New Member / Owner

[BostonKeith]

Hey everyone been creeping here for a couple months ever since i got my veiled. I would love to have my husbandry reviewed just to make sure everyone's happy. If someone could link me the form to fill out much would be appreciated. Thanks in advance.
-Keith

 

[ItsMike64]

I copied this from a comment by @MissSkittles on another thread

If you answer these questions as thoroughly as possible, we can go thru all of your care and make suggestions as and where needed.
Chameleon Info:

• Your Chameleon - The species, sex, and age of your chameleon. How long has it been in your care?
• Handling - How often do you handle your chameleon?
• Feeding - What are you feeding your cham? What amount? What is the schedule? How are you gut-loading your feeders?
• Supplements - What brand and type of calcium and vitamin products are you dusting your feeders with and what is the schedule?
• Watering - What kind of watering technique do you use? How often and how long to you mist? Do you see your chameleon drinking?
• Fecal Description - Briefly note colors and consistency from recent droppings. Has this chameleon 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?
• Lighting - What brand, model, and types of lighting are you using? What is your daily lighting schedule?
• Temperature - What temp range have you created (cage floor to basking spot)? Lowest overnight temp? How do you measure these temps?
• Humidity - What are your humidity levels? How are you creating and maintaining these levels? What do you use to measure humidity?
• Plants - Are you using live plants? If so, what kind?
• 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?
• Location - Where are you geographically located?

Current Problem - The current problem you are concerned about.

--------------

Please Note:

1. The more details you provide the better and more accurate help you will receive.
2. Photos can be very helpful.

 

[BostonKeith]

Chameleon Info:

• Your Chameleon - The species, sex, and age of your chameleon. How long has it been in your care?
• Veiled
• Female
• unknown (5 months is a guess)
• Handling - How often do you handle your chameleon?
• Rarely She has climbed on my hand while cleaning cage a couple times.
• Feeding - What are you feeding your cham? What amount? What is the schedule? How are you gut-loading your feeders?
• Dubias,Supers,Rarely Crickets,Fruit Flys,Phenoix. Treats- Horns,wax,rarely meals
• She gets a good 6 insects a day plus a treat.
• using mazuri better bug and the occasional leftover greens.
• Supplements - What brand and type of calcium and vitamin products are you dusting your feeders with and what is the schedule?
• repti calicium without d3 every feeding
• reptivite with d3 once a month
• Watering - What kind of watering technique do you use? How often and how long to you mist? Do you see your chameleon drinking?
• fogger @ night on 2 intervals of 1.5 hrs each
• mister goes off for 2 min 10 min after uv lights go on. then once again @ night for 1 min right after basking light goes off with uv still on.
• Fecal Description - Briefly note colors and consistency from recent droppings. Has this chameleon ever been tested for parasites?
• Fecal seems great not runny stays together. Urate mostly white with around 15-25 yellorange (lol).
• 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?
• 2×2×4
• combo acrylic front with 3 panels screen. I have background on back screen
• Lighting - What brand, model, and types of lighting are you using? What is your daily lighting schedule?
• t8 10.0 reptisun, Terra sky led (plants), cage also has 2500k leds built in.
• 12 on 12 off. with lighting intensity highest @ midday then around dusk the outside enclosure lights turn off.(simulates sun setting)
• Temperature - What temp range have you created (cage floor to basking spot)? Lowest overnight temp? How do you measure these temps?
• floor is 70
• basking spot is 81
• temp gun
• Humidity - What are your humidity levels? How are you creating and maintaining these levels? What do you use to measure humidity?
• Using a retifogger @ night
• Moonsoon mister Sunrise ish and dusk.
• humidity during day is around 40% to 45%
• nightime is 70 to 75%
• using humidy gauge in middle of enclosure.
• Plants - Are you using live plants? If so, what kind?
• pothos
• money tree
• hiscibus
• 3 succulents
• vinca vine
• 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?
• Cage is on my desk next to a wall.
• Not High traffic
• Basking spot is around 6 1/2 feet high
• Location - Where are you geographically located?
• USA Massachusetts

Current Problem - The current problem you are concerned about.
None just checking in.

 

[BostonKeith]

Thanks for any feedback i get and ty @ItsMike64 . if anyone is wondering why my led bar is blue it was in the middle of doing a with then it goes back to . I looked through the pictures and thought questions would be asked.

But im new here and been reading the forums scourging it for info from day one from this adventure. Thanks for being a sweet place for information and advice.

 

[MissSkittles]

Hi and welcome! Your husbandry and enclosure look pretty good. The only thing I see to change is to use the ReptiVite with D3 once every other week. What is the distance between her basking spot and the lights? With a T8 10.0 I believe it should be about 6-7”. Do you have a lay bin set up for her? She looks to be getting her big girl colors, which means she’s old enough to start producing eggs and should have a lay bin as a permanent part of her enclosure. I use a bin about 12” long and wide filled with about 5-6” of play sand moistened enough to hold a tunnel. I also drill some tiny holes in the bottom so excess water from misting can drain. If you need any info on laying and how to reduce egg production, just ask. Very glad to have you and your pretty little lady here.

 

[BostonKeith]

yes theres a pic of her lay bin in there in a pink flowerpot hidden in back. my t8 is 11 inches from her basking spot. i could go get her a new fixture& light if needed.

 

[kinyonga]

Welcome to the forum!

Time to cut her feedings down to every other day and then, soon cut down how much you feed her at each feeding, so she won't produce huge clutches and develop health issues and die early.
Good to keep the basking temperature down at 80F too.

 

[MissSkittles]

yes theres a pic of her lay bin in there in a pink flowerpot hidden in back. my t8 is 11 inches from her basking spot. i could go get her a new fixture& light if needed.

So you’ll want to add another vine or branch a bit higher so she can access higher uvb levels. The standard for uvb is a T5 with either ReptiSun 5.0 or Arcadia 6%. Then you’ll want the basking area to be 8-9” below the lights. The ideal uvb index at basking should be around 3.0. If you have or know someone with a solarmeter, you can check where you’re able to achieve that.

 

[BostonKeith]

lol i was doing this as you typed it haha thanks so much!

*edit* roughly 8 inches away with her on it it should be within 6 inches or so.

 

[MissSkittles]

lol i was doing this as you typed it haha thanks so much!

*edit* roughly 8 inches away with her on it it should be within 6 inches or so.

Perfect!

 

[BostonKeith]

After reviewing my post here are a couple things i forgot!
Luna shoots her toung at drops of water and does also sip from drops on leaves.

Lowest overnight temp is 66.

 

[BostonKeith]

Quick update! Luna is utilizing her new vine next to her uv thanks for the advice and info!!!

 

[Beman]

I want to double check something with the T8 fixture you have... Did you remove the plastic cover that covers the bulb? I am pretty sure you have the zilla fixture. This t8 has a plastic guard that completely covers the bulb. It has two tiny screws in the corners on the clear plastic side that you have to remove to take this off. If this is still on the cham is not getting any UVB. The plastic filters it out.

 

[BostonKeith]

doing it now thanks beman

 

[Beman]

doing it now thanks beman

No way for you to know especially being new to the hobby. I HATE this fixture. It is specifically sold for reptiles with the UVB bulb and they do not tell people to remove that piece.
Double check your distances. You want 7 inches to the branch below the fixture. Do not be surprised if she spends quite a bit of time there for the next week.

 

[BostonKeith]

confuses me why make a fixture with a plastic shield that blocks uv. smh

 

[BostonKeith]

ya makes no sense. My distance is roughly 8 inches to vine with small gradient. With her on it shes about 6 to 7 inches away at closest point. Thanks once again.

 

[Beman]

confuses me why make a fixture with a plastic shield that blocks uv. smh

ya makes no sense. My distance is roughly 8 inches to vine with small gradient. With her on it shes about 6 to 7 inches away at closest point. Thanks once again.

Well I am just glad I saw it to catch it before she suffered from MBD.

I highly recommend your next upgrade be a T5HO fixture. with a 5.0 or 6% bulb. The distance with this one would need to be 8-9 inches to the branch. Arcadia makes an amazing fixture.

The other thing I hate about the zilla is the crappy reflector piece. It reduces output as well because it does not reflect properly.

 

[BostonKeith]

ya once this uv has run its course of course i will get a new fixture i had it on some crappy chamelon kit cage i got that was so sadly undersized. Ended up changing it within the first couple days. It makes for a good isolation cage if ever needed though.

 

[BostonKeith]

Figured I would give a update on luna and her home! Enjoy your travels everyone!