new owner...temp and humidity are not where they should be, dont know why..

[KKess]

Hello, I will be bringing home a juvenile (5months) veiled hopefully tomorrow if I can get his set up where it should be. This will be my first chameleon. I have a 24x24x48 screen cage, filled with artificial plants, vines and branches, and a bare bottom. I have a dripper set up and will be hand misting for now. I want to make sure the temp and humidity levels are where they should be before I bring him home. I have a 100watt Exo Terra solar glow bulb, however the basking temp was not reaching 85-95 degrees, so i purchased a 100watt ceramic infrared bulb to add to with the other to bring the temp up..... this was suggested by the person i bought him from. I have measured the temps throughout the day, and the basking temp seems to vary a lot, between 80-90... and the humidity from 40-70%. I am not sure what i am doing wrong. I would like to know how others achieve the basking temp consistantly of 85-95 and what watt you are using, as well as how to maintain the humidity level throughout the day....or do they even need a constant level of humidity? Should i be misting the cage longer, or do i need to add live plants or substrate to create humidity? Also, how will i know if I bring him home and he is too hot, too cold or not hydrated enough? Thank you!

 

[carol5208]

/There are variables that come into play like how cold is your house? Does the solar glow have UVB?

 

[KKess]

I live in Fl, so with the air off my house is currently at 73... if it gets below 68 we usually turn the heat on.... but being in Fl that doesn't happen too often. And let me correct myself, its a PowerSun, not solar glow. It has Uvb, Uva and heat

 

[shomegirl]

I don't have a veiled but a Panther. You will need to mist a few times a day for 2-3 minutes each time. A Mistking automated mister would be handy. Because sometimes it takes 5-10 minutes to get them to drink and clean their eyes. Live plants will help keep humidity up. How are you measuring temps and humidity? Also how far down is the basking spot from the light? Welcome by the way. People here will help you and ease your mind if you listen and take their advice. I still have worries sometimes with mine. It's what they do.

 

[KKess]

Well thank you I am very excited to bring home my baby! haha. I think i will add a live plant for sure. What is your opinion on adding substrate to add humidity? Ive read a lot from people saying substrate is a no no because of bacteria or too much moisture. I have a basic analog thermometer, it was cheap. Somone told me i should get a digital because the basic analogs can read off. So the branch available to bask can either be 10-11 inches away (about 4 inches of that is the space between the bulb and the outer rim of the dome, then the other 6-7 inches is the distnace from the dome to the branch), or a higher spot is available at about 5 inches away from the dome. Also, should the cham constantly have a humidity level of 50% or more no matter what time of day or how often i check.... or is that just after misting?

 

[Peachypink]

Definitely get a digital probe thermometer because they read much more accurate and you can read exactly in their basking spot. That may be why you are not getting a consistent reading.

Live plants are a must with veilds because many will eat their plants and they really do help with humidity.

My humidity sits at around 40-50 depending on the day and it spikes to 90% during misting and slowly goes down and levels out. Live plants are a huge help at getting it to stay higher. Its ok to let the cage air out and dry out in-between mistings.

Check out the care sheets and let it be your chameleon Bible, that will be your biggest help in keeping him happy and healthy!
https://www.chameleonforums.com/care/caresheets/veiled/

 

[Peachypink]

Well thank you I am very excited to bring home my baby! haha. I think i will add a live plant for sure. What is your opinion on adding substrate to add humidity? Ive read a lot from people saying substrate is a no no because of bacteria or too much moisture. I have a basic analog thermometer, it was cheap. Somone told me i should get a digital because the basic analogs can read off. So the branch available to bask can either be 10-11 inches away (about 4 inches of that is the space between the bulb and the outer rim of the dome, then the other 6-7 inches is the distnace from the dome to the branch), or a higher spot is available at about 5 inches away from the dome. Also, should the cham constantly have a humidity level of 50% or more no matter what time of day or how often i check.... or is that just after misting?

Oh, and a big NO on the substrate. It's just not worth it. Use paper towels and change them out daily or nothing at all. I have a drain pan. There are lots of ways to set up drainage too. Browse through the enclosure thread and get some ideas. There are some crazy awesome cages in there!

 

[KKess]

Thank you both! My humidity is only spiking to 50-60 when I mist it! So compared to yours Peachypink, im way off. I guess I will go tomorrow to get a digital therm, and test everything out with that. I would like to know also signs to look out for that my cham is unhappy whether its from not enough water, humidity or he is too hot or cold. Other than the obvious of him turning dark colored, is there anything else I should look out for when I bring him home?

 

[KKess]

also, ive been playing around with having the one Powersun 100 watt going, therm at basking level, and then turning on the ceramic 100 watt and measuring temp in the same place to compare. with the PowerSun it got up to 82-84 after 45 min. Then with the ceramic added it reached a basking point of 94 after 45min.... What do you think I should do, use just the one or keep both going

 

[Peachypink]

Thank you both! My humidity is only spiking to 50-60 when I mist it! So compared to yours Peachypink, im way off. I guess I will go tomorrow to get a digital therm, and test everything out with that. I would like to know also signs to look out for that my cham is unhappy whether its from not enough water, humidity or he is too hot or cold. Other than the obvious of him turning dark colored, is there anything else I should look out for when I bring him home?

What are you measuring humidity with?

You can tall hydration by the look of their poop. There is a whole Poop 101 thread in the health clinic. I highly recommend just jumping over there and reading everything that is sticky'd. You will need to give them a good week to settle in. Then you will start to see their personality come out.

And remember, a juvenile veiled basking temp should only be 85. it goes higher once they are an adult.

 

[KKess]

Oh ok, I did not realize that about the temp. Everything ive read on google has been generic, saying 85-100.... but wasnt based on age. I am using the same thing as the temp gage... its a dual analog with temp and humidity gage by zoo med

 

[Peachypink]

Oh ok, I did not realize that about the temp. Everything ive read on google has been generic, saying 85-100.... but wasnt based on age. I am using the same thing as the temp gage... its a dual analog with temp and humidity gage by zoo med

Dont trust those. I got a probe hydrometer too. Works way better.

Seriously, read through the care sheet I linked earlier. It is very specific on temps for age and sex. It is way more detailed than anything you will find out there. Under 9months is 85 basking.

 

[KKess]

I just read through the whole care sheet.... thank you so much! I will get a digital probe and a couple of live plants tomorrow. With my cage being 48inch tall, can i place the plants in the bootm, or will they need to be up higher to create humidity

 

[Peachypink]

I just read through the whole care sheet.... thank you so much! I will get a digital probe and a couple of live plants tomorrow. With my cage being 48inch tall, can i place the plants in the bootm, or will they need to be up higher to create humidity

Depends on what you have. I have mine at different levels. A majority of the time the cham is in the top half of the cage so you want them to be where he can hang out in them. I did have a pathos toward the bottom and just strung the vines up to the top. You also have to think of cleaning the bottom and drainage. If you have them on the bottom, how will you clean it out? Just a few things to thing through, its like a riddle you have to solve.

 

[shomegirl]

Yeah, my humidity stays between 40-60%, then after I mist, it climbs up to 70-85% sometimes 90, then drops back down. I have two small pothos plants attached mid level on the back and sides of my enclosure. I have an automatic mister, that i have set 6 minutes a couple of times a day, then 4 minutes the other times. It goes off about 5 times daily. You will do fine. I think with veiled's you have to be careful with their basking spot, not too high to the lights, they will burn their casques. (sp?) you will do fine with him. I was stressed out about everything when I got my guy, I have had him since march (4 months old) and now he is a year and a month and is doing good. He still stresses me sometimes when he doesn't eat as much as I think he should or poop as much as I think he should, but it all works out. This forum is awesome. I rarely have to ask questions, because I do a search and most have already been asked and answered. post pictures when you get yours. Take pictures, because they grow fast and it is fun to watch how they change.

 

[ZacharyLeesWife]

A mercury bulb should be throwing much higher temps! How far is it from the enclosure? Definitely go with digital gauges, they're not expensive.

 

[PJK]

I live in Fl, so with the air off my house is currently at 73... if it gets below 68 we usually turn the heat on.... but being in Fl that doesn't happen too often. And let me correct myself, its a PowerSun, not solar glow. It has Uvb, Uva and heat

So its a Mercury Vapor Bulb? and you cant keep it hot enough? how far away is it? You're probably the first person I've heard that has a problem getting an enclosure warm enough with an MVB.

 

[KKess]

Yeah, my humidity stays between 40-60%, then after I mist, it climbs up to 70-85% sometimes 90, then drops back down. I have two small pothos plants attached mid level on the back and sides of my enclosure. I have an automatic mister, that i have set 6 minutes a couple of times a day, then 4 minutes the other times. It goes off about 5 times daily. You will do fine. I think with veiled's you have to be careful with their basking spot, not too high to the lights, they will burn their casques. (sp?) you will do fine with him. I was stressed out about everything when I got my guy, I have had him since march (4 months old) and now he is a year and a month and is doing good. He still stresses me sometimes when he doesn't eat as much as I think he should or poop as much as I think he should, but it all works out. This forum is awesome. I rarely have to ask questions, because I do a search and most have already been asked and answered. post pictures when you get yours. Take pictures, because they grow fast and it is fun to watch how they change.

Here he is!!!

 

[shomegirl]

Here he is!!!
View attachment 171966

Handsome

 

[KKess]

So you see how light green and teal he is in that pic... well now he is an overall darker shade of green since I put him in his new home. Am I over analyzing or is it normal for him to be a little unhappy or darker because of a new situation ? He seems good though bc he ate 10crickets no problem, and has been actively moving around