is my setup good??

[p4prop]

Got a 1.5 year old veiled male cham 4 days ago and am not convinced he is enjoying life in his new home but due to being a novice might be worried for no reason!

Got him from a friend who had two males that started fighting. Since I bought him home havent seen him drink and he has started to shed his skin but he is eating probably about 5 hoppers a day. He has also started keeping his mouth open. Tried to handle him and he didnt seem to like the idea!

My setup is a glass 600 x 400 x 400 tank with mesh roof. I have a basking lamp with thermostat set to 31°c and uvb bulb in tank.

I have plenty of fake plants and a live ficus plant. Fake vines and spray the tank in the morning and lots in the evening.

Looking for some advice if needed and from what I have read this site seems to be good at helping.

Phil

 

[AACblackout]

Pics would help alot

 

[p4prop]

Good point. Should be attached.

 

[shandi]

Glass cages are not the best for chameleons because they need airflow. Also having bark or woodchips as a substrate could impact him if he ingests it. I don't even have a substrate in my cage because it just gets drenched. It is harder to keep humidity up in a screen cage without substrate but it's possible. Other than that the setup inside is good.

 

[anwisnie]

That enclosure is a little small for him. The general rule is to use a 24"x24"x48" enclosure for an adult. I have never used a glass enclosure, so I can't speak for their disadvantages, but I use a screen enclosure that mine seems to love. You may run into humidity/temp problems due to the lack of air flow.

You are not seeing him drink, and that is somewhat normal, but I do not see any source of water other than a spray bottle in the picture. If you are only misting his cage for water, I would recommend at least setting up a water drip so he has a constant source. If you have the money to invest, get a mister. I was hesitant about them, but am happy with the purchase still. If that is a water bowl at the bottom of the cage, take it out. They do most of their drinking from leaves, and bowls of standing water breed bacteria.

Keeping his mouth open is commonly a sign of overheating. This could be an issue with the glass enclosure retaining heat, or too powerful of a heat source. What temperature is his basking spot at and what is the ambient temp in the enclosure?

 

[AACblackout]

Glass enclosure are fine as long as you allow air flow and don't leave any standing water and clean It every week. I use glass enclosure with screen tops and dans