Saladfrost
Member
I've been having the problem lately of her dropper pooling and leaking out of the bottom. Any suggestions? She seems to like the extra water but I don't like how it escapes.
Water puddling.
- Thread starter Saladfrost
- Start date
AnamCara
Chameleon Enthusiast
Hello and welcome to the forums!
For the water -- most keepers have a drainage system. Some pipe water out with tubing, other drill holes in the bottom of the enclosure and place a tub or bucket underneath it. That being said -- I do see some other things with your enclosure that could use some improvements if you'd be open to feedback! I hope you stick around -- this forum is a wealth of information for our chameleon friends!
For the water -- most keepers have a drainage system. Some pipe water out with tubing, other drill holes in the bottom of the enclosure and place a tub or bucket underneath it. That being said -- I do see some other things with your enclosure that could use some improvements if you'd be open to feedback! I hope you stick around -- this forum is a wealth of information for our chameleon friends!
^ I agree with the above. You can check out Dragon strands drainage trays. Get the one that is size appropriate for your cage. You can either do a gravity drain on it or wet vac the water out each day. www.dragonstrand.com
Saladfrost
Member
I would love some feedback! I'm still a bit new to chameleons. I've noticed that this is the most well put together community and figured its the best one to consult.
AnamCara
Chameleon Enthusiast
Woot! Yay! I'm going to pull some information together for you -- but first if you could fill out the form below it will give us a great starting point.
Chameleon Info:
- Your Chameleon - The species, sex, and age of your chameleon. How long has it been in your care?
- Handling - How often do you handle your chameleon?
- Feeding - What are you feeding your cham? What amount? What is the schedule? How are you gut-loading your feeders?
- Supplements - What brand and type of calcium and vitamin products are you dusting your feeders with and what is the schedule?
- Watering - What kind of watering technique do you use? How often and how long to you mist? Do you see your chameleon drinking?
- Fecal Description - Briefly note colors and consistency from recent droppings. Has this chameleon ever been tested for parasites?
- History - Any previous information about your cham that might be useful to others when trying to help you.
Cage Info:
- Cage Type - Describe your cage (Glass, Screen, Combo?) What are the dimensions?
- Lighting - What brand, model, and types of lighting are you using? What is your daily lighting schedule?
- Temperature - What temp range have you created (cage floor to basking spot)? Lowest overnight temp? How do you measure these temps?
- Humidity - What are your humidity levels? How are you creating and maintaining these levels? What do you use to measure humidity?
- Plants - Are you using live plants? If so, what kind?
- Placement - Where is your cage located? Is it near any fans, air vents, or high traffic areas? At what height is the top of the cage relative to your room floor?
- Location - Where are you geographically located?
Current Problem - The current problem you are concerned about.
--------------
Please Note:
- The more details you provide the better and more accurate help you will receive.
- Photos can be very helpful.
Saladfrost
Member
Okay ill do my best here. Also I've taken out the carpet.
She is a veiled cham. Unsure of age but still young, judging from size and colour. Ive had her about a week now.
I finally got her comfortable enough to handle yesterday. She doesn't mind at all once she's finally on my arm or hand.
Her staple is crickets. I give her about 10-20 in the morning and remove the ones she doesn't eat. I gutload them with flukers cricket quencher(calcium fortified). I give her 1 or 2 superworms a day for a snack.
I use the zoo med repticalcium (without d3). I plan on giving it to her once a week since the gutload has calcium. I have not given her any vitamins yet because I'm unsure what to use and I read she only needs it roughly once a month.
For water I use a dropper (hence the situation) and I also hand mist her plants 2 or 3 times a day. I've seen her drink water from the leafs mostly when her dropper is on.
Her poops look pretty normal. They are solid but not hard. They are brown with the occasional yellow spots. I'm pretty sure the yellow spots are from the superworms since it only occurs when she eats them.
I'm unsure of her history but she came from a petsmart. She looked a little too big to be there which is why I got her.
she has a screen house. It is 16X16X30 I know its not the biggest but I'm getting the 2X2X4 foot next weekend so I'm not worried about that yet.
Right now I'm using two 5.0 uvb lights because I felt that the one wasn't enough. One of them is 26W and the other is 13W. Her heating bulb is a daylight blue 60W.
Her ambient temp usually sits around 75F. Her basking spot is usually 80-85F. The floor is usually 65-70F. I use a zoo med digital thermometer.
I do not currently have a way to measure humidity but for now I've been leaving my hand in there for a couple minutes to see how it feels. I try to make it more humid at night but really I don't feel I need to do much since I live in western new York and the humidity is usually where it needs to be ( except for winter but I plan on having a more decent set up by then).
She has no live plants yet (mostly because I'm scared to put anything in there like that) but I'm open to any suggestions in general.
Her house is on top of our dresser for now because its the highest and safest place for now. Our dresser is about 4 1\2 feet tall. When I get her bigger house I plan on moving her to the large open closet in our room. There are fans in the windows but I feel she is far enough away from them to not make a difference.
I am currently in the states. More specifically western new York.
The problem I have is with the excess water but like I said I would love to hear ways to make her house better. I would be more than happy to answer any other questions and am open to just about anything so long as it makes her happy and comfortable, cause really that's all we want for the things we love. Thank you in advance for any help and feedback.
She is a veiled cham. Unsure of age but still young, judging from size and colour. Ive had her about a week now.
I finally got her comfortable enough to handle yesterday. She doesn't mind at all once she's finally on my arm or hand.
Her staple is crickets. I give her about 10-20 in the morning and remove the ones she doesn't eat. I gutload them with flukers cricket quencher(calcium fortified). I give her 1 or 2 superworms a day for a snack.
I use the zoo med repticalcium (without d3). I plan on giving it to her once a week since the gutload has calcium. I have not given her any vitamins yet because I'm unsure what to use and I read she only needs it roughly once a month.
For water I use a dropper (hence the situation) and I also hand mist her plants 2 or 3 times a day. I've seen her drink water from the leafs mostly when her dropper is on.
Her poops look pretty normal. They are solid but not hard. They are brown with the occasional yellow spots. I'm pretty sure the yellow spots are from the superworms since it only occurs when she eats them.
I'm unsure of her history but she came from a petsmart. She looked a little too big to be there which is why I got her.
she has a screen house. It is 16X16X30 I know its not the biggest but I'm getting the 2X2X4 foot next weekend so I'm not worried about that yet.
Right now I'm using two 5.0 uvb lights because I felt that the one wasn't enough. One of them is 26W and the other is 13W. Her heating bulb is a daylight blue 60W.
Her ambient temp usually sits around 75F. Her basking spot is usually 80-85F. The floor is usually 65-70F. I use a zoo med digital thermometer.
I do not currently have a way to measure humidity but for now I've been leaving my hand in there for a couple minutes to see how it feels. I try to make it more humid at night but really I don't feel I need to do much since I live in western new York and the humidity is usually where it needs to be ( except for winter but I plan on having a more decent set up by then).
She has no live plants yet (mostly because I'm scared to put anything in there like that) but I'm open to any suggestions in general.
Her house is on top of our dresser for now because its the highest and safest place for now. Our dresser is about 4 1\2 feet tall. When I get her bigger house I plan on moving her to the large open closet in our room. There are fans in the windows but I feel she is far enough away from them to not make a difference.
I am currently in the states. More specifically western new York.
The problem I have is with the excess water but like I said I would love to hear ways to make her house better. I would be more than happy to answer any other questions and am open to just about anything so long as it makes her happy and comfortable, cause really that's all we want for the things we love. Thank you in advance for any help and feedback.
Saladfrost
Member
AnamCara
Chameleon Enthusiast
She is a veiled cham. Unsure of age but still young, judging from size and colour. Ive had her about a week now.
I finally got her comfortable enough to handle yesterday. She doesn't mind at all once she's finally on my arm or hand. this is good! Not too much though, trust can be hard to build with these guys!
Her staple is crickets. I give her about 10-20 in the morning and remove the ones she doesn't eat. I gutload them with flukers cricket quencher(calcium fortified). I give her 1 or 2 superworms a day for a snack. you're going to want a wide variety of gutload and feeders. Veggies, leafy greens, some fruits, and commercial gutloads like Repashy Superload and Bug Burger are good. Key work AND ;-) same goes with feeders. See care sheets below.
I use the zoo med repticalcium (without d3). I plan on giving it to her once a week since the gutload has calcium. I have not given her any vitamins yet because I'm unsure what to use and I read she only needs it roughly once a month. you will want to dust her food with supplement at every feeding. Many keepers here use Repashy Calcium Plus LoD as a an all in one supplement. A more traditional schedule is Phosphoros Free Calcium powder at every feeding. Calcium with d3 twice a month and Multivitamin twice a month, alternating with the d3.
For water I use a dropper (hence the situation) and I also hand mist her plants 2 or 3 times a day. I've seen her drink water from the leafs mostly when her dropper is on. this works. Many keepers here use an automatic misting system. Makes life easier. Be extra mindful if misting water when the heat/ light is on to avoid Respirstory Infections. Get a live plant and run the dripper into the plant. For your larger enclosure drill holes in the base board and place a water catch below. I will attach photos of my setup--its rudimentary compared to others here ;-)
Her poops look pretty normal. They are solid but not hard. They are brown with the occasional yellow spots. I'm pretty sure the yellow spots are from the superworms since it only occurs when she eats them. the poop should be Brown with a white urate on the end. Fecal tests are HIGHLY recommended for new chameleons. ( more information on poop: https://www.chameleonforums.com/threads/chameleon-poop-101.120171/ )
I'm unsure of her history but she came from a petsmart. She looked a little too big to be there which is why I got her.
she has a screen house. It is 16X16X30 I know its not the biggest but I'm getting the 2X2X4 foot next weekend so I'm not worried about that yet.
Right now I'm using two 5.0 uvb lights because I felt that the one wasn't enough. One of them is 26W and the other is 13W. Her heating bulb is a daylight blue 60W. you will need a linear uvb bulb. On the 2x2x4 cage a single T5HO with a 5.0 reptisun or a 6% Arcadia bulb will do. If you get a linear fixture with more than 3 bulbs you may need a stronger bulb (10.0 or 12%) your fixture should have a reflector.
Her ambient temp usually sits around 75F. Her basking spot is usually 80-85F. The floor is usually 65-70F. I use a zoo med digital thermometer. @Beman I think these temps are okay but I dont keep veileds.
I do not currently have a way to measure humidity but for now I've been leaving my hand in there for a couple minutes to see how it feels. I try to make it more humid at night but really I don't feel I need to do much since I live in western new York and the humidity is usually where it needs to be ( except for winter but I plan on having a more decent set up by then). you will want a way to measure humidity. Humidity drops during the day are good, up to 100% humidity at night.
She has no live plants yet (mostly because I'm scared to put anything in there like that) but I'm open to any suggestions in general. half the fun of keeping chameleons is becoming a weird plant lady! Shove a pothos in there! Your setup is pretty sparse --you will want many more branches/ vines horizontally with a basking branch about 6-8 inches from the top (of your future 2x2x4 enclosure) live plants are important because they help with humidity and over all air quality! If you choose to not use real plants you will need to thoroughly wash the fake ones often and add many more--she should take a moment to find in her enclosure through the foliage
Her house is on top of our dresser for now because its the highest and safest place for now. Our dresser is about 4 1\2 feet tall. When I get her bigger house I plan on moving her to the large open closet in our room. There are fans in the windows but I feel she is far enough away from them to not make a difference.
I am currently in the states. More specifically western new York.
The problem I have is with the excess water but like I said I would love to hear ways to make her house better. I would be more than happy to answer any other questions and am open to just about anything so long as it makes her happy and comfortable, cause really that's all we want for the things we love. Thank you in advance for any help and feedback. Sounds like your off to a good start already! Make sure you get familiar with lay bins! I suggest you add one immedietly because at around or before a year females can start laying infertile eggs. The "bin" can be even a plant with a larger pit than the plant needs. Most keepers mix 50/50 organic soil and play sand, though I must say my female chose the potted plant to lay! Below I will attach some care sheets and some links that will be helpful reading!
ENCLOSURE INSPO https://www.chameleonforums.com/threads/pictures-of-enclosures.170281/
LAYBIN SETUP
VEILED CARE
https://www.chameleonforums.com/care/caresheets/veiled/
DOPE CHAMELEON PODCAST:
https://www.chameleonbreeder.com/
I finally got her comfortable enough to handle yesterday. She doesn't mind at all once she's finally on my arm or hand. this is good! Not too much though, trust can be hard to build with these guys!
Her staple is crickets. I give her about 10-20 in the morning and remove the ones she doesn't eat. I gutload them with flukers cricket quencher(calcium fortified). I give her 1 or 2 superworms a day for a snack. you're going to want a wide variety of gutload and feeders. Veggies, leafy greens, some fruits, and commercial gutloads like Repashy Superload and Bug Burger are good. Key work AND ;-) same goes with feeders. See care sheets below.
I use the zoo med repticalcium (without d3). I plan on giving it to her once a week since the gutload has calcium. I have not given her any vitamins yet because I'm unsure what to use and I read she only needs it roughly once a month. you will want to dust her food with supplement at every feeding. Many keepers here use Repashy Calcium Plus LoD as a an all in one supplement. A more traditional schedule is Phosphoros Free Calcium powder at every feeding. Calcium with d3 twice a month and Multivitamin twice a month, alternating with the d3.
For water I use a dropper (hence the situation) and I also hand mist her plants 2 or 3 times a day. I've seen her drink water from the leafs mostly when her dropper is on. this works. Many keepers here use an automatic misting system. Makes life easier. Be extra mindful if misting water when the heat/ light is on to avoid Respirstory Infections. Get a live plant and run the dripper into the plant. For your larger enclosure drill holes in the base board and place a water catch below. I will attach photos of my setup--its rudimentary compared to others here ;-)
Her poops look pretty normal. They are solid but not hard. They are brown with the occasional yellow spots. I'm pretty sure the yellow spots are from the superworms since it only occurs when she eats them. the poop should be Brown with a white urate on the end. Fecal tests are HIGHLY recommended for new chameleons. ( more information on poop: https://www.chameleonforums.com/threads/chameleon-poop-101.120171/ )
I'm unsure of her history but she came from a petsmart. She looked a little too big to be there which is why I got her.
she has a screen house. It is 16X16X30 I know its not the biggest but I'm getting the 2X2X4 foot next weekend so I'm not worried about that yet.
Right now I'm using two 5.0 uvb lights because I felt that the one wasn't enough. One of them is 26W and the other is 13W. Her heating bulb is a daylight blue 60W. you will need a linear uvb bulb. On the 2x2x4 cage a single T5HO with a 5.0 reptisun or a 6% Arcadia bulb will do. If you get a linear fixture with more than 3 bulbs you may need a stronger bulb (10.0 or 12%) your fixture should have a reflector.
Her ambient temp usually sits around 75F. Her basking spot is usually 80-85F. The floor is usually 65-70F. I use a zoo med digital thermometer. @Beman I think these temps are okay but I dont keep veileds.
I do not currently have a way to measure humidity but for now I've been leaving my hand in there for a couple minutes to see how it feels. I try to make it more humid at night but really I don't feel I need to do much since I live in western new York and the humidity is usually where it needs to be ( except for winter but I plan on having a more decent set up by then). you will want a way to measure humidity. Humidity drops during the day are good, up to 100% humidity at night.
She has no live plants yet (mostly because I'm scared to put anything in there like that) but I'm open to any suggestions in general. half the fun of keeping chameleons is becoming a weird plant lady! Shove a pothos in there! Your setup is pretty sparse --you will want many more branches/ vines horizontally with a basking branch about 6-8 inches from the top (of your future 2x2x4 enclosure) live plants are important because they help with humidity and over all air quality! If you choose to not use real plants you will need to thoroughly wash the fake ones often and add many more--she should take a moment to find in her enclosure through the foliage
Her house is on top of our dresser for now because its the highest and safest place for now. Our dresser is about 4 1\2 feet tall. When I get her bigger house I plan on moving her to the large open closet in our room. There are fans in the windows but I feel she is far enough away from them to not make a difference.
I am currently in the states. More specifically western new York.
The problem I have is with the excess water but like I said I would love to hear ways to make her house better. I would be more than happy to answer any other questions and am open to just about anything so long as it makes her happy and comfortable, cause really that's all we want for the things we love. Thank you in advance for any help and feedback. Sounds like your off to a good start already! Make sure you get familiar with lay bins! I suggest you add one immedietly because at around or before a year females can start laying infertile eggs. The "bin" can be even a plant with a larger pit than the plant needs. Most keepers mix 50/50 organic soil and play sand, though I must say my female chose the potted plant to lay! Below I will attach some care sheets and some links that will be helpful reading!
ENCLOSURE INSPO https://www.chameleonforums.com/threads/pictures-of-enclosures.170281/
LAYBIN SETUP
VEILED CARE
https://www.chameleonforums.com/care/caresheets/veiled/
DOPE CHAMELEON PODCAST:
https://www.chameleonbreeder.com/
Last edited:
coastal_chameleon
Avid Member
I agree , I use a cement mixing tub from home depot , very inexpensive and works fine !
You can use this to catch your excess water then just slide it out and dump the water Zoo Med ReptiBreeze Substrate Bottom Tray, X-Large Fits NT13 NT17 24 L x 24 W x 2 H https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0164R03RW/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_sQOADbNCSSWZ3
Temps are perfect for a female. When the humidity gauge is purchased your looking for a 30-40% range during the day.
Saladfrost
Member
This is absolutely wonderful. This is why I came here for information. Ill head out tomorrow and get what I can to keep improving. I do have some questions though. Could I just get a pothos from home depot? Will the soil be harmful? Should I change the soil if I'm using the plant as an egg laying bin? Also when misting what should I look out for? Should I be directly misting her less than 3 times or more? What would be the cause of the infection? I guess other than that the information was very clear and EXTREMELY helpful. Thank you guys so much.
Saladfrost
Member
Also what multi vitamin would you recommend? And should I do cal with d3 one week and multivitamin the next?
Ok so yes, you can get a pothos from Home depot. Rinse the leaves off with warm water and repot in organic soil. Then cover the top of the soil in 1 inch or larger river rock to keep her from eating the dirt. I would not use the plant as the lay bin. Don't mist her directly. If she wants to walk into it then that is fine. Typically we mist 2-3 times a day for a minimum of 2 minutes. My guy gets a longer mist of 4 minutes in the evening. What infection? I did not read anything above about an infection.
I would get Repashy Calcium plus LOD. this is an all in one supplement that you use every feeding lightly dusted on feeders. 3oz jar. Store in the fridge for freshness https://www.amazon.com/Repashy-Calc...&s=gateway&sprefix=repashy+cal,aps,386&sr=8-1
You will not use anything but this as a supplement.
Saladfrost
Member
@Saladfrost anything @AnamCara says for a lay bin go with that. I do not have a female. She does and has the experience with them laying.
AnamCara
Chameleon Enthusiast
@Saladfrost anything @AnamCara says for a lay bin go with that. I do not have a female. She does and has the experience with them laying.
I spent hours sifting coco fibers out of eco earth and spent a while finding the right ratio of sand and dirt and tested holes only for her to pick the Pothos on the side to lay in.
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