New Chameleon Questions and Concerns

[Nosy be Hotdog]

Hello! I just got a 3 month Nosy Be Cham 3 days ago and I’ve got some questions. He’s obviously very stressed from his flight and being moved to his new home with me but hes been eating like and champ and drinking quite regularly.
One concern is that he doesn’t seem to bask or sit under his bulb. I make adjustments regularly to make sure his basking doesn’t reach higher than 85 ish since he’s still a baby. He’ll climb the top and hang under the UVB bulb off and in throughout the day but he won’t bask under the basking bulb. Could this because it is too hot for him?
He has glass tank with a screen top since we live in Arizona so keeping humidity is hard, but this tank keeps its humidity quite well and we occasionally leave his doors open while we’re in the room with him so he can get some air flow and wander onto my umbrella tree if he wishes. Today we stressed him out by accident after having a tank malfunction so I had to move him out but he’s doing better right now.
My other concern that I have right now is that he’s moving all over the cage and pawing at the glass. I’m sitting from a far and trying not to stare at him because I don’t want to scare him and I have ordered more plant vines to add more hiding spots, but this is the first day he’s been traveling all across the cage. Is this just curiosity? He doesn’t seem scared? He’s slowly started turning grey ish blue but is normally brown around me due to stress I’m assuming. I sound like an overbearing mom but I figured I’d give this website a shot and see what other owners think. Thanks in advance

 

[Gingero]

All valid and common concerns for new keepers. Can you post pictures of your chameleon and enclosure?

 

[Nosy be Hotdog]

I just turned his lights off for bedtime so I can’t get a pic of him right now but here’s his most recents from today. Tomorrow I will check back in and get a pic of the tank. I will add too that he’s pooped twice since I’ve gotten him 3 days ago, both healthy looking , poop with white urate part.

 

[Nosy be Hotdog]

To note as well- I plan on upgrading to a 2x2x4 very soon as we have him in a 18x18x36 inch tank. I don’t leave his lamps on the screen they are hanging above, did the 90 second hand test to make sure screen isn’t too hot as well. I also plan to get that Linear reptisun UVB light bar to go across soon. The tank is bare bottom for the most part. I have a mesh panel laying on the bottom to help with clean up and prevent crickets from crawling behind the backing. I put some moss on the bottom in the corners to help with humidity, but change it out regularly to prevent bacteria growth. I feed him crickets as many as he’ll eat (usually about 10 or a little more a day) spaced out throughout the day, with mistings every few hours. I plan to dust in D3 calcium once every couple weeks and ordered calcium without D3 yesterday. We plan to feed him hornworms once a week switching between that and wax worms. I gut load the crickets with fresh veggies and a calcium supplement too. He seems to really like to eat the crickets out of a bowl I had auctioned to the glass as he’s not comfortable eating from my hand yet. I haven’t tried to pick him up because I want him to adjust to his cage before I

 

[Gingero]

Unfortunately those pictures aren't very helpful haha. Please post some tomorrow from top to bottom when you can.

Thanks for the updated info. Super helpful. Sounds like you already know what changes need to happen.

I would get that new UVB ASAP. It is super, super important.

Do you have a way to measure humidity?

No need to feed the crickets the supplements. Just dust them on top. You'll also want a multivitamin. I use Reptivite without D3. This video will be super helpful for you:

 

[Nosy be Hotdog]

Unfortunately those pictures aren't very helpful haha. Please post some tomorrow from top to bottom when you can.

Thanks for the updated info. Super helpful. Sounds like you already know what changes need to happen.

I would get that new UVB ASAP. It is super, super important.

Do you have a way to measure humidity?

No need to feed the crickets the supplements. Just dust them on top. You'll also want a multivitamin. I use Reptivite without D3. This video will be super helpful for you:

Good morning!
Thanks for the video! I’m such a huge fan of you and Neptune! I watched almost all of your videos before we got my Cham! But just wanted to share my pics of my cage as we talked about yesterday.
I have 3 bulbs, UVB, Basking, and Ceramic Heat lamp (which I’m finding that I don’t need as its hot in Arizona already and this bulb makes his enclosure too hot for night time temps). I have them clamped to hang on a shelf above until I can get a better UVB bulb and hanging device. The basking bulb makes his enclosure too hot if I have it too close to the cage so it hangs quite far up to keep the temp at 80-85.
I plan to add more plants for more hiding spots though I have yet to see him try and hide from me which is good I hope. I have 2 temp gauges that monitor humidity and temp. One positioned near the top of his cage by his basking spot and one near the bottom opposition side to measure ambient. I am looking for new gauges though because one of them seems to not work as the ambient temp gauge will often read 100 degrees F and I panic and move the basking bulb up, but my top gauge still reads 80. Do you have a recommendation for some hygrometers? Also how does my enclosure look? Thanks again for the help

 

[Prince of Duval]

I would probably put the UVB directly on top of the screen until you get a T5 linear. Even then your cham won’t be getting the UVB needed, but probably getting none with it elevated.

 

[Gingero]

Aww thanks for the kind words and support on my videos. Neptune says hi

I agree with moving the UVB closer in the meantime. I'd also consider getting a lower wattage heat bulb so you don't have to stress so much about temps getting too hot. I'd also get a temperature gun instead of a temperature gauge. The temp guns are way more accurate and precise. I'd recommend you get a digital hygrometer. It doesn't have to be a fancy reptile one. I got mine from Target, but places like Walmart and Amazon also carry them.

Nice dripper

Any feedback I give you on your enclosure, you've already written yourself above. Bigger enclosure, more branches, more plants, different UVB, etc. The sooner you can make all those changes the better. There isn't really any benefit keeping him in the set-up he is in now since it's less than ideal.