Meet Zion!
- Thread starter marthasauer
- Start date
Mrjamwin
Chameleon Enthusiast
Hello there and welcome to the forums! I'd suggest filling this out and then if we have any good suggestions we can provide them to you. You have a very handsome Cham. Enjoy. 
Chameleon Info:
Cage Info:
Current Problem - The current problem you are concerned about.
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Please Note:
Chameleon Info:
- Your Chameleon - The species, sex, and age of your chameleon. How long has it been in your care?
- Handling - How often do you handle your chameleon?
- Feeding - What are you feeding your cham? What amount? What is the schedule? How are you gut-loading your feeders?
- Supplements - 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? How often and how long to you mist? Do you see your chameleon drinking?
- Fecal Description - Briefly note colors and consistency from recent droppings. Has this chameleon ever been tested for parasites?
- History - Any previous information about your cham that might be useful to others when trying to help you.
Cage Info:
- Cage Type - Describe your cage (Glass, Screen, Combo?) What are the dimensions?
- Lighting - What brand, model, and types of lighting are you using? What is your daily lighting schedule?
- Temperature - What temp range have you created (cage floor to basking spot)? Lowest overnight temp? How do you measure these temps?
- Humidity - What are your humidity levels? How are you creating and maintaining these levels? What do you use to measure humidity?
- Plants - Are you using live plants? If so, what kind?
- 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?
- Location - Where are you geographically located?
Current Problem - The current problem you are concerned about.
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Please Note:
- The more details you provide the better and more accurate help you will receive.
- Photos can be very helpful
marthasauer
Member
Chameleon Info:
Cage Info:
- Your Chameleon - 8 month old male veiled chameleon, I've had him for 2 months (since December 26th, 2020)
- Handling - I have only taken him out of the cage 2-3 times since I've had him. He doesn't seem to mind it but I know chameleons in general don't like being handled.
- Feeding - I've been feeding him mostly crickets but also dubia roaches, superworms, and hornworms. He eats about 4-5 bugs and I feed him every other day since veiled chameleons are notorious for becoming obese. I gutload the bugs about twice a week with kale, arugula, apple, and orange. Really whatever I find that I know is safe for chams.
- Supplements - Calcium without D3: Fluker's, Calcium with D3: Fluker's Repta Calcium, Multivitamin: Rep-Cal Herptivite. I use calcium without D3 on weekdays and go between with D3 and Multivitamin on weekends. So I use with D3 and Multivitamin once a month each.
- Watering - I have a big dripper that goes on all day and I mist him by hand twice a day for 2-3 minutes in the morning and night before the lights go out. I'm hoping to upgrade to a MistKing system soon. I usually don't see him drinking.
- Fecal Description - The droppings are black/brown and white. He goes every day to every other day. I don't believe he has been tested for parasites.
- History - I got him from Harris in Wonderland. He was captive bred.
Cage Info:
- Cage Type - I have a screen ZooMed XL cage (2 feet by 2 feet by 4 feet tall)
- Lighting - UVB: T5 HO Linear UVB Bulb from ZooMed, Basking: I was using a 100W bulb from Fluker's but I may be switching to another kind. Any suggestions? The lights turn on (on a timer) at 10 am and go off at 10pm.
- Temperature - Basking spot: 85 F, the cage is in the low 70's. At night it goes down to the high 50s to low 60s. I have two hydrometers/thermometers; one on the top (at basking spot) and one at the bottom.
- Humidity - The humidity stays between 30-50% during the day but it can go down to 20% at the basking spot. Is that normal? The humidity goes up at night, especially because I have a longer misting session before the lights go out. I have two hydrometer/thermometers in the cage.
- Plants - I'm using mostly live plants (snake plant, pothos, dracaena, and shefflera) and a few fake plants I got from a pet store.
- Placement - The cage is in my room so he can stay away from my family. There is a vent above the cage. The cage is located on the floor but I have a low bed and I don't stay in that half of my room. Do I have to lift the cage up or is it okay where it is on the ground?
- Location - I am located in New England, so it's winter time.
Attachments
cruz.m
Avid Member
Any and all fake vines/plants need to go it’s an impaction risk for veiled chameleons I’ll go through some of your form but hopefully someone else will as well. Oooo also I’d move the cage off the floor and onto something. Chameleons feel safer when they’re up higher and if you’re able to stare down on them they do not like it.
marthasauer
Member
Okay! Thanks so much for the feedback.
cordonwade
Member
You have a good looking cham for sure! As @cruz.m stated, fake plants need to go because Veileds are partly herbivorous and will occasionally bite chunks out of them. As for your basking light, I personally wouldn't be afraid to drop your bulb wattage down to at least 75 watts. That should keep the humidity around the basking spot slightly higher, as well as drop the basking temps into the ideal 80-85 range, instead of having them sit right at 85. I use the zoo med basking spot lamps for my basking spots. Seems like you're doing a good job monitoring your temps though. Just stay on top of that, and watch out for any gaping from your cham.
marthasauer
Member
I will take out the fake plants. The Fluker's bulb stopped working after about 6 weeks so I've been using a normal light bulb (75 watts) for the past day or two. Yesterday the bulb wasn't getting over 81 degrees but it's gotten to 85 today. I'll look out for any gaping.
cruz.m
Avid Member
Chameleon Info:
- Your Chameleon - 8 month old male veiled chameleon, I've had him for 2 months (since December 26th, 2020)
- Handling - I have only taken him out of the cage 2-3 times since I've had him. He doesn't seem to mind it but I know chameleons in general don't like being handled. I don’t take my girl out often and she’s the one choosing when to come out.
- Feeding - I've been feeding him mostly crickets but also dubia roaches, superworms, and hornworms. He eats about 4-5 bugs and I feed him every other day since veiled chameleons are notorious for becoming obese. I gutload the bugs about twice a week with kale, arugula, apple, and orange. Really whatever I find that I know is safe for chams. Supers and hornworms are treats so only feed two whenever you do 2-3 times a week. I’ll attach a gutload chart. Are the feeders appropriately sized?
- Supplements - Calcium without D3: Fluker's, Calcium with D3: Fluker's Repta Calcium, Multivitamin: Rep-Cal Herptivite. I use calcium without D3 on weekdays and go between with D3 and Multivitamin on weekends. So I use with D3 and Multivitamin once a month each. I’ll let someone else comment on the supplements. Does the multivitamin have D3?
- Watering - I have a big dripper that goes on all day and I mist him by hand twice a day for 2-3 minutes in the morning and night before the lights go out. I'm hoping to upgrade to a MistKing system soon. I usually don't see him drinking. Definitely invest in the mist king I’m currently waiting for mine to arrive!
- Fecal Description - The droppings are black/brown and white. He goes every day to every other day. I don't believe he has been tested for parasites. I recommend he gets tested for parasites and drop off two more fecals after to make sure they did not miss anything. Off topic but my cham is pooping right now
- History - I got him from Harris in Wonderland. He was captive bred. Not familiar with them so I’ll let someone else comment on this
Cage Info:
Current problem: I am curious about any suggestions to my husbandry. Zion has been doing well. Well you’ve been doing a pretty good job just some minor changes need to be done!
- Cage Type - I have a screen ZooMed XL cage (2 feet by 2 feet by 4 feet tall)
- Lighting - UVB: T5 HO Linear UVB Bulb from ZooMed, Basking: I was using a 100W bulb from Fluker's but I may be switching to another kind. Any suggestions? The lights turn on (on a timer) at 10 am and go off at 10pm. That’s pretty late mine turn on at 7:30 am and off at 7:30. Is there a reason for it? As for basking light I just use a regular incandescent house bulb 75 watts but you can use other wattages as long as they provide the correct temps.
- Temperature - Basking spot: 85 F, the cage is in the low 70's. At night it goes down to the high 50s to low 60s. I have two hydrometers/thermometers; one on the top (at basking spot) and one at the bottom. Basking 80°F (82°F max), are they digital hygrometers/thermometers?
- Humidity - The humidity stays between 30-50% during the day but it can go down to 20% at the basking spot. Is that normal? The humidity goes up at night, especially because I have a longer misting session before the lights go out. I have two hydrometer/thermometers in the cage. Maybe the heat is evaporating the water droplets idk, so going down a few wattages may help.
- Plants - I'm using mostly live plants (snake plant, pothos, dracaena, and shefflera) and a few fake plants I got from a pet store. Try adding some more foliage I’ll attach a chart and take the fake plants out
- Placement - The cage is in my room so he can stay away from my family. There is a vent above the cage. The cage is located on the floor but I have a low bed and I don't stay in that half of my room. Do I have to lift the cage up or is it okay where it is on the ground? Lift it up, and if you can move him away from the vent that’s be good too, is that a heater next to the cage or?
- Location - I am located in New England, so it's winter time.
Attachments
marthasauer
Member
I use the super worms and hornworms as treats and they're his eye width long. The hornworms are a bit bigger but they aren't huge. The multivitamin doesn't have D3. The lights turn on late because I usually stay up later and don't want to be kicked out of my room. I've also noticed that because the lights turn on/off when it's still dark outside I'm able to have a sort of sunrise/sunset system for him so the temperature gradually increases throughout the day. I have a male so I'm pretty sure they can experience higher basking temperatures up to 85 degrees. I know they have to be lower for females. And yes the hygrometers/thermometers is digital. The vent doesn't blow directly on him. It's about 5 feet away from his cage. There's a radiator behind him but It doesn't get very hot. Thanks for the help and I'll be sure to fix these few things. I hope your cham had a good poop?
cruz.m
Avid Member
It can be up to 85°F but most keepers keep them at 80°-82°F, just a recommendation. Is he sleeping before you turn the lights off? Sometimes chams will get ready for bed before lights are off, if he’s already sleeping when you turn lights off then I recommend changing the schedule. What time does it usually get dark? Do you know if in the morning he wakes up at 10:00 or before, when you turn lights on is he awake? Other light in the morning can also wake him up which is why I’m asking
marthasauer
Member
He isn't sleeping before they turn off but he does go into his sleeping spot an hourish before they go off. When I mist him right before the lights go off he's always still awake. Usually I'm not home right when the lights turn on but when I am I have noticed he gets up a little after the lights. Right now, the sun is rising around 7:30 and setting around 5:30 but in the summer it sets around 8-8:30. I have blackout curtains and my room is always dark when he's sleeping until maybe an hour or two before at the most.
ERKleRose
Chameleon Enthusiast
With the gutloading, the bugs should given gutload every day or night before to a few hours before feeding them off every single time. Make sure the kale isn’t raw if you continue to use it, raw kale is high in oxalates, but most importantly, it binds calcium! With your multivitamin, the Herptivite is a lesser quality and only contains proformed Vitamin A, not preformed Vitamin A. Zoo Med Reptivite without D3 had the preformed A and is a great quality! You can also upgrade to Zoo Med’s or Repashy’s plain calciums and calciums with D3 (Zoo Med’s ReptiCalciums with and without D3 or Repashy’s SuperCals Nod or LoD). Which Fluker’s calciums do you use? Your schedule should also be a quality phosphorus-free calcium without D3 every feeding, except for when using other supplements. A quality phosphorus-free calcium with D3 should be used once every two weeks, and a quality multivitamin without D3 should be used once every two weeks, as well. So one day each week you’ll alternate between the calcium w/D3 and the multivitamin without D3. What strength of Zoo Med UVB bulb do you use, and how old is it? How far away is the UVB bulb from his basking branch? How far away is his heat bulb, too? You’re temps are great, but the basking temp is a tad high. Males are usually kept between 80-83*F, with 85*F at the max. You need to get a digital thermometer with a probe, and place the probe where his casque/top of his back is when he’s on his basking branch for accurate basking measurements. As previously stated, all fake plants need to be removed and replaced with chameleon-safe veiled-tested live ones, as the fake ones are an impaction risk, which could lead to death. Make sure to properly clean the plants and add stones too big for him to eat over the soil beforehand, as well. Also make sure to raise up his enclosure, chameleons feel safer the higher they are, so make sure his basking branch is at least eye-level to you or higher!
ERKleRose
Chameleon Enthusiast
Also, have you read through The Chameleon Academy before? They have the most accurate and up-to-date-info, so be sure to check it out if you haven’t! Make sure to read through every module and the veiled species profile, as well as listen to as many podcasts as possible from them! The charts @cruz.m provided are amazing, so be sure to read through them, too!
ERKleRose
Chameleon Enthusiast
One last thing (I swear)! His cage needs more plants (live and veiled-tested only), more vines (preferably all live, but fake ones without leaves are fine, like Fluker’s, just no moss or Exo Terra vines!), and more branches of multiple species and diameters (just no branches from toxic or sap-producing trees, along with no moss-covered dowels, either) filling up his whole cage. So make sure to take out his Exo Terra vines, too, they can cause eye issues! You can hang his fake plants on the outside of his cage to provide extra foliage instead of tossing them! Here are two great cage set-up links:
https://chameleonacademy.com/setting-up-a-chameleon-cage/
http://www.muchadoaboutchameleons.com/2012/04/how-to-set-up-proper-chameleon.html
Is the stainless steel bowl his feeding dish? If so, it needs to be replaced with a non-reflective one and placed in the upper third portion of his cage.
https://chameleonacademy.com/setting-up-a-chameleon-cage/
http://www.muchadoaboutchameleons.com/2012/04/how-to-set-up-proper-chameleon.html
Is the stainless steel bowl his feeding dish? If so, it needs to be replaced with a non-reflective one and placed in the upper third portion of his cage.
marthasauer
Member
Thanks for the info on gutloading! I originally got a Repashy's Calcium plus LoD which I will attach a picture of. Is that what I should use in place of my current multivitamin? Both the calciums with and without D3 do not have phosphorus. I was aware phosphorus and purposely got supplements without it. The UVB bulb is the 5.0 and it's 22 inches long (to fit a 24 inch fixture). It's two months old. I've heard for ZooMed you switch them out every six months (even though it says every year on the package). I don't own a solarmeter so I assume it's better safe than sorry. The UVB bulb is about 6 inches away from other branches and the basking bulb is a little less than that. I have started using a different basking light which is a normal white lightbulb (75 watts) and I've noticed the temperature is a bit lower. The digital timer I have is placed right where his back and casque would be. I'll be sure to remove the fake plants and raise the enclosure.
Attachments
marthasauer
Member
Yes I love Chameleon Academy!
marthasauer
Member
I'll get some more plants. The stainless steel bowl is not a feeding dish. I use it to catch water so it doesn't drip to the ground. When I get new plants, I'll take it out. I usually hand feed him.
Quick Draw Mcgraw
Member
He's a handsome boy. Welcome to the forums there is a wealth of info to be found here
cruz.m
Avid Member
Here’s a thread on it to help you more. https://www.chameleonforums.com/threads/repashy-calcium-plus-vs-calcium-plus-lod.181087/
“However there has been success using the LoD version but it would only be used 2 times a month say the 1st and the 15th. Then all other feedings would be calcium without D3.”
marthasauer
Member
Zion says thank you!
