should i move him? or not yet?

[kingsleysandoval]

hi, i have a male veiled about 4-6weeks old. he's been under my care for 5days now. he's not eating good, he only ate 3 mealworms. i tried crickets but he ignores it. they advised me to feed only crickets, so i switch back to crickets and he ignores it. he's currently in his temporary cage(15x12x10 plastic bin) with a uvb bulb on top and a basking light on a corner. i dust the feeders repashy all in one calcium plus. i mist 3-4 daily. i put more foliage for him to feel relax since he is very shy. i've already built a screen cage for him 18x18x24.

my concern is, should i move him to his new enclosure tomorrow even if he has not eaten today?(he ignored the crickets i gave him). or should i wait until he eats the crickets before i move him?

cup feed or set the crickets free?

 

[fluxlizard]

How large is your new cage?
That for me would be the deciding factor.
You need to solve your water/moisture problem for sure no matter what. If the new cage is not too large, go ahead and make the move. If you want to continue using the plastic tub, you need to mist less- either less often or less each misting so you no longer have water accumulation and everything has a chance to dry out between mistings. You can supplement misting with a drip cup and catch bowl or drip into different plants or whatever- but constant floor moisture creates problems for baby chameleons very quickly.
For feeding- I say free range a few feeders for a problem feeder like yours. Offer at the beginning of the day and leave in all day long and then remove just before lights go out at night.
The rest of the day stop messing with things- don't reach in to add plants, move things around, put feeders in and take back out, etc.
The more stable and predictable the environment, the more comfortable the little guy will feel and more likely to begin feeding properly. So whatever you do , try to keep a routine...

 

[kingsleysandoval]

How large is your new cage?
That for me would be the deciding factor.
You need to solve your water/moisture problem for sure no matter what. If the new cage is not too large, go ahead and make the move. If you want to continue using the plastic tub, you need to mist less- either less often or less each misting so you no longer have water accumulation and everything has a chance to dry out between mistings. You can supplement misting with a drip cup and catch bowl or drip into different plants or whatever- but constant floor moisture creates problems for baby chameleons very quickly.
For feeding- I say free range a few feeders for a problem feeder like yours. Offer at the beginning of the day and leave in all day long and then remove just before lights go out at night.
The rest of the day stop messing with things- don't reach in to add plants, move things around, put feeders in and take back out, etc.
The more stable and predictable the environment, the more comfortable the little guy will feel and more likely to begin feeding properly. So whatever you do , try to keep a routine...

thank you! that's what i've been wondering. how long should i wait before i take the uneaten feeders out of the cage. after i take the uneaten feeders, i'll introduce them the next day when the lights go on right? as much as possible don't disturb the chameleon and mist but make sure the cage dries between each misting? thanks!

 

[fluxlizard]

yes- that is exactly right.

 

[JRchameleons]

i've already built a screen cage for him 18x18x24.

An 18x18x24 cage is a little on the large side for a baby veiled, but not overly so. Many keepers use 16x16x20 cages for babies, but I would go ahead and make the switch. Since he's having trouble acclimating, I think it would be a good idea to move him into his slightly more permanent home (of the next few months anyway). After you move him I would just stop messing with things, free range your feeders, and leave him alone as much as possible to help him settle in.

 

[kingsleysandoval]

An 18x18x24 cage is a little on the large side for a baby veiled, but not overly so. Many keepers use 16x16x20 cages for babies, but I would go ahead and make the switch. Since he's having trouble acclimating, I think it would be a good idea to move him into his slightly more permanent home (of the next few months anyway). After you move him I would just stop messing with things, free range your feeders, and leave him alone as much as possible to help him settle in.

thanks! i'll put a division in the cage to make it smaller. im moving him today! i hope this works

 

[kingsleysandoval]

he ate 4 half-inch crickets for me today!!! im so happy. hopefully tomorrow he's gonna eat more thanks guys!

 

[Solid Snake]

Good deal! Try offering more after a few minutes to an hour.

 

[kingsleysandoval]

i offered 3 crickets in the morning, at first he ingored it so i let him be. I went to check him after 3hours, all the crickets were gone so i added three more. after a few hours, i checked and he ate only one out of the three new crickets, but im happy atleast he ate today. i removed the crickets since the lights are turning off anytime soon. i hope tomorrow's going to be better

 

[Solid Snake]

Oh yeah, your way over there Its not even lights on time yet here, glad it went well!

 

[kingsleysandoval]

Oh yeah, your way over there Its not even lights on time yet here, glad it went well!

haha thanks! it's 7 in the evening here in the philippines. he's lights go on 6am and turns off 6pm. thanks for the help guys! i cant wait for him to grow bigger so i can move him into a bigger cage