Sammy Grigio
Avid Member
Ragidi please do your best to post pictures of the set up and your Cham as it is. This is crucial to everyone on here being able to help you.
My Axel is drinking water but not eating mealworms
- Thread starter ragidi
- Start date
I'm currently at work and I have no clear pics. I'll check if anyone is home to take a pic for me. Brb.
Sammy Grigio
Avid Member
Don't feel rushed. Progress is a slow process and your work is always going to take precedent.
Sammy Grigio
Avid Member
The light for "calcium" needs to be replaced with a T5 HO linear bulb. That is the most important thing as it stands.
Find some branches outside and and created more chameleon high ways and levels. Add more plants. Either fake or real would work. Real is always prefered.
The heat lamp should be in the 65-75 watt range. It's very important that you get a thermometer and a hygrometer so that you can properly measure the temps and humidity.
Get a water dripper or make one yourself. This will greatly help in supplementing the water needs and intake between mistings.
Start with that and work your way perfect husbandry!
I'm attaching a few pictures of my set up to give you an idea of what you need.
Find some branches outside and and created more chameleon high ways and levels. Add more plants. Either fake or real would work. Real is always prefered.
The heat lamp should be in the 65-75 watt range. It's very important that you get a thermometer and a hygrometer so that you can properly measure the temps and humidity.
Get a water dripper or make one yourself. This will greatly help in supplementing the water needs and intake between mistings.
Start with that and work your way perfect husbandry!
I'm attaching a few pictures of my set up to give you an idea of what you need.
Attachments
Thank you so much! Your husbandry looks amazing! I will do my absolute best to make mine a comfortable one for Axel.
Regarding the lamps, will a high wattage one cause damage to the screen? I worry about the screen melting/rusting/etc.
And regarding the branches: are there specific trees or plants whose bare branches could be dangerous or harmful to Axel?
Regarding the lamps, will a high wattage one cause damage to the screen? I worry about the screen melting/rusting/etc.
And regarding the branches: are there specific trees or plants whose bare branches could be dangerous or harmful to Axel?
Sammy Grigio
Avid Member
Any tree that produces sap or that you know is toxic to humans (like the Gabon Ebony) are not ok. Driftwood found at the beach is ideal. Make sure you wash the branches in a light soapy solution and let them try in the sun for a a day or two - or the oven if you are so inclined.
Commercial cages don't rust as they are coated alloys, nor does stainless steel if you built a custom cage, so you don't have to worry about that. Metal conducts heat. Aluminum explodes when exposed to high heat. That's obviously dangerous all around. Your cage should be just fine so long as you use a light bulb that that doesn't exceed 90 degrees Fahrenheit (90 watts) in the branch nearest to the light source. Again, a digital thermometer is crucial for this function. To answer your question, yes a high wattage one will damage the screen and potentially your chameleon.
Do what you can. Your chameleons life literally depends on it. Godspeed my friend. Barak Allah fik.
Commercial cages don't rust as they are coated alloys, nor does stainless steel if you built a custom cage, so you don't have to worry about that. Metal conducts heat. Aluminum explodes when exposed to high heat. That's obviously dangerous all around. Your cage should be just fine so long as you use a light bulb that that doesn't exceed 90 degrees Fahrenheit (90 watts) in the branch nearest to the light source. Again, a digital thermometer is crucial for this function. To answer your question, yes a high wattage one will damage the screen and potentially your chameleon.
Do what you can. Your chameleons life literally depends on it. Godspeed my friend. Barak Allah fik.
Noted.
Thank you very much, God bless you! I will post updates as soon as I adjust the husbandry.
@ragidi said..."30-34 degrees celcius during the day".... If you are using a basking/heat light and the temperatures in the room are already that high you may be overheating the chameleon. does he gape when he's sitting near the basking light?
I'm concerned about the proximity to the air conditioner too.
Not saying either of those two things would be why he's not eating
You've only had him 3 days so it's more likely that he's just settling into his new home.
If it continues post again.
I'm concerned about the proximity to the air conditioner too.
Not saying either of those two things would be why he's not eating
You've only had him 3 days so it's more likely that he's just settling into his new home.
If it continues post again.
Kaizen
Chameleon Enthusiast
You can order a “cool mist humidifier “ online for relatively cheap. It’ll produce something like fog, and you can either run a hose from it to the cage, or else put it in the cage at night.
Although excess humidity can be a problem, I think you’re in the opposite situation, and so the humidifier makes sense to me.
He looks normal and sits near the lamp, no gaping. The temperatures I gave were estimates so I could be wrong about them. Will update with the real temperature reading once I set up the thermometer.
The air conditioner is a very old one (the one with a big box behind it that hangs outside the house), and the airflow doesn't hit the cage.
I can use a regular humidifier? I can find one anywhere here and place it so that the mist flies into the cage! I wish I thought of that earlier. Thank you!
Question though: is it ok if the mist is cooled? Or should it be warm?
MissSkittles
Chameleon Enthusiast
It should be cool mist only.
Ares05
Chameleon Enthusiast
Black spots on back? 
Could you take a picture of his face at an angle, hard to tell if his eyes are sunken or not. Gently pinch his skin in a few places, like his arms or side. Does it go back down quickly, or does it take a few seconds? You said you see him drinking, but just another thing to cross off the list.
Could you move his cage cage away from the air conditioner?
You need to change his lights ASAP as said above. MBD will creep up on you, and though you can keep it from progressing, you cant cure it.
Make sure you buy and use the supplement @Kaizen recommended. Easier than using the calcium and vitamins separately like I do lol.
Update when you make any changes!
Could you take a picture of his face at an angle, hard to tell if his eyes are sunken or not. Gently pinch his skin in a few places, like his arms or side. Does it go back down quickly, or does it take a few seconds? You said you see him drinking, but just another thing to cross off the list.
Could you move his cage cage away from the air conditioner?
You need to change his lights ASAP as said above. MBD will creep up on you, and though you can keep it from progressing, you cant cure it.
Make sure you buy and use the supplement @Kaizen recommended. Easier than using the calcium and vitamins separately like I do lol.
Update when you make any changes!
JackRipper
Avid Member
I noticed the black marks as well. They look like bite marks possibly a territorial dispute. Was this a wild caught chameleon?
Yes, I was informed by the breeder that Axel is wild caught. Apparently the chams he raised himself were sold out so he asked a supplier to get him some chams. Should've mentioned this as soon as I found out...
Regardless, I am willing to do anything to make sure Axel lives a long, healthy, and comfortable life. If there is advice regarding raising a wild caught cham, please let me know.
JackRipper
Avid Member
I would Have a fecal done to check for parasites. Do you know how the black marks on his back got there?
They've been there since I got him.
