Effective enclosure?

[genebean12]

Hiya chameleon people,

I am new to chameleons and did my very best to imitate a proper enclosure but have a few concerns about my set up. Firstly, my little guy, a male veiled named Walter; does not seem to be very sure footed up near the top and prefers to hang out at the bottom of his enclosure. This places him far from the heat lamp where he eats less and becomes lathargic, often sleeping during the day. I was hoping you all could give me some pointers on how to remedy this situation by taking a look at my set up.


Thanks!

Genie

 

[Dumzy]

Id guess hes staying at the bottom because there is more foliage down there, wich means he can hide himself and feel safer.

 

[Dumzy]

If you add more plants near the top, he will probably hang out up there too. It could also just be too hot.

 

[genebean12]

If you add more plants near the top, he will probably hang out up there too. It could also just be too hot.

Thanks for the pointers, I went and picked the brain of the pet store employee and he suggested a 75w red night bulb that does keep his enclosure pretty warm. About 90. Is it possible that my little guy has a preference to be a bit cooler?

 

[Dumzy]

Thanks for the pointers, I went and picked the brain of the pet store employee and he suggested a 75w red night bulb that does keep his enclosure pretty warm. About 90. Is it possible that my little guy has a preference to be a bit cooler?

The temp should be about 85. Are you using the red bulb at night? There should be no lights on at night. And your using a UVB bulb too right?

 

[genebean12]

The temp should be about 85. Are you using the red bulb at night? There should be no lights on at night. And your using a UVB bulb too right?

Yep. I have the UVB bulb in addition to the red heat bulb and just switch off the UVB at night. The pet store employee was concerned that the temp getting down to around 58 at night was too cold for the Cham.

 

[Dumzy]

Yep. I have the UVB bulb in addition to the red heat bulb and just switch off the UVB at night. The pet store employee was concerned that the temp getting down to around 58 at night was too cold for the Cham.

So the red heat bulb is your source of heat? Trash that bulb, you dont need it, get a 60 or 75W Daylight bulb, if it gets below 65 at night, get a ceramic heat emmiter.

 

[Peachypink]

Yep. I have the UVB bulb in addition to the red heat bulb and just switch off the UVB at night. The pet store employee was concerned that the temp getting down to around 58 at night was too cold for the Cham.

It's 58 in your house at night? A temp drop at night is good for their metabolism. They can go to 55, some even say 50. He will be just fine.

But I agree, he needs more cover and some more horizontal branches towards the top.

 

[Peachypink]

Hiya chameleon people,

I am new to chameleons and did my very best to imitate a proper enclosure but have a few concerns about my set up. Firstly, my little guy, a male veiled named Walter; does not seem to be very sure footed up near the top and prefers to hang out at the bottom of his enclosure. This places him far from the heat lamp where he eats less and becomes lathargic, often sleeping during the day. I was hoping you all could give me some pointers on how to remedy this situation by taking a look at my set up.


Thanks!

Genie

Sleeping during the day is not good. It's a sign of illness. Please fill out the how to ask for help form in the health forum. Copy and paste it here with your answers. There is lots of misinformation out there given by pet stores. Let us help you, it may be just tweaking your husbandry is all you need.

 

[genebean12]

Sleeping during the day is not good. It's a sign of illness. Please fill out the how to ask for help form in the health forum. Copy and paste it here with your answers. There is lots of misinformation out there given by pet stores. Let us help you, it may be just tweeting your husbandry is all you need.

I will do that, thank you.

 

[genebean12]

Sleeping during the day is not good. It's a sign of illness. Please fill out the how to ask for help form in the health forum. Copy and paste it here with your answers. There is lots of misinformation out there given by pet stores. Let us help you, it may be just tweaking your husbandry is all you need.

I missed the bit about copying and pasting here until I reread so I did post this in the health section as well.

• Your Chameleon - Male Veiled approximately 4 months old, has been in my care for 1 week.
• Handling - I have handled him to put him under the heat lamp about 3 times. He then regains energy and feeds.
• Feeding - I have been feeding him a combination of superworms and crickets gut loaded with kale and spinach with 1 superworm and 3 crickets daily in the morning
• Supplements - i dust his feed with repti-calcium w/o D3 and zoo med's reptivite at each feeding
• Watering - i have a drip system going constantly as well as 3 misting sessions that typically last 2-3 min. I have seen him drinking once from this..he doesn't like the misting and his focus seems to be getting away from the water rather than drinking it.
• Fecal Description - I have not seen any fecies. I have seen him eat and logically that would produce some but no dice.

Cage Info:

• Cage Type - the cage is a 16" x 16" x 30" screened affair
• Lighting - I am using a zoomed UVB and heat kit with a 13w mini compact fluorescent light bulb and recently switched the 60w blue day bulb for a 75w red night bulb
• Temperature - The basking spot is typically around 90 going down to 65 at the base
• Humidity - I do not have a humidity gage but plan on picking one up tomorrow
• Plants - I have a pothos plant as well as a plastic plant for climbing
• Placement - the cage is in the corner of my room near a
• Location- Northern Nevada U.S

Current Problem - He is spending a lot of time at the bottom of his cage and is sleeping during the day when he is down there.

 

[Peachypink]

His basking spot is too hot for a juvenile. It should be 85. It can go up after 9 months, until then you need to drop it.

Get rid of the red light and get a regular house bulb. Try a 75 watt. If the temp is still above 85 then you can just raise it until it settles there. All lights off at night. If you've been keeping the light in at night or if the pet store did then his day/night schedule has been disrupted and can be causing some issues. They set their internal clocks and regulate hormones based on this schedule. Any light, red or purple or blue even will disrupt their sleep.

He should be eating more than just 3 crickets a day at his age. Mine would eat 14 and sometimes up to 20 when he was young. He's growing, he needs to eat more.

Supplementing should be, Calcium without D3 6 days a week, Calcium with D3 twice a month and a multi twice a month. Check your multi, if it contains D3 then you don't need the extra D3 and can just do the multi twice a month. If it doesn't then you need the D3.

He's only been with you a week but keep checking for poo, it may have dropped into the plant. He should poo soon if he hasn't already. Make note of what it looks like.

 

[genebean12]

Thank you! Red light is officially x-nayed. Replaced by a soft house bulb. I placed 12 crickets in his space this morning with just the calcium supplement shake n' bake. Will reconfigure his space this evening to see if I can't get rid of the need for him to spend his time at the bottom.

 

[Graves923]

Peachypink covered the lighting and feeding. I would add more climbing branches of varying thicknesses and more foliage to hide in.

For misting if he is frightened by it try spraying slowly if using a hand spray bottle. Mine hate it too but if I spray slowly he eventually comes out of hiding and drinks. Just make sure the entire enclosure is dripping wet and drys out completely in between.

 

[genebean12]

T

For misting if he is frightened by it try spraying slowly if using a hand spray bottle. Mine hate it too but if I spray slowly he eventually comes out of hiding and drinks. Just make sure the entire enclosure is dripping wet and drys out completely in between.

That is a good call. Generally I give him a good mist in the A.M before work, once when I get home and then once more about an hour before I turn his lights off. It may not be entirely dry between the 2nd and 3rd misting so I may have to assess that situation a bit more.