Enclosure tips

Jocccellynnn

Jocccellynnn

Established Member
Does anyone have any tips or criticism for my enclosure set up? This is my first chameleon and I’ve had her for a few months I just want to make sure I’m doing everything right.
 

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  • 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.

--------------

Please Note:

  1. The more details you provide the better and more accurate help you will receive.
  2. Photos can be very helpful.
 
Hi! - First, it looks like you took a lot of time and care to set this guy/girl up! Seems like you want the best for your new buddy. the most obvious things from this picture would be: too many fake plants vs real plants, could be more climbing branches going horizontal and vertical, and the BIG one...I don't see a T5 bulb above the cage. I don't know what the basking light temp is, but it is equally (maybe more) important to have the proper UVB bulb and supplementation or your chameleon can be susceptible to a variety of diseases.

The BEST thing you could do for your cham is scour these forums and apply the proper husbandry for your cham. It's pretty specific, but not difficult...you just need the right setup. You are on track, although soon you will probably need a bigger cage as well.
 
DeShawni Green said:
Hi! - First, it looks like you took a lot of time and care to set this guy/girl up! Seems like you want the best for your new buddy. the most obvious things from this picture would be: too many fake plants vs real plants, could be more climbing branches going horizontal and vertical, and the BIG one...I don't see a T5 bulb above the cage. I don't know what the basking light temp is, but it is equally (maybe more) important to have the proper UVB bulb and supplementation or your chameleon can be susceptible to a variety of diseases.

The BEST thing you could do for your cham is scour these forums and apply the proper husbandry for your cham. It's pretty specific, but not difficult...you just need the right setup. You are on track, although soon you will probably need a bigger cage as well.
Click to expand...
Looks like someone already attached the husbandry form! Fill that out, will help everyone a lot.
 
Fchamel said:
  • 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.

--------------

Please Note:

  1. The more details you provide the better and more accurate help you will receive.
  2. Photos can be very helpful.
Click to expand...
Hi thank you for responding so quickly! I adopted her on 9/11/2020, she is a female and I’m not sure how old she is they just said she was a baby when I got her but she has grown a bit since I’ve had her. I had her in a glass tank for a week until my screen cage came in but she’s been in this one since. I have a 13 watt UVB white light, I was trying to find the box to take a picture and attach it but I couldn’t find it. I have the white UVB on all day, I turn it off around 7-8. I live in a colder area and it has gotten colder at night, so i have a chicken heat lamp that I used for my chicks, so I have been turning that on at night recently and leaving it near her cage, so she doesn’t get cold. I need to buy a night lamp and was wondering what night lamp I should buy for her. I handle her whenever she will crawl onto me which is pretty often, she is super friendly. For the first month I only fed her small crickets, then I bought meal worms and she eats about 10-15 crickets in the morning and 5 mealworms and a few crickets at night. She eats a lot, she’s always hungry but I try not to feed her to much because I don’t want to over feed her. I’ve tried feeding her greens but it seems like she’s not interested. I dust her crickets with zoomed repti calcium at night. And her crickets are being fed flukers orange cubes. The top of her cage where she usually hangs out (where she is in the picture) is 85 degrees and the bottom of the cage is 70. I mist her cage about 10-15 times a day when I can but she also has a drip system on the top of the cage. She drinks from the drip system tube and also comes up to the spray bottle to drink when I spray her cage. When I hold her I let her drink water from the faucet because she will only drink from visible running water. Her humidity is usually at 50 after I spray it it stays at 60-70 for a while. I have the zoomed thermometer humidity gauges. I’m not sure if they’re 100% accurate, if you could recommend me to a better thermometer, I will get it. She has never been tested for parasites, she hasn’t been to a vet since I’ve had her because she seems to be in better health since I’ve got her from the pet store. She shed about two weeks ago, it was very strange to watch. She kept gaping and changing colors, like a dark green spotted and striped pattern. I have some pictures if you like I could send them. She never really changes color she is normally a light green, she will sometimes change to a darker green if I’m holding her and the lighting in the room changes. I have one live plant in her cage, I want to get more but I haven’t gotten around to it. The one she has in there now, I’m not sure what plant it is but the pet store told me it was safe for her. Her cage is located in this little nook in our house because it’s the quietest place. It isn’t next to a vent but it is pretty enclosed so I feel like it keeps the heat at a good level. I live in lake arrowhead, California. It’s in the mountains and it actually snowed a few days ago but the temperature in our house is warm and I don’t think she’s affected by it. When I first got her I would take her outside with me but it’s too cold to take her outside now. I’m not worried about anything, she seems perfectly healthy and happy but I just joined this and wanted to see if anyone had any comments or advice for me!
 
Jocccellynnn said:
I’ll try to be to the point. Please excuse me, if I come offHi thank you for responding so quickly! I adopted her on 9/11/2020, she is a female and I’m not sure how old she is they just said she was a baby when I got her but she has grown a bit since I’ve had her. I had her in a glass tank for a week until my screen cage came in but she’s been in this one since. I have a 13 watt UVB white light, This is generally thought to be an insufficient uvb source. Part of the problem stems from sheer wattage, and part from the fact that it doesn’t spread the uvb radiation over much of a distance. I was trying to find the box to take a picture and attach it but I couldn’t find it. I have the white UVB on all day, I turn it off around 7-8. A light timer is an inexpensive tool that is considered a necessity, unless you’re super consistent. I live in a colder area and it has gotten colder at night, so i have a chicken heat lamp that I used for my chicks, so I have been turning that on at night recently and leaving it near her cage, so she doesn’t get cold. Evidence suggests that Cold nights are actually beneficial to captive chameleons. With a veiled, I’ve found nightime drops into the 40’s/50’s to be perfectly acceptable. need to buy a night lamp and was wondering what night lamp I should buy for her.I would not buy a night lamp. Chams need a cool, and perfectly dark night. I handle her whenever she will crawl onto me which is pretty often, she is super friendly.This is up to you, but chams are often said to be “hands-off” pets. For the first month I only fed her small crickets, then I bought meal worms and she eats about 10-15 crickets in the morning and 5 mealworms and a few crickets at night. Meal worms are less than ideal feeder options, as they don’t gutload well, and are nutritionally poor. Keep the crickets, and add roaches, silkworms, bsfl, hornworms and the occasional super/wax/butter worm. She eats a lot, she’s always hungry but I try not to feed her to much because I don’t want to over feed her. I’ve tried feeding her greens but it seems like she’s not interested. My personal experience is that feeding anything other than bugs is unecesaRy and possibly unproductive. I dust her crickets with zoomed repti calcium at night. More information here: does the repticalcium have d3 or no?And her crickets are being fed flukers orange cubes. This is not ideal. Try feeding your bugs a mix of high calcium greens (collards, dandelion, kale), high carotenoid veggies (butternut squash, carrots, sweet potato) and healthy fruits (papaya, prickly pear, orange, apple) in a 70/20/10 ratio. The top of her cage where she usually hangs out (where she is in the picture) is 85 degrees and the bottom of the cage is 70. I would recommend not letting her see temps higher than 80. I mist her cage about 10-15 times a day when I can but she also has a drip system on the top of the cage. Save the misting for just before lights on, just after lights off, and just before you go to sleep; keep the dripper. She drinks from the drip system tube and also comes up to the spray bottle to drink when I spray her cage. When I hold her I let her drink water from the faucet because she will only drink from visible running water. Her humidity is usually at 50 after I spray it it stays at 60-70 for a while. I have the zoomed thermometer humidity gauges. I’m not sure if they’re 100% accurate, if you could recommend me to a better thermometer, I will get it. Daytime humidity can drop as low as 40%, nightime humidity should approach 100%. She has never been tested for parasites, she hasn’t been to a vet since I’ve had her because she seems to be in better health since I’ve got her from the pet store. She shed about two weeks ago, it was very strange to watch. She kept gaping and changing colors, like a dark green spotted and striped pattern. I have some pictures if you like I could send them. She never really changes color she is normally a light green, she will sometimes change to a darker green if I’m holding her and the lighting in the room changes. I have one live plant in her cage, I want to get more but I haven’t gotten around to it. Live plants will be nothing but helpfulThe one she has in there now, I’m not sure what plant it is but the pet store told me it was safe for her. Her cage is located in this little nook in our house because it’s the quietest place. It isn’t next to a vent but it is pretty enclosed so I feel like it keeps the heat at a good level. I live in lake arrowhead, California. It’s in the mountains and it actually snowed a few days ago but the temperature in our house is warm and I don’t think she’s affected by it. When I first got her I would take her outside with me but it’s too cold to take her outside now. I’m not worried about anything, she seems perfectly healthy and happy but I just joined this and wanted to see if anyone had any comments or advice for me!
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Your cage should be set up with a t5 high output linear fluorescent bulb. 5.0, 6% are the ones usually recommended. You should provide an abundance of horizontal branches in the upper half of your enclosure, to create a highway of branch work for her to explore, regulate her temp, and expose herself to varying levels of uvb and light. I’m happy to discuss things further, but here’s some pics of what I mean:
 

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Okay I will have to get her a new heat lamp the next time I go to the petstore. I do additionally add kale and strawberries to the crickets enclosure, and just recently bought the flickers cubes. I have read that feeding her food bigger than the width between her eyes could lead to choking. Is that true? Because I know most of those worms are bigger than that which is why I have stuck to mealworms and crickets. Her calcium does have d3. Thank you for your help.
 
Kaizen said:
Your cage should be set up with a t5 high output linear fluorescent bulb. 5.0, 6% are the ones usually recommended. You should provide an abundance of horizontal branches in the upper half of your enclosure, to create a highway of branch work for her to explore, regulate her temp, and expose herself to varying levels of uvb and light. I’m happy to discuss things further, but here’s some pics of what I mean:
Click to expand...
I also wanted to ask but forgot to add; am I feeding her enough or too much? Or are the amounts I’m feeding her fine?
 
Jocccellynnn said:
Okay I will have to get her a new heat lamp the next time I go to the petstore. I do additionally add kale and strawberries to the crickets enclosure, and just recently bought the flickers cubes. I have read that feeding her food bigger than the width between her eyes could lead to choking. Is that true? Because I know most of those worms are bigger than that which is why I have stuck to mealworms and crickets. Her calcium does have d3. Thank you for your help.
Click to expand...
This is more complicated. Because you have an insufficient uvb bulb, she’ll need more d3 until you upgrade. But using calcium with d3 at every feeding is a lot. I think using a product like “repashy calcium plus loD “ at every feeding is probably your best bet, until you get comfortable with supplements and their uses. This is a product that has a proven track record with veileds and panthers, and is easy. Just lightly dust whatever you feed her, every feeding. She can probably be fed every other day now.

As for lighting, don’t worry about the basking bulb, as that is an easy fix. It’s the uvb that you need to focus on. Here are two options: reptisun 5.0 t5 (24”) or Arcadia 6% t5 (24”). You’ll need the proper fixture to light them.
 
The pet store near me house has a wide variety of heat bulbs and should have them there and I can access them this week. I will have to look into that calcium and see if they have it at my local pet store if not I will have to order it. I was also wondering what thermometers are best for screen cages?
 
Jocccellynnn said:
The pet store near me house has a wide variety of heat bulbs and should have them there and I can access them this week. I will have to look into that calcium and see if they have it at my local pet store if not I will have to order it. I was also wondering what thermometers are best for screen cages?
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Again, it’s not a heat bulb you need, it’s a good uvb bulb. As for thermometers and hygrometers, something that has a probe, is digital, and measures both temp and humidity at the probe.
 
Kaizen said:
Again, it’s not a heat bulb you need, it’s a good uvb bulb. As for thermometers and hygrometers, something that had a probe, is digital, and measures both temp and humidity at the probe.
Click to expand...
Yes I looked the uvb bulb that is available at petco and I will be able to get that soon.
 
One thing I would like to add and it’s only if you need it, if your temps get to low. Is maybe buy a small ceramic heater.
 
Kronos said:
One thing I would like to add and it’s only if you need it, if your temps get to low. Is maybe buy a small ceramic heater.
Click to expand...
Yes I will do that I was wondering what alternate heat solutions I could use because it snows here and sometimes the power does go out. Thank you
 
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