Help with lighting temperatures!!

[Alberto504]

Chameleon Info:
• Your Chameleon – Panther Chameleon, Male, 3 weeks old, have had him for 2 days now.
• Handling – I have held him twice to feed him, once everyday.
• Feeding – I am feeding him 1/8th sized crickets gut-loaded with gut loading cubes.
• Supplements – I am supplementing him with zoomed calcium without d3 everyday, and I will begin to feed him once with d3.
• Watering – I have a dripper on the top, with misting him constantly when the leaves dry up. I see him drinking water. I try to keep humidity at around 60%.
• Fecal Description – From what I’ve seen it was hard and black I’m not 100% sure those were dropping though.
• History – Got him two days ago.

Cage Info:
• Cage Type – I have him in a 16x16x30 screen cage.
• Lighting – I am using a reptisun 5.0 and a 60 watt lighting for the cage.
• Temperature – The top side of the cage has a temperature of 80 degrees at basking and the bottom at around 73 degrees.
• Humidity – For the humidity I try to keep it around 60% and I achieving this humidity by spraying the cage with water.
• Plants – I am using live plants, the only plant I have is a ficus plant.
• Placement – The cage is located next to my window in my room and is at a high of about 4 feet making the top of it around 7 feet tall.
• Location – I am located in San Diego, California.

Current Problem – I am wondering if the temperature in the cage is too hot for him. Another problem I am having is that the lowest I can get the cage at is around 80 degrees with the UVB light on, and the basking light off.

 

[jamjam]

theres been several cases this week of people buying their chameleons at a very young age and its not your fault but the breeders, typically they should be established and known to be healthy (eating and what not) before they are sold most reputable breeders will wait until 2-3 months atleast. However unlike some of the other cases yours seems to be doing well. I would definitely improve your gutloading technique and how many crix are you feeding your lil guy? you can also try some fruit flies they are great for babies. at 3 weeks old you def do not want it getting hotter than 80F and dont quote me on this but almost positive ive read on numerous ocassions you may not need a basking bulb until like 2 months, especially if your temp is already at 80 without it. not quite sure if supplementing schedule changes for babies this young, other wise seem to be doing a good job! pics are always welcomed.

general rule of thumb with basking temps is 80f up to 3 months, 3 months 80-82, than an increase of 1 degree every month until optimal temps are reached

 

[jamjam]

seen the pics from your other thread and noticed some post contradicted what i said, heres a blog post from a senior member who im sure will see this and post it herself so ill beat her to it. he is a gude for new cham owners with youngish chams https://www.chameleonforums.com/blogs/jannb/325-info-new-keepers-young-veiled-panther-chameleons.html

 

[sharp229]

Have you seen him eating? To my knowledge supplements should be the same, calcium without d3 every day, calcium with d3 twice a month, and multivitamin twice a month. You should also gut load the feeders with fresh vegetables such as kale, collard greens, carrots, etc. If he is 3 weeks old and not 3 months, then that is definitely very young and you may have more of a challenge.

Your setup looks pretty good. If his basking temp is 80 and other parts of the cage are lower that should be OK. Do you have pictures of him and the cage? Below you can find a panther care sheet:

https://www.chameleonforums.com/care/caresheets/panther/

 

[Alberto504]

theres been several cases this week of people buying their chameleons at a very young age and its not your fault but the breeders, typically they should be established and known to be healthy (eating and what not) before they are sold most reputable breeders will wait until 2-3 months atleast. However unlike some of the other cases yours seems to be doing well. I would definitely improve your gutloading technique and how many crix are you feeding your lil guy? you can also try some fruit flies they are great for babies. at 3 weeks old you def do not want it getting hotter than 80F and dont quote me on this but almost positive ive read on numerous ocassions you may not need a basking bulb until like 2 months, especially if your temp is already at 80 without it. not quite sure if supplementing schedule changes for babies this young, other wise seem to be doing a good job! pics are always welcomed.

general rule of thumb with basking temps is 80f up to 3 months, 3 months 80-82, than an increase of 1 degree every month until optimal temps are reached

Thank you for all your advice, I went to the reptile store today and got a culture of fruit flies, he devoured like 12 of them so its good that he is eating. I will be posting more pictures of my set up tomorrow when he is not asleep.

 

[Alberto504]

Have you seen him eating? To my knowledge supplements should be the same, calcium without d3 every day, calcium with d3 twice a month, and multivitamin twice a month. You should also gut load the feeders with fresh vegetables such as kale, collard greens, carrots, etc. If he is 3 weeks old and not 3 months, then that is definitely very young and you may have more of a challenge.

Your setup looks pretty good. If his basking temp is 80 and other parts of the cage are lower that should be OK. Do you have pictures of him and the cage? Below you can find a panther care sheet:

https://www.chameleonforums.com/care/caresheets/panther/

I have been hand feeding him for the past two days so I know he's eating, I dusted the crickets with calcium without d3, however today I fed him fruit flies he loved them.

 

[jamjam]

i got my guy older than yours (2 months) even than fed him fruit flies and he loved them more so than crickets, maybe its the redish eyes. but glad hes doing well