new chameleon keeper

[Mark.c.84]

Hi everyone we have just bought our first chamelon (cameroon sailfin) that is approx 16 weeks old, its still in the pet store untill we have our set up, hopefully pick it up on sunday if were happy to and have everything ready,

we have found a mesh vivarium 18x18x36 that has a misting machine included aswell as heat/uvb lamp and plants (i will attach pictures)

first question is will this viv be too big for him? im planing on pot feeding him to start off so we can keep an eye on what he eats ill attach apic of pots i want to use

how often and how long do we need to set the misting machine to start off with as we know we will need to adjust to get correct humidity once up and running and will it mist over night aswell as the day

im sure we will have more questions soon but any general advise would be gratefully received

thanks in advance mark

(chameleon in pics is not our one just the cage and set up were hopefully geting)

 

[Cham-Wow]

Well first things first, i would recommend getting a bigger cage so you want have to upgrade later when he or she gets bigger. I just build a 24"x 24"x 72" cage so I could get another chameleon and my female veiled was not happy with the cage that i had which is the exact same one you are looking to get. But buying a small one right now is fine if you understand that you are going to have to invest in a bigger one down the road. I suggest getting a bigger one right now because when i transferred my chameleon to the new cage she was super ski-dish for the first week and didn't do anything except hide, which makes sense just something to prepare you for. If you start free roaming feeding your chameleon from the beginning, instead of pot feeding, they will learn really fast and then you give them a little more stimulation and you will have a happier chameleon. Don't worry about him not eating they will eat as long as they are comfortable, so first few days don't freak out if he or she doesn't eat. For humidity, I live in Colorado and it is super dry here all the time, i have never had a problem with my chameleon being uncomfortable because of humidity. Through multiple trail and errors i found that running it with that small of a cage with no drainage, the best way to run your mister is 4 times a day for 20 to 30 seconds or 6 to 8 times a day for 10 to 15 seconds. My cage has live plants in the bottom so i run it twice a day for 2 minutes which drenches everything. the point of the mister in my opinion is the get water on the leaves so your chameleon can drink and get water. Then i have a spray bottle that ill spray my chameleons once a week with to give them a shower. With knowing all that I some beginner suggestions,

1. hold your chameleon at least once a week in the beginning and then more and more after like a month cause then they will start to trust you (btw they will try to run or jump for the first few times but don't let that scare you)
2. when holding them just go sit on the couch and do something else so they aren't feeling like the center of attention.
3. chameleons will hiss and can bite(last resort) but don't let that scare you and not ever hold them, my female who is the size of my forearm has bitten me and it just feels like a wet clamp
4. make sure you put it by a window cause they will like to look out it during the day
5. get a fake tree for out side that in a few months you can bring them outside to chill and get some more stumulation

Finally i cant stress this enough and this is the reason my chameleons love me is the golden rule, treat them how you would wanna be treated, i treat mine with the upmost respect and they give it right back to me.

Hope this helped and have fun cause its kinda hard not to.

 

[Nylah712]

I agree with everything you just said Cham-wow...but I would recommend a longer listing duration in order to let them flush their eyes and drink. As you said free range feeding is the better option instead of cup feeding because it stimulates them. Also you can with that cage for about 5-6months or so before you move on to a 24x24x36 cage. The smaller cage will help when free ranging the feeders so that the Cham can find them!

 

[Goose502]

I agree with everything you just said Cham-wow...but I would recommend a longer listing duration in order to let them flush their eyes and drink. As you said free range feeding is the better option instead of cup feeding because it stimulates them. Also you can with that cage for about 5-6months or so before you move on to a 24x24x36 cage. The smaller cage will help when free ranging the feeders so that the Cham can find them!

The idea of a smaller cage just to find feeders is false. How would baby chameleons survive in the wild? That’s a big place! Honestly, if your chameleon starves to death because it isn’t finding its food in an enclosure, it’s something else causing the starvation.