My Checklist

[Johnny909]

Ok, has many of you know I will be picking up my Ambilobe any time now, here is my check list, let me know if anything is missing and any input would be appreciated.

- 6'h x 5'w x 2 1/2'd custom screen enclosure (4 feet of usable height)
- vitamin and calcium supplements
- The big dripper with extended tube and 3 drip points (valves)
- one yucca plant and one fake plant and 2 large flexible vines
- a bunch of fake leaves and such
- a mist bottle

-2 in one UV bulb 100w.... I know i will get heat for this one, but my cage is HUGE so it should fine for him. They are bad for small enclosures, and I will be using a ceramic lamp with the protective grill, not the ones that force the light out in one direction. so it shall be less intense.

-Box for crickets and worms
- Gutload
-Cricket water with calcium
-repti-safe chlorine eliminator

My feeders will be fed fresh pulp from my juicer, usualy a mix of apple, tomato, celery, cucumber and carrots all in one plus a gutload feed 24h before I give em to the cham.

Is feeding the MK diet (the best mix of feed for green iguanas) to my feeders overkill?



Am I good to go here?

John

 

[dclough77]

-2 in one UV bulb 100w.... I know i will get heat for this one, but my cage is HUGE so it should fine for him. They are bad for small enclosures, and I will be using a ceramic lamp with the protective grill, not the ones that force the light out in one direction. so it shall be less intense.

John

youll want to pick up a uvb 5.0 bulb(long ones not compact) can get thm just about anywhere

 

[kaylie]

What type of gutload, commercial pre-made or veggies? If you use a bit of orange you can save on the cricket water...

 

[Johnny909]

but the two in one should cover the heat and the UVB, are they really that bad?

These are the same has they use in zoos, and from what I read on the internet is that they do good large cages....

 

[dclough77]

but the two in one should cover the heat and the UVB, are they really that bad?

These are the same has they use in zoos, and from what I read on the internet is that they do good large cages....

there has just been eye problems with the compact bulbs, from what I've read, im not sure on your exact product. maybe someone more informative will chime in, but it is very recommend to get the long tubular 5.0s and regular basking bulbs

 

[Johnny909]

i will call him tomorow, from what he told me, it is a professional quality lamp, its not a zoo_med or repti glow (he tells me not use their 2 in ones) or any kind of mainstream brand. I returned my repti glows after he convinced me to go with this bulb..... I am consfused now, you guys are all chameleon experts and he has been in business for 35 years selling nothing but reptiles and scientific data is very weak... He says every zoo uses this, and that lady who does all the reasearch on UV rays says the same, that large enclosures like zoos use these. I have a large enclosure, i need something strong.

its my only unsolved issue, getting mixed answers and feelings. I need to sleep over that one.

Has for the gutload, same guy, sells the stuff already made, he even raises hornworms and weird bugs, I trust its good stuff,...

 

[kaylie]

I would just buy some greens and carrots, yams, squash, etc. I spent $10 at the store 2 months ago and most of it is still good.

And most people on here use repti-sun 5.0 in the tube form, and those that do never have any problems relating to light like some with compact bulbs have. You would just need another light for basking

 

[Johnny909]

so my pulp will do? no need for and extra dose the night before?

 

[pssh]

You will want a UVB meter (i think its called a solarmeter 6.2?) if you are using a mercury vapor bulb. With those things, you can't just guess. They can be used, but not willy nilly just guessing about the levels.

 

[Johnny909]

Ah, got the brand, its a mega-ray flood light, simulates the the sun, the glass where te light comes out is frosted so it shoots everywhere, and should not hurt eyes, and looking inyo this forum i see alot f success with this.

Anyone know where i can get a uvb meter in canada?

 

[Gensen]

???

so my pulp will do? no need for and extra dose the night before?

When you say "pulp" from your juicer do you mean what's left over after you get your juice that you would normally dispose of? I ask because we juice allot here and the thing with juicing is that it extracts the nutrients out and onto the juice that you would drink... so the "pupl" that is leftover is void of nutrients and therefore would not be a suitable gutload. They actually say that rabbits will not even eat at the left over pulp because they can tell it is void of nutrients. Just a heads up.

Good luck with your new Cham!!! Have fun!

 

[pssh]

I'm sure you could order one from Pangea reptile (sponsor) and have it sent to Canada.

Edit: this should help too.

http://www.uvguide.co.uk/zoolamps.htm

Edit again: Holy moly! According to those charts you would have to let the bulb burn in for 90 hours and even after it has burned in you have to keep it AT LEAST 6 feet away from the basking spot directly under the beam of light... Chameleons generally are given gradients up to 30-ish uW/cm2.