Newly purchased chameleon with seemingly troubled health problems

[Kiddothechameleon]

Current problem-
Hello, this past week I purchased my chameleon, kiddo from Petco and so far I’ve had some issues regarding her health. For starters since purchasing her she hasn’t pooped once, she’s peed, which was white, but no poop from what I'm aware of. She eats a ton and practically runs to food I give every time I feed her, but yet no signs of pooping. Another is that just yesterday she was rubbing her eyes on the dripper tube she climbs up from time to time and I think I saw some type of flake from it but I'm not too sure. On top of this, there are times where she has been closing her eyes during the day, though when I try to inspect and step closer to her she immediately opens her eyes. It’s clear that I have to take her to the vet at this point but I would like to hear if any other chameleon owners have heard or had similar problems similar to this and recommend what I should do from this point forward. Though I’ve only had her for a short amount of time I care for her dearly and want to be sure I’m not harming her in any way, so any advice, critique, and responses are appreciated!! If any photos are needed I will be glad to provide them.


Your Chameleon - The species, sex, and age of your chameleon.
How long has it been in your care?-
Female pied Veiled, 4-5 months old, been with me for less than a week


Handling - How often do you handle your chameleon?
She’s still scared of me so little to none


Feeding - What are you feeding your cham? What amount? What is the schedule? How are you gut-loading your feeders?
I feed her twice a day with a total of 8-12 crickets



Supplements - What brand and type of calcium and vitamin products are you dusting your feeders with and what is the schedule?
I have been dusting my crickets with repti calcium without d3

Watering - What kind of watering technique do you use? How often and how long do you mist? Do you see your chameleon drinking?
Misting 2 times during the day for about 2 min with a handheld mister, I also use a humidifier to raise the humidity from time to time and leave it on during the night. I have ordered a Mistking automatic mister that should be coming in by tomorrow. Regarding seeing her drink, she has a hard time due to the water dripping too fast or too slow. I constantly have to adjust the speed in order for her to drink directly out of the dripper. I've attempted to heavily mist the fake leaves that surround the dripper but she seems to be afraid of the spray bottle every time I try to mist her cage.

Fecal Description - She hasn’t pooped at all since purchasing her but has peed once


History - Any previous information about your cham that might be useful to others when trying to help you.
She seemed pretty energetic when first purchasing her from Petco but not as much anymore

Cage Info:
Cage Type - Describe your cage (Glass, Screen, Combo?) What are the dimensions?
It is a screen cage, 16" L X 16" W X 30" H

Lighting - What brand, model, and types of lighting are you using? What is your daily lighting schedule?
100w house bulb dome light and T5 high output UVB lamp, I turn the lights on at 11 am and turn them off at 11 pm

Temperature - What temp range have you created (cage floor to basking spot)? Lowest overnight temp? How do you measure these temps?
75- 82.3 basking and is about 74-80 at the bottom both daily and nightly



Humidity - What are your humidity levels? How are you creating and maintaining these levels? What do you use to measure humidity?
40-60 humidity levels during the day and 60-70 at night, I maintain this by misting twice a day and using a humidifier, I have a humidity gauge on both top and bottom of the cage

Plants - Are you using live plants? If so, what kind? yup.
I have on Pothos plant that she climbs from time to time

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?
She isn't by any windows, vents, or fans but she is right by my bedroom door two inches from the back on my wall, she is on top of a couple of crates and boxes so she isn’t directly on the floor

Location - Where are you geographically located?
New York City

 

[kinyonga]

Welcome to the forum!

Please post some photos of her and the cage.

 

[Kiddothechameleon]

Here are some images, I keep a bowl at the bottom of the cage to keep the water from leaking out of the cage.

 

[Kiddothechameleon]

Welcome to the forum!

Please post some photos of her and the cage.

the pictures above were the best i could take of her without stressing her out, she hates my phone

 

[ElliotG]

the pictures above were the best i could take of her without stressing her out, she hates my phone

How often do you mist? Misting can be good for helping them clean their eyes, she might have something stuck in her eyes bothering her. Misting can also give them a chance to drink besides a dripper.

looking at your set up, you could definitely use more foliage and branches. Having more foliage can make your chameleon feel a bit more safe and calm, if you also place branches higher it can help the chameleons with basking temps, since the branches seem to be low from the light. More foliage also helps with drinking since they tend to lick water off of leafs, another reason misting regularly is a good option.

Heat seems to be correct, you should do a cool down at night though, fans really help with this. I would also recommend doing a 7 am to 7 pm schedule for lights. She might be use to those times from petco. So you could possibly be cutting into her sleeping time. I also try to keep my lights somewhat in sync with the natural lighting outside. If 7 am is too early try a 9 am to 9 pm.

 

[ElliotG]

Crummy pic because it’s night and I don’t want to wake him. This type of foliage is what I’m talking about though (There’s plenty of members with even cooler setups than mine!)

But he’s got places to hide away if needed and a secure spot to sleep, and leafs to drink off of when misting.

 

[Kiddothechameleon]

How often do you mist? Misting can be good for helping them clean their eyes, she might have something stuck in her eyes bothering her. Misting can also give them a chance to drink besides a dripper.

looking at your set up, you could definitely use more foliage and branches. Having more foliage can make your chameleon feel a bit more safe and calm, if you also place branches higher it can help the chameleons with basking temps, since the branches seem to be low from the light. More foliage also helps with drinking since they tend to lick water off of leafs, another reason misting regularly is a good option.

Heat seems to be correct, you should do a cool down at night though, fans really help with this. I would also recommend doing a 7 am to 7 pm schedule for lights. She might be use to those times from petco. So you could possibly be cutting into her sleeping time. I also try to keep my lights somewhat in sync with the natural lighting outside. If 7 am is too early try a 9 am to 9 pm.

I was misting 4 times a day at first but I hear 2 times is better, one in the morning and one at night, she gets scared by my spray bottle though and I can't really manage to mist certain areas of the cage so I recently ordered an automatic mister which should be coming in tomorrow.

I fully agree with getting more foliage and branches for her set up, I was thinking of finding random branches from the park, cleaning them, and putting them in her enclosure to save money as well as purchasing another small plant.

Also, would you say what's been going on with her is a hydration problem and that's why she's been acting unenergetic at times?
Thank you!!

 

[ElliotG]

I was misting 4 times a day at first but I hear 2 times is better, one in the morning and one at night, she gets scared by my spray bottle though and I can't really manage to mist certain areas of the cage so I recently ordered an automatic mister which should be coming in tomorrow.

I fully agree with getting more foliage and branches for her set up, I was thinking of finding random branches from the park, cleaning them, and putting them in her enclosure to save money as well as purchasing another small plant.

Also, would you say what's been going on with her is a hydration problem and that's why she's been acting unenergetic at times?
Thank you!!

If her urates are white (her pee.) then hydration shouldn’t be the problem. She might have something in her eye bothering her, since you’ve stated she was rubbing. She could be closing her eyes also because of your time schedule for her. She could be adjusting and loosing sleep. Chameleons sleep a lot, so again, maybe switching the schedule for your lights to turn on a bit earlier might help her.

Awesome you’re getting a automatic mister, they’re such a time and stress saver.

If you’re looking for foliage to buy there’s a guide on here for it. I’ll see if I can find it for you.

The plants I have are Money Trees and dracaena. There’s obviously more plants, but I’ve had success with these.

 

[Kiddothechameleon]

View attachment 306620
Crummy pic because it’s night and I don’t want to wake him. This type of foliage is what I’m talking about though (There’s plenty of members with even cooler setups than mine!)

But he’s got places to hide away if needed and a secure spot to sleep, and leafs to drink off of when misting.

Yea this definitely livens up the enclosure, I realize now my chameleon would definitely need more of a hiding spot with more foliage to climb, ill stop by my local home depot and pick one or two plants soon!!

 

[Kiddothechameleon]

If her urates are white (her pee.) then hydration shouldn’t be the problem. She might have something in her eye bothering her, since you’ve stated she was rubbing. She could be closing her eyes also because of your time schedule for her. She could be adjusting and loosing sleep. Chameleons sleep a lot, so again, maybe switching the schedule for your lights to turn on a bit earlier might help her.

Awesome you’re getting a automatic mister, they’re such a time and stress saver.

If you’re looking for foliage to buy there’s a guide on here for it. I’ll see if I can find it for you.

The plants I have are Money Trees and dracaena. There’s obviously more plants, but I’ve had success with these.

From my research so far I have to guesses as to what might be wrong with her that being constipation and something just being stuck in her eye though she didn't seem to be rubbing today. She still hasn't pooped and my friend suggests I should give her some type of shower/bath to help hydrate her and to attempt to rinse out her eye as she sometimes does with her gecko

 

[ERKleRose]

Welcome on here! My feedback and any questions will be in red, and I’ll attach helpful links and images below:

Current problem-
Hello, this past week I purchased my chameleon, kiddo from Petco and so far I’ve had some issues regarding her health. For starters since purchasing her she hasn’t pooped once, she’s peed, which was white, but no poop from what I'm aware of. She eats a ton and practically runs to food I give every time I feed her, but yet no signs of pooping. Another is that just yesterday she was rubbing her eyes on the dripper tube she climbs up from time to time and I think I saw some type of flake from it but I'm not too sure. On top of this, there are times where she has been closing her eyes during the day, though when I try to inspect and step closer to her she immediately opens her eyes. It’s clear that I have to take her to the vet at this point but I would like to hear if any other chameleon owners have heard or had similar problems similar to this and recommend what I should do from this point forward. Though I’ve only had her for a short amount of time I care for her dearly and want to be sure I’m not harming her in any way, so any advice, critique, and responses are appreciated!! If any photos are needed I will be glad to provide them.


Your Chameleon - The species, sex, and age of your chameleon.
How long has it been in your care?-
Female pied Veiled, 4-5 months old, been with me for less than a week


Handling - How often do you handle your chameleon?
She’s still scared of me so little to none


Feeding - What are you feeding your cham? What amount? What is the schedule? How are you gut-loading your feeders?
I feed her twice a day with a total of 8-12 crickets What do you gutload with?



Supplements - What brand and type of calcium and vitamin products are you dusting your feeders with and what is the schedule?
I have been dusting my crickets with repti calcium without d3 Do you have any other supplements to use? If so, when are you planning on using them?

Watering - What kind of watering technique do you use? How often and how long do you mist? Do you see your chameleon drinking?
Misting 2 times during the day for about 2 min with a handheld mister, I also use a humidifier to raise the humidity from time to time and leave it on during the night. I have ordered a Mistking automatic mister that should be coming in by tomorrow. Regarding seeing her drink, she has a hard time due to the water dripping too fast or too slow. I constantly have to adjust the speed in order for her to drink directly out of the dripper. I've attempted to heavily mist the fake leaves that surround the dripper but she seems to be afraid of the spray bottle every time I try to mist her cage. What times of day are you using the humidifier, and what type of humidifier is it (cool mist or warm mist)? Are you misting her, her cage, or both?

Fecal Description - She hasn’t pooped at all since purchasing her but has peed once I would definitely get a wellness check done with a fecal test and x-rays at an experienced chameleon vet. Make sure to bring a fresh poop with you to the appointment and drop off at least two more fresh ones afterwards to make sure no parasites were missed.


History - Any previous information about your cham that might be useful to others when trying to help you.
She seemed pretty energetic when first purchasing her from Petco but not as much anymore

Cage Info:
Cage Type - Describe your cage (Glass, Screen, Combo?) What are the dimensions?
It is a screen cage, 16" L X 16" W X 30" H She’ll need, at minimum, either a 2’x2’x4’ tall or 36”x18”x36” tall cage, but preferably 4’x2’x4’ tall or bigger soon. It is also critical to have a proper lay bin in her enclosure, too. You need more branches (none from toxic or sap-producing trees), more veiled-tested live plants (properties cleaned off, repotted in organic soil with no chemical fertilizers, and rocks too big for her to eat covering the soil), and vines (preferably all live, but Fluker’s will work if you have to; no Exo Terra, moss or fake vines with leaves on them). The water collection bowl needs to be removed and replaced with an under the cage drainage system.

Lighting - What brand, model, and types of lighting are you using? What is your daily lighting schedule?
100w house bulb dome light and T5 high output UVB lamp, I turn the lights on at 11 am and turn them off at 11 pm Her UVB bulb needs to be in the middle of the cage aligned over her basking branch. What brand and strength of UVB bulb did you get, and what is the distance between the UVB bulb and her basking branch? What type of basking bulb do you have?

Temperature - What temp range have you created (cage floor to basking spot)? Lowest overnight temp? How do you measure these temps?
75- 82.3 basking and is about 74-80 at the bottom both daily and nightly What do you use to measure temps? At her basking spot, it needs to be 78-80*F, no higher, to help with keeping smaller clutches of eggs. It should be measured with a digital thermometer with a probe, with the probe placed where the top of her back is when she’s on her basking branch. The night temps need to be under 70*F, minimum 67*F, but preferably at or under 65*F is best.



Humidity - What are your humidity levels? How are you creating and maintaining these levels? What do you use to measure humidity?
40-60 humidity levels during the day and 60-70 at night, I maintain this by misting twice a day and using a humidifier, I have a humidity gauge on both top and bottom of the cage Humidity levels need to be 30-50% during the day, preferably on the lower end of that range. At night, if it’s at or under 65*F (67*F would be pushing it), they can be up to 100%. A cool mist fogger can used at the coldest parts of the night to help with raising the humidity. How and how often are you cleaning (or planning to clean) the humidifier?

Plants - Are you using live plants? If so, what kind? yup.
I have on Pothos plant that she climbs from time to time You need live veiled-tested plants only, as fake ones are an impaction risk that can lead to death

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?
She isn't by any windows, vents, or fans but she is right by my bedroom door two inches from the back on my wall, she is on top of a couple of crates and boxes so she isn’t directly on the floor

Location - Where are you geographically located?
New York City

Here’s the links (make sure read through the entirety of The Chameleon Academy, along with listening to as many of their podcast episode, too, if you haven’t already!):

• https://chameleonacademy.com/chameleon-husbandry-program-getting-started-with-chameleons/
• https://chameleonacademy.com/veiled-chameleon-care/
• https://chameleonacademy.com/setting-up-a-chameleon-cage/
• https://chameleonacademy.com/plants/
• http://www.muchadoaboutchameleons.com/2012/04/how-to-set-up-proper-chameleon.html
• http://raisingkittytheveiledchameleon.blogspot.com/2007/12/keeping-female-veiled.html
• https://www.chameleons.info/en/
• https://www.chameleonforums.com/care/external-resources/
• http://www.muchadoaboutchameleons.com/

 

[ERKleRose]

From my research so far I have to guesses as to what might be wrong with her that being constipation and something just being stuck in her eye though she didn't seem to be rubbing today. She still hasn't pooped and my friend suggests I should give her some type of shower/bath to help hydrate her and to attempt to rinse out her eye as she sometimes does with her gecko

I wouldn’t recommend showering her or giving her a bath, both can (and most likely will) do more harm than good.

 

[Kiddothechameleon]

Feeding - What are you feeding your cham? What amount? What is the schedule? How are you gut-loading your feeders?
I feed her twice a day with a total of 8-12 crickets What do you gutload with?



Supplements - What brand and type of calcium and vitamin products are you dusting your feeders with and what is the schedule?
I have been dusting my crickets with repti calcium without d3 Do you have any other supplements to use? If so, when are you planning on using them?

Watering - What kind of watering technique do you use? How often and how long do you mist? Do you see your chameleon drinking?
Misting 2 times during the day for about 2 min with a handheld mister, I also use a humidifier to raise the humidity from time to time and leave it on during the night. I have ordered a Mistking automatic mister that should be coming in by tomorrow. Regarding seeing her drink, she has a hard time due to the water dripping too fast or too slow. I constantly have to adjust the speed in order for her to drink directly out of the dripper. I've attempted to heavily mist the fake leaves that surround the dripper but she seems to be afraid of the spray bottle every time I try to mist her cage. What times of day are you using the humidifier, and what type of humidifier is it (cool mist or warm mist)? Are you misting her, her cage, or both?

Fecal Description - She hasn’t pooped at all since purchasing her but has peed once I would definitely get a wellness check done with a fecal test and x-rays at an experienced chameleon vet. Make sure to bring a fresh poop with you to the appointment and drop off at least two more fresh ones afterwards to make sure no parasites were missed.


History - Any previous information about your cham that might be useful to others when trying to help you.
She seemed pretty energetic when first purchasing her from Petco but not as much anymore

Cage Info:
Cage Type - Describe your cage (Glass, Screen, Combo?) What are the dimensions?
It is a screen cage, 16" L X 16" W X 30" H She’ll need, at minimum, either a 2’x2’x4’ tall or 36”x18”x36” tall cage, but preferably 4’x2’x4’ tall or bigger soon. It is also critical to have a proper lay bin in her enclosure, too. You need more branches (none from toxic or sap-producing trees), more veiled-tested live plants (properties cleaned off, repotted in organic soil with no chemical fertilizers, and rocks too big for her to eat covering the soil), and vines (preferably all live, but Fluker’s will work if you have to; no Exo Terra, moss or fake vines with leaves on them). The water collection bowl needs to be removed and replaced with an under the cage drainage system.

Lighting - What brand, model, and types of lighting are you using? What is your daily lighting schedule?
100w house bulb dome light and T5 high output UVB lamp, I turn the lights on at 11 am and turn them off at 11 pm Her UVB bulb needs to be in the middle of the cage aligned over her basking branch. What brand and strength of UVB bulb did you get, and what is the distance between the UVB bulb and her basking branch? What type of basking bulb do you have?

Temperature - What temp range have you created (cage floor to basking spot)? Lowest overnight temp? How do you measure these temps?
75- 82.3 basking and is about 74-80 at the bottom both daily and nightly What do you use to measure temps? At her basking spot, it needs to be 78-80*F, no higher, to help with keeping smaller clutches of eggs. It should be measured with a digital thermometer with a probe, with the probe placed where the top of her back is when she’s on her basking branch. The night temps need to be under 70*F, minimum 67*F, but preferably at or under 65*F is best.



Humidity - What are your humidity levels? How are you creating and maintaining these levels? What do you use to measure humidity?
40-60 humidity levels during the day and 60-70 at night, I maintain this by misting twice a day and using a humidifier, I have a humidity gauge on both top and bottom of the cage Humidity levels need to be 30-50% during the day, preferably on the lower end of that range. At night, if it’s at or under 65*F (67*F would be pushing it), they can be up to 100%. A cool mist fogger can used at the coldest parts of the night to help with raising the humidity. How and how often are you cleaning (or planning to clean) the humidifier?

Plants - Are you using live plants? If so, what kind? yup.
I have on Pothos plant that she climbs from time to time You need live veiled-tested plants only, as fake ones are an impaction risk that can lead to death

What do you gutload with?
I am currently gutloading with strawberries though I read somewhere that these aren’t the best for my chameleon so I will soon be changing it to mustard greens, apples, and carrots. I previously gutloaded with bananas for the first two days of owning my chameleon before realizing that this also wasn’t good for her and changing this to strawberries.


Do you have any other supplements to use? If so, when are you planning on using them?
The other supplement I own is calcium with D3 and I am planning to use it twice a month starting August.

What times of day are you using the humidifier, and what type of humidifier is it (cool mist or warm mist)? Are you misting her, her cage, or both?
Specifically, it's AquaOasis Cool Mist Humidifier, and I would sometimes use this during the day but recently learned it should only be used during the night, I mist her cage not directly on her as she gets scared.

I would definitely get a wellness check done with a fecal test and x-rays at an experienced chameleon vet. Make sure to bring a fresh poop with you to the appointment and drop off at least two more fresh ones afterwards to make sure no parasites were missed.
The only issue is there isn’t any poop for me to get tested, unfortunately.

She’ll need, at minimum, either a 2’x2’x4’ tall or 36”x18”x36” tall cage, but preferably 4’x2’x4’ tall or bigger soon. It is also critical to have a proper lay bin in her enclosure, too. You need more branches (none from toxic or sap-producing trees), more veiled-tested live plants (properties cleaned off, repotted in organic soil with no chemical fertilizers, and rocks too big for her to eat covering the soil), and vines (preferably all live, but Fluker’s will work if you have to; no Exo Terra, moss or fake vines with leaves on them). The water collection bowl needs to be removed and replaced with an under the cage drainage system.
Do you have any examples of cage drainage systems, and also how would I tell if a branch comes from a nontoxic or sap-producing tree since I'm considering going outside to different parks to get these branches. I’m planning on getting a larger cage once she gets a month or two older as right now isn’t the best time money-wise.


Her UVB bulb needs to be in the middle of the cage aligned over her basking branch. What brand and strength of UVB bulb did you get, and what is the distance between the UVB bulb and her basking branch? What type of basking bulb do you have?
Her uvb bulb brand is Reptisun T-5 high output UVB terrarium hood light fixture and her basking bulb is a 100 watt house bulb in a dome light. She likes to go directly under her UVB bulb at times, climbing up her dripper to do so, which extends down from an opening in the top of the cage. Sometimes she climbs up it at night. We did not previously have the UVB and heat bulb aligned with her basking branch, but only her heat bulb which she basks under throughout the day as well. The UVB and basking branch distance varies because she usually climbs the dripper to get to the light, but the heat lamp basking branch distance is about 6 inches.


What do you use to measure temps? At her basking spot, it needs to be 78-80*F, no higher, to help with keeping smaller clutches of eggs. It should be measured with a digital thermometer with a probe, with the probe placed where the top of her back is when she’s on her basking branch. The night temps need to be under 70*F, minimum 67*F, but preferably at or under 65*F is best.
I use both a gauge and a small SunGrow Reptile Yellow Digital Thermometer to measure both the humidity and temperature. Any recommendations to help cool down her enclosure? I’m thinking about putting a small fan next to it.


Humidity levels need to be 30-50% during the day, preferably on the lower end of that range. At night, if it’s at or under 65*F (67*F would be pushing it), they can be up to 100%. A cool mist fogger can used at the coldest parts of the night to help with raising the humidity. How and how often are you cleaning (or planning to clean) the humidifier?
I was planning on cleaning the humidifier weekly but I'm not quite sure yet do you have any suggestions on how often I should be cleaning it? Also, should I put a small fan next to the enclosure to help cool down the setup?

 

[ERKleRose]

What do you gutload with?
I am currently gutloading with strawberries though I read somewhere that these aren’t the best for my chameleon so I will soon be changing it to mustard greens, apples, and carrots. I previously gutloaded with bananas for the first two days of owning my chameleon before realizing that this also wasn’t good for her and changing this to strawberries.
I posted a gutloading image above (I'll post it again below). You'll want to use as many of those ingredients as possible (make sure they're organic), and make sure they're in the proper ratios, too. I use Kosher vegan Agar-Agar and ice cube trays to make little jelly cubes of gutload to feed off. The more variety, the better!


Do you have any other supplements to use? If so, when are you planning on using them?
The other supplement I own is calcium with D3 and I am planning to use it twice a month starting August.
You'll want to get a quality multivitamin without D3 (but preferably with preformed Vit. A) to use, as well (like Zoo Med Reptivite Without D3). The schedule will be the calcium without D3 at every feeding, except for once a week. On that one day per week, you'll alternate weekly between the calcium with D3 and the multivitamin without D3, so that each one is used once every two weeks.

What times of day are you using the humidifier, and what type of humidifier is it (cool mist or warm mist)? Are you misting her, her cage, or both?
Specifically, it's AquaOasis Cool Mist Humidifier, and I would sometimes use this during the day but recently learned it should only be used during the night, I mist her cage not directly on her as she gets scared.
Great!

I would definitely get a wellness check done with a fecal test and x-rays at an experienced chameleon vet. Make sure to bring a fresh poop with you to the appointment and drop off at least two more fresh ones afterwards to make sure no parasites were missed.
The only issue is there isn’t any poop for me to get tested, unfortunately.
Hopefully she'll poop soon!

She’ll need, at minimum, either a 2’x2’x4’ tall or 36”x18”x36” tall cage, but preferably 4’x2’x4’ tall or bigger soon. It is also critical to have a proper lay bin in her enclosure, too. You need more branches (none from toxic or sap-producing trees), more veiled-tested live plants (properties cleaned off, repotted in organic soil with no chemical fertilizers, and rocks too big for her to eat covering the soil), and vines (preferably all live, but Fluker’s will work if you have to; no Exo Terra, moss or fake vines with leaves on them). The water collection bowl needs to be removed and replaced with an under the cage drainage system.
Do you have any examples of cage drainage systems, and also how would I tell if a branch comes from a nontoxic or sap-producing tree since I'm considering going outside to different parks to get these branches. I’m planning on getting a larger cage once she gets a month or two older as right now isn’t the best time money-wise.
Here is a great link:
https://www.chameleonforums.com/threads/drainage-systems-for-cages-get-creative.102038/
Oak, crepe myrtle, ghost wood, manzanita are all safe and good. If you know what type of tree it is, and you aren't sure if it's toxic or sap producing, start a new thread or respond on this one, and we'll help you out! Another option is calling a tree-trimming company for a specific species of tree. If they trim one, they'll usually give you the branches for free! Asking neighbors is also great!


Her UVB bulb needs to be in the middle of the cage aligned over her basking branch. What brand and strength of UVB bulb did you get, and what is the distance between the UVB bulb and her basking branch? What type of basking bulb do you have?
Her uvb bulb brand is Reptisun T-5 high output UVB terrarium hood light fixture and her basking bulb is a 100 watt house bulb in a dome light. She likes to go directly under her UVB bulb at times, climbing up her dripper to do so, which extends down from an opening in the top of the cage. Sometimes she climbs up it at night. We did not previously have the UVB and heat bulb aligned with her basking branch, but only her heat bulb which she basks under throughout the day as well. The UVB and basking branch distance varies because she usually climbs the dripper to get to the light, but the heat lamp basking branch distance is about 6 inches.
What strength of ReptiSun did you get, 5.0 or 10.0? Depending on the strength, the distance between the UVB bulb and basking branch will vary. You'll want to raise her basking bulb up so it's at least 8-9" her basking branch to prevent burns.


What do you use to measure temps? At her basking spot, it needs to be 78-80*F, no higher, to help with keeping smaller clutches of eggs. It should be measured with a digital thermometer with a probe, with the probe placed where the top of her back is when she’s on her basking branch. The night temps need to be under 70*F, minimum 67*F, but preferably at or under 65*F is best.
I use both a gauge and a small SunGrow Reptile Yellow Digital Thermometer to measure both the humidity and temperature. Any recommendations to help cool down her enclosure? I’m thinking about putting a small fan next to it.
Turning down your house A/C, getting a window A/C unit the room she is in, getting an evaporative cooler near the cage, and more are all options to help cool down her cage at night. If you can get it down to 67*F, your humidifier will help, too.


Humidity levels need to be 30-50% during the day, preferably on the lower end of that range. At night, if it’s at or under 65*F (67*F would be pushing it), they can be up to 100%. A cool mist fogger can used at the coldest parts of the night to help with raising the humidity. How and how often are you cleaning (or planning to clean) the humidifier?
I was planning on cleaning the humidifier weekly but I'm not quite sure yet do you have any suggestions on how often I should be cleaning it? Also, should I put a small fan next to the enclosure to help cool down the setup?
Weekly cleaning is great! I use this:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00E5MXGKK/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Since, you have a screen cage, no fan is needed. Also, make sure the output tube for the humidifier (if it has one) is placed near/at the top of the cage so the fog rolls down. If it has tubes, and they're the crinkly ones, replacing them with either PVC pipe or vinyl tubing will be better and more sanitary.


Also, I forgot to answer this, but I'd cut her feedings down to once a day (same amount per feeding is good for now), in the morning/an hour or two after lights on.