripper

Food?
I am confused I've read a lot of threads but i cant seem to find the answer I am looking for.

my main feeder i plan to be crickets
1.)what is gut loading?...is that just keeping the crickets fed?gut-loading is feeding your crix healthy veggies and fruits that well generally be used by the chameleon ("you are what you eat" so to speak
2.)dusting the crickets? something about d3? you need supplement powders

calcium without d3 (most feedings)
calcium with d3("2 x month)
herptivite (2 x a month)
d3 helps prevent MBD(METABOLIC BONE DISEASE) a common illness in chameleons....you sprinkle "lightly" of powder on the crix, do not coat them too much (looking like ghosts)
3.) how many crickets should i be keeping on hand at any given time?(depends on your schedule, i'd say keep 150 or so and feed them healthy foods and use water crystals for hydration) keep them in a nice big plastic bin
How long will crickets live, can i get by with ordering once a month? ( try bi weekly, and it depends on how much you get, crix do not last long in IMO)
4.)are there any good places near me to order crickets? they are too expensive at my local Petco, and most of there crickets are doa from the reviews Ive read.( try ordering online if possible, or look around of decent pet stores with crix)

I live in southern Illinois

is there a list of stuff that i must have to keep the crickets nutritional enough
for my new chameleon.( veggies and fruits , but stay away from broccoli, spinach, and tomatoes- bad for chams

I plan to also on the side feed him wax worms, super worms and greensAwsome...

i think that covers most everything i have to say.
Am i on the right track here, or am i getting way over my head and over thinking everything?Yes, keep asking questions, look around in the forums..
I just want to do this right, and make sure i can give this new pet a great home.

thanks for all the advice, and i plan on posting pics as soon as i get him, which will be a couple weeks.

Welcome to the forums...and your awsome journey of cham keeping is about to begin

Lets begin

first off the dimesions of the cage are fine , but i think you should use a all screen cage . an you need a bigger cage when he gets older 2x2x4ft....since you are gettig a veiled, i wouldnt worry too much on humidity, as long as he is well hydrated and mist, and with dripper accordingly, he will be fine, having live plants also raise the humidity too

the day temps are a bit high, for a baby it should be
baskin light- 80-82 degrees
everwhere else in thecage- 70-78 degrees
at night- 60's range or low 70's (both lights off, chams sleep at night)

you need two lights one heat light- any hardware house bulb is fine thats 60-75 watts

one uvb LINEAR tube repti-sun or repti-glo

sorry went back and forth

overall good luck , do more research and SHOW PICS OF YOUR CHAM WITH ENCLOSURE...

 

[jannb]

Welcome to the forums. My blog below will help you to keep your new little guy healthy.
https://www.chameleonforums.com/blo...-keepers-young-veiled-panther-chameleons.html

 

[dclough77]

welcome to the forums, this is a great place to get all the info you will need. Im sure most of us learned it here. These guys have about summed it all up on your mistakes but... enjoy your first cham! we will hope to see pictures

 

[jasimmons86]

thanks for all the help and info everyone.

I will be going to an all screen cage in a couple of months.

since my temps were a bit too high for the chameleon I'm getting i moved
the lamp back a few inches and that seemed to work.

I have looked at all the sponsors on the site, and have found a couple of places i will be buying all my supplies from.

this is great forum with lots of people willing to help

thanks

oh and i will be posting pics as soon has i get my lil guy.