KeopiCat
Avid Member
Hello there,
I hope everyone and their chams are well.
As of one week ago I became a proud mother of my very first chameleon, a veiled to be specific, and simply put I need all the help I can get. Of course I've done research, but nevertheless I'm anxious about everything he does.
I'm not exactly sure what to post: I don't have any one topic that I feel is the most important (I hope this is well suited to general discussion. If not, apologies, somehow I'm even newer to forums than to chameleons), so I thought it would be a safe bet to describe the general care I've been providing with a few questions here and there. I was hoping a few people who stumble upon this could give me tips so that I can make sure his life is as stress free and enjoyable as possible.
Oh, and a tad bit of background: My baby's name is Mondo, and based off of pictures online I'd estimate he's around 6-8 months old (total guess though)
His care thus far:
Habitat: Mondo resides in a Zoo Med Reptibreeze XL (2'x2'x4'). The bottom of his enclosure is lined with repticarpet (as I wanted something aesthetically pleasing without the risk of impaction). He currently has two plants in with him: an umbrella plant (~2') and a hibiscus plant (~4'). As far as extra climbing decor I have two vines set up intertwined with some silk pothos vines. I had plans to start up a real pothos plant but I've read that it can be dangerous to veileds if they digest too much. Should this be a concern?
Lighting: I have Mondo on a 14 hour day cycle (7am - 9pm). Is that too much daytime for him? During the day hours he has a Zoo Med Deep Dome holding a 100W Zoo Med Powersun UV. What are everyone's thoughts on this. Lighting is a big worry of mine and I'm scared I'm doing something terribly wrong. Currently the average ambient temperature is around 78-81F, his hot spot ranges from 88-93F, and it cools down to about 72-75F at night. Is this suitable for a male veiled?
Diet: Mondo's diet is another concern. I figure it's because he's adapting but his appetite is all over the place. When I got him (on Tuesday Oct. 11th) I was told he was eating 10 large crickets every other day. I fed him the first time the next morning (Oct. 12th) a meal of 7 large crickets gut-loaded with carrots and dusted with Zoo Med Reptivite which I released into the cage. I didn't end up seeing him eat any, all I know is that 2 died. I only saw about 3 alive in his cage the next day, but I'm not sure what became of the others. The next meal was given to him Saturday (Oct 15th) afternoon. It consisted of 2 silkworms and 3 hornworms. Looking back on this, I forgot to dust them because I was so excited just to see him eat. On Sunday I heard him eat a cricket which was still wondering around since Tuesday. Monday (17th) morning I got him to eat 1 dusted hornworm, and later that afternoon 1 more dusted hornworm. Finally, today (the 18th), he ate two more dusted hornworms. Does anyone have advice on feeding? I've tried both hand feeding ( fingers and tweezers) and letting the worms walk around on a plant. Is it normal for him to be this picky? What does everyone use as their preferred dusting supplements, and how often do you dust? I'd love to hear everything.
Hydration: Mondo gets his water in three ways. The first is by way of a spray down (1-2 mins) twice a day (and the occasional extra spritz now and then). After I spray humidity is around 70-80%, and throughout the day remains at around 50-60%. I've read different things when it comes to humidity. From some I've heard that the humidity should be a constant 80%, but I've also heard that it show go back down between mistings. What has worked for you? Secondly, I have a dripper. I tried using it, but frankly I think it scared Mondo. I'm willing to give it another try, but for how long should I run it. I ran it for around 6 hours at a 1-2 drop per second rate. Is that too much? Oh, and how would you suggest I keep it from flooding my cage? Finally, I take Mondo in the shower every other day. He sits on his umbrella plant in the warmish mist (not direct spray unless he walks into it) for 20-30 mins. (I started this recently because the whites of his poop appeared yellowish). Any tips on getting him to drink?
Finally, I'll include some pictures (so sorry they're blurry) ust so you can get a better idea of his situation.
Thank you so much in advance!,
Keopi <3
I hope everyone and their chams are well.
As of one week ago I became a proud mother of my very first chameleon, a veiled to be specific, and simply put I need all the help I can get. Of course I've done research, but nevertheless I'm anxious about everything he does.
I'm not exactly sure what to post: I don't have any one topic that I feel is the most important (I hope this is well suited to general discussion. If not, apologies, somehow I'm even newer to forums than to chameleons), so I thought it would be a safe bet to describe the general care I've been providing with a few questions here and there. I was hoping a few people who stumble upon this could give me tips so that I can make sure his life is as stress free and enjoyable as possible.
Oh, and a tad bit of background: My baby's name is Mondo, and based off of pictures online I'd estimate he's around 6-8 months old (total guess though)
His care thus far:
Habitat: Mondo resides in a Zoo Med Reptibreeze XL (2'x2'x4'). The bottom of his enclosure is lined with repticarpet (as I wanted something aesthetically pleasing without the risk of impaction). He currently has two plants in with him: an umbrella plant (~2') and a hibiscus plant (~4'). As far as extra climbing decor I have two vines set up intertwined with some silk pothos vines. I had plans to start up a real pothos plant but I've read that it can be dangerous to veileds if they digest too much. Should this be a concern?
Lighting: I have Mondo on a 14 hour day cycle (7am - 9pm). Is that too much daytime for him? During the day hours he has a Zoo Med Deep Dome holding a 100W Zoo Med Powersun UV. What are everyone's thoughts on this. Lighting is a big worry of mine and I'm scared I'm doing something terribly wrong. Currently the average ambient temperature is around 78-81F, his hot spot ranges from 88-93F, and it cools down to about 72-75F at night. Is this suitable for a male veiled?
Diet: Mondo's diet is another concern. I figure it's because he's adapting but his appetite is all over the place. When I got him (on Tuesday Oct. 11th) I was told he was eating 10 large crickets every other day. I fed him the first time the next morning (Oct. 12th) a meal of 7 large crickets gut-loaded with carrots and dusted with Zoo Med Reptivite which I released into the cage. I didn't end up seeing him eat any, all I know is that 2 died. I only saw about 3 alive in his cage the next day, but I'm not sure what became of the others. The next meal was given to him Saturday (Oct 15th) afternoon. It consisted of 2 silkworms and 3 hornworms. Looking back on this, I forgot to dust them because I was so excited just to see him eat. On Sunday I heard him eat a cricket which was still wondering around since Tuesday. Monday (17th) morning I got him to eat 1 dusted hornworm, and later that afternoon 1 more dusted hornworm. Finally, today (the 18th), he ate two more dusted hornworms. Does anyone have advice on feeding? I've tried both hand feeding ( fingers and tweezers) and letting the worms walk around on a plant. Is it normal for him to be this picky? What does everyone use as their preferred dusting supplements, and how often do you dust? I'd love to hear everything.
Hydration: Mondo gets his water in three ways. The first is by way of a spray down (1-2 mins) twice a day (and the occasional extra spritz now and then). After I spray humidity is around 70-80%, and throughout the day remains at around 50-60%. I've read different things when it comes to humidity. From some I've heard that the humidity should be a constant 80%, but I've also heard that it show go back down between mistings. What has worked for you? Secondly, I have a dripper. I tried using it, but frankly I think it scared Mondo. I'm willing to give it another try, but for how long should I run it. I ran it for around 6 hours at a 1-2 drop per second rate. Is that too much? Oh, and how would you suggest I keep it from flooding my cage?
Finally, I take Mondo in the shower every other day. He sits on his umbrella plant in the warmish mist (not direct spray unless he walks into it) for 20-30 mins. (I started this recently because the whites of his poop appeared yellowish). Any tips on getting him to drink?Finally, I'll include some pictures (so sorry they're blurry) ust so you can get a better idea of his situation.
Thank you so much in advance!,
Keopi <3
