Male cham being really pale for around a week

[Freyja737]

@Freyja737 Hi there. Sorry I was not around yesterday. My daughter starts college today so it was a crazy Sunday.

@elizaann2 gave you wonderful info.

With the monsoon can you increase the length of misting? 1 minute is not very long. I typically recommend 2-3 minutes.

You want a feeder run. Cup feeding can be great. But in addition to a feeder run. If you just made changes to his cage this could be why he is more stressed and afraid. Even removing a plant can throw them off. May I see a picture of the entire enclosure from the lights down please?

For trust building this is what I have done with all of mine. https://www.chameleonforums.com/blogs/building-trust-with-your-chameleon.2396/

Hey @Beman , it’s okay I know you guys all have things going on. Congrats on your daughter starting college !
I definitely got wonderful info from @elizaann2 , which I’m very grateful for.
So with the monsoon the max is 2 mins. In intervals of how many hours do you think it would be best to mist? I’ve also noticed that his urate is yellowish and very little in amount. I think he’s dehydrated, which worries me a lot.
I’m looking for a feeder run at an acceptable price. Most of my options are to order from the USA with a high delivery cost. Will keep looking. I didn’t think such things would be so problematic in Germany.
About feeders I’ve been googling and asking in shops about hornworms and silkworms and it turns out they don’t sell them here at all as feeder insects. Until now he’s been eating mostly domestic crickets (he loves those) and steppe crickets. Also tried dubias, which he’s not a big fan of and Terfly he loved hunting, but they messed up the enclosure and still can’t clean it up properly. Is there sth else you could recommend?
I’m also not sure what mix to make with the dirt for the new plants so they drain better and not rot. In a thread here someone had written that they use 50% organic potting soil, charcoal, orchid mix, some akadama, clay hydroballs and a bir of large grain sand. I feel like that is too many things for me to buy. What would be best to do?
Here is the pic you asked for. It’s too empty after 2 of the plants died. I’m thinking that I would need to change the thinnest sticks as well. He is not as big as he should be yet, but maybe they’re getting too thin for him.
P.S. Someone is awake and lurking from the back of the Ficus.

 

[Freyja737]

Wanted to show a nice photo of him, but he did not like being photographed. Do you think these colors on his head are normal? They appeared couple days ago

 

[MissSkittles]

Hope it’s ok if I answer some of your questions. For misting, it’s usually ideal to mist for at least two minutes right before lights go on and right before they go off. If you are seeing signs of dehydration, such as darker urates, you could add another misting at mid day. Some choose to use a dripper instead for about 15-20 minutes. If you are having a reliable drop in temperature at night below at least 20-21c, you can and should be running a cool mist fogger or humidifier to raise night humidity as high as possible. This simulates the hydration they get in the wild through fog and is very effective.
I have heard that hornworms aren’t available in Europe as they are garden pests. Have you checked on line feeder vendors for silkworms? Those are very different and less likely to be banned since they have lost the ability to survive and breed without humans. I would think you may be able to get mantids, but perhaps only seasonally. Maybe ask around at the reptile shops what other feeders you can obtain in your country and area.
You can make your own feeding station pretty easily. You can make the shooting gallery style with a plastic food storage container and push pins. Just cut out an area, sand or heat the sharp edges until they are dull (no tape!) and use the pins to attach it through the screen. You can make a feeder run with either a piece of pvc pipe and plastic mesh or even just use a tall plastic deli style container. Cut out an area on the side, add a bottom and top, attach the plastic mesh at the back for the bugs to climb on with small screws. I’m not sure how to hang that one, but I know that some use strong magnets for it.
Is organic potting soil mix available to you? It’s mainly chemicals that you want to avoid just in case your chameleon takes a bite of soil. Make sure your pots have some drainage holes in the bottom. You can add any small stones in the bottom of your plant pots to help with drainage. You don’t want your plant roots constantly sitting in water as that will cause them to rot. To prevent your chameleon from eating the soil, you could cover the top with some river rocks that are too big for him to eat.
Yes, I would add more branches of varied thickness. You can use branches from outside that you collect. Avoid trees with sap or odor, like pine trees. Oaks are very good. Give a little scrub with soapy water (I use dish soap), rinse very well and let dry in the sun. To attach them easier, you could use a bit of garden trellis attached to the frame of your enclosure.
He is such a little beauty! If you are asking about the black on his casque, yes, that is normal. As he grows, you’ll be seeing more of his gorgeous colors and markings coming in.

 

[Beman]

Hey @Beman , it’s okay I know you guys all have things going on. Congrats on your daughter starting college !
I definitely got wonderful info from @elizaann2 , which I’m very grateful for.
So with the monsoon the max is 2 mins. In intervals of how many hours do you think it would be best to mist? I’ve also noticed that his urate is yellowish and very little in amount. I think he’s dehydrated, which worries me a lot.
I’m looking for a feeder run at an acceptable price. Most of my options are to order from the USA with a high delivery cost. Will keep looking. I didn’t think such things would be so problematic in Germany.
About feeders I’ve been googling and asking in shops about hornworms and silkworms and it turns out they don’t sell them here at all as feeder insects. Until now he’s been eating mostly domestic crickets (he loves those) and steppe crickets. Also tried dubias, which he’s not a big fan of and Terfly he loved hunting, but they messed up the enclosure and still can’t clean it up properly. Is there sth else you could recommend?
I’m also not sure what mix to make with the dirt for the new plants so they drain better and not rot. In a thread here someone had written that they use 50% organic potting soil, charcoal, orchid mix, some akadama, clay hydroballs and a bir of large grain sand. I feel like that is too many things for me to buy. What would be best to do?
Here is the pic you asked for. It’s too empty after 2 of the plants died. I’m thinking that I would need to change the thinnest sticks as well. He is not as big as he should be yet, but maybe they’re getting too thin for him.
P.S. Someone is awake and lurking from the back of the Ficus.

You could try 2 minutes and an 8 hour interval. Also add a dripper to the cage. You can use a plastic solo cup with tiny pin holes in the bottom and set that on top either ice cubes for a slow drip in it or water.

You could make your own feeder run... https://dragonstrand.com/constructing-a-chameleon-feeder-run/


His colors are normal also.

 

[Freyja737]

@elizaann2 @Beman @MissSkittles
I apologize in advance for the photo I’m about to show you, but I found out that he turned the Bromeliad pot to his new toilet. At least I know for sure he’s not impacted (I express my worries about it in one of my earlier messages), but the urate worries me…What do you think?

 

[elizaann2]

@elizaann2 @Beman @MissSkittles
I apologize in advance for the photo I’m about to show you, but I found out that he turned the Bromeliad pot to his new toilet. At least I know for sure he’s not impacted (I express my worries about it in one of my earlier messages), but the urate worries me…What do you think?

Good boy! So long as he isn’t impacted who cares where he goes? . It looks yellow to me is that correct?

 

[Beman]

@elizaann2 @Beman @MissSkittles
I apologize in advance for the photo I’m about to show you, but I found out that he turned the Bromeliad pot to his new toilet. At least I know for sure he’s not impacted (I express my worries about it in one of my earlier messages), but the urate worries me…What do you think?

So you want to look for a fresh one. You do not know how long that one has been sitting there which can effect their color.

 

[Freyja737]

Good boy! So long as he isn’t impacted who cares where he goes? . It looks yellow to me is that correct?

Yup, it is yellow and a very little amount