Well, it's 3:14 am. and i just completed my brookesia vivarium! This was definitely the most fun i have ever had with an Exo-Terra! For the floor, i used a bottom layer of foramen-drilled pvc, wich will allow waste and excess water to pass through the lumen. On top of this, i used a screen layer and placed activated charcoal on top of it. Finally, i used a second screen layer to place below the potting soil, which composes the bedding of the vivarium. I was pretty pleased with the results . As for foliage, i used an arbicola, a veriegated hypoestes, and two codiaeum plants. Manzanita and wild grape vines were addes for climbing, once they were baked and sanitized. Finally, spanish moss was added at the base of the plants, leaving adequate room for ovipositing. A reptisun 2.0 is what will be used once i stock this cage with pygmys. I hope you enjoy the pictures and please, any input is greatly appreciated!

I like it! Lots of good hiding places and climbing stuff. Just be prepared to look for a good twenty minute before you find them...(that happens to me, even if there isn't a lot of cover...)

What species of Brookesia are you putting in there?

-roo

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"Men marry because they are tired; women, because they are curious: both are disappointed." -Oscar Wilde

How much did you spend on this set up? I'm planning on getting pygmy's by november. I just want to know how much I need to save.

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"A-Kuna-Mattata" - Timon and Pumba

Are potting soil additives (perlite/vermiculite) less of a problem for these guys than for bigger chams?

I don't use regular potting soil in mine. Just plain topsoil mixed with sand, pumice and a bit of coco fiber. Personally, I think that perlite and vermiculate would cause major problems in a leaf chameleon if it were accidently ingested.

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There is nothing "Nancy"ish about chameleons.. they are ubernifty.

Actually, i am not going to stock it with brookesia, i meant to say dead leaf chameleons Rampholeon kerstenii. I had a pair of them a while ago and i really liked them. Unfortunately they did not breed because they were two males. After reserching breeding strategies, i have decided to try my hand at these little guys. Thanks for suggesting top soil, i have never had to use dirt in my chameleon cages before and i had forgotten the dangers of perlite/vermiculite. I am going to go with your advice and use a mixture of top soil, sand , and cocoa fibers. As for the pumice, will that have the same effect as the perlite, or is it different? Thanks again for all of the feedback, you guys and gals.

-Cala-

I agree and probably more of an issue with leaf chams. The pumice is just as bad.

-roo

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"Men marry because they are tired; women, because they are curious: both are disappointed." -Oscar Wilde