Let's Keep It Real

[ocular_factitus]

With all the ways we can save money keeping and raising our chameleons, i can't believe so many still use plastic plants in their enclosures. Not a good way to replicate its environment for optimum health and longevity. Your Chameleon isn't plastic, why utilize plastic plants and create a mediocre environment?

 

[DirtyDubbz]

I agree but sometimes it's dificult to get "real vines" so and some foliage is ok but to have only plastic is not healthy or a happy enviorment to them

 

[ataraxia]

Your avatar is awesome.

 

[Dave Joel]

I'm all for a naturalistic enclosure.

 

[Dave Joel]

Pic of some of plants

 

[ocular_factitus]

Thanks Ataraxia! Photoshopped it myself. Keen setup Dave!

 

[Dave Joel]

Thank you, I like to keep it real.lol have you got any pics of ur plants you can share.

 

[ocular_factitus]

So you wanna see my plants already? Why Dave i hardly know you....Lol

 

[Dave Joel]

Ha ha yeh that must have sounded a little strange.

 

[carol5208]

Your avatar is awesome.

I agree! I just noticed it is an eye in a tail!!!

 

[MelissaB]

Pic of some of plants

Very nice! Are the plants planted into soil or left in pots?

 

[Dave Joel]

Ah thank you, they are left in pots, I hide the pots withs cork and a couple of fake vines to add to the affect.

 

[pigglett79]

You may be interested in the following thread

https://www.chameleonforums.com/reasons-why-real-chams-need-real-plants-115143/

pretty lengthy discussion on this topic.

 

[Deevo]

Some people are just lazy

 

[Carlton]

I agree but sometimes it's dificult to get "real vines" so and some foliage is ok but to have only plastic is not healthy or a happy enviorment to them

There are spots in the cage where the light level might not support live plants, but you still want to provide visual screening or more surfaces to hold water droplets. The majority of my cage plants are live, but sometimes a spray of silk foliage is a great low maintenance gap filler.

 

[Hakai]

Can't say I disagree, but I am one of those lazy people who prefer artificial plants to minimize enclosure maintenance. However, after reading this thread, I might consider adding some in. Please tell me, what extra work, if any, is involved in maintaining live plants? With proper care, how long should my plants last? What would you suggest for a pygmy enclosure? Another slight issue is I would need to go grab another hood and uva/uvb bulb, but I'm willing to do so if it means happier chams. ;P

Edit : I do use a live pothos in my panthers cage, but I'm going to have some brevs soon and wasn't planning on using any live plants.

 

[Carlton]

Can't say I disagree, but I am one of those lazy people who prefer artificial plants to minimize enclosure maintenance. However, after reading this thread, I might consider adding some in. Please tell me, what extra work, if any, is involved in maintaining live plants? With proper care, how long should my plants last? What would you suggest for a pygmy enclosure? Another slight issue is I would need to go grab another hood and uva/uvb bulb, but I'm willing to do so if it means happier chams. ;P

Edit : I do use a live pothos in my panthers cage, but I'm going to have some brevs soon and wasn't planning on using any live plants.

Well, live plants will need checks to make sure they are not overwatered, leaves burned if too close to the basking heat, periodic feeding, and cleaning and maybe pruning when you first get them. Once you have the plant set where you want it, there isn't really that much care. You'll want to rinse the plant leaves to get rid of any pesticide or fertilizing sprays the nursery used, repot the plant to get rid of any systemic pesticides or fertilizers that might be in it (your cham will be licking the leaves so you want to make sure there isn't odd chemical exposure) and make sure the potting soil drains very well (as it will stay pretty wet in most cham cages). Feeding is only periodic using a regular dilute houseplant food.

Depending on how tall your cage is, the basking and UV light setup can work fine for plants too. The lower portions of the plants will tend to be shaded, so to keep the plant from dropping more of its live leaves you can always put a "used" ReptiSun in a fixture vertically down one side of the cage. Its a good way to get more use out of older bulbs. And, more light also encourages your cham to use more of the cage area too.

Edit:
When I first started keeping chams I was pretty intimidated by the plants and thought I had a black thumb. Its a matter of experience really. The usual cham cage plants are not that hard...well maybe Ficus benjamina can be cranky, so I prefer using Ficus alli. That's the one with the long lance-shaped leaves. They are sturdier, get bigger, and seem to handle cham climbing well. Now I buy a houseplant with a lot less angst!

 

[Hakai]

Cool, Ive been trashing my old uvb's. Is a 2.0 or 5.0 good? And do I need organic soil?

 

[Big Gulp]

Your Chameleon isn't plastic, why utilize plastic plants

Terrible logic. Your chameleons aren't made of plant matter either, so why use live plants?

Seriously tho, I like live plants and real vines/branches much better than artificial. For multiple reasons.

 

[Carlton]

Cool, Ive been trashing my old uvb's. Is a 2.0 or 5.0 good? And do I need organic soil?

I don't know if there would be much difference between using a 2.0 or 5.0. After all, in these used bulbs the cham-critical UV is sort of used up anyway. The light intensity of a 2.0 may be lower...I don't know as I've never used them.

LOL: the idea of "organic" soil always cracks me up a little. (Not you Hakai, just the term). Soil is pretty darned organic. What you do want to know about any soil is whether it has added chemical fertilizers, systemic pest inhibitors that are absorbed by the plant, or artificial materials that retain water (for those who forget to water their houseplants). You will want the soil to drain more quickly, not less. Hopefully, soil that's sold as "organic" does not contain artificial additives.