Bit worried now

[Shaunny]

So I have got the new cage for Trevor and set up etc. he has been in there for just over a week and has been constantly black.

He is misted 5 times a day via my mist king which is as follows
7am lights on
7.45 - 5 mins
Then it's every 3 hours for 2 mins

His basking temps are between 85-90
Humidity spikes to 88% then drops to about 55 before next mist

He is moving about etc, eating and pooing fine and his urate is pure white.
He just seems to hate me now and hates being in there I think as if i get him out he goes to his normal colours

 

[junglefries]

time

Give him time. A week really isn't that long for acclimation.

 

[Shaunny]

So you think it's just because I the move? I thought that was the case but you know what it's like

 

[nightanole]

Mine hates cage cleaning day. Even if you think you got all the sticks back just like you left it, mine will be stressed for days till he gets his bearing again.

 

[carol5208]

Yes, it could be. Your basking is hot enough so it does not sound like he is cold. Is your mister going off at night? If so, it does not need to.

 

[chameleonowner32]

Im thinking either the cage is too small or he is seeing something in there he doesnt like.

 

[Tyaeda]

Is there a spot in his cage he can go to avoid being sprayed by the mist? My veiled doesn't like to be sprayed, unless it's with warm water.

 

[Shaunny]

Yeah there is loads of places he can go and hide. No the mister only goes of 5 times a day, last one being at 5pm

This is him now under his basking spot

 

[Shaunny]

You can see in the pic that he sort of lays on his side a lot when basking, does this mean there is something wrong with the basking temps ie too hot or too cold?

 

[julies liam]

no nothing wrong he is just socking up the heat, mine does it under his basking light but i dont no why yours is stayin dark all the time, it might just be because it is a new enclousure...what colour is he meant to be?

 

[junglefries]

dark

Chams will lay to the left or right absorbing heat. It is normal. As far as coloration, lots of factors come into play. I once had a male blue bar rescue, who stayed as dark as a black crayon for about 6 weeks. He is now a prime example of coloration. If it is indeed due to new digs, he will adapt. Try to leave him be for a while. But at the same time, allow him to occasionally see you (get used to you). @ cage cleaning time, try to stick with the same routine. He will know it will be ok at the end and not to stress. JUST give it some time before you panic.

 

[Shaunny]

he is in the living room where its a bit busy but thats where he has always been. the reason i was worried is because when he is out like tonight for example he turns back to his normal bright green and blue colours. he has also started to climb around on the sofas etc even with the kids running riot and it doesnt bother him. the dog even sits under his plant and he stays bright. its just when he is in there.

 

[julies liam]

sounds like, that he likes his space lol

 

[Shaunny]

sounds like, that he likes his space lol

do you mean being left alone?

 

[julies liam]

Yeh likes have space to climb about but at least he us accepting the busyness u have and not gettin angry with that.. Wen he is in his cage just hand feed him and let him get on with it he will get use to his new surroundings

 

[Shaunny]

Ok so its been 3 weeks now and there has been no change in his appearance. he just seems to be so stressed. he is eating and pooing but have noticed that his urated was a little yellow over the last few days.

he ate 5-6 (large crix size) roaches yesterday afternoon from me plus a couple of mario worms in the morning. again he came out a few times in the week and as soon as he does he changes back to his normal self, thats the only time i see him happy.

now when i first put him in there 3 weeks ago i can understand that he would be stressed but after a week of not being able keep the humidity up enough i put plexiglass on 2 of the sides which helped massively so i wonder if its that?

http://www.wickes.co.uk/invt/246000/?source=123_75

im running out of ideas of what to do to help him. it makes me sad knowing he isnt happy.

I have changed his misting times to

10 mins at 8am, one hour after lights on.
2 mins
5 mins
2 mins
5 mins

each spray is 3 hours apart

 

[Shaunny]

could it have anything to do with say sexual maturity or anything like that?

 

[Tazjunky]

Are you still using the the higher arcadia tube?
he looks a little washed out on the pic, but that may be for a number of reasons.

I found that with the higher % of UVB, that my males became washed out and as they tend to try and cage walk on the roof of the cage get exposed to very high levels of UVB. So I changed down to a 6% t5.

Something clearly isnt right if he is constantly that colour in the cage, so maybe you need to look at the husbandry?

Is your basking bulb directed downwards?

I got rid of my lower wattage bulb and got a 75w Swell reptiles halogen and placed it in a clamp lamp directed down diagonally into one corner and it seemed to do the trick with my male. I also stopped using repashy calcium plus as regularly as i was and now only use it twice a month.

he he is before the bulb change


and after, I just took this today

 

[Shaunny]

It's worth a shot I guess! I have basically everything you have changed

 

[Shaunny]

So I was watching him earlier and he seems to go Bach to his normal colours when moving about his cage. Like just now he is going down to bed and has turned bright green while getting there. Would this suggest the basking is too hot maybe? About 1/3 of the way down its about 70degrees not far from where he sleeps.