HELP! I have a cham and know nothing about it
- Thread starter Ultraviolent
- Start date
Ultraviolent
New Member
OK, so they will be separated at the end of this week I hope (that means it can move in with me), so that will mean longer life span and less stress.
Is is a bad ideea to make it habitat built-in my room furniture? I have some empty shelves with a wide spectruum of oportunities I would like to exploit.
And are there any specific materials needed for building a chameleon cosy home (I would like to build it myself with the help of a skilled fish/exotic animal enthusiast)
Is is a bad ideea to make it habitat built-in my room furniture? I have some empty shelves with a wide spectruum of oportunities I would like to exploit.
And are there any specific materials needed for building a chameleon cosy home (I would like to build it myself with the help of a skilled fish/exotic animal enthusiast)
camimom
New Member
the sooner the better.
it can workif done properly.
aside from obvious, hammer nails, etc.
mesh, a way to hang your uvb and heating lamps.
plants.
dowel rods (for cham highways)
Ultraviolent
New Member
I dont have the lizzard at home yet, but I have such high excpectations, I will build a chameleon mansion...
Is it necesary or just a good ideea to cover the UV with something, or it will just dim the light?
Can I build a water fountain in it's habitat? (self-sustaining sprinkler system)
Is it a very bad ideea to leave the cage/terrarium open, after the chams got used to the new territory?
I dont like the ideea of an animal to be caged in 24/7, the more free time the better
Is it necesary or just a good ideea to cover the UV with something, or it will just dim the light?
Can I build a water fountain in it's habitat? (self-sustaining sprinkler system)
Is it a very bad ideea to leave the cage/terrarium open, after the chams got used to the new territory?
I dont like the ideea of an animal to be caged in 24/7, the more free time the better
camimom
New Member
you cnat cover the uvb light, the rays dont pass thru glas or plastic.
you mean a water fall, or a misting system? no to waterfall or standing water in any way, yes to misting system. (mistking has systems starting at 99 bucks)
you can leave the cage open, in fact many people on here free range their chams. i.e. they are never caged
Ultraviolent
New Member
Great, so than I will make a sliding door so that it can be removed at any time
Yes waterfall, is it a bad ideea even for decoration?
Thank you for the advice, I will use a misting system
BTW 90% of the stuff used for the cage will be made DIY MacGyver style, I like making things with my own hands
Yes waterfall, is it a bad ideea even for decoration?
Thank you for the advice, I will use a misting system
BTW 90% of the stuff used for the cage will be made DIY MacGyver style, I like making things with my own hands
camimom
New Member
Great, so than I will make a sliding door so that it can be removed at any time
Yes waterfall, is it a bad ideea even for decoration?
Thank you for the advice, I will use a misting system
BTW 90% of the stuff used for the cage will be made DIY MacGyver style, I like making things with my own hands
first, chams drink dripping water, not running/standing water. and waterfalls can breed bacteria. so unless you plan to sterlize it everyday, and i mean everyday, its a bad idea, even for decoration.
and many o fus build our own cages, in fact, im doing that this coming weekend.
i have an 8 month old male veiled named kink, hes getting a 2ftx2ftx4ft cage.
and in a month im getting a turquiose hoehnelli baby from a member here on the forum.
WARNING WARNING- chams are addictive.
Ultraviolent
New Member
Mmmmkay you lost me at the cage size, I'm not sure atm how to get dripping water in my room, if it is not posible to supply a constant fresh waterflow and I change the water container daily or even 2x a day?
P.S. sorry for the multitude of probably starter questions
P.S.S. better get addicted to chams than cocaine (btw Charile Sheen rocks
)
camimom
New Member
Mmmmkay you lost me at the cage size, I'm not sure atm how to get dripping water in my room, if it is not posible to supply a constant fresh waterflow and I change the water container daily or even 2x a day?
P.S. sorry for the multitude of probably starter questions
P.S.S. better get addicted to chams than cocaine (btw Charile Sheen rocks
haha no worries. adult male veileds need cages that are 2 ft wide, 2 ft deep, and 4 feet tall.
as for water, what i do, until i get a mistking, is i hand spray the cage with warm water 5 times a day for abotu 2 minutes each time. i also have a dripper, go to petco or petsmart, youll see them, they are green, called little drippers, and i have that set to drip a drop of water every second.
when youget a mistking, it has a timer so all you do is set it to what you want,then it goes off on its own, but it does need a water tank to get water from. (it explains in the directions).
no probolem to questions, thats what we are here for.
and haha very true. asa member on here says, geting addicted to chams lets you keep all your teeth! (just not your money)
Ultraviolent
New Member
I live in Romania, so we don't have any of the petshops above, but no worries, the internet is magical.
So, lets recap that, no water, dripper and hand spray
can anything bad happen if I have the fountain just for design? if I have the dripper, and I spray them with water?
So, lets recap that, no water, dripper and hand spray
can anything bad happen if I have the fountain just for design? if I have the dripper, and I spray them with water?
camimom
New Member
if there is standing water, and your cham poops in it, (which they can do) it will breed bacteria, if a cricket gets in it, then your cham eats that cricket, your cham now has eaten bacteria.
or your cham drinks from it (they do, but rarely) then that cham can get sick.
Ultraviolent
New Member
So they are very exposed to bacteria, good to know, *slowly passing the water fountain*
Any other health problems I could encounter/prevent at my cham (not sure of the breed yet)?
camimom
New Member
haha, i understand the desire for a water fountain.. its very pretty.
and there are so many that i couldnt list.
i would once you get your cham, have a fecal test done for parasites.
this is a major problem in chams.
other wise, keep an eye and if you have questions postem here.
if an eye is staying closed during the day, or if something seems off with them. or if thye are sleeping during the days, these are bad things.
Ultraviolent
New Member
Thank you for your time as soon as I have more information about the cham, or hopefully move it to my place, I will keep you informed and upload more pics too feed the curiosity
as soon as I have more information about the cham, or hopefully move it to my place, I will keep you informed and upload more pics too feed the curiosity
camimom
New Member
Thank you for your time
Youre welcome. Good luck, and pics are always accepted here!
You said..."I'm not sure atm how to get dripping water in my room"...in post #5 I said..."You can use a tall deli cup with a tiny hole punched in the bottom of it" for a source of water/dripper. You can also mist the leaves on the plants in the cage and the chameleon will like it off.
Some chameleons can swim...don't know if they all can...but its not something they do often, so why bother making them??
Can you post a photo of the other chameleon please?
The chameleon will eat insects. They should be gutloaded/fedd a nutritious diet and dusted before being given to the chameleon.
For the chameleon in the photo I would recommend a cage that is at least 2' tall x 18" x 18". You will need some branches that it can grasp easily with its feet...and I recommend some plants to help keep up the humidity and give the chameleon a place to hide. Make sure the branches and plants are non-toxic and the plants have been well-washed (both sides of the leaves).
The lid of the cage should be screen so that the UVB light can pass through it and be of use to your chameleon. The basking light can be a regular incandescent household bulb of a wattage that puts the basking temperature in the low 80"s.
If you place the basking light in one corner it will help to provide differences in temperature throughout the cage. The UVB light (most often recommended one is the long linear fluorescent Repti-Sun 5.0 tube UVB light) should run across the cage and there should be no plastic or glass between the UVB light and the chameleons.
This information I hope will help you with things like supplements, gutloading, etc....
Appropriate cage temperatures aid in digestion and thus play a part indirectly in nutrient absorption.
Exposure to UVB from either direct sunlight or a proper UVB light allows the chameleon to produce D3 so that it can use the calcium in its system to make/keep the bones strong and be used in other systems in the chameleon as well. The UVB should not pass through glass or plastic no matter whether its from the sun or the UVB light. The most often recommended UVB light is the long linear fluorescent Repti-sun 5.0 tube light. Some of the compacts, spirals and tube lights have caused health issues, but so far there have been no bad reports against this one.
Since many of the feeder insects we use in captivity have a poor ratio of calcium to phosphorus in them, its important to dust the insects just before you feed them to the chameleon at most feedings with a phos.-free calcium powder to help make up for it. (I use Rep-cal phosphorus-free calcium).
If you also dust twice a month with a phos.-free calcium/D3 powder it will ensure that your chameleon gets some D3 without overdoing it. It leaves the chameleon to produce the rest of what it needs through its exposure to the UVB light. D3 from supplements can build up in the system but D3 produced from exposure to UVB shouldn't as long as the chameleon can move in and out of it. (I use Rep-cal phos.-free calcium/D3).
Dusting twice a month as well with a vitamin powder that contains a beta carotene (prOformed) source of vitamin A will ensure that the chameleon gets some vitamins without the danger of overdosing the vitamin A. PrEformed sources of vitamin A can build up in the system and may prevent the D3 from doing its job and push the chameleon towards MBD. However, there is controversy as to whether all/any chameleons can convert the beta carotene and so some people give some prEformed vitamin A once in a while. (I use herptivite which has beta carotene.)
Gutloading/feeding the insects well helps to provide what the chameleon needs. I gutload crickets, roaches, locusts, superworms, etc. with an assortment of greens (dandelions, kale, collards, endive, escarole, mustard greens, etc.) and veggies (carrots, squash, sweet potato, sweet red pepper, zucchini, etc.)
Calcium, phos., D3 and vitamin A are important players in bone health and other systems in the chameleon (muscles, etc.) and they need to be in balance. When trying to balance them, you need to look at the supplements, what you feed the insects and what you feed the chameleon.
Please note that various supplements have various amounts of D3 and vitamin A and so some can be given more often than others. The idea still is not to overdo the fat soluble vitamins like D3 and prEformed vitamin A.
Here are some good sites for you to read too...
http://chameleonnews.com/07FebWheelock.html
http://web.archive.org/web/200605020...Vitamin.A.html
http://web.archive.org/web/200406080...d.Calcium.html
http://www.uvguide.co.uk/
http://web.archive.org/web/200601140...ww.adcham.com/
If you can't access the sites above that have the word "archive" in you can do it through the WayBackMachine.
Some chameleons can swim...don't know if they all can...but its not something they do often, so why bother making them??
Can you post a photo of the other chameleon please?
The chameleon will eat insects. They should be gutloaded/fedd a nutritious diet and dusted before being given to the chameleon.
For the chameleon in the photo I would recommend a cage that is at least 2' tall x 18" x 18". You will need some branches that it can grasp easily with its feet...and I recommend some plants to help keep up the humidity and give the chameleon a place to hide. Make sure the branches and plants are non-toxic and the plants have been well-washed (both sides of the leaves).
The lid of the cage should be screen so that the UVB light can pass through it and be of use to your chameleon. The basking light can be a regular incandescent household bulb of a wattage that puts the basking temperature in the low 80"s.
If you place the basking light in one corner it will help to provide differences in temperature throughout the cage. The UVB light (most often recommended one is the long linear fluorescent Repti-Sun 5.0 tube UVB light) should run across the cage and there should be no plastic or glass between the UVB light and the chameleons.
This information I hope will help you with things like supplements, gutloading, etc....
Appropriate cage temperatures aid in digestion and thus play a part indirectly in nutrient absorption.
Exposure to UVB from either direct sunlight or a proper UVB light allows the chameleon to produce D3 so that it can use the calcium in its system to make/keep the bones strong and be used in other systems in the chameleon as well. The UVB should not pass through glass or plastic no matter whether its from the sun or the UVB light. The most often recommended UVB light is the long linear fluorescent Repti-sun 5.0 tube light. Some of the compacts, spirals and tube lights have caused health issues, but so far there have been no bad reports against this one.
Since many of the feeder insects we use in captivity have a poor ratio of calcium to phosphorus in them, its important to dust the insects just before you feed them to the chameleon at most feedings with a phos.-free calcium powder to help make up for it. (I use Rep-cal phosphorus-free calcium).
If you also dust twice a month with a phos.-free calcium/D3 powder it will ensure that your chameleon gets some D3 without overdoing it. It leaves the chameleon to produce the rest of what it needs through its exposure to the UVB light. D3 from supplements can build up in the system but D3 produced from exposure to UVB shouldn't as long as the chameleon can move in and out of it. (I use Rep-cal phos.-free calcium/D3).
Dusting twice a month as well with a vitamin powder that contains a beta carotene (prOformed) source of vitamin A will ensure that the chameleon gets some vitamins without the danger of overdosing the vitamin A. PrEformed sources of vitamin A can build up in the system and may prevent the D3 from doing its job and push the chameleon towards MBD. However, there is controversy as to whether all/any chameleons can convert the beta carotene and so some people give some prEformed vitamin A once in a while. (I use herptivite which has beta carotene.)
Gutloading/feeding the insects well helps to provide what the chameleon needs. I gutload crickets, roaches, locusts, superworms, etc. with an assortment of greens (dandelions, kale, collards, endive, escarole, mustard greens, etc.) and veggies (carrots, squash, sweet potato, sweet red pepper, zucchini, etc.)
Calcium, phos., D3 and vitamin A are important players in bone health and other systems in the chameleon (muscles, etc.) and they need to be in balance. When trying to balance them, you need to look at the supplements, what you feed the insects and what you feed the chameleon.
Please note that various supplements have various amounts of D3 and vitamin A and so some can be given more often than others. The idea still is not to overdo the fat soluble vitamins like D3 and prEformed vitamin A.
Here are some good sites for you to read too...
http://chameleonnews.com/07FebWheelock.html
http://web.archive.org/web/200605020...Vitamin.A.html
http://web.archive.org/web/200406080...d.Calcium.html
http://www.uvguide.co.uk/
http://web.archive.org/web/200601140...ww.adcham.com/
If you can't access the sites above that have the word "archive" in you can do it through the WayBackMachine.
Ultraviolent
New Member
Guys one of the chams ( the bigger green one) is very lazy and has a shut eye wich he opens very strange
What now?? Some medication or some remedy?
What now?? Some medication or some remedy?
Elizadolots
New Member
They shouldn't be sleeping during the day, however, just shutting one eye might not be sleeping.
I would try to separate them today if possible. They can cause each other a lot of unhealthy stress if kept together.
Someone on here suggested using a mesh laundry basket as a temporary cage. Ikea has one that's not expensive.
I would try to separate them today if possible. They can cause each other a lot of unhealthy stress if kept together.
Someone on here suggested using a mesh laundry basket as a temporary cage. Ikea has one that's not expensive.
Ultraviolent
New Member
So it looks very weak and drowzy, does it need any medication or a vet?
Ultraviolent
New Member
Oh by the way, what air humidity should the terrarium be kept?
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