WTF Humidity insanely low!

[LeeroyJenkins]

I just took all that substrate stuff out of the cage, put my cham back in, about a hour latter the humidity metter is at 20!!!! wtf!!! I put a cut out piece of a black garbage bag and taped it to the left side of the cage to try to keep some in, Im really scared atm I live in Nevada were humidity is really low at that .Im trippin so bad off this can anyone help!?!?

 

[LeeroyJenkins]

Please some one replay I need to get this fixed now

 

[Elizadolots]

Do you have live plants in the cage? If so, soak them. If not, get some and soak them. You might toss some hydro clay balls in with the plants, even put a pot full of the balls in the cage and soak it thoroughly.

You can cover as much as 3 sides of your cage with plastic as long as you have one full side and the top open for ventilation.

 

[SSimsswiSS]

If your keeping a veil, your okay. Just make sure you spray down the cage a couple of times daily, and dripper will work wonders too.

 

[LeeroyJenkins]

Do you have live plants in the cage? If so, soak them. If not, get some and soak them. You might toss some hydro clay balls in with the plants, even put a pot full of the balls in the cage and soak it thoroughly.

You can cover as much as 3 sides of your cage with plastic as long as you have one full side and the top open for ventilation.

yeah but my cham is chillin on the one I have in there, do I soak the soil or the leafs ext.

@Ssim I have a dripper dripping on the plant I have in the cage, I spray/mist the inside 3 5-8 times a day and I feel like im doing all I can. I hate nevada...

 

[SSimsswiSS]

Your okay as long as he/she has access to drinking water.

 

[Elizadolots]

I'd soak both the soil and the leaves. As SSimsswiSS noted, keeping a dripper going will help a lot.

 

[LeeroyJenkins]

Your okay as long as he/she has access to drinking water.

So even though hes only 2 weeks old low humidity is ok? I thought it had to be in the 60's from him to survive

 

[Elizadolots]

2 weeks old? That changes a lot...I'm not even sure such a baby should be in a cage. I suspect a plastic tub with a screen top would be more appropriate.

 

[LeeroyJenkins]

2 weeks old? That changes a lot...I'm not even sure such a baby should be in a cage. I suspect a plastic tub with a screen top would be more appropriate.

http://i210.photobucket.com/albums/bb196/manbearpig707/DSC00384.jpg
thats how big he is
http://i210.photobucket.com/albums/bb196/manbearpig707/DSC00383.jpg
Thats for scale, you can see him in the middle left of the pic

 

[warpdrive]

I've been following your threads and your doing fine.
You might want to look into cool mist humidifiers or swamp coolers, as nothing beats them for putting out humidity in your room/cage.

Drippers help a lot. Start looking into all the drainage systems people use.
You can keep him in the cage but watch closely his eating and drinking.

Harry

 

[Elizadolots]

Really? A 2 week old is okay in a big cage with 20% humidity? As I am not a "veiled" person, I can't really offer an opinion, but I find that surprising.

By the way, LeeroyJenkins, that is an adorable baby you have there.

 

[LeeroyJenkins]

Really? A 2 week old is okay in a big cage with 20% humidity? As I am not a "veiled" person, I can't really offer an opinion, but I find that surprising.

By the way, LeeroyJenkins, that is an adorable baby you have there.

thank you, I'm starting to think the people at petco really..REALLY know nothing about there exotics. They guy I got him form told me he was a guy and he was too weeks old. I called today and they told me you wont know till he gets older and hes not 2 weeks hold, hes a month old..I think petco needs to hire people that know what there talking about instead of hiring people that just sell them while know jack shit about what there selling

 

[Elizadolots]

You are so welcome...thank you for taking the time to ask how to help your chameleon.

He's still a baby...in the chameleon world, he's a "hatchling"... you should head to the breeding forum and start reading about the special needs of babies.

 

[kinyonga]

Your chameleon may be fine in that size cage but I prefer longer lower cages for chameleons up to about 4 months. IMHO it helps to ensure that they will get enough exposure to UVB light. I use a double tube fixture with one Repti-sun 5.0 long linear tube light and a regular fluorescent in the other half of it. This keeps the basking temperature in the low 80's for them.

I dust at most feedings with a phos.-free calcium powder to help make up for the usually poor ratio of calcium to phos. found in most insects used as feeders.

I dust with a phos.-free calcium/D3 powder twice a month to ensure that they get some D3 without overdoing it...leaving them to produce the rest of the D3 from their exposure to UVB light.

I dust twice a month with a vitamin powder that contains a beta carotene (prOformed) source of vitamin A. Beta carotene won't build up in the system like prEformed sources will...however, there is controversy as to whether any/all chameleons can convert it...so some people give a little prEformed vitamin A once in a while. Excess prEformed vitamin A may prevent the D3 from doing its job and push the chameleon towards MBD.

Calcium, phos., D3 and vitamin A are all important in bone health and need to be in balance. You need to look at the supplements you use, what you feed to the insects and to the chameleon when trying to balance them.

Regarding watering/misting/humidity...as long as you provide sufficient water to a veiled chameleon the humidity is not so important. Be careful when misting or using a dripper with a young chameleon that it can't aspirate water (get it into its lungs) and that the drops are not big enough that they will drown it when it tries to drink from them.

 

[Elizadolots]

Leeroy, that's expert advise! Listen to kinyonga, she practically wrote the book on care of female veileds and has loads of years of experience with many species.

I repeat my advice to look at the "breeding" forum...I'm sure you'll find lots of info on such young chameleons there.

 

[kinyonga]

Blush, blush...no book yet and lots to learn even after years of keeping them...but thanks!

 

[LeeroyJenkins]

Your chameleon may be fine in that size cage but I prefer longer lower cages for chameleons up to about 4 months. IMHO it helps to ensure that they will get enough exposure to UVB light. I use a double tube fixture with one Repti-sun 5.0 long linear tube light and a regular fluorescent in the other half of it. This keeps the basking temperature in the low 80's for them.

I dust at most feedings with a phos.-free calcium powder to help make up for the usually poor ratio of calcium to phos. found in most insects used as feeders.

I dust with a phos.-free calcium/D3 powder twice a month to ensure that they get some D3 without overdoing it...leaving them to produce the rest of the D3 from their exposure to UVB light.

I dust twice a month with a vitamin powder that contains a beta carotene (prOformed) source of vitamin A. Beta carotene won't build up in the system like prEformed sources will...however, there is controversy as to whether any/all chameleons can convert it...so some people give a little prEformed vitamin A once in a while. Excess prEformed vitamin A may prevent the D3 from doing its job and push the chameleon towards MBD.

Calcium, phos., D3 and vitamin A are all important in bone health and need to be in balance. You need to look at the supplements you use, what you feed to the insects and to the chameleon when trying to balance them.

Regarding watering/misting/humidity...as long as you provide sufficient water to a veiled chameleon the humidity is not so important. Be careful when misting or using a dripper with a young chameleon that it can't aspirate water (get it into its lungs) and that the drops are not big enough that they will drown it when it tries to drink from them.

Hmm, I only have one calcium powder that has d3 in it, I think I need to go buy another bottle

 

[bwalsh18]

I just took all that substrate stuff out of the cage, put my cham back in, about a hour latter the humidity metter is at 20!!!! wtf!!! I put a cut out piece of a black garbage bag and taped it to the left side of the cage to try to keep some in, Im really scared atm I live in Nevada were humidity is really low at that .Im trippin so bad off this can anyone help!?!?

what kind of hydrometer do you use? if its analog you might have some how messed up the calibration when you changed the substrate in the cage

 

[Elizadolots]

Hmm, I only have one calcium powder that has d3 in it, I think I need to go buy another bottle

Yeah...it's amazing how many bottles you end up with...the clerk selling you the animal says "this is the only thing you need, just use it liberally at every feeding"...but that's not right.

Some very smart producer of supplements (Zoomed?) should make a "starter pack" available for delivery with a chameleon. No phosphorus Calcium, vitamins with D3 and vitamins without D3. Make the samples tiny...it guarantees return visits to purchase and makes sure the owner knows the drill from day one.