Very Worried About My Baby Veiled - Please Help! Lots of Symptoms

[m1ndless]

I have posted a few threads, but no one seems to respond, and I am starting to get worried about my veiled, here is all the info I could think to provide.

Cage Info:
Cage Type - Glass - 24" Front - 12" Deep - 30" Tall
Lighting - Reptiglo 5.0 & 65W Basking Bulb
Temperature - 75-77 ambient - 80-85 basking - 65-70 at night
Humidity - 40-100% (100% after misting, drops ~20%/hr)
Plants - 1 Schleffera Abricola - 1 Fake Plant
Location - On stand in bedroom - 2.5ft off the ground

Chameleon Info:
Your Chameleon - 8wk old male veiled cham
Feeding - Mix of 1/4" Crix and 1/4" Silkworms - Dusting daily (calcium with and without d3, herpative multivitamin)
Watering - Misting 4-5 times a day for 1-2 minutes (until cage is soaked, and he drinks).
Fecal Description - White Urate - Looks Normal to Me
History - None
Current Problem - Closing Eyes While Basking

My cham appears to be perfectly healthy if you looked at him, he is always active and bright, but some days he just sits around ALL day and basks.

There is a 2" wide bar that goes across the top of the tank for support, it us under the screen top, he gets up inbetween the screen top and that bar, he barley fits he has to kinda sit low to sit up there, but he is ALWAYS up there, he climbs up the temp gage wires, but cannot get down unless I put a branch up there for him usually. I am not sure whats up with that..

He likes to be right under the UVB light when he sits on that bar, or he crawls upside down under the basking light, which is about 2-3 inches above the tank for saftey.

This morning I caught him hanging from his front feed only, which seemed weird, I put some branches by his back feet, he wrapped his tail around one and kinda held on, and I lifted him back up onto the bar with the branch, he let my hands get really close to him without a problem, which was nice, last time I tried that he got dark and kinda freaked out.

He is only eating 3-4 1/4" crix a day, if that. I cup feed, but he has yet to go anywhere near the cup when I am home, but crix are missing from the cup each night when I get home. I also let some crix just hop around the cage, and those are usually eaten.

I tried using silk worms, but he did not seem interested, I am thinking maybe they were too small? I got 100 in a tiny little cup, they were like 1/4" tops and all died after a week.

I added a dripper a few days ago, but he has not been interested in that, he drank a little from some of the leaves, but thats its.


The only thing wrong with my set up is the glass cage, which i have been trying to get one, but I recently totaled my car AND broke my leg, so I have been strapped for cash with all the doctor appts and trying to make my bills.

Any Suggestions? Any more info I should Provide?

 

[AFH]

Aside from the glass tank, I don't see too much wrong. If he's not interested in the cup feeding, just let them roam loose. Try to get them to crawl up a branch or vine. The temps seem fine.

At that young, they do tend to spend a lot of time roaming around the top of the cage. Almost all of mine do that for the first few months.

Maybe someone else can chime in if they seen an issue.

Also, if you really want a screen/mesh cage, the reptariums are much cheaper. www.lllreptile.com has some. For his age, you would probably only need a 30-40 gallon one.

 

[m1ndless]

I have had alot of problems with LLLReptile when ordering crix, but I guess I can give them a shot again.

Should I try to cup feed and free roam? Give him the option, or just stop trying now?

I might get the 16.5" x 16.5" x 30" cage - will that suit him for a few months til he is an adult?

 

[Cally95]

I am by no means an expert, but a few thoughts. I am sorry I dont have much to add, as you already mentioned the glass tank is a problem. I know you are strapped for cash but until you can get a screen cage just make sure the basking temp doesnt get to hot. Do you have a temperature probe to confirm those are your temps? Other then that it looks like you have everything covered. OH! just make sure his is well hydrated also.

Dell

I would continue to try the cup feeding and free roam a few crickets, but not to many. I would offer 2 or 3 feed cups at different levels.

 

[m1ndless]

I am by no means an expert, but a few thoughts. I am sorry I dont have much to add, as you already mentioned the glass tank is a problem. I know you are strapped for cash but until you can get a screen cage just make sure the basking temp doesnt get to hot. Do you have a temperature probe to confirm those are your temps? Other then that it looks like you have everything covered. OH! just make sure his is well hydrated also.

Dell

I would continue to try the cup feeding and free roam a few crickets, but not to many. I would offer 2 or 3 feed cups at different levels.

I am using only 1 feed cup, ill try to put another one in there.

I am using digital temp guages, as well as the kind you can just stick in your tank, I am using 4 different temp gages in the tank, 2 in the basking, and 1 on each side too.

He is hydrated, urates are white.

 

[AFH]

Yeah, the 38 gallon should be fine until he's 5-6 months old. You might call them and tell them you had real problems with your last order, I've found them to be pretty helpful. If you want to avoid them altogether, www.bigappleherp.com has reptariums too.

Also, since you have a glass tank and the crickets can't climb the walls, maybe find some mesh or screen and tape it to the sides with a little bit overlapping the bottom. Crickets are like chams, they always seem to want to climb up. You can drop some crickets in the bottom and they'll climb up the screen or mesh up to a level that your cham is at.

I know a lot of members here cup feed, but I don't do it at all. As long as your cage isn't too big (which yours isn't) finding the food won't be a problem.

Also, you said his poops look good with white urates, etc. If he's having poops, he's eating and if the urates are white, he's hydrated. He's just not doing it with you around.

It sounds like you've got a good grasp on his care, so you might just be worrying for nothing. I'd just continue what you're doing, making sure he's not dehydrated, making sure he's pooping and that they look normal, and get him a mesh or screen cage.

 

[m1ndless]

Yeah, the 38 gallon should be fine until he's 5-6 months old. You might call them and tell them you had real problems with your last order, I've found them to be pretty helpful. If you want to avoid them altogether, www.bigappleherp.com has reptariums too.

Also, since you have a glass tank and the crickets can't climb the walls, maybe find some mesh or screen and tape it to the sides with a little bit overlapping the bottom. Crickets are like chams, they always seem to want to climb up. You can drop some crickets in the bottom and they'll climb up the screen or mesh up to a level that your cham is at.

I know a lot of members here cup feed, but I don't do it at all. As long as your cage isn't too big (which yours isn't) finding the food won't be a problem.

Also, you said his poops look good with white urates, etc. If he's having poops, he's eating and if the urates are white, he's hydrated. He's just not doing it with you around.

It sounds like you've got a good grasp on his care, so you might just be worrying for nothing. I'd just continue what you're doing, making sure he's not dehydrated, making sure he's pooping and that they look normal, and get him a mesh or screen cage.

I am just worried since I read that closing the eyes is a big problem, but I am thinking it's just too hot and humid in that glass tank and the lack of venelation is hurting his eyes, I am going to try to give him a shower in a few days, I just need to find a suitable plant to use.

What is a good under 30" tall plant I could use in the tank as the main plant?

I only noticed new poop every 1-2 days, so I dont know if he is eating each day or not.

 

[AFH]

I use different size schefleras. It's one of the only safe plants I know that can take a constant drip and not drown. Lowes and HD are starting to get their plants in, and the ones near me generally have small ones right now. Just take a tape measure with you (or grab one off the shelf while you're there and put it back when you're done ) and measure the plants. If it's a little too big, you can always trim it down to size.

My guys don't always poop everyday, even if they eat everyday.

 

[m1ndless]

Thanks!

I am going to build this as a temporary solution..

http://chameleonnews.com/?page=article&id=61