Brand new ... Help

[Vitreum]

So my daughter just got a veiled male chameleon last week but when we brought it home it died within a week. The guy at the store told us to not feed and leave alone for 4 days. So we did other than mist with water between 4-6 times a day. It was only 2-3 months old. The guy also said to feed Phoenix worms.. But they would just fall to bottom of cage. Where the chameleon never went. We went back to the store and another employee told us to feed small crickets. He did eat one or two... But stopped eating and drinking as we made a mistake and left window open on a hot day... When we came back.. He was overheating and in his already stressed state did not want to drink or eat. We tried everything but he unfortunately did not make it.

My daughter and i were both heartbroken. The store did replace it... But we got an older one. I think it is a female that is about 7 months. It is drinking but my daughter has noticed that she is rubbing its left eye on a branch.. And im worried it might be not healthy either. Any suggestions

Lastly. We have calcium to dust crickets in.. But how coated do they have to be.

I have included picture of tank... And our new girl...

 

[CamrynTheCham22]

First of all, they told you not to feed it?? That is crazy, because you should be getting it into its new routine as soon as you buy it. Did you buy it from a chain store such as Petco or Petsmart? Can you please fill out the help form below? You may want to try out cup-feeding, where the feeder is in one place and the chameleons knows exactly how and when to come and get the food, no trouble.

Chameleon Info: the more pics the better

• Your Chameleon - The species, sex, and age of your chameleon. How long has it been in your care?
• Handling - How often do you handle your chameleon?
• Feeding - What are you feeding your cham? What amount? What is the schedule? How are you gut-loading your feeders?
• Supplements - What brand and type of calcium and vitamin products are you dusting your feeders with and what is the schedule?
• Watering - What kind of watering technique do you use? How often and how long to you mist? Do you see your chameleon drinking?
• Fecal Description - Briefly note colors and consistency from recent droppings. Has this chameleon ever been tested for parasites?
• History - Any previous information about your cham that might be useful to others when trying to help you.

Cage Info:

• Cage Type - Describe your cage (Glass, Screen, Combo?) What are the dimensions?
• Lighting - What brand, model, and types of lighting are you using? What is your daily lighting schedule?
• Temperature - What temp range have you created (cage floor to basking spot)? Lowest overnight temp? How do you measure these temps?
• Humidity - What are your humidity levels? How are you creating and maintaining these levels? What do you use to measure humidity?
• Plants - Are you using live plants? If so, what kind?
• Placement - Where is your cage located? Is it near any fans, air vents, or high traffic areas? At what height is the top of the cage relative to your room floor?
• Location - Where are you geographically located?

Current Problem - The current problem you are concerned about.

 

[Vitreum]

It was a specialty store.. That just sells reptiles...

As far as form....ill answer in order.
-female... Store says about 7 months old... Just 1 day.

Handling - have left her alone since we brought he home.

Feeding - really new. Was going to try to just put in about 5 or 6 crickets tomorrow morning... After dusting with calcium.
I read on you forum it is better to feed in morning.

Have misted twice since we brought her home. Just about 7 or 8 sprays. I try to aim infront of her... And not spray her directly. she looks like she was drinking off leaves. Although we have a small waterfall in bottom of cage. She has not gone there yet.
Fecal - have not seen anything yet
No history.. Had her about 5 hours now.



Cage...
Its screen... 23 by 45 by 18
Mostly live plants.. A money tree... With a pothos and a hibiscus with a small spider plant. There ate a few logs and a couple sticks and a fake vine for climbing.

Lighting.. Combo light zoomed. 1 buld uv and 1 for heat. Will be turning off light off around 9 pm and on in morning around 7 am.

Temp and humidity. Humidity around 50-60 percent. Temp at bottom of cage near waterfall 75.6 ... Mid 76- 77. Under lamp aprox 88-92... I took these with a digital laser temp reader. But have a general analogue temp reader at top of tank which is giving room temp at around 25C about 78F.

The tank itself is sitting on an end table knee height in my daughters room at the back of house. It is beside a window. And the table is sitting half over the rooms air vent. Night temp might drop to about 72. Top of tank height off the ground is about 4ft.

We are located in windsor ontario.. Basically beside detroit.


My specific help/questions..
How much to dust crickets with calcium? Is tank ok or should i change anything. And if the chameleon rubbing its eye on a branch is normal since we are super new to this all and i really don't want to have another poor guy die because we messed up.

 

[bloftis1]

There has been a couple of statements about the waterfalls. People have said the waterfalls after reusing the same water etc. Can actually harbor bacteria in that water, could be from anything such as feeder poo, etc. But definitely only go in there only to feed and mist for about a week to even two weeks, it may seem painful not to play with her yet LOL but definitely give her some time to settle in.

 

[KalaiDaCham]

Im pretty sure the rubbing of its eye is normal but make sure you mist her down because usually when they rub their eyes it gets fat or whatever and i guess they are trying to clear out their eyes. Also you may aant to try to get a bigger cage, especially for a 7 month old veiled cham.

 

[KalaiDaCham]

Or maybe when she gets bigger you could get her a larger cage since they need their space...

 

[VerucaSalt]

Eye rubbing can be a shedding issue, where extra mistings and showers per instructions on this forum could help.

It also can be an infection.

Because of the history you've already had, as well as it being a new pet from the same store, I would highly recommend getting it to a local exotic vet asap. They can deduce if it's an infection, as well as perform a fecal which needs to be done asap anyhow. They will check for parasites-if the store has sick animals, they can make each other sick quickly. The vet can perform a wellness exam, and check for a lot we cannot do just via pics and info sharing. Ideally, this is a good idea for any new pet coming into your home imho. It's relatively inexpensive and can save you from going thru yet another loss as well. They may offer suggestions to particular husbandry adjustments for your region as well.

If you need help finding a local vet, I can link the thread, but i would highly recommend this asap. Good luck!!

 

[VerucaSalt]

Also, remove the waterfall. They get all their water from drippers/hand misting/automatic misters such as a mistking unit.

For live plants, did you repot/prepare plants prior to cage placement? They can have anything from pesticides to fertilizer that could be making them die. Vieleds eat leaves for some water intake as well as drinking from the leaves, so they ingest any chemicals not removed from live plants.

 

[VerucaSalt]

I wouldn't leave the window open near the Cham. No vents right next to the cage, no open windows unless you're physically there to keep track of heat. We are also in (basically) Detroit (Royal Oak) and you know how the days drastically vary from 90° (110° with humidity over memorial weekend) to 72° that feels 60° with the breeze. They need a consistent temp/humidity with cage drying out between mistings.

You want a low traffic area without breezes/temp fluctuating much. (We actually have ours in a guest room and have all vents blocked as our guy needs higher humidity.)

But lots of activity, movement, even just lights not allowing them to have a good 12 hrs solid darkness for sleep can cause significant stress.

They cumulatively hold onto stressors...so really any added stress on top of relocation is to be avoided. Some/a newly housed Cham, prefer to eat and drink with no audience at all....even resorting to going without vrs giving into their hunger/thirst needs.

We have had to make many tweakings and adjusting for our Cham, so don't feel badly. The pet stores often misinform/give general info that just isn't correct for each species & sub-species.

These really are a very beautiful animal to share space with. However, I see them more as living art/comparable in requirements to keeping up a salt water fish tank. They require a lot of specific care/knowledge to keep them happy and healthy. The payoff is so big in return tho. They certainly are not a novice starter pet as much as the many pet stores seem to say, unless a lot of prep went into everything month(s) prior imho. We were highly misinformed ourself in purchasing our Cham.

 

[Vitreum]

Also, remove the waterfall. They get all their water from drippers/hand misting/automatic misters such as a mistking unit.

For live plants, did you report/prepare plants prior to cage placement? They can have anything from pesticides to fertilizer that could be making them die. Vieleds eat leaves for some water intake as well as drinking from the leaves, so they ingest any chemicals not removed from live plants.

No i didnt not do anything to the plants. We got them from a local nursery. What should i fo to treat them

 

[VerucaSalt]

No i didnt not do anything to the plants. We got them from a local nursery. What should i fo to treat them

Wash plants: .they need a mild/diluted dish soap with water mixture sprayed on all the leaves/plant, then rinsed throuoghly 3-4 times...

I've read of ppl using other methods to treat all leaves and stems....I want to say vinegar perhaps, but I'm sure someone else will offer expierence here as I can only speak on what I've done.

Repot:

You want gravel in the base to keep moisture off roots/netting over any holes to prevent feeders from nesting in plant base.

You should repot in organic soil without perlite or vermiculite. Also, if you are going to have anything natural in your setup ie:wood or vines, you have to prep them too. Fake vines can be treated with a mixture spray of vinegar, hydrogen peroxide and water, there are threads online that have the proper ratio recipe. Soil and natural sticks should bebaked (on the forums they say to bake it like a pizza) for around 15-20 minutes(warning it will smell) we use a baking sheet. Cleaning of the sticks with thespray mixture should be done weekly/bi-weekly. Let them dry in the sun (or air dry)before putting them back into the tank.

For top of soil as some will eat dirt: Fine mesh netting again to prevent bugs from nesting in dirt, larger rocks, I've heard of some using live moss to top off, however I'm not sure that is a good option for a veiled as they eat more than ours does.

Even if the store/nursery you bought from doesn't use any chemicals, their supplier may. It's a preventative step that will give you a lot more peace as well.

 

[Vitreum]

Thanks.. We pressure washed the sticks and sprayed vinegar over them before adding them to tank.. But i never though about soil and leaves. I will be busy tomorrow... Hopefully i will not stress her out too much.

 

[VerucaSalt]

Thanks.. We pressure washed the sticks and sprayed vinegar over them before adding them to tank.. But i never though about soil and leaves. I will be busy tomorrow... Hopefully i will not stress her out too much.

You'll get there. They (many pet stores) really can misrepresent how much care truly goes into every aspect of them!!

 

[jamest0o0]

Good info here, but I actually like to have windows open near my chams. I live in pittsburgh and it's pretty humid and warm here in the summer. It allows fresh air exchange(which is fine, we don't want breezes from vents because the constant dry air blowing is an RI risk) and also some natural sun gets through to them.

I think consistent humidity/temp is overrated and not necessarily beneficial. I like the SW aquarium comparison, but one difference is I think animals benefit from humidity and temperature swings. Just like in the wild, i like things to be cooler and a little dryer in the winter, while being warmer and more humid in the summer. I kind of let the day be the decider while just making sure it stays in my preferred range. Some days might be 70 degrees, while others might be 80 for example. Depending on the species, I dont mean drastic changes, but I think we should aim more for a temp/humidity range rather than a set number. I can see how one number makes it easier to follow starting out though, so I mean no criticism. Just something to think about.

As for the branches, i just cut them off a tree and throw them in. Sometimes i spray them with the hose. IMO the more bugs the better, my enclosures are basically living themselves lol. I use vinegar and white ivory soap solution in a bucket to clean pesticides off plants. Chemicals and pesticides are my main concern. I don't mind using branches from untreated trees in my yard.

 

[Goose502]

Where to start...read the care sheets! The cage is too small, your lighting is not right(t-5 or at least t-8 linear fluorescent tubes at 5, 6, 10, or 12% UVB), where is her lay box? At 7 months she’s ready to lay eggs! Washing the plants is a good idea. Have you researched bioactive vivariums? There’s a lot wrong with your set-up. Why a waterfall? There are no waterfalls in Yemen, these will only become soiled. Lightly coat the insects with calcium without D3 EVERY FEEDING, then twice and month use calcium with D3, and a multivitamin. They should be barely coated. It’s also critical to properly gut load the insects prior to feeding. Phoenix worms are by far the most healthy feeder on the market. They are very small though, I recommend putting the grubs in your planters and letting the flys hatch out in a few weeks, chameleons go crazy for these, and they are extremely healthy. Most important again, read the care sheets. They are located at the top of this website. Good luck!

 

[VerucaSalt]

Good info here, but I actually like to have windows open near my chams. I live in pittsburgh and it's pretty humid and warm here in the summer. It allows fresh air exchange(which is fine, we don't want breezes from vents because the constant dry air blowing is an RI risk) and also some natural sun gets through to them.

I think consistent humidity/temp is overrated and not necessarily beneficial. I like the SW aquarium comparison, but one difference is I think animals benefit from humidity and temperature swings. Just like in the wild, i like things to be cooler and a little dryer in the winter, while being warmer and more humid in the summer. I kind of let the day be the decider while just making sure it stays in my preferred range. Some days might be 70 degrees, while others might be 80 for example. Depending on the species, I dont mean drastic changes, but I think we should aim more for a temp/humidity range rather than a set number. I can see how one number makes it easier to follow starting out though, so I mean no criticism. Just something to think about.

As for the branches, i just cut them off a tree and throw them in. Sometimes i spray them with the hose. IMO the more bugs the better, my enclosures are basically living themselves lol. I use vinegar and white ivory soap solution in a bucket to clean pesticides off plants. Chemicals and pesticides are my main concern. I don't mind using branches from untreated trees in my yard.

Yes--james is absolutely correct. If you have branches in your area that are clean of chemicals, I also do the same with putting in my cage. I like allowing the bugs to get into the permanent plants, but have resorted to removing my hibiscus in and out so I can keep it alive and have an issue with escapee crickets/don't want them in the house lol.

 

[Vitreum]

Where to start...read the care sheets! The cage is too small, your lighting is not right(t-5 or at least t-8 linear fluorescent tubes at 5, 6, 10, or 12% UVB), where is her lay box? At 7 months she’s ready to lay eggs! Washing the plants is a good idea. Have you researched bioactive vivariums? There’s a lot wrong with your set-up. Why a waterfall? There are no waterfalls in Yemen, these will only become soiled. Lightly coat the insects with calcium without D3 EVERY FEEDING, then twice and month use calcium with D3, and a multivitamin. They should be barely coated. It’s also critical to properly gut load the insects prior to feeding. Phoenix worms are by far the most healthy feeder on the market. They are very small though, I recommend putting the grubs in your planters and letting the flys hatch out in a few weeks, chameleons go crazy for these, and they are extremely healthy. Most important again, read the care sheets. They are located at the top of this website. Good luck!

I did read above... the cage was supposed to be 18x18x36.. our is 18x23x36 so I thought it was ok. We have a 5.0 UVB reptisun bulb and the other is the heat bulb so I thought that was correct.. (which is what you stated). Since she just got her last night and my daughter didnt know that females need a lay box... we dont have it yet... but after being on the forum we are going to try to make one after watching the video last night.
Thanks for letting me know to just barely coat the insects. I think the first few were too coated in the calcium. We have gut load mixture as well and have fed the crickets that.

 

[Goose502]

I did read above... the cage was supposed to be 18x18x36.. our is 18x23x36 so I thought it was ok. We have a 5.0 UVB reptisun bulb and the other is the heat bulb so I thought that was correct.. (which is what you stated). Since she just got her last night and my daughter didnt know that females need a lay box... we dont have it yet... but after being on the forum we are going to try to make one after watching the video last night.
Thanks for letting me know to just barely coat the insects. I think the first few were too coated in the calcium. We have gut load mixture as well and have fed the crickets that.

Ok, you’re right, that size enclosure is good. The bulb you have is not recommended. The compact fluorescent bulbs have been linked to eye problems as they don’t disperse the light or UVB well. Best option by far are T5 fluorescent bulbs. You would need one at least 18 inches long. Also, if you are cup feeding or free range feeding, crickets clean off the calcium/vitamin powders in a few minutes. It’s important that you actually see your chameleon eat a couple immediately, after you see her eat, it’s ok if she eats the rest of her insects after they’ve cleaned off the dust. Basically, almost anything they sell at the box stores is going to be overpriced, or not recommended, this includes their feeders.