Not In Shed , Chalky and Pale for Days Looking for Assistance

[Antoinetteandco]

Chameleon info:
Sage. Veiled Chameleon , I belive male. About 5 months old I have had him for about 2.
Handling maybe 5-15 minutes a day to take him out so he can free roam
Feeding 10-12 small crickets a day. Gutloading dandelion greens, butter nut squash, apples, carrots. And repashy.
Suppliments zoomed calcium without d 3 every mwf. Exoterra vitamins only thursdays.
Watering through a dipper and misting plants for a minute in the morning. Average hum is 50-70 . I see him drink often.
Fecal description. Solid poop help uraites mainly white with a little bright yellow. Has not been tested for parasites
History. I purchased him from my work , just recently found out our reptile system had a plain flours entry tube not a uvb yikes. He was at my store for a month before I bought him.
Cage info:
Type. Reptile breeze medium ( just order the xl to uograde) so screen 16x16x36
Lighting zilla 75 blue day, uvb is a 5.0 tube zoomed reptisun 18 inch. Lihis on at 7 am til 830pm
Temp: basking 85 ambiance 70. I have a dual gauage.
Plants: upgraded to live yesterday. Ficus, pythos, and dracena.
Placement. One side sheltered by bookcase but not against it others facing window and my bed. No air traffic. On a a zoomed stand him off floor.
Location. Massachusetts

Current Problem. Sage has been really chalky toned while in his cage. I fear it's that I can't provide a proper heat gradient so I have an xl reptile breeze cage coming next week. But I am really worried that I am over supplementing or doing something majorly wrong. Last shed was March 28 he has not shed since. This does not look like his preshed last time and he has looked like this for 2 weeks now. Isn't basking as much either , not hanging out on the bottom but isn't going all the way up to bask like he use too. Sometimes he even looks all white. He did have a ton of that salt build up on his nostrils for a long time til I really started motoring supplement use. Please let me know your thoughts. I really appreciate it! First 2 pics are the chalky look last 2 ares last month normal (I have changed my husbandry since then ! Hence bad red bulb in old pic but not new)

 

[Marcoa1988]

You should put some large size rocks in the pots for your plants. Your cham could eat the dirt or other things that could be in there. Is the skin flaky?

 

[Antoinetteandco]

He was eating the dirt today forgot to mention that! I'm going to by a bag of turtle pebbles tomorrow and heavily rinse them to cover the exposed dirt. Not at all. That's why I'm really concerned his last shed started and ended within two days large patches really healthy I will post pics of the last shed

 

[Marcoa1988]

Where did you buy the plants from? Did you clean them? Change out the soil? Most all stores put fertilizer beads in them

 

[Antoinetteandco]

Where did you buy the plants from? Did you clean them? Change out the soil? Most all stores put fertilizer beads in them

I just put them in the cage yesterday , I got them in the mail from lllreptile. Removed as much dirt as I could and replaced it with zoomed reptilesoil. I rinsed them too .

 

[Marcoa1988]

So i def would use something bigger than turtle pebbles so he wont eat those also

 

[Marcoa1988]

Does he brighten up at all when you mist him?

 

[Antoinetteandco]

So i def would use something bigger than turtle pebbles so he wont eat those alsoView attachment 265877View attachment 265878

Oh wow that big? Good too know the pebbles at my work are about silver dollar sized. Thank you for the heads up!

 

[Marcoa1988]

They dont have to be as big as the ones that i used. I just wouldn't use something too small that he could aslo eat. Mine is very always very curious with everything

 

[Antoinetteandco]

Does he brighten up at all when you mist him?

Barely, but when I take him out he brightens up almost back to normal. Here's a pic of after I put him back after handling. It's super weird. That's why I worried his heat gradients bad like he's most pale in his cage

 

[Marcoa1988]

Does he bask with his mouth open alot?

 

[Antoinetteandco]

Does he bask with his mouth open alot?

No . He ll gape if I disturb him suddenly . But not when basking and he s barely basking lately, just hangs out in the middle of the cage mostly for the past week.

 

[Marcoa1988]

May be too hot for him. He seems a little small. If i remember correctly when mine was around his size his basking was between 80 to 82 at the high

 

[Marcoa1988]

Try raising your light a little bit to get the temp a little bit lower. See if he starts going back up to bask. I could be wrong but staying in the middle where its cooler for longer periods seems like hes too hot

 

[Antoinetteandco]

May be too hot for him. He seems a little small. If i remember correctly when mine was around his size his basking was between 80 to 82 at the high

Whew okay that's what I'm thinking too. I bought a 60watt two days ago and it already blew. What would you recommend for a 5month old? I feel like where it's been warming here in new England that it's messing with him too. I'm such a nerd, I have a notebook full of the average temp, hum and food etc the average Temps been up a bit

 

[Marcoa1988]

 

[JacksJill]

I was going to suggest you check your temps but looks like you have that advise.

 

[Marcoa1988]

So i have been using a 60 watt. I just had it raised some when he was smaller to regulate the heat. His basking is around 85. That was taken this morning when he made his way up there when the lights went on

 

[Antoinetteandco]

Try raising your light a little bit to get the temp a little bit lower. See if he starts going back up to bask. I could be wrong but staying in the middle where its cooler for longer periods seems like hes too hot

Okay ! Thank you so much! I ve been freaking out, cause as you saw he gets really light

 

[Antoinetteandco]

I was going to suggest you check your temps but looks like you have that advise.

Thank you for the reply though! I appreciate it, having a bunch of opinions helps!