Is he healthy !?!?!

[Heika]

*actually, always listen to Heika...she has great success and sound advice

Haha! While I am flattered, my shit does stink. There are lots of very experienced keepers on this forum who may disagree with me about the basking light, and there are many whose opinion I would trust over my own.

I have ended up letting mine grow to full size and cocoon in the silkworm drawer. Hopefully I'll have breeding moths soon and can start over.

Have they started cocooning for you, Brad?

Does the dark coloration show that he is cold?

Dark coloration can be an indication that he is cold, but it can also show that he is stressed about something. Don't assume that just because he is dark that you need to increase the heat.

We will try to run the dripper for longer periods.
Will the extra heat and water help with the eye issue?

Try and get an extra misting or two a day in there too, if you can. I wouldn't add any more heat at the moment.. maybe in a month or so, you might want to take your basking temp up a bit higher, but for now, you are maxed on heat.

 

[Brad Ramsey]

We all have different ideas now and again especially when it comes to details and specifics but don't let Heika fool you. She just brought a group of little veileds back from the brink not too long ago.

Heika- I have 6 cocoons so far.

-Brad

 

[Dave Weldon]

* Temperature - What temperature range have you created? Basking spot temp? What is the temperature at night?

During the day time the temp is about 25C, basking spot is about 30C. At night it goes down to about 20C, and we take the heat lamp off (The red one)...

Howdy,

If you are using the RED lamp as his basking heat source, then switching to either a std. home-type bulb or a small flood lamp. Try getting those temps from something around 50W-75W and adjust the distance to get the right temps. White light is a more normal spectrum for him to be exposed to.

 

[isamu]

Thanks guys for all the assistance.

When we added the red light, he went back to a bright green, so we do not think he was stressed.

Can we make use of a ceramic heat emitter for a heat source instead of the red light? (On a thermostat to keep the temp correct)

PS: how can you tell that he is dehydrated from the pics? We would just like to know the symptoms so that we can catch it early enough to rectify.

Here is a pic of his fecal matter from this morning. Does this look right?

 

[Marc10edora]

I don't think replacing the red light with a ceramic one is a good idea. Chams have very good eye sight and only recognize light as a heat source. That's why we nobody uses heat mats or heat rocks. Using a basking bulb will mimic the sun and the cham will be able to recognize the light as a heat source. I only use the infared light at night during the winter because the ambient temps get harder to maintain and the red light won't disrupt their sleeping.

 

[Brad Ramsey]

As Dave said the fixture is fine but a normal incandescent bulb would be better.
Don't bother with the ceramic heater.
Poop looks good...is there any watery-ness around the urates (white part)?
I like to see a little liquid there instead of a hard white and yellow plug.
Around his eye turrets the skin is slightly sunken, like an outline around his eyes. They should be full and bulgy if he is well hydrated.

-Brad

 

[Marc10edora]

Brad,
what does it mean when a cham has a hard white part in the poop besides a little liquid? Does liquid mean they are more healthy?

 

[Brad Ramsey]

This is just my opinion, but, I like to see a bit of wetness in the urates.
It shows (to me) that the cham is not dehydrated ...he can afford to expel some liquid. If the urates are all hard and dryish and particularly if they have a lot of yellow, that is an indication of dehydration.

-Brad

 

[isamu]

The poop was moist, but not runny. Very similar to our ball pythons urates.
Does this mean there is enough water?

Also, he is looking more lively today, not so dark. He has not yet closed his one eye once yet.

He is eating like there is no tomorrow (already eaten 14 pinheads) - is this a good sign?

We are getting silks today (a little bigger than 1/2 inch) - so hopefully he'll munch down.

 

[isamu]

Hi there,

We tried giving him the silks, but he is not to keen to try them.
What would be the best way to get him interested in silk?

He just wants the pinheads.

Thanks

 

[Brad Ramsey]

Try removing all feeders from the enclosure and place the smallest silkworm you have on a branch.
It's new for him so he may be a bit tentative...also might be intimidated by the size.
Be patient, once he tries one he'll be hooked.

-Brad

 

[isamu]

Thanks, I'll try that.
We got him a waterfall today so that he would have a constant supply of water.
So hopefully, he'll be back in shape in not time

Once again, thanks for all the assistance.

 

[Brad Ramsey]

I'm so sorry to have to tell you this but,
the waterfall is a really bad idea.
You need to understand how chameleons get their water and
how pure it needs to be.
A waterfall is instantly a breeding ground for bacteria and impossible to keep clean.
Additionally, crickets will drown in it and your chameleon will poop in it.
Stick to the dripper and misting.
Fresh water only! Like the dew and rain they drink in their natural habitat.
No recycled water is acceptable.
Remember, this animal is really specific and one of the hardest reptiles
to care for.
Perhaps you can return the waterfall or use it for one of your other animals.

-Brad

 

[Jerambis]

I Hate to say it since you just bought it, but waterfalls are a bad idea, unless fresh water is going down it and the water that has already gone down is never used again (even then its not a good idea). Waterfalls can carry bacteria that may make your cham very sick. Stick to misting and a dripper, it is the best thing for your cham and the most natural.

 

[Brad Ramsey]

Jerambis,
We must have been typing at the same time.

Isamu,
You're not the first person ,nor will you be the last, to make the waterfall purchase for a cham. It really does seem like a good idea until you learn enough to realize the harm it can cause.
We're all making mistakes like this all the time...it's part of the process...
I'm so happy we have this forum!!!

-Brad

 

[Dave Weldon]

...Here is a pic of his fecal matter from this morning. Does this look right?

Howdy,

Your critter's poop doesn't look way-out-a-whack. As Brad said, many of us think that a bit more moisture in the poop might suggest that the chameleon is hydrated well enough that it can spare to waist a bit of it being added to the poop. On the other end, if it is runny poop then look into getting a sample checked for parasites. That's not to say that non-runny poop means there are no parasites but that runny poop can be a symptom of some form of parasites at work in the chameleon's intestine etc.

Here's what my panther's poop looks like (fresh enough for ya :

 

[Heika]

Every time I see that picture it just makes me like ya more, Dave. That is just.. gross.

 

[isamu]

Thanks guys.

Well, we've thrown out the waterfall. .
Got a 2l dripping system that runs for about +/- 10 hours of the day. We will be misting him in the morning and evening.

We have also moved him from the exo-terra terrarium (glass tank with mesh top) to the exo-terra flex-aruim (all mesh).

One quick question though - can we shine the UVB light through the mesh or should we mount it inside?

Hopefully all this will help in sorting the little guy out

Thanks again.

 

[Dave Weldon]

...One quick question though - can we shine the UVB light through the mesh or should we mount it inside?

Howdy,

You can shine it through the mesh and most of us do just that. Depending on the mesh density, you will may block between roughly 15% and 35%
of the UVB. With a Reptisun 5.0 set at 6" to 12" away from the critter, you will still be getting enough UVB to him.

 

[isamu]

Thanks Dave,

Does his poop look dehydrated to you? It was moist when it came out, but not runny...
Coun't get a fresh photo like yours though...

What is the difference between the reptiglo 5.0 (what we currently have) and the reptisun 5.0?