Veiled Chameleon Care Help

[ju5t1n]

Hello everyone.
I'm looking to get a baby veiled chameleon 3months old I believe. I was wondering how this set-up and care would work please let me know.

Cage:
1'6" wide x 1'6" depth x 3' high. Screened/Meshed
Hopefully a Hibiscus and Umbrella tree plants with fake vines and plants.


Care:
Spray 5 times a day (when they are young, looking to get an automatic mister.)
Reptisafe (to clean tap water)
Dripper
UV-B Light 5.0 18" 12 hours Day
Heat spot lamp 12 hours 80-95 Day
Heat spot lamp 12 hours 70-80 Night
Looking to put the Lights on timers.

Feeding:
Calcium (Every other feeding)
Calcium with D3 (1-2 a month)
Multi vitamins (1 a month)
12 crickets every other day

Ummmm yeah Thinking of getting a male and female and building another cage in 6 months or so. I did as much research as i could but I just want to make sure I'm not missing anything.

Thank you.

 

[carol5208]

Just a couple of things....no light at night at all. Heat is ok like a ceramic heater but only if you plan on your temps dipping below 60 or so. At 3 months you feed every day not every other. 12-15 crickets a day if you are using like 1/4 inch crickets. If you are going to get a male and female then house them apart from the start. Do not wait 6 months down the road if that is what you mean. Calcium every feeding and the other two supplements twice a month.

 

[kinyonga]

Here's some information you might find helpful......
Exposure to proper UVB, appropriate temperatures, supplements, a supply of well-fed/gutloaded insects, water and an appropriate cage set-up are all important for the well-being of your chameleon.

Appropriate cage temperatures aid in digestion and thus play a part indirectly in nutrient absorption.

Exposure to UVB from either direct sunlight or a proper UVB light allows the chameleon to produce D3 so that it can use the calcium in its system to make/keep the bones strong and be used in other systems in the chameleon as well. The UVB should not pass through glass or plastic no matter whether its from the sun or the UVB light. The most often recommended UVB light is the long linear fluorescent Repti-sun 5.0 tube light. Some of the compacts, spirals and tube lights have caused health issues, but so far there have been no bad reports against this one.

Since many of the feeder insects have a poor ratio of calcium to phosphorus in them, its important to dust the insects before you feed them to the chameleon at most feedings with a phos.-free calcium powder to help make up for it. (I use Rep-cal phosphorus-free calcium).

If you also dust twice a month with a phos.-free calcium/D3 powder it will ensure that your chameleon gets some D3 without overdoing it. It leaves the chameleon to produce the rest of what it needs through its exposure to the UVB light. D3 from supplements can build up in the system but D3 produced from exposure to UVB shouldn't as long as the chameleon can move in and out of it. (I use Rep-cal phos.-free calcium/D3).

Dusting twice a month as well with a vitamin powder that contains a beta carotene (prOformed) source of vitamin A will ensure that the chameleon gets some vitamins without the danger of overdosing the vitamin A. PrEformed sources of vitamin A can build up in the system and may prevent the D3 from doing its job and push the chameleon towards MBD. However, there is controversy as to whether all/any chameleons can convert the beta carotene and so some people give some prEformed vitamin A once in a while. (I use herptivite.)

Gutloading/feeding the insects well helps to provide what the chameleon needs. I gutload crickets, roaches, locusts, superworms, etc. with an assortment of greens (dandelions, kale, collards, endive, escarole, mustard greens, etc.) and veggies (carrots, squash, sweet potato, sweet red pepper, zucchini, etc.)

Calcium, phos., D3 and vitamin A are important players in bone health and other systems in the chameleon (muscles, etc.) and they need to be in balance. When trying to balance them, you need to look at the supplements, what you feed the insects and what you feed the chameleon.

Here are some good sites for you to read...
http://chameleonnews.com/07FebWheelock.html
http://web.archive.org/web/20060502...rnals.com/vet/index.php?show=5.Vitamin.A.html
http://web.archive.org/web/20040608.../index.php?show=6.Vitamin.D3.and.Calcium.html
http://www.uvguide.co.uk/
http://raisingkittytheveiledchameleon.blogspot.com/
http://web.archive.org/web/200601140...ww.adcham.com/

 

[ju5t1n]

oh yeah for night I was gunna get the black light heat bulb but i don't think it will go past 60 in the room I'm going to have them in. Thanks for the feeding advice and housing advice! Think I may just get a male till i get more money to build another cage.

 

[ju5t1n]

Wow thanks a bunch! lol
A few of your links didnt work for me tho.

 

[kinyonga]

I would be the ones from ChameleonJournals...they have to be accessed through the arhives...I think I fixed them....try them again now and let me know.

 

[ju5t1n]

Ah thank you thank you it works!

 

[kinyonga]

Glad it worked!