Scared

Karenxx67

Member
I so wanted to do this but after reading this forum im having second thoughts. Im terrified of not doing this correctly. Ive read many posts about chams not drinking or eating not having the right humidity. I just dont want to be responsible for a little baby getting ill an then not being able to recover. Does anybody else have these fears?
 
Humidity isn't the greatest worry.

There are humidifiers with a hygrostat that allow you to set a %, ideal for achieving the average say 50% you want (just let it do the whole room if it can).
Spraying/misting for few times a day for a few mins at a time then takes care of the spikes in humidity and also gives your cham the chance to drink and clean his eyes...

Don't measure humidity under the basking spot but lower in the enclosure. (Higher temperature will lower humidity)

The not eating would be a bigger worry since there will probably be an underlying cause... But you can greatly decrease the chance of that happening by providing the right supplements, humidity, uvb, temperatures etc...
 
Keepin the cage in the bathroom might be an idea
You could, but why?

Any humidifier should be ok but it's nice to have a hygrostat since you can just leave it on set to a % and it takes care of the humidity.
Downside is that it will probably not work on a timer and it's more expensive than a cheap wallmart one.

If the humidity is ~50% only misting should be enough.
If for some reason it's way lower you could seal 2-3 sides of the cage off with shower curtain to keep humidity in longer.
If that doesn't do the trick, get a humidifier.

Also the use of life plants helps keep in humidity.
 
...Im terrified of not doing this correctly...
To ease your fears, perhaps you can start off slowly at your own pace by getting the cage all set up first, including the measuring instruments, supplements, branches, plants, lighting, etc. Then start a thread and post pictures of your set up and everything that you have ready to go except for the feeders and the cham. You will get great feedback here and then you will feel more confident about being ready for this. Then a day or two (or more if mail ordering) when the cham is expected to arrive, you have the feeders ready for the cham's arrival.

All you can do is have the right/best conditions possible for the eventual cham and a good level of knowledge to handle the general things. The rest will depend on the health and personality of the cham that you receive. So in that case, buy from a respectable breeder and communicate your concerns/etc. so that they can pick out the cham that minimizes your concerns.

This is kind of what I have planned when the time comes. Good luck!
 
I have the cage ordered should arrive tomorrow. Cham is a long way off as theyre only just born so maybe 14 weeks away. X
Thanks for the advice x
 
I set up a cage fully for about a week, including plants, and running lights and misters, before putting a cham into it. That way I can monitor where the mister spray falls, how the branches are laid out, test the temperatures and humidity, etc. The last thing you want is to be making adjustments after you have a new cham in the cage, because that will stress them out even more.
 
I was planning on doing all of that anyway. Im still nervous though incase it doesnt work out. Its maintaining the heat misting an humidty im most worried about
 
I was planning on doing all of that anyway. Im still nervous though incase it doesnt work out. Its maintaining the heat misting an humidty im most worried about
All of that stuff it pretty easy to maintain. For heat all you need is the right bulb, misting you can get an automatic one to take care of it. For humidity, the mister will help, live plants help a lot to, and if your still having problems you can get a cheap humidifier from a place like walmart and put it somewhere near the cage. I myself have all three. If your getting a veiled all you need is between 50 and 70 percent.
 
How comes so many ppl have problems?
Most of it comes from them not doing something right and then not wanting to fix the problem. Some times they don't like what people have to say, like when they are constantly handling a cham that doesn't want to be handled and the animal gets sick because of it, that person doesn't believe that their constant handling could be the problem.
 
My biggest concerns when setting my enclosure up was dialing in the correct temps and measuring/maintaining humidity. You will have to play with certain wattages, how long to mist for, how long it takes your enclosure to dry before another misting, etc. Wherever you live, taken the seasons into consideration. For example, I live at 3k in the mountains. Right now, summer is perfect for him. My humidity stays at 60%(inside, much greater outdoors) minimal and spikes as high as 80* if it's raining outside or I've taken a shower. Now this winter, I'll be hard-pressed to achieve those same numbers with the outside temps being 20*F or lower. Buying from a reputable breeder helps as well. Most will give advice and are happy to answer questions.
 
I have found a good breeder x
Thats really the biggest thing to worry about. If you choose a bad breeder and you get an unhealthy animal then it really complicates things. Since you have found a good one you don't have to worry that much because you know you will be getting a healthy high quality animal.
 
Although I'm about to buy a Mist King [today], I have been using a Vicks Ultrasonic humidifier with a hose attached. A shorter hose allows more flow, and it is now pointed at the top of the cage. Some water accumulates and he drinks it. Here's a pic when the hose was pointed to the side of the cage. If the end of the hose points up, water can accumulate and obstruct the mist, so the end of the hose must be angled downward like the picture:
upload_2016-8-7_11-10-49.png
 
What was wrong with the 1 youve got here? Why the mist king? Where do you live? Do you manage to maintain himidity with the mesh cage? Does misting make a lot of mess? Ie what running out of the mesh sides? All over the floor? I imagine a shower curtain spoils the look too lol
 
I use a mister and a humidifier for montanes, just a mister for Panthers. The fact that you are here first and asking the right questions bodes well for your future chameleon. It's easy to get discouraged by reading the health questions on here but 90% of those are first time posters who bought an animal in poor shape and or had poor preparation. I think your baby will be a lucky one!
 
Thank you. I am a big animal lover an cant bear cruelty. Every animal should be treated with love an kindness. If you take on an animal you should do your upmost for that animail for its whole life. X
 
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