New Female Veiled Chameleon Enclosure Question

[Bronxthechameleon]

This is the BOTTOM of my cage. I have more stuff up top just not in this pic.

Omg I love your setup!! What soil do you use? Have you ever used reptisoil?

 

[Kam0408]

Omg I love your setup!! What soil do you use? Have you ever used reptisoil?

Aww thanks. I actually have a male veiled chameleon and I don’t have it set up as bio active even though I would love to. So I don’t use soil for anything

 

[Kam0408]

But I do know that reptisoil is pretty good for female chameleons

 

[Bronxthechameleon]

Aww thanks. I actually have a male veiled chameleon and I don’t have it set up as bio active even though I would love to. So I don’t use soil for anything

Oh okay! You have no problems with your male trying to eat the soil in your plants do you? Or would you recommend putting large stones over the soil? I appreciate your help so much!

 

[Kam0408]

Oh okay! You have no problems with your male trying to eat the soil in your plants do you? Or would you recommend putting large stones over the soil? I appreciate your help so much!

I use stones over my soil in the pic I don’t think I did because I was just setting it up. But yes but stones all over the soil works just fine. Your welcome! I never have a problem helping any other questions or concerns?

 

[Bronxthechameleon]

I use stones over my soil in the pic I don’t think I did because I was just setting it up. But yes but stones all over the soil works just fine. Your welcome! I never have a problem helping any other questions or concerns?

Okay awesome thank you! Just one more lol so sorry! Because I have my girls laying bin in her enclosure 24/7 & it’s filled with reptisoil what would be the best way in maintaining it to ensure she won’t get sick or anything since technically her base is bio active (because her bin fills the whole bottom of her cage)

 

[Kam0408]

Okay awesome thank you! Just one more lol so sorry! Because I have my girls laying bin in her enclosure 24/7 & it’s filled with reptisoil what would be the best way in maintaining it to ensure she won’t get sick or anything since technically her base is bio active (because her bin fills the whole bottom of her cage)

Um I would just keep an eye on herand keep an eye on her, wether she is trying to dig or eat the soil. Honestly I think when you put in more branches and foliage in there she will only be interested in the lay bin when she needs it. Otherwise just keep it LIGHTLY misted and you should be good. Please update me when you get the new light and more branches

 

[Bronxthechameleon]

Um I would just keep an eye on herand keep an eye on her, wether she is trying to dig or eat the soil. Honestly I think when you put in more branches and foliage in there she will only be interested in the lay bin when she needs it. Otherwise just keep it LIGHTLY misted and you should be good. Please update me when you get the new light and more branches

Awesome, thank you so much!! I definitely will!

 

[AmandaS]

I've never used reptisoil. It sounds decent...it is essentially just soil and sand and moss, right? While moss does not hold a tunnel well, sand and soil do.
I have been very successful with just using regular ol washed playsand like they sell at home depot. It holds tunnels the best and there is no risk for impaction should she choose to eat it.
If you want to keep your soil clean then adding spring tails and isopods is a great idea. They will be a clean up crew and keep the bacteria and poo out of the soil

 

[Bronxthechameleon]

I've never used reptisoil. It sounds decent...it is essentially just soil and sand and moss, right? While moss does not hold a tunnel well, sand and soil do.
I have been very successful with just using regular ol washed playsand like they sell at home depot. It holds tunnels the best and there is no risk for impaction should she choose to eat it.
If you want to keep your soil clean then adding spring tails and isopods is a great idea. They will be a clean up crew and keep the bacteria and poo out of the soil

Awesome thank you so much! Yes I planned on switching to washed play sand - I just had reptisoil for my plants & decided to use it in the mean time now when I do switch to play sand what would be the best way to keep it clean and free from any type of bacteria? I plan on keeping her laying bin in her enclosure 24/7

 

[ERKleRose]

My feedback and any questions will be in purple. I’ll also post helpful links and images at the end:

• Your Chameleon - The species, sex, and age of your chameleon. How long has it been in your care? She is a piebald veiled chameleon (3-4 months in age)
• Handling - How often do you handle your chameleon? Because I am still working on trust 3-4 times a week How are you handling her, and what do you do with her once she’s out?
• Feeding - What are you feeding your cham? What amount? What is the schedule? How are you gut-loading your feeders? I am feeding her dubia roaches as her main food & hornworms as a treat. I gutload my bugs w/ mustard greens, carrots, squash & cucumber. I feed her once a day since she’s still a baby she’ll eat about 6-10 dubia roaches/bugs
• Supplements - What brand and type of calcium and vitamin products are you dusting your feeders with and what is the schedule? I use reptical without D-3 6 times a week and with D-3 once a week ok so you need a multivitamin, what you will do is 6 days a week have the calcium without d3 and every other week on the 7th day switch between calcium with d3 and the multivitamin, you need a multivitamin without d3 The calcium with D3 should be used once every two weeks. You also need a quality multivitamin without D3 (like Zoo Med Reptivite without D3-like @Kam0408 said) to use once every two weeks as well. So use the multivitamin without D3 on one feeding one week, then the next week use the calcium with D3 on that feeding instead, and repeat
• Watering - What kind of watering technique do you use? How often and how long to you mist? Do you see your chameleon drinking? I am using a reptifogger, little dropper, and am misting her cage 2-3 times a day. I do see her drinking often and her poop seems to be normal and shows her to be hydrated. how long do you mist for, good for fogger Are you using the fogger during the day? How do you and how often are you cleaning the fogger and tubes, etc? Put the dripper on top of the cage instead of inside of it, it’ll give her more room!
• Fecal Description - Briefly note colors and consistency from recent droppings. Has this chameleon ever been tested for parasites? Her poop is white & brown (healthy/hydrated) Has she ever been tested for parasites?
• History - Any previous information about your cham that might be useful to others when trying to help you.

Cage Info:

• Cage Type - Describe your cage (Glass, Screen, Combo?) What are the dimensions? Screen, 16x16x30 I will upgrade once she is a bit older She can go in now! The minimum cage size for a female veiled is either 36” x 18” x 36” tall or 2’ x 2’ x 4’ tall, though going 4’ x 2’ x 4’ tall or bigger is preferred! Bigger is always better! Her feeding bowl needs to be placed in the upper third portion of her cage, not at the bottom.
• Lighting - What brand, model, and types of lighting are you using? What is your daily lighting schedule? I have her lights on 12 hrs a day and have purchased the T5 which is coming in any day What strength and brand of UVB linear bulb did you purchase?
• Temperature - What temp range have you created (cage floor to basking spot)? Lowest overnight temp? How do you measure these temps? Her basking is ranges from 80-85 degrees Fahrenheit Her basking spot shouldn’t go over 78-80*F at the max! What are her ambient and overnight temps? How do you measure her temps? She needs a digital thermometer with a probe, with the probe placed where her casque/top of her back is when she’s on her basking branch, for her basking temps. Get either a few digital thermometer-hygrometer combos or a few digital thermometer-hygrometers with probes to measure ambient temps and humidity levels to replace your analog combo, as well.
• Humidity - What are your humidity levels? How are you creating and maintaining these levels? What do you use to measure humidity? Her humidity ranges from 40-60% It needs to be 30-50% during the day and up to 100% at night.
• Plants - Are you using live plants? If so, what kind? I have both live and fake You must have all live, this was a mistake I made to, but you also need many more branches and foliage in this cage Yup, live plants only! She needs all fake plants taken out ASAP as they are an impaction risk! You can hang them on the outside of her cage to add extra privacy. Also, she needs TONS more branches of multiple species and diameters (none from toxic or sap-producing trees or dowels covered in moss), vines (preferably live, but fake ones-just no moss or Exo Terra vines-can be used if needed), and chameleon-safe veiled-tested plants (make sure to properly clean them off and cover all of the soil in the pots with rocks too big for her to eat before putting them in her cage)!
• Placement - Where is your cage located? Is it near any fans, air vents, or high traffic areas? At what height is the top of the cage relative to your room floor? Could you fill out this category, please?
• Location - Where are you geographically located? Nevada

Here are the links and images (make sure to read through every module and the veiled species profile, as well as listening to as many podcasts as possible, from The Chameleon Academy, as they have the most accurate and up-to-date info!)
ttps://www.chameleons.info/en/
http://raisingkittytheveiledchameleon.blogspot.com/2007/12/keeping-female-veiled.html
http://www.muchadoaboutchameleons.com/
https://www.chameleonforums.com/care/external-resources/
https://chameleonacademy.com/chameleon-husbandry-program-getting-started-with-chameleons/
https://chameleonacademy.com/veiled-chameleon-care/
https://chameleonacademy.com/setting-up-a-chameleon-cage/
http://www.muchadoaboutchameleons.com/2012/04/how-to-set-up-proper-chameleon.html