Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hey, i finally moved the chameleon into my room. I took some pictures, well 2 of the enclosure.
Also i have some questions. For the light im using a ReptiGlo 5.0 from ExoTerra. I went into the page and i saw a "light manual" and it had a chart that said that Veiled Chameleons needed ReptiGlo 2.0 and 8.0(which is for desert species)... How true is this? Here is the link of the PDF guide. www.hagen.com/pdf/reptiles/S2600.pdf
The chart is on page 12.
Has anybody used ESU Shed Ease?
Which is the best calcium dust for the chameleons?

Im using Newspaper and ReptiBark as a substrate. Im planning of buying a small Ficus tree so i can put it in there.

Thanks for you help, Miki.

I'm not sure about that bulb - it may be ok. Most people use the reptisun 5.0 from zoo med. You need way more climbing and hiding places in your cage (fake vines, or go to a craft store and get real vines) and get that ficus in there - make sure its been cleaned. That will keep him off the side - or help with it. Chams can hurt their feet/claws on the screen. I dont see a heat lamp either - or i missed it in the picture. The cham needs a 90 degree basking spot. I guess the substrate is ok people do use bark. I personally have nothing other then pvc plastic and it helps with cleaning and i dont worry about the cham eating any substrate. Get a dripper too and maek sure you are misting the cage a few times a day. you need to get something unser the cage too - water will leak out at some point. I got a metal rack from Lowes and put bibs under the cage to catch the water. Sorry if I rambled - good luck.

-roo

I use reptiglo 8.0 bulbs without any problems. My male veiled grew up on them and my females have laid infertile clutches VERY successfully with them. I give them a thumbs up.
The 5.0 may not be powerful enough. It is about the same thing as what would be between a ZooMed 2.0 and 5.0.
If you can, get an 8.0, and make sure you get the stuff reccommended in the other reply.

Is that a reptarium? If it is, I heard that UV doesn't fully penetrate through the screen. Anyone else hear that?

You cant see into a reptarium as well as the popular aluminum mesh cages - so I would say it blocks UV rays too. They may be good for a cheap solution to an outdoor cage, but I personaly wouldnt want one for an indoor/main cage.

-roo

If you can see the UV light through the mesh screen directly, then the UV rays can penetrate. REmind youselves that the holes in screen are way more than enough for light to go through. As for UV rays, with their lower frequency and whatnot, the holes arent too small if you ask me. Think of it this way: thousands of people put UV lights on the outside of any mesh screen cage and keep, raise and breed chameleons extremely successfully!

I don't use a heat emiter because its pretty hot in here, so there is no need for one. I do mist the enclosure about 5 times a day, because of the same reson, its hot in here. Im planning on building a misting system and incorporating it to the enclosure like vines. Im buying a ficus today, in the shop they told me that all the plants were treated with pestisides, are they safe? im planning on washing it with soap and water.
Since i put the light the chameleon just hangs itself on the top branch and stays there all the time, and when he moves he moves towards the light, why is these? Definetly its not a heat problem.
And yeah, the reptarium doesn't let too much light in.

Chams are attracted to brighter light, not necessarily just heat lights. Reptariums are dark, but the mesh is technically open so UVB does get in. If your cham is spending all its time hanging under the lights you need to add more general light to the cage. They tend to use the lighter parts of the cage unless they are trying to sleep or hide. To add light to a cage you can put a regular fluorescent tube light vertically along a side to brighten things up. It doesn't necessarily need to be a ReptiSun (as long as there is one he can get within 12" of somewhere). I often use a simple tube light fixture and an old ReptiSun.

About the plants and pesticides. Ask the nursery if they just used sprays or used systemic pesticides. A spray you can wash off with soap and water. A systemic will require you to get rid of the potting soil and repot.