Mistakes

[JohnnyD]

Thanks for all the info everyone. I'm glad this thread took off as it did. Hopefully it is helping lots of chameleons out there.

 

[warpdrive]

Dont try to make the chameleons living space visually appealing. Make it what the chameleon NEEDS, for example: I know that substrate and maybe even a cage that has 3 closed sides can look cool, but that isnt what is important. Your chameleons health is important. Screen cages with atleast 3 open sides are whats most important.

I hate to say it but this type of advice (the type that states there is only one way to keep a chameleon healthy/happy) is the type that KILLS more animals then it saves.
A keeper has to give his/her animals a proper environment, be that a screen cage or glass.
That proper environment based on where the keeper lives should deside how the animal is kept...not some stupid forum" etched in stone rules" on proper cages for the beginner.

Harry

 

[JenniferAlicia]

I have to admit when i first started with chams i made some of the same mistakes others have made. My biggest mistakes were:using those darned coiled bulbs and feeding my females too much. As a result i did have chams suffer some consequences. Thank God, I eventually found the Chameleon Forum where i got tons of support for all my "stupid" noobee questions. I remember years ago when one of my female panther was egg-bound for a month. Yes a month. Neither of us would have made it through that horrible dilemna without all the help from forum members. Thanks guys.

Coiled? but the reptisun 5.0 are "coiled" or is that not what you mean

 

[Jonah S]

There are the compact coil bulbs as well as the tube bulbs. I made the same mistake when a pet store associate told me to get the coil bulb (causes major eye problems).

 

[summoner12]

well i am new to this site and new to chams but i just bought 2 pymgy chams at the san deigo reptile show i thought everything was good i misted them yesterday and left for about 3 hours to go watch a movie to come home and check on them to find my male had passed so i started doing the check of what went wrong well my temp gauge was off i thought so i checked it using one of the other reptiles temp gauge the temp was almost 90f so i found the prob the humity is about 70 to 75 %so i think that is good but i have prob with the temp still i got it cooled down some but i think it is still a lil high it is around 77f i put a fan on the top to suck some of the hot air out but i dont want to keep it there because it will pull the humity out to and cause more stress on the female that is a morning tempp of 77 so as the day goes on it will get hotter any ideas on how to get it cooler without flooding her out or what should i do i know i have come to the right place for some help maythe wrong area but the right site

It would be wise to start a thread of your own in the pygmy forum to get some answers to your issues.

 

[summoner12]

There are the compact coil bulbs as well as the tube bulbs. I made the same mistake when a pet store associate told me to get the coil bulb (causes major eye problems).

There are linear tubes that cause eye issues similar to the coil lamps. so not ALL linear tubes are 'good'. BUT... If you stick to Zoo Med you have the #1 and if you get Exo Terra you have #2..... Stay away from the R-Zilla.... AKA R-Killa brand of lamps.

 

[summoner12]

Coiled? but the reptisun 5.0 are "coiled" or is that not what you mean

It would prolly be better to call the 'coiled' lamps CFLs... Zoo Med's lamps aren't coiled tube glass like the Exo Terra lamps... But they both are CFL and they both exhibit the same high intensity UVB within close range.

The Zoo Med 10.0 CFL from the 'early' days is a confirmed killer. This lamp emits very high levels of low end UVB close to the UVC range. The UV index is very high and can cause 'sun' burns on yourself and your animals if within close proximity. My GF has UV reactive nail polish... it's silver when inside and when you go outside it turns pink. Place a Zoo Med 10.0 CFL over her nails and they switch over to pink pretty fast.

 

[Jeweledchameleons]

My greatest mistake?

I let someone handle one of my breeders (elvis)
because she begged me.

(she also just got finished handling a sick bearded dragon)

 

[Dawniegirl]

Remember that fluorescent UVB bulbs stop emitting UVB after about 6 months or less. A UVB meter is a must. I didn't know they faded so fast, especially back in the day when I started with chameleons, I think the bulb emitted UVB for about 2 months, but I figured since it was still lit, it should be fine. UVB METER!

Wow, Thanks! Didn't even know such a thing, UVB meter, exists. I will be purchasing one of those