Meet Chandler

[AnneKemp]

Hi everyone, im very new to all this and a bit nervous so be kind
I got my first Cham today and to say the least she is a grumpy little girl,
was hoping for some general care advice although i have read as much as i can.
The setup is going to change as soon as my delivery comes through.
Will be posting some pictures soon as.
( the little pic above is not my Cham )

 

[Ryan Jarosek]

Hi everyone, im very new to all this and a bit nervous so be kind
I got my first Cham today and to say the least she is a grumpy little girl,
was hoping for some general care advice although i have read as much as i can.
The setup is going to change as soon as my delivery comes through.
Will be posting some pictures soon as.
( the little pic above is not my Cham )

Welcome to the forum, No need to be nervous. Most of us are really nice. Can't wait to see her pics. Put some up of the enclosure as well.

Why the name Chandler? just curious

 

[AnneKemp]

Dont worry i have been asked this quite alot,
The reason i picked Chandler is because she is a Yemen Cham,
and in FRIENDS Chandler moves to Yeamen to be away from Janice
and also Phoebe's brother names his daughter Chandler.
Sad i know, but i like to be a bit different.

 

[Ryan Jarosek]

Dont worry i have been asked this quite alot,
The reason i picked Chandler is because she is a Yemen Cham,
and in FRIENDS Chandler moves to Yeamen to be away from Janice
and also Phoebe's brother names his daughter Chandler.
Sad i know, but i like to be a bit different.

NO WAY , That is why I asked. I hoped that was the story. I actually toyed with the name for my Yemen. We ended up with Tony, as my wife over ruled me. That is sooooooooo cool. I love it. I am a huge fan of Friends.

 

[AnneKemp]

Finally someone who actually gets it,
Am trying to put up some pics.

 

[AnneKemp]

While im trying to figure out how to put pictures on here
i thought id ask a quick question?
Are the tiny flies in my enclosure normal ?

 

[Ryan Jarosek]

While im trying to figure out how to put pictures on here
i thought id ask a quick question?
Are the tiny flies in my enclosure normal ?

They are harmless but can be annoying. they are coming from the soil.

usually fungus knats or something along that line. They young live off the roots in the plants.

What you can do is re-pot the plants with some different soil and cover them with Rocks. Make sure the rocks are large enough that your cham can't ingest them.

 

[AnneKemp]

Ok thanks, only thing is the bottom of the enclosure is covered with
some sort of soil substrate, it came that way, is there something better
i could use ?

 

[nicolie85]

Paper towels for substrate all the way! Cheap and very easy to change out. Soil may be ingested by your chameleon and cause impaction. No good.

 

[Ryan Jarosek]

Ok thanks, only thing is the bottom of the enclosure is covered with
some sort of soil substrate, it came that way, is there something better
i could use ?

The best substate for a Chameleon is no substrate. remove it. Bare floor is better. Very easy to Clean no bacteria and there isn't anything for the Cham to accidentally ingest.

 

[Scott85]

I the same problem with the flies. I started to put an inch of sand on top of the soil in all the plants in the chameleon room. Then on top of the sand I put large rocks. I haven't seen the flies since I added the sand.

 

[AnneKemp]

Im going to remove the substrate on the bottom tonight,
I also have more branches turning up tommorow.

 

[Ryan Jarosek]

Cool, Do you have any plans to move to a screen cage when he gets older. I would recomend it.

How about feeder suplimentation.

Are you using a Calcium no D3 , Calcium w d3 and a Multi vit?

 

[AnneKemp]

Right have filled in a questionnaire if you can help with
anything that would be great.
And yes i want to get a screened cage, but seeing as
i just spent quite a bit on her and the one that came with her.


Cage Info:
Cage Type - Vented metal, Grilled top. glass front
What are the dimensions? 3ft wide, 2ft deep, 2ft high.
Lighting - Reptiglo 5, 30 inch and Infa Red Heat bulb in Dome.
What is your daily lighting schedule? I dont actually have one yet.
Temperature -
What temp range have you created (cage floor to basking spot)? Dont know yet.
Lowest overnight temp? Dont Know yet.
How do you measure these temps? Temperature Dials on way.
Humidity -
What are your humidity levels? Dont know yet.
How are you creating and maintaining these levels?
What do you use to measure humidity? Analogue dial on way.
Plants -
Are you using live plants? If so, what kind? One ficus plant.
Location -
Where is your cage located? In bedroom opposite window, near door.
Is it near any fans, air vents, or high traffic areas? No.
At what height is the top of the cage relative to your room floor? 4ft

Chameleon Info:
Your Chameleon - Female, Yemen Veiled, About 6 months.
How long has it been in your care? 1/2 a day
Handling -
How often do you handle your chameleon? havent.
Feeding -
What are you feeding your cham? Crickets
What amount? Dont Know yet
What is the schedule?None
How are you gut-loading your feeders? Fruit and veg
Supplements - On their way
What brand and type of calcium and vitamin products are you dusting your feeders with and what is the schedule?
Watering -
What kind of watering technique do you use? At the moment just spraying with Water
How often and how long to you mist? Once an hour for 2 minutes
Do you see your chameleon drinking? havent
Fecal Description -
Briefly note colors and consistency from recent droppings? White
Has this chameleon ever been tested for parasites? No idea
History -
Any previous information ? Was in a pet shop for first 6 months
Current Problem - Just trying to get things sorted.

 

[Ryan Jarosek]

Most important lights


you will need a 18" reptisun 5.0 linear bulb. And for the basking light a regular house bulb in the range of 50w - 75w.

You will need a fixture for the UV bulb and a done for the house bulb. The dome should be positioned so that one section on the top of the cage is about 29-30c . I think that is 85-90 F. You may need to have it hung just above the cage. Use distance to change the heat.

The UVB reptisun bulb will need to sit on top , It cannot be blocked by glass or plastic. Screen is ok.

read this , worth every word. It is awesome. It will clear up a lot of your questions. V

http://raisingkittytheveiledchameleon.blogspot.com/

If you have any questions let me know.

 

[AnneKemp]

Ok thanks, i actually do have those and in the
right place by the sounds of it, sorry must have
missed that bit on the questionnaire.
IM JUST SOOOO EXCITED !!!

 

[Ryan Jarosek]

Ok thanks, i actually do have those and in the
right place by the sounds of it, sorry must have
missed that bit on the questionnaire.
IM JUST SOOOO EXCITED !!!

You are doing awesome for the first time setup. I know how exciting it can be.

I have 19 Chameleons . 6 panthers, 1 Veiled , 4 Carpets, 3 Pygmies and 2 Jacksons

I only started this Chameleon thing about 7 months ago.

 

[AnneKemp]

WOW dont think my husband will let me go quite that far !!!
Thanks for all your help.

 

[AnneKemp]

Have removed all substrate and given her a good misting
there are also a couple of crix in there so fingers crossed.