New owner wanting feedback

[Rhea’s mum]

Hey all. Thanks for the add.
I’m a first time Cham mum and want to do right by her.
I got her nearly 2 weeks ago and have her new enclosure ordered. A reptibreeze XL. I’m going to attempt a bioactive setup and have read all the threads on here and also the biodude too.
I just want to see if there is anything I need to change or look into before I move Rhea over after the new enclosure is set up and going.


Chameleon Info:

• Your Chameleon - Veiled. Had her nearly 2 weeks. Was told she was 3 months old.
• Handling - Hand feed her a wax worm every morning to build the trust. She has been out and about the room 1 time. I often sit in the same room (always below her) and open the enclosure door so if she wants to come out she can on her own terms.
• Feeding - feed her approx 15 small/medium insects a day(depending on size). I feed her a mix of insects, locusts, calci worms, buffalo worms, dubia roaches. She has a single wax worm out of the hand most mornings to help with the trust. All insects are gut loaded with veg (currently have bell peppers in there, but use kale or carrots as well).
• Supplements - all insects are dusted with calcium without d3 each feed. She will be getting calcium with d3 once every 2 weeks and multivitamins once every 2 weeks, alternating.
• Watering - I have a misting system that is set to go off every 4 hours in the night for 30 seconds each time. I also do around 2 minutes just after lights off and in the morning before lights on. I don’t mist during the day as humidity tends to hover around 40-50% without. She has a dripper available to her in the afternoon for several hours. I saw her drinking when she was settling in after her move but since then I haven’t.
• Fecal Description - firm but soft, dark. Urate white occasionally with a bit of orange.
• History - i have taken her on from a previous owner, after 3 weeks of having her the kids didn’t like the feed so decided to sell her on. She was (is until the new enclosure is set up) housed in a small reptibreeze with all fake plants. The previous owner had a 100w bulb sitting on top of the mesh with the basking temp hitting above 95f and was misting her 8 times during the day with lights on. Was told that she was a he but definitely female as no tarsal Spurs, no sperm plugs and no bump under the tail.
  She has already done a full shed since being with me.

Cage Info:

• Cage Type - I’m not sure if the current dimensions of the cage but she won’t be in the small one much longer. She will be moving to a bigger reptibreeze XL (61x61x122cm) all mesh. I already have a lay bin for her ready to put into the new cage too.
• Lighting - lights are on a timer 8-8 (although slightly out she does get 12 hours). Currently have a 50w bulb raised slightly off the mesh for the basking and a 6% Arcadia t5 (the short linear bulb one) again raised slightly off the mesh, this will be being upgraded to a full length 6% t5 with the new cage
• Temperature - current basking spot reaches a max 82f where a probe is wrapped around the branch. Also have a separate combined thermometer hygrometer about half to 2/3 down the cage which normally reads at around 73f. Night time temps the basking spot (which isn’t far off where she tends to sleep) gets no lower than low 60s.
• Humidity - use a hygrometer(as stated above). Humidity stays below 55% during the day. At night I have seen it above 70 with the mister on.
• Plants - i will be using live plants in the new cage with some fake vine. Currently have a largish devils ivy and also have a scheffler. Looking at getting another devils ivy possibly along with other plants recommended on the chameleon academy.
• Placement - her cage is on top of a bookcase around 1.5m off the floor in a bedroom. Door is always shut when I am not in there and it’s only myself and my partner in the house. Whenever I am in there she is always above my head height apart from walking in and out.
• Location - UK (midlands)

Thanks in advance for any feedback. I know it’s all constructive. Just want her to be healthy and happy.
The photos are of when I first brought her home, during her shed and now with her big girl colours ?

 

[Haley Hendrix]

give me one moment i’ll review it

 

[Haley Hendrix]

My feedback with be in red
Hey all. Thanks for the add.
I’m a first time Cham mum and want to do right by her.
I got her nearly 2 weeks ago and have her new enclosure ordered. A reptibreeze XL. I’m going to attempt a bioactive setup and have read all the threads on here and also the biodude too.
I just want to see if there is anything I need to change or look into before I move Rhea over after the new enclosure is set up and going.


Chameleon Info:

• Your Chameleon - Veiled. Had her nearly 2 weeks. Was told she was 3 months old.
• Handling - Hand feed her a wax worm every morning to build the trust. She has been out and about the room 1 time. I often sit in the same room (always below her) and open the enclosure door so if she wants to come out she can on her own terms.
• Feeding - feed her approx 15 small/medium insects a day(depending on size). I feed her a mix of insects, locusts, calci worms, buffalo worms, dubia roaches. She has a single wax worm out of the hand most mornings to help with the trust. All insects are gut loaded with veg (currently have bell peppers in there, but use kale or carrots as well).

I wouldn’t feed waxworks personally. Their very fatty and have no nutritional value. I better treat is a hornworm. I’ll attach a image for gutloading and different feeder options

• Supplements - all insects are dusted with calcium without d3 each feed. She will be getting calcium with d3 once every 2 weeks and multivitamins once every 2 weeks, alternating.
• Watering - I have a misting system that is set to go off every 4 hours in the night for 30 seconds each time. I also do around 2 minutes just after lights off and in the morning before lights on. I don’t mist during the day as humidity tends to hover around 40-50% without. She has a dripper available to her in the afternoon for several hours. I saw her drinking when she was settling in after her move but since then I haven’t.
• Fecal Description - firm but soft, dark. Urate white occasionally with a bit of orange.
• History - i have taken her on from a previous owner, after 3 weeks of having her the kids didn’t like the feed so decided to sell her on. She was (is until the new enclosure is set up) housed in a small reptibreeze with all fake plants. The previous owner had a 100w bulb sitting on top of the mesh with the basking temp hitting above 95f and was misting her 8 times during the day with lights on. Was told that she was a he but definitely female as no tarsal Spurs, no sperm plugs and no bump under the tail.
  She has already done a full shed since being with me.

Cage Info:

• Cage Type - I’m not sure if the current dimensions of the cage but she won’t be in the small one much longer. She will be moving to a bigger reptibreeze XL (61x61x122cm) all mesh. I already have a lay bin for her ready to put into the new cage too.
• Lighting - lights are on a timer 8-8 (although slightly out she does get 12 hours). Currently have a 50w bulb raised slightly off the mesh for the basking and a 6% Arcadia t5 (the short linear bulb one) again raised slightly off the mesh, this will be being upgraded to a full length 6% t5 with the new cage
• Temperature - current basking spot reaches a max 82f where a probe is wrapped around the branch. Also have a separate combined thermometer hygrometer about half to 2/3 down the cage which normally reads at around 73f. Night time temps the basking spot (which isn’t far off where she tends to sleep) gets no lower than low 60s.

Basking is a little high. Aim for around 78-80 for a female. Lower temps with contribute to when she lays her first clutch.
Humidity - use a hygrometer(as stated above). Humidity stays below 55% during the day. At night I have seen it above 70 with the mister on.

• Plants - i will be using live plants in the new cage with some fake vine. Currently have a largish devils ivy and also have a scheffler. Looking at getting another devils ivy possibly along with other plants recommended on the chameleon academy.

Great. Pothos is a great plant. If you have the extra money i would recommend getting Dragon Strand ledges. It makes it so much easier to hang plants and sticks.

• Placement - her cage is on top of a bookcase around 1.5m off the floor in a bedroom. Door is always shut when I am not in there and it’s only myself and my partner in the house. Whenever I am in there she is always above my head height apart from walking in and out.
• Location - UK (midlands)

Thanks in advance for any feedback. I know it’s all constructive. Just want her to be healthy and happy.
The photos are of when I first brought her home, during her shed and now with her big girl colours ?

 

[Rhea’s mum]

Thank you so much for the feedback. I’ll make sure to move her basking branch lower in the new enclosure to make the temperatures correct. Looking at where her current branch is I don’t even think it is 6 inches from the light (I didn’t set it up)

 

[Haley Hendrix]

Thank you so much for the feedback. I’ll make sure to move her basking branch lower in the new enclosure to make the temperatures correct. Looking at where her current branch is I don’t even think it is 6 inches from the light (I didn’t set it up)

That’s way to close. When my little guy was 4 months old. I had his basking branch 10-11in away and it got me 81 with a 60 watt.

 

[Rhea’s mum]

The sooner I can get her into her new enclosure with everything set correctly the better. It should be here tomorrow so hopefully get her moved over within the week

 

[MissSkittles]

Hi. For a little one (or a big one) you should have your basking area around 8-9” from your lights. Just that couple of inches should put your basking temp right where you want it.
Your humidity is at the high end. Ideal range during the day is between 30-50%. Instead of running your dripper for a few hours, try running for 15-20 mins.
I have to ask...what are buffalo worms?

 

[Rhea’s mum]

Thanks. I will make the change with the dripper. I just want to make sure that I don’t set her new cage up wrong really. Even for a newbie I could tell straight away that the way the previous owner had set the cage up was completely incorrect.
Buffalo worms are a bit like mealworms but have a much thinner exoskeleton so less chitin for reptiles to digest.

 

[Beman]

I happen to use waxworms for trust building... I see no harm in it while they are young and converting the excess to growth rather then fat. no more then 2-3 a day though. And for your female I would stop using them by the time she is 5-6 months old.
You will need to reduce your feedings as well as she matures... @MissSkittles can give you more info on that. Females need to drop back so their clutches are smaller. This combined with reduced temps really helps them have smaller clutches less frequently.

If you have any questions please post in the main forum so the more experienced keepers see your post and can provide feedback.

This is an excellent resource. https://chameleonacademy.com/

 

[MissSkittles]

Although your sweetie is still too young to worry about it, they do grow very fast and before you know it, she’ll be mature enough to lay eggs. Around 5-6 months old, you’ll want to cut back slowly on her feeding. Every few days subtract a feeder until you’re giving 3-4 daily. Then cut back to every other day. It’s important that your basking temps don’t go any higher than 80. Soon after 5-6+ months all of her pretty colors and patterns will be on display and she’ll be restless. That’s the receptive phase...I think of it as they get all dolled up and go looking for a man. I have one that endlessly circles her enclosure and the other literally climbs her walls up & down. This is the time to put a lay bin in her enclosure. It’s best to make it a permanent fixture. It’s just a plastic bin at least 10x10x10” with some tiny drainage holes on the bottom. Fill it to about 8+“ with washed play sand. If you want to put a plant in it, you can add a little organic soil. It needs to be kept moist enough that it can hold a tunnel without collapsing. Anywhere from a few weeks to a month+ after that ends, she’ll have gotten really plump and you may be able to see the little egg lumps bulging. On my ladies, they pretty much keep their pretty colors, but their dots become more pronounced when gravid. When she’s ready, she’ll find the bin. She’ll need absolute privacy once she starts digging. When she’s done, she’ll be sitting on her basking branch, dirty and much thinner. Feed and water her well for a few days and then resume feeding, but cut back to 2-3 feeders 3 times a week. The goal is to prevent frequent laying and large clutches of eggs. Laying shortens their lives and large clutches increase the risk of becoming egg bound. This is a great article. http://raisingkittytheveiledchameleon.blogspot.com/2007/12/keeping-female-veiled.html