New Chameleon Owner
- Thread starter JamFam
- Start date
Jesspete
Avid Member
What an interesting and beautiful enclosure!
I'll let the more experienced chime in on the bulb. I know a lot of people aren't big fans of the mercury vapor, but I've never researched it much, since I wasn't really considering them.
I would say to dump the carpet. You'll find it's going to hold bacteria. If it's just plain plywood underneath, you may want to treat it for water proofing, but ultimately, you need to get some type of drainage set up to handle all the water you're going to put in.
For misting, I have both a monsoon mister, and a mistking. Even though my monsoon is fine, I replaced it with a mist king, as well. Now I have an unused monsoon and two mist kings. Just a night and day difference in the spray the cham gets.
Your pretty little guy would probably like a few more vines and pathways in the big open space. Empty space is wasted space for a cham.
Also, watch for water collecting in that feeder cup. May want to put some holes in the bottom. Feeders don't tend to be good swimmers.
What are you feeding your insects, and what supplements (brands and type) are you dusting them with?
Also, can we get a close up of your baby?!
I'll let the more experienced chime in on the bulb. I know a lot of people aren't big fans of the mercury vapor, but I've never researched it much, since I wasn't really considering them.
I would say to dump the carpet. You'll find it's going to hold bacteria. If it's just plain plywood underneath, you may want to treat it for water proofing, but ultimately, you need to get some type of drainage set up to handle all the water you're going to put in.
For misting, I have both a monsoon mister, and a mistking. Even though my monsoon is fine, I replaced it with a mist king, as well. Now I have an unused monsoon and two mist kings. Just a night and day difference in the spray the cham gets.
Your pretty little guy would probably like a few more vines and pathways in the big open space. Empty space is wasted space for a cham.
Also, watch for water collecting in that feeder cup. May want to put some holes in the bottom. Feeders don't tend to be good swimmers.
What are you feeding your insects, and what supplements (brands and type) are you dusting them with?
Also, can we get a close up of your baby?!
Last edited:
ERKleRose
Chameleon Enthusiast
Could you fill out this form, please? https://www.chameleonforums.com/how-ask-help-66/ Take the divider out and give the cham the whole cage, could you post a better pic of the cham, please? Are your feeders gutloaded? Superworms should be for variety, not as a staple. Add in some more variety, like BSFL and BSF, blue bottle flies and spikes, roaches (red runner, dubia, orange headed, and ivory headed cannot climb or fly), silkworms, hornworms, butterworms, mantids, even bean beetles or isopods if small enough, etc. Get either a t5HO or T8 linear uvb fixture and bulb (Zoo Med 10.0 for that size of cage) and a regular white light heat incandescent bulb from the hardware store for a basking light and get rid of the mercury vapor bulb. Add in more branches and vines, mostly horizontal, throughout the cage, and make sure you have a drainage system. The veiled care sheet has the proper husbandry basics.
- Your Chameleon - veiled 3/4 months had it 3 days.
- Handling - So far a couple hours
- Feeding - Dusted crickets/super worms. 10/5 a day. Feeding twice a day. Feeding the feeders cricket food in pics.
- Supplements - See pics.
- Watering - Hand misting. He/she drinks off the leaves.
- Fecal Description - 1-2 times a day. Looks like typical reptile poop and urate.
- History - None yet.
Cage Info:
- Cage: screen on 3 sides. Made from old futon frame. 2x2x4 but halved currently.
- Lighting - 70 watt mercury vapor mega Ray.
- Temperature - 75. 85-95 in basking area. Measure with stick on thermometer and temperature gun.
- Humidity - 40-45 near top left and 50-55 bottom right.
- Plants - Plastic so far.
- Placement - In living room. It has a fan. Top of cage is 4.5 ft off the ground
- Location - Houston
Current Problem. None just introducing.
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What an interesting and beautiful enclosure!
I'll let the more experienced chime in on the bulb. I know a lot of people aren't big fans of the mercury vapor, but I've never researched it much, since I wasn't really considering them.
I would say to dump the carpet. You'll find it's going to hold bacteria. If it's just plain plywood underneath, you may want to treat it for water proofing, but ultimately, you need to get some type of drainage set up to handle all the water you're going to put in.
For misting, I have both a monsoon mister, and a mistking. Even though my monsoon is fine, I replaced it with a mist king, as well. Now I have an unused monsoon and two mist kings. Just a night and day difference in the spray the cham gets.
Your pretty little guy would probably like a few more vines and pathways in the big open space. Empty space is wasted space for a cham.
Also, watch for water collecting in that feeder cup. May want to put some holes in the bottom. Feeders don't tend to be good swimmers.
What are you feeding your insects, and what supplements (brands and type) are you dusting them with?
Also, can we get a close up of your baby?!
Thanks. We did put holes in the bottom of the feeder. We built the cage from an old futon frame. First time building a cage but we are happy how it turned out. And I’ll be sure to add a few more pics. With the carpet we made it so we can easily remove it and wash it every week with the bearded dragons carpets. The plywood below it is painted with water proof paint and it has drainage to an acrylic box/tray on the very bottom. We are looking at the monsoon and mistking just haven’t read up enough on them yet to pull the trigger.
And yeah I think we will add some more vines in that area that you suggested. Thanks.
ERKleRose
Chameleon Enthusiast
Thank you! Could you post a picture of the back of his back feet for sex verification, please? Don’t handle him unless he asks for it (climbs onto you). At that age, feed as many crickets as he’ll eat. Like I said above, more variety and superworms shouldn’t be a staple. Fluker’s dry gutload and Cricket Cubes aren’t the best gutload. Get either a quality commercial gutload, like Pangea, Cricket Crack, Repashy, or Mazuri, and/or use organic fresh fruits and veggies (there’s a gutload list here in the food and nutrition tab in resources). RepCal isn’t the best supplement brand. Either use an all in one supplement every feeding (like Repashy Calcium Plus LoD or Sticky Tongue Farms Minerall- use the indoor Minerall formula since you’re keeping him indoors, gutload feeders with Sticky Tongue Farms Vitall the night before if using Minerall) or use phosphorous free calcium without D3 (like Zoo Med Repticalcium) every feeding and Zoo Med Reptivite with D3 every two weeks. How often is each misting session? He needs to be misted at least 3 times a day for at least 2, but preferably 5, minutes each time. For misters, get a MistKing. Like stated above, change out the mercury vapor bulb for a linear uvb and regular basking light. Basking should be 85*F. Is there an air current in the living room or lots of noise or foot traffic? I’m in Houston, too!
I’ll pass the supplement suggestions on to the wife and kiddo. They handle that. As far as the bulb what’s the problem with the mercury vapor? The guy at our local petstore seemed really sure that that was the best way to go for our setup and actually talked us out of the setup you suggested. He has personally tested the bulbs with the manufacturer and thought it had the better depth penetration for uvb.
In the room I’m sure there is some air current as the ceiling fan is always on low but it’s about10 feet higher than the top of the cage. As far as noise and foot traffic we have 3 kids that are excited about him so currently there’s quite a bit but normally it’s one of the quieter rooms of the house. I’ll get the hind leg pics as soon as he/she allows it.
In the room I’m sure there is some air current as the ceiling fan is always on low but it’s about10 feet higher than the top of the cage. As far as noise and foot traffic we have 3 kids that are excited about him so currently there’s quite a bit but normally it’s one of the quieter rooms of the house. I’ll get the hind leg pics as soon as he/she allows it.
ERKleRose
Chameleon Enthusiast
Mercury vapor bulbs emitt too much uvb once you get the bulb close enough for the correct temperature. Linear uvb penetrates deeper and is safer
yodathepanther
Established Member
If he is 3/4 months i think hed be fine and would actually do better in the full enlcosure and not have it divided i see no uvb 6%arcadia with d3 is like 19.99 on pangea reptile last a long time up to 6 months i think or thats when i change mine. Cricket crack is 18$ with shipping from the direct seller/maker best gutload flukers gut load isnt good. You should definitely add a lot more branches and plants and fill it up he will thrive a lot better not need for the carpet with my expirence they just get really gross and wet. Mist atleast 4 times a day ill provide you a picture of my setup below. -my vieled is 4 months my panther is 7 months.
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yodathepanther
Established Member
One more tip beside d3 and mulit vitamin every two weeks and phosphorus free calcium dailey make sure you are finding the poop and cleaning it out everyday or every other day dont let it build up it will only make your job harder, mistings should be a good 60-120seconds for veilds i believe
ERKleRose
Chameleon Enthusiast
Mercury vapor bulbs emitt uvb, misting should be a minimum of 2 minutes long
yodathepanther
Established Member
Is it natural for veiled chameleons to hate mistings mine absolutely hates it ive tried warm water not hot at all and he will just sprint away as fast as he can he drinks still he pee is perfect and poop i just dont get why he hates it that why i only do a minute hes not shy because he will hand/cup feed. For so my panther on the other hand he will be misted for as long as he can get it!
yodathepanther
Established Member
Does the mecury bulb emit enough uvb i didnt even know this existed maybe this would be a good bulb for my other reptiles? I just feel like the arcadia bulbs would be more effective idk.
ERKleRose
Chameleon Enthusiast
Linear uvbs are best
Even if your cham runs away, mistings still need to be at least 2 minutes long to stimulate natural drinking behaviors and so your cham can cleanse his/her eyes
See pics
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Jesspete
Avid Member
I don't see a spur either. Easier to verify in the second picture.
Update...
So, she’s definitely a female. I’ve read some articles on lay bins, but was wondering if people normally keep a laybin in the enclosure at all times, or just transport your chams to a laybin when “it’s time”? If you leave it in all the time, how big is it, any design suggestion, etc?
Also, she seems to have doubled/tripled in size in the past 2 months and always looks hungry. But from what I’ve read, we should start cutting back on crickets now (I think she’s about 5 months). We had been giving her 6-8 crickets twice a day, and are now cutting back to one feeding. I believe we should also be giving a greater variety of feeders... does anyone have “packages” they recommend? Like Josh’s Frogs Chameleon feeder bundle? It sounds like a lot of feeders for one cham...
https://www.joshsfrogs.com/chameleon-feeder-bundle.html
By the way... we’ve since opened the full enclosure and added a large Pothos, which she nibbles at, and she also seems to really like turnip greens and mustard greens.
Thanks!
So, she’s definitely a female. I’ve read some articles on lay bins, but was wondering if people normally keep a laybin in the enclosure at all times, or just transport your chams to a laybin when “it’s time”? If you leave it in all the time, how big is it, any design suggestion, etc?
Also, she seems to have doubled/tripled in size in the past 2 months and always looks hungry. But from what I’ve read, we should start cutting back on crickets now (I think she’s about 5 months). We had been giving her 6-8 crickets twice a day, and are now cutting back to one feeding. I believe we should also be giving a greater variety of feeders... does anyone have “packages” they recommend? Like Josh’s Frogs Chameleon feeder bundle? It sounds like a lot of feeders for one cham...
https://www.joshsfrogs.com/chameleon-feeder-bundle.html
By the way... we’ve since opened the full enclosure and added a large Pothos, which she nibbles at, and she also seems to really like turnip greens and mustard greens.
Thanks!
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