New member and soon to be cham owner

[Sugybooks]

Hello all I am not sure how this forum works but just a quick question before I Receive my 2-3month old Veiled cham from FLChams in two days. How is my Setup so far? Am I missing anything, anything I need to change? What I have is

Custom Dripper that goes off into two separate areas onto the plants
A Pothos plant
Umbrella plant
2x vines
Fake plants
Reptisun UVB 5.0
60W daylight true blue heat bulb
Repticalcium W/D3 calcium without D3
16x16x30 cage (will be upgrading when cham gets bigger)
Humidity gauge and digital temp gauge
Mealworm dish (I plan to feed loaded baby crickets and occasionally meal worms to start any other good foods?)

water dish to catch excess water
Eco carpet
The very coldest part of the cage is 68* and basking area is 85-90*
humidity before spray is 50 and after spray 80 so it goes between 50-80 I've been reading tons of posts on this site and am hoping I got something right for the new cham!

 

[Kristen Wilkins]

Congratulations and welcome Looks good !!. The water bowl are you using under a dropper ? The other thing is veiled are Notorious for eating plants I had to take all plastic out of my girls closure she was trying to eat the plastic plants . Just a heads up . How are your temps ? You have a good uvb ? What's your supplement schedule going to be ?

 

[Kristen Wilkins]

Actually you answered temp and supplements . Twice a month you will need a multivitamin and calcium with D3 . If you are getting a little girl you want temps in low 80s .

 

[Sugybooks]

Congratulations and welcome Looks good !!. The water bowl are you using under a dropper ? The other thing is veiled are Notorious for eating plants I had to take all plastic out of my girls closure she was trying to eat the plastic plants . Just a heads up . How are your temps ? You have a good uvb ? What's your supplement schedule going to be ?

I'm not sure how or how much to supplement calcium so I was hoping for a pointer on that and how much at a time.
I was reading I should be giving them 5-6 crickets a day and occasionally meal worms because they apparently are hard to digest? Was wondering other good foods except roaches my fiancé can't stand roachces.
Temps are 68* coldest and darkest part of the cage and 90* in basking spot. And the UVB I seen lots of people on here recommending it, it is the reptisun 5.0

 

[Sugybooks]

Actually you answered temp and supplements . Twice a month you will need a multivitamin and calcium with D3 . If you are getting a little girl you want temps in low 80s .

Yes I am getting a male, I like the colors !

 

[Kristen Wilkins]

I'm not sure how or how much to supplement calcium so I was hoping for a pointer on that and how much at a time.
I was reading I should be giving them 5-6 crickets a day and occasionally meal worms because they apparently are hard to digest? Was wondering other good foods except roaches my fiancé can't stand roachces.
Temps are 68* coldest and darkest part of the cage and 90* in basking spot. And the UVB I seen lots of people on here recommending it, it is the reptisun 5.0

I Personally don't feed mealworms at all to any of my scaly babies . Super worm are a much better choice , wax worms , hornworms silkworms , BSF are fantastic . Crickets gut load great . Cricket crack or Repashy are good if you don't make your own gut load . Collard greens , Kayle , dandelion greens , sweet potato , carrots , Red bell pepper , Zucchini , Red raspberries , apples , strawberries all Organic are good choices .

Supplements - calcium without D3 every feeding dusted lightly . Calcium with D3 twice a month opposite weeks multivitamin . Same just just your feeders .

 

[kinyonga]

Not a fan of the blue lights. I use regular incandescent household light bulbs.

For dusting, since most insects we use as feeders have a poor ratio of calcium to phosphorous its recommended that you dust at almost every feeding with a phosphorous-free calcium powder... not so heavily that the crickets look like ghosts...to make up for it.

It's recommended that you dust twice a month with a phosphorous-free calcium/D3 powder lightly to ensure that the chameleon gets some D3 without overdosing it and leaving the chameleon to produce the rest of the D3 from its exposure to the UVB light. D3from supplements can build up in the system and lead to health issues but D3 from exposure to the UVB won't as long as the chameleon can move in and out of the UVB at will.

It's also recommended that you dust twice a month with a vitamin powder that contains a beta carotene prOformed source of vitamin A. Vitamin A from prOformed sources will not build up in the system like prEformed sources will so this leaves it up to you to decide if your chameleon needs prEformed or not.

It's important to feed/gutload your insects well too. For crickets, roaches, locusts, superworms you can use a wide assortment of greens and veggies such as dandelion greens, kale, collards, endive, escarole, squash, zucchini, sweet potato, sweet red pepper, carrot, etc and a bit of fruit such as apple, pear berries, melon.

Mealworms are not a good choice of food for the chameleon. Make sure the crickets etc are the appropriate size.
For a young chameleon I always advise that you feed them daily as much as they will eat in a minute or two then leave a cricket or two for a snack. Once they are almost full grown cut them down to feeding every second day.


I agree with Kristen about not using plastic plants in a veiled chameleon's cage. Some do the to eat them.
Hope this helps!

 

[Sugybooks]

Yes all this is very helpful thank you!

 

[Kristen Wilkins]

Yes all this is very helpful thank you!

Agreed with @kinyonga on lights !!. I just recently up graded to a Quad set up from leghtyourreptiles.com . My babies love them and so do the plants . I would Suggest at some point check them out .

 

[Sugybooks]

Yeah I do plan on upgrading more later, but for just starting have I done okay? Thanks again for all the info!

 

[Kristen Wilkins]

Yeah I do plan on upgrading more later, but for just starting have I done okay? Thanks again for all the info!

I believe so . What are you using the water dish for ? On the bottom of enclosure? Also if your planning on housing your crickets in the container next to the enclosed with black lid they will escape through the cracks . You will be dealing with cricketing crickets in walls , heaters , vents etc !!.

 

[TheAmazingGerby]

Everything sounds great! If I were you, I'd just scrap the eco-carpet. Sometimes it's more trouble than it's worth. I got rid of mine about a week after I had my cham because it would get soaking wet and would never dry.

 

[Sugybooks]

Everything sounds great! If I were you, I'd just scrap the eco-carpet. Sometimes it's more trouble than it's worth. I got rid of mine about a week after I had my cham because it would get soaking wet and would never dry.

Did you replace with anything? Or just leave the the bottom bare


And I've had crickets in it before for a gecko I had they never got out that I noticed and the bowl I did that to catch excess water off the leaves, should I not have it? @Kristen

 

[Kristen Wilkins]

Did you replace with anything? Or just leave the the bottom bare


And I've had crickets in it before for a gecko I had they never got out that I noticed and the bowl I did that to catch excess water off the leaves, should I not have it? @Kristen

It's not necessary .

 

[Kristen Wilkins]

Did you replace with anything? Or just leave the the bottom bare


And I've had crickets in it before for a gecko I had they never got out that I noticed and the bowl I did that to catch excess water off the leaves, should I not have it? @Kristen

You want to keep bottom clear as possible .

 

[Sugybooks]

You want to keep bottom clear as possible .

Okay sounds good! But why so out of curiosity haha and as far as misting goes what should the up and down times be? Some people say mist and peak humidity 3 times a day some say 6 ? Some even have misters that mist every 30 minutes

 

[Kristen Wilkins]

Okay sounds good! But why so out of curiosity haha and as far as misting goes what should the up and down times be? Some people say mist and peak humidity 3 times a day some say 6 ? Some even have misters that mist every 30 minutes

I have a system also I hand mist . My opinion one can't over hydrate !!. The myster gos off 5 times a day 3-4min sessions 2-10min sessions . My baby's love being sprayed as well . You want dry out time between sessions . You want a rise and drop in humidity . I like my peak at 70% for my babies there shed is easiest there . Lows 40% . Water dish will collect bacteria , Chameleons can't see still water . Chameleons don't tend to be on bottom of enclosures . It's usually boredom if they are or hunger . If you have a female when there getting ready to lay they will be down there looking for an adequate space .

 

[Sugybooks]

Yeah that makes sense! I got a male from FLCHAMS, I got the spike bloodline getting him Tuesday hopefully!

 

[Kristen Wilkins]

Yeah that makes sense! I got a male from FLCHAMS, I got the spike bloodline getting him Tuesday hopefully!

So very exciting !!. Do post pics when your baby is home !!.

 

[TheAmazingGerby]

Did you replace with anything? Or just leave the the bottom bare


And I've had crickets in it before for a gecko I had they never got out that I noticed and the bowl I did that to catch excess water off the leaves, should I not have it? @Kristen

I honestly just left the bottom bare. It was so much easier to clean.
The bowl for the extra water is fine to keep unless you notice it making more of a mess than worth.