How do I get baby Cham to eat better?

M

MyGfHasAChameleon

Member
Chameleon Info:
  • Your Chameleon - The species, sex, and age of your chameleon. How long has it been in your care? 2-3 week old Male Baby Veiled Chameleon. I have had him for 2 weeks now.
  • Handling - How often do you handle your chameleon? I don’t he his too small I don’t want to hurt him.
  • Feeding - What are you feeding your cham? What amount? What is the schedule? How are you gut-loading your feeders? I put 10-15 pinhead crickets into his feeding bowl because they escape. So I know he won’t find them all but I see him eat about 3-4. They are already gut loaded form where I get them but I give them flickers cubes and calcium. Diet. I feed him 2 hours before I wake up.
  • Supplements - What brand and type of calcium and vitamin products are you dusting your feeders with and what is the schedule? ZooMed Repticalcium with no D3 everyday except Friday Saturday and Sunday. ZooMed D3 Calcium and Hepritvie vitamins on Friday Saturday and Sunday.
  • Watering - What kind of watering technique do you use? How often and how long to you mist? Do you see your chameleon drinking? I mist him about 6 times a day for 30 seconds. I see him take big gulps of the water.
  • Fecal Description - Briefly note colors and consistency from recent droppings. Has this chameleon ever been tested for parasites? It’s small and half brown half white cuz he’s a baby it’s not very big. No parasites
  • History - No major history

Cage Info:
  • Cage Type - Describe your cage (Glass, Screen, Combo?) What are the dimensions? Screen 16”L x 16”H x 30W” Zoo med I will update when he’s a little bigger
  • Lighting - What brand, model, and types of lighting are you using? What is your daily lighting schedule? Reptisun 5.0 Tube. 100W basking Bulb from zoomed
  • Temperature - What temp range have you created (cage floor to basking spot)? Lowest overnight temp? How do you measure these temps? Bottom is about 75 Towards top it’s about 84 and his basking is 88-90. At first it was hotter but he would have his mouth open in it so it was too hot.
  • Humidity - What are your humidity levels? How are you creating and maintaining these levels? What do you use to measure humidity? 50-60% I mist him a lot and I have moss vines and substrate that I absorbs it.
  • Plants - Are you using live plants? If so, what kind? No live plants
  • 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? My cage is in my room about 4ft off the ground so pretty high.
  • Location - Where are you geographically located Sacramento, California

  • does he look okay?
 

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He doesn’t seem interested in a cup feeder or a bowl and he doesn’t hunt very well or at least I don’t see him hunt very well. What can I do to make him eat more or what do you guys use to make sure they are eating properly.
 
Just put plenty of feeders in his cage, trust me he will hunt them down and eat. Both of my chams where never interested in a feeding cup. I tried many times but they did way better when I just randomly poured feeders around their cages. I was at first worried because I didn’t think my guys where eating enough or couldn’t “find them” but think about the wild. In the wild they have the whole bush/tree to try to find food in compared to our way smaller cages. He will be fine just make sure he has enough to get full in his cage lol.
 
You said.."ZooMed Repticalcium with no D3 everyday except Friday Saturday and Sunday. ZooMed D3 Calcium and Hepritvie vitamins on Friday Saturday and Sunday....should be phos free calcium dusted lightly at all feedings but 4 a month and two of those should be phos free calcium/D3 dusted lightly every second week and two of them should be herptivite dusted lightly every second week that you don't to the phos free calcium D3.

Your basking temperatures are way too hot....low 80's F is better.
If he's too hot he may not eat.

The UVB should be the long linear tube reptisun 5.0.
 
Whoa whoa whoa, wait up here...2-3 WEEKS old?? He doesnt even have a casque growing yet?? That baby is so small, where did you say you got it? You have had this baby since it was one week old??

I would put the baby in a large plastic tote. And I would free range feed it, not in a feeder run. You should start with fruit flies, rice beetles, freahly hatched mantis, and tiny pinhead crickets.

The same temps (80-82 max) and same humidity (30-50% during the day) and definitely still get that light bar.

Im so sorry i didnt realize before that your baby was LITERALLY a baby!!

@jannb can show you pictures of her baby bin set-ups so you can have a feel for how it should be set up. Think of this tote as the nursery. I lined the bottom of mine with paper towels and changed them out daily. Then i made a "jungle gym" out of wooden dowels and squewers with the tips cut off, held together with hot glue. And then a few plastic leaves in the bottom to hold the mist. Do not mist your baby on his face as he may breath in the water.
 
It is like midnight here, and Im running on E. I will definitely check back in the am to check out this post. And if no one has given you more info Ill see what im missing and fill in the blanks. Sorry it is so scatter brained.
 
AmandaS said:
Whoa whoa whoa, wait up here...2-3 WEEKS old?? He doesnt even have a casque growing yet?? That baby is so small, where did you say you got it? You have had this baby since it was one week old??

I would put the baby in a large plastic tote. And I would free range feed it, not in a feeder run. You should start with fruit flies, rice beetles, freahly hatched mantis, and tiny pinhead crickets.

The same temps (80-82 max) and same humidity (30-50% during the day) and definitely still get that light bar.

Im so sorry i didnt realize before that your baby was LITERALLY a baby!!

@jannb can show you pictures of her baby bin set-ups so you can have a feel for how it should be set up. Think of this tote as the nursery. I lined the bottom of mine with paper towels and changed them out daily. Then i made a "jungle gym" out of wooden dowels and squewers with the tips cut off, held together with hot glue. And then a few plastic leaves in the bottom to hold the mist. Do not mist your baby on his face as he may breath in the water.
Click to expand...
I got him from my friends friend who breeds chameleons I’ve been giving him Pinhead crickets in his cage I had on fruit flies for the first week, should he have a casque is it not growing from lack of eating?
 
MyGfHasAChameleon said:
I got him from my friends friend who breeds chameleons I’ve been giving him Pinhead crickets in his cage I had on fruit flies for the first week, should he have a casque is it not growing from lack of eating?
Click to expand...
No, his casque will grow in with age. I just cant believe anyone gave/sold a Chan this young. Especially if they didnt give you tips/tricks on husbandry.

I would take the baby out of the enclosure he is in and keep him in a tote until like 8 weeks. And I would give him fruit flies again for a few more weeks at least. Also rice beetles are great. They sell mantid ooths on ebay for like $8 each too. Set them in the bin and wait for it to hatch.
 
AmandaS said:
No, his casque will grow in with age. I just cant believe anyone gave/sold a Chan this young. Especially if they didnt give you tips/tricks on husbandry.

I would take the baby out of the enclosure he is in and keep him in a tote until like 8 weeks. And I would give him fruit flies again for a few more weeks at least. Also rice beetles are great. They sell mantid ooths on ebay for like $8 each too. Set them in the bin and wait for it to hatch.
Click to expand...
Yeah I know they don’t ship them that young BECASUE of how stressed they can get and die. For the tote do I put foliage and branches and give him his heat and uvb like hanging above? I thought maybe his cage was too big for him at so young I’ll get a bin for him and start him on the fruit flies again
 
MyGfHasAChameleon said:
Yeah I know they don’t ship them that young BECASUE of how stressed they can get and die. For the tote do I put foliage and branches and give him his heat and uvb like hanging above? I thought maybe his cage was too big for him at so young I’ll get a bin for him and start him on the fruit flies again
Click to expand...
Some people do not use heat. But I keep the heat at 81 degrees. Yes to the uv also, but make sure it is a linear 5.0 light bar and it is hung 9" above the highest spot the baby can reach.
I used plastic leaves like the ones you have hanging...just take 2 of those and toss them in the bottom of the tote...that way there is some climbing/hiding/drinking places. You can twist that vine up in there too so theres more climbing spots. That is where i used the wooden dowels.

And also people do not sell them,that young because mortality rate is high and,they are super sensitive and delicate at that age. They are not hardy and can pass very easily, especially if their care is off.
 
AmandaS said:
No, his casque will grow in with age. I just cant believe anyone gave/sold a Chan this young. Especially if they didnt give you tips/tricks on husbandry.

I would take the baby out of the enclosure he is in and keep him in a tote until like 8 weeks. And I would give him fruit flies again for a few more weeks at least. Also rice beetles are great. They sell mantid ooths on ebay for like $8 each too. Set them in the bin and wait for it to hatch.
Click to expand...
Thank you for all your help!
 
AmandaS said:
Some people do not use heat. But I keep the heat at 81 degrees. Yes to the uv also, but make sure it is a linear 5.0 light bar and it is hung 9" above the highest spot the baby can reach.
I used plastic leaves like the ones you have hanging...just take 2 of those and toss them in the bottom of the tote...that way there is some climbing/hiding/drinking places. You can twist that vine up in there too so theres more climbing spots. That is where i used the wooden dowels.

And also people do not sell them,that young because mortality rate is high and,they are super sensitive and delicate at that age. They are not hardy and can pass very easily, especially if their care is off.
Click to expand...
Wow I have to be even more careful with him now I’ll pick up the tote and set everything up for him tomorrow
 
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