Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hey, my brother has a veiled chameleon and he is gonna give it to me because he can't take care of it anymore. He has it on a reptarium, a 30 gallon or 20 gallon one, with no substrate, a tree in the middle and some fake branches crossed thorugh the enclosure. He is a bit slim, and i want to pump it up. What diet can i give him so he can be fatter? Is the setup for the enclosure ok? or should i change something?

How old is your veiled? 20-30 gallon reptarium is very small. You should try getting something a little larger. The bigger the better. Too small of an enclosure most likely is making him unhappy. Also, make sure it is elevated. Chameleons like to be higher than everything so they can get a good view of their surrounding. Do you dust your food?

I do have the reptarium positioned verticaly. He is about 6 months old. Ummm i don't dust the crickets because i have the reptarium near my window, where sunlight gets to him. I have positioned the cage so when the sun is lighting the cage at its maximum, he can go to a cooler spot. I mist him 4 times a day, because the temperature in here is very, very hot and dry. Should i dust anyways the crickets?

As long as you have the time and dedication, I think that you can raise a fisher. Yes, it might not be the best one to start with. But that's what I have. Had mine for about a year now and he's doing great. Had a few bumps in the road but with care and vet visits, all's well. But I'm not saying people should add this guy to the beginner list. Just do the research, follow it to the letter, and read the posts here. The post might not be for your species, but you can still learn. Just throw out what ever you thought about reptiles, cause these guys are totally different. Wish you the best of luck!

Hey!

Sorry, but was this message directed to me? My topic "Soon to be Chameleon owner!" (below) is about the dwarf Fisher.
Please share any experience you've got =) that would be very nice of you!

have a nice day!
Viktor

Yes, you should still dust the crickets. Do it only every other feeding. Although his setup is near a window you still need some source of uv rays such as a uvb bulb. Glass completely blocks uv rays so unless the window is open, it doesn't do a thing. If your cham doesn't mind an occasional handling try to bring him out into the sun yourself. Even 10 minutes could help him absorb calcium. Also the more sun you get him the more likely his colors will show better. I would recommend getting atleast a 60 gallon reptarium if your veiled is 6 months old.

Fatter isn't always good. Most healthy chams are fairly lean. You should be able to see ribs slightly when he's stretched out and moving around. At 6 months he's still actively growing and won't get fat. Once he's full grown you should not overfeed him...feed him every other day. Yes, you will need a bigger cage sooner if not later. Make sure to change the UVB bulb if it is older than 6 months too. You can decrease dusting to once a week when he's around a year old. Make sure you use a vitamin dust in addition to the mineral dust. Read the labels so you know what is NOT included in the dusts you have. Use vitamin dust about once a month. Good gutloads are safer and better than relying on dusting. There are some really good recent articles on veileds in the past issues of this e-zine.

http://www.chameleonnews.com

Also, do not keep him by a closed window, it can bake him. The reflection is hot.