Crowded?

[rcdrivertim]

Attached are some pics of my enclosure. Is this to crowded for a veiled about 15"? It is a Schefflera plant/tree. He has a vine running in the middle of it to travel around along with other vines. He also hangs upside down a lot lately, even if that plant wasn't there. He rather likes traveling on the screen though. LOL

Oh yea, cage is 20x20x30

 

[camimom]

An adult male veiled needs a cage that is 2x2x4 foot.

You do not need the red light.

You do need a house bulb for basking and a UVB Bulb.

 

[rcdrivertim]

Thanks for the quick response! I know I have to go larger. I was going to try to build a screen cage myself from Home Depot materials. I got that bulb with the purchase from the last owner. What wattage bulb should I use? His basking area temp is a little over 90 degrees. Also, it gets cold here so should I use this for the night time temps?

Can he be traveling the walls and ceiling because it is to small for him? I got him in this cage and now I feel bad as the last owner had him for a year in this.

 

[FSchams]

yeah he would like a bigger enclosure and a uvb light is needed. You do have a nice enclosure though

 

[rcdrivertim]

yeah he would like a bigger enclosure and a uvb light is needed. You do have a nice enclosure though

Thank you for the nice compliment. It/he is my first and I am kinda OCD. I read a lot and watch videos and stuff. I just started him an Dubia Roaches AND started a colony. Do you think the Schefflera is to big for his enclosure?

By the way, there is a 5.0 UVA/UVA light on top. It doesn't show in the pics. He is pretty active and FLIES across or down the cage when there is food. LOL I noticed a little orange and yellow in his poop even thought there was a normal dark brown one next to it. So, I misted the cage pretty heavily. I also won a Monsoon RS 400 on Ebay to mist him on a timer. Now I just need to get some drainage going as the Schefflera doesn't like to hold a lot of water.

 

[FSchams]

About a 60w and the uvb should be a 5.0. Yes i think he is climbing the screen because his enclosure is to small. Basking temp sounds right

 

[camimom]

The wattage depends on the temps you get from them, that's something you have to play with.

Its ok if temps drop at night, they can handle temps down to the 50's at night so long as they can get warm in the morning.

Never any lights on at night. If the temps drop below 50 at night, you can use a ceramic heat emitter to warm the air up, without any light being used.

if hes always moving in his cage, then he does feel cramped and wants out.

yellow/orange means dehydration.

You can do the shower method to help with that.

Take your plant, place on shower floor, aim shower head towards wall so water bouncese off wall and onto plant, put him on the plant and let him soak it all up for 20+ minutes. just watch him so he doesn't fall off and drown or wander away.

what supplements are you using?

 

[rcdrivertim]

About a 60w and the uvb should be a 5.0. Yes i think he is climbing the screen because his enclosure is to small. Basking temp sounds right

It is a 5.0, thank God. Now I feel terrible :-( I was afraid he was wall climbing for more area to roam. I will ask the boss/wife if I can order another one. Saw some on Ebay that are "B" grade for 70.00 or so. Maybe I can convince her to get one of those for my buddy. When we went to view him he was pretty quiet. He at when we got home. He is pretty dang active now though. I know that means he is doing well but, I need that bigger enclosure.

Took him outside yesterday for some sun in his cage and he freaked at first to dark color then lightened up after a couple minutes to bask. I do not handle him either.

 

[rcdrivertim]

The wattage depends on the temps you get from them, that's something you have to play with.

Its ok if temps drop at night, they can handle temps down to the 50's at night so long as they can get warm in the morning.

Never any lights on at night. If the temps drop below 50 at night, you can use a ceramic heat emitter to warm the air up, without any light being used.

if hes always moving in his cage, then he does feel cramped and wants out.

yellow/orange means dehydration.

You can do the shower method to help with that.

Take your plant, place on shower floor, aim shower head towards wall so water bouncese off wall and onto plant, put him on the plant and let him soak it all up for 20+ minutes. just watch him so he doesn't fall off and drown or wander away.

what supplements are you using?

Nice response! I feed him crickets and switched to Dubia Roaches yesterday. I use Flukers to gut load the crickets and will use fruits and veggies for the roaches once I get to the store.

He eats most anything I put in there. LOL I always dust both with calcium without D3 and every week or so use Reptivite. As for the shower, he is an aggressive bugger too if I go inside with my hand, even slowly.

I guess I will take the plant out and find a stick or thick glove to put him on the plant in the shower. What temp should the water be? Also I will have to let the plant dry out after that because it can't hold that kind of watering. LOL

 

[camimom]

The water temp of the mist should be warm but not hot.

CHeck the mist temp with your hand, not the water that comes from the shower head as the water cools off after bouncing off the wall.

both roaches and crickets should be fed fruits and veggies, that flukers stuff is just bad.


Calcium without d3 should be used every feeding, calcium with d3 twice a week, and a multivitamin twice a week.

if you go slow with him, or let him climb on the stick and then onto the plant, he should be ok. if its his first shower he might freak out, so pay attention to that. they do eventually settle down though.

 

[rcdrivertim]

The water temp of the mist should be warm but not hot.

CHeck the mist temp with your hand, not the water that comes from the shower head as the water cools off after bouncing off the wall.

both roaches and crickets should be fed fruits and veggies, that flukers stuff is just bad.


Calcium without d3 should be used every feeding, calcium with d3 twice a week, and a multivitamin twice a week.

if you go slow with him, or let him climb on the stick and then onto the plant, he should be ok. if its his first shower he might freak out, so pay attention to that. they do eventually settle down though.

YUP he freaked!!!! I barely got him out. He was trying to getaway and trying to get to the walls to climb. Put him in the shower on his tree and the water was going he went nuts. I am watching him to make sure he is ok.

 

[camimom]

Yea they do that.

Eventually he will learn to love it. hell do eye maintenance and eventually start drinking.

 

[rcdrivertim]

DANG IT!!!! He got so freaked out he went off the plant to the shower bottom, which he couldn't climb. I picked him up, carefully, then he jumps off my hand about 3 feet to the carpeted floor! I got him up and put him in the cage as quick as possible as he is still trying to jump off my hand. I had to restrain him by gently holding his back to keep him from jumping again.

No more showers for him. He is scared to death, although no dark coloration. He also didn't bite me or try to. I feel horrible now. I can't wait for my Monsoon to get here so he doesn't dehydrate. I do mist 3 times a day and he has a dripper running a lot for him off the top of the cage on to the plant.

 

[rcdrivertim]

Yea they do that.

Eventually he will learn to love it. hell do eye maintenance and eventually start drinking.

UUmmmm, yea not so much for him. LOL I will have to find a way to make a drainage system for the cage.

He is all puffed up in the cage now giving me stink eye!! I am not putting the soaked plant back in until it dries out and he calms down.

 

[camimom]

Yea they do that too. I call it the suicide drop.

by eventually, I mean like after several shower times.

He'll be ok.

If hes dehydrated, try just uppin the amount of mistings, or misting for long periods of time.

 

[rcdrivertim]

Yea they do that too. I call it the suicide drop.

by eventually, I mean like after several shower times.

He'll be ok.

If hes dehydrated, try just uppin the amount of mistings, or misting for long periods of time.

Thanks for the words of encouragement. I felt like a horrible owner. LOL I put the Schefflera out to dry and put a much smaller plant in there with 2 nice pink flowers. Maybe that will calm him. lol I will mist longer and get the mister set up this week when it gets here. Also, have to find a larger enclosure. I wasn't able to post in the WANTED section for some reason.

 

[camimom]

Thanks for the words of encouragement. I felt like a horrible owner. LOL I put the Schefflera out to dry and put a much smaller plant in there with 2 nice pink flowers. Maybe that will calm him. lol I will mist longer and get the mister set up this week when it gets here. Also, have to find a larger enclosure. I wasn't able to post in the WANTED section for some reason.

Haha its ok we all went through that stage with the first cham, and the new cham..
I have 10 and I still do it with mine, and they are established!

You can build an enclosure or just buy one from our site sponsors. Personally, I built and used amazon.

and you cant post because you are a junior member, once you are a regular member you can post.

 

[rcdrivertim]

Haha its ok we all went through that stage with the first cham, and the new cham..
I have 10 and I still do it with mine, and they are established!

You can build an enclosure or just buy one from our site sponsors. Personally, I built and used amazon.

and you cant post because you are a junior member, once you are a regular member you can post.

Would you please PM me the info. for the cage you built? He seems ok now. I might offer him a cricket as an I'm sorry. LOL