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 #1732837


Nickolas_adam
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 Pygmy chameleons

OK, I got some pygmy chameleons from a breeder a couple weeks ago. a boy and a girl. Both seemed fine when I got them but the female died just a day ago. And now the male isnt looking so hot. I have them in an exo-terra 12x12 wide and 18 tall. With a heat pad underneath and a UVB on top. I was told to only keep the uvb on for several hours a day, max of five. I’ve been misting them three times a day, and I have been feedeing te crickets alot. My question is what can I do to Improve their habitat, or what am i doing wrong? Th male just stopped eating and hasnt in about three days. And if they do go, what other chamelion could I put in there? Maybe a senegal?

pics of my setup

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Link
05/12/08  11:04am

 #1732850


Julirs
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   Message To: Nickolas_adam   In reference to Message Id: 1732837


 Pygmy chameleons

Ditch the heat pad. These guys like to be kept in the low 70’s. What type of UVB-I leave a Reptisun 2.0 on 10-12 hours daily with no issues. My main concern at the moment would be temps. What is your temp in there? Also-more plant and leaf cover closer to the ground. If you go to my link in my signature and go to Pygmeleons you can see my set up and how I built it. Also-I mist 3 x a day so that the tank is pretty damp-but dries out between mistings.
That tank is really not a great idea for any other type of cham.
05/12/08  11:36am

 #1735881


Gretchenellie
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   Message To: Julirs   In reference to Message Id: 1732850


 Pygmy chameleons

what is your misting schedule like?

some tend to think that misting several times a day is what is needed, unfortunately, this can lead to bacterial growth in the tanks and respiratory problems with the chams.

misting 2 times a day for the first week after import is crucial for keeping these guys hydrated.

after they have been de-wormed and are on a regular feeding schedule with supplemental dusting, they need only to be misted about 4-5 times a week...

are they recent imports? stress is a key factor with these guys becoming sick. their parasite load alone can kill them but combined with the stress of import, its a recipe for disaster.

list as much info about the tank as you can..

also, never keep a male and female together unless you plan to breed. it creates a stressful environment for both sexes, especially the females, when they have to fend off the males advances 24/7.

another good thing to have on hand is pedialyte. a few drops on the chams mouth using an eye dropper can help keep them hydrated when they are not eating well..

god luck!!
05/14/08  11:42pm

 #1735887


Gretchenellie
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   Message To: Gretchenellie   In reference to Message Id: 1735881


 Pygmy chameleons

i meant GOOD luck, lol.
05/14/08  11:48pm

 #1735889


Gretchenellie
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   Message To: Gretchenellie   In reference to Message Id: 1735887


 Pygmy chameleons

another thing to mention, is to not directly mist the chameleon..

they HATE it..

and it can actually cause them to lose their balance when on high objects and fall.. which can then lead to fractures if they havent been properly kept....
05/14/08  11:50pm

 #1738093


Nickolas_adam
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   Message To: Gretchenellie   In reference to Message Id: 1735889


 Pygmy chameleons

Oops, I’ve been misting once when I wake up. Once when I leave, after I get home from work and just before I go to bed. But he seams to actually enjoy me misting him. He comes out and walks toward it.
As far as lighting goes I have a 5.0 UVB exoterra light for tropical terrariums. Two live plants inside, jungley substrate at the bottom (the kind that comes in bricks), and some moss in the bottom. The breeder I got them from said that they were captive bread, but he’ll lie about anything to move product. Also he told me that I could house as many as five together. True? Should I get another one? OK, one last thing. what should he be eating. I’ve been giving him crickets and fruitflys.
Thanks for the help everyone.

one more of my setup

Link
05/17/08  09:46am

 #1738246


Gretchenellie
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   Message To: Nickolas_adam   In reference to Message Id: 1738093


 Pygmy chameleons

5 pygmies would not fit in that tank. and i wouldnt recommend getting any more until you figure out what is going on with the one you have now.

the food you are feeding is fine. are you dusting the food items? as a treat, you can give him some mini meal worms..

you are misting too much.. once in the am and once in the pm is enough..

take out the moss asap. unless it is live growing moss. the dried stuff can easily be swallowed and become impacted, leading to a dead chameleon..

what are you gutloading your feeder’s with?
05/17/08  01:20pm

 #1738618


Nickolas_adam
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   Message To: Gretchenellie   In reference to Message Id: 1738246


 Pygmy chameleons

I dont exactly know if my crickets are gutloaded. See, I buy my crickets from the petstore I work at and I on occasion put the gutloader in the cricket holding containers, but with 1000 crickets, its hard to know which ones have been eating. After I usually just dust the crickets at the store with theres. (Im cheap).

Moss? The box said it would grow in my tank, but I have yet to see any progress. Any suggestions?
05/17/08  08:53pm

 #1738627


Gretchenellie
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   Message To: Nickolas_adam   In reference to Message Id: 1738618


 Pygmy chameleons

i would suggest gut loading your crickets for at least 24 hours prior to feeding.

otherwise you can pretty much guarantee that they are either empty, which will give the chams no nutritional value, or they have been "snacking" on their dead friends and feces... which could also pose a threat to the chams health..

just take some home about 2 days or so before the next feeding time, give them some fish flakes, oat bran or high quality dog kibble and let them eat..

how often are you dusting? every feeding? every other feeding? they can be over dosed on the calcium powder, so every other feeding is fine for them, unless the cham is under a year old.

as far as the moss, if it is that " frog moss" that they sell at petco, which looks like a big dried up chunk of moss, it needs a month or so for it to start growing.. the roots have to stay fairly dry, or it will all turn yellow/brown and rot away..

i honestly havent had much success with it other then it suddenly springing to life and having hundreds of neon orange mushrooms appear .. i would ditch it, unless its something you really like..



05/17/08  09:06pm


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