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they make trays that fit in the bottom of the reptariums. If you have one then, that should be enough. If you still want something more in the bottom then i'd think that most on here would say paper towels if any at all.
 
buba636 said:
i'm taking Duece to the vet now. I'm not trying to justify myself but until about 3 days ago he was in a 10 gal aquarium with just the 75W UVB and 100W full spec. I noticed him on the bottom of the aquarium after cleaning it, so i got concerned it wasn't big enough for him. i got the 38 gal mesh tank, after seeing one of my buddies cage (he has a 1 year old female veiled). i'm going to go to home deopt and get a piece of plexi or a tight metal mesh to put on the top and cut out the "screening" ontop. he are pics of my lights, i do have the spiral UVB wich i just learned is not good so i'll also be getting a floresnt bulb at home depot.


the one pic is taken with the door open and no other lights on in the room or rooms near it, just to show the amount of light coming in the cage. the pics from last night i used flash. i hope he pulls threw i haven't even had him for 2 months.
Click to expand...

NO FLOURESCENT BULB FROM
HOME DEPOT-that just won't work-you have to get a special UVB light-most recommend ZOOMED REPTISUN 5.0-with Reptariums I recommend 10.0.

The Reptarium will work out just fine-I have raised Veileds up in them, the UVB will go through just fine. Don't cut it up or replace anything, that would be a nightmare esp. since you have to take it apart to clean it sometimes. Get the Softray for the 38 tall. No substrated needed. Wipe up poop and extra water with a paper towel. I get $7.00 Walmart flourescent undercabinet lights and replace the bulb with the Zoomed Reptisun 10.0's. Raise it up just a few inches on wood blocks just in case the cham wants to hang from the top. Pop a live Fig or Schefflera in there and you are good to go. Gutload crickets with fresh veggies, dark green leafy lettuce, sweet potatoes, etc. Buy the supplements I recommended and dust crickets accordingly. I hope he makes it, but if not follow the advice on the forum and you shouldn't have any issues like this again.
 
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Just for the record, I think this normal flourescent bulb from home depot thing got started because I suggested he get a fixture from home depot that holds 2 bulbs alongside each other. I recommended getting one reptisun 5.0 tube, but also a high-lumen normal bulb to add some brightness and true color to things.
... Plus a basking bulb too.

So that was in addition to the UV bulb, not in place of. And I stand by that. The UV bulbs don't have a high CRI (color rendering index) and don't mimic the look of natural sunlight. Some basking bulbs do though.
 
How's he doing?

How's your boy doing today? I can't really add anything to the advise you have already gotten, except take a closer look at postings on this site that describe what other people are doing. Where do you live? How long before the weather is good enough for outdoor basking? I hope he makes it. Real sun in addition to other treatments would improve his chance of surviving this unfortunate start in life. Please keep us updated.
 
well the vet called me tonight, he actually was on my answering machine. he said that if duece doesn't show improvement by tomorrow he might have to go down. i don't know threre realy isn't alot of reptile vets up here and alot of reptile specifc places locally are mainly for snakes. after thinking about it on the ride to work and while i was at work i didn't feel to at ease leaving my cham with the vet, no one around my area is a exotic vet. i called almost every vet that said birds and cage animals.....NONE said exotic or just reptiles.
i have calcium with D3 and without and multivitamin. what are a list of plants i can grow...no real plant store open in the middle of winter, hopefully i can find some seeds. I loaded pics and if duece god for bid does not make it i'm deff getting a new cham. i hope these changes are going to be perfect.the temp is taken right at the basking area. as far as a drip system my girlfriend works in a hospital and i'm having her grab me a IV tube kit so i can regualte the dripping.
 

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see my response in the quote box below:

buba636 said:
well the vet called me tonight, he actually was on my answering machine. he said that if duece doesn't show improvement by tomorrow he might have to go down. i don't know threre realy isn't alot of reptile vets up here and alot of reptile specifc places locally are mainly for snakes. after thinking about it on the ride to work and while i was at work i didn't feel to at ease leaving my cham with the vet, no one around my area is a exotic vet. i called almost every vet that said birds and cage animals.....NONE said exotic or just reptiles.

i'm so sorry to hear that. Try the link that Brad Ramsey provided in his latest post. and if there is still no exotic vet around your place, then in my opinion, this is the best you can do. He is in an advanced case of MBD. I hope tomorrow he will be showing an improvement. This is the lesson that you can learn from taking care of chameleon. Extensive researching and correcting your husbandry are absolutely essential for this creature's survival

i have calcium with D3 and without and multivitamin. what are a list of plants i can grow...no real plant store open in the middle of winter, hopefully i can find some seeds.
since chameleon requires a tall enclosure, many of the plants need to be large. I doubt you will be able to grow them from seeds and have them ready before winter is over. my suggestion is to stay with fake plants until you can go to nurseries and buy real live plants. But, the plants that perfect for chameleon (considering you live in the area where sunlight is not available all year around) are:
1. Ficus Benjamina
2. Schefflera arboricola
3. Golden Pothos (Epipremnum aureum)
be aware that they are all mildly toxic when consumes too much by your chameleon. and Ficus has mild toxic sap oozing from a broken branch that irritates your chameleon eyes and skin.

the absolute safe plant is hibiscus rosa sinensis; unfortunately, this plant is difficult to raise in US due to its need of being constantly exposed to sunlight (except in California and Florida)
be specific of the species when you buy the plants. There are deadly cousins of schefflera and pothos that looked very alike if you are not familiar with plants.
also you will need to prep the plants to get rid of the pesticide, fertilizer ball, and many nasty stuff that the nursery use to protect plants.


I loaded pics and if duece god for bid does not make it i'm deff getting a new cham. i hope these changes are going to be perfect.the temp is taken right at the basking area. as far as a drip system my girlfriend works in a hospital and i'm having her grab me a IV tube kit so i can regualte the dripping.
my advice: this time please be a more responsible owner. before actually purchasing the chameleon, prepare the COMPLETE enclosure first. You can upload the pic to this forum. We will gladly help you pointing out potential problems that might rise from your enclosure. Please do not impulse buy a chameleon and thinking you can "add" on to the enclosure later. I believe you know now how easy it is for a chameleon for his health to spiraling downward from lack of research and incorrect living situation set up by his owner.
Click to expand...
Again, i really do hope your cham will get better.
Please keep us informed.
 
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the pic pf the cage is the new set up. a 100 W white spot light, full spectrum light on top with a 10.0 UVB tube but i'm going to have to find rept-sun i grabed repti-glo. the area were the basking light is the pic of the temp gauge.
 
i am glad that you chose to research your dilemma and hope that it's not too late for your little guy. in my opinion, he is suffering a great deal right now and it's tough to see an animal in pain. it may be best to let him go because if he does improve, it is a long way to recovery and will be difficult for both of you. on the other hand, if he does miraculously get better it is only because you are doing the right thing by changing your husbandry and gaining knowledge from research.

the people in this forum have great tips and advice and i have learned a lot! im just glad that i was able to find a few really good sites and this forum within a week of owning my chameleon. i thought i had done enough research from only a couple hours online and talks with other herpers (incl pet store... but that's a bad idea! LOL), but now i have learned a lot. it's nice to converse with experienced people!

i hope that you take uh, i think that i was Brad who said it, take his advice and post photos and get feedback before you venture out and buy a new chameleon. they are a challenge but with proper care it is a rewarding experience :)
 
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buba636 said:
the pic pf the cage is the new set up. a 100 W white spot light, full spectrum light on top with a 10.0 UVB tube but i'm going to have to find rept-sun i grabed repti-glo. the area were the basking light is the pic of the temp gauge.
Click to expand...

if you use the 10.0 bulb in the repti-sun, will it be on top of the mesh or inside the enclosure? the 10.0 bulb has very strong wavelengths and there is a risk of overexposure (like us getting sunburn) http://www.ukchameleons.co.uk/intro_uvlighting_tests.pdf
here is an example of some time well spent. you can read for yourself why the repti-sun is way better and the 5.0 is adequate for most enclosures. if you had a much larger cage the 10.0 may be an option, but in this case i don't recommend it. using a reflector will maximize UV light and is the best way to ensure your cham is getting it all.

http://www.ukchameleons.co.uk/captivecare.htm
this page will give you some good reading also. its very thorough and i like how they have proof and experience to back up what they say.
 
I had someone with a UVB meter measure the UVB from the inside of a Reptarium, and it came out perfectly fine-meaning in the correct spectrum. For young chams I would raise it off the mesh a bit-but the dark mesh filters out a ton of light.
 
i believe reptisun 10.0 is good when used in tandem with reptarium cage (since the cage block 50% of the UVB) and hang a couple of inches from the top.
if you use aluminum screen cage then a reptisun 5.0 is definitely safer.
 
the bulb i have is a UVB 10.0 repti-glo......i'm not sure of the difference between glo and sun other then the name and prob color. I hear you Dark the place i got duece from really gave me nothin to go with other then the not so good knowledge i found online and from my buddy, i called him to inform him of this site and the new things i learned. atleast i can help another cham, before she gets bad. looks like i'll be taking a run to petsmart after the vet tomorrow morning to figure out whats going on with my duece.
 
repti-sun emit far more UVB than repti Glo.
It is much more effective to supply the need of UVB for your chameleon.
 
good luck hope everything goes well. i would give advice but theres no more to be said. have my fingers crossed.
 
buba636 said:
the bulb i have is a UVB 10.0 repti-glo......i'm not sure of the difference between glo and sun other then the name and prob color. I hear you Dark the place i got duece from really gave me nothin to go with other then the not so good knowledge i found online and from my buddy, i called him to inform him of this site and the new things i learned. atleast i can help another cham, before she gets bad. looks like i'll be taking a run to petsmart after the vet tomorrow morning to figure out whats going on with my duece.
Click to expand...

the link i had sent you: they did study on the 2 different bulbs. almost at the end there is a chart that shows the output of the UV, and reptisun is higher/better. as far as the one you have, if you cannot find a replacement make sure to use a reflector and have it on the outside of the mesh. it should be fine that way. i think that others will agree with this ;)
 
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