Best plants/trees for panther chameleons

[jack_wardayyyy]

Hi team!

Hope everyone is well!

I am on the verge of buying my boys new enclosure it’s going to be a 120cm (h) x 61cm x 61cm. It’s going to be bioactive but I have a few questions!

First question is the company making the enclosure have given me the option to have a solid back and side and one mesh side or I can have both sides mesh! Now I know the mesh sides are better for ventilation but I also live in the UK where the nights (especially in winter) can be cold. He lives in my bedroom and I think he would be okay through the winter but other peoples opinions would also be great! Another key part of this question is with the build I have in mind having a solid back and one solid side would be easier, I want to keep the two jungle vines he has and embed them into the walls because he absolutely loves climbing them, on top of this I want a little corner for a bowl to place his morio worms (weekend treat), it would also make it much easier for having a couple of mounted wall plants which I would like to do! Peoples opinions, personal choices and knowledge on this would be awesome!

The next question is with the dimensions given what are the best plants and trees to get? I was never big on the idea of a tree/singular large plant based central piece but a lot of people online say they love it so again this would be great if people could fire their suggestions in that would be awesome

 

[MissSkittles]

https://chameleonacademy.com/plants/ This is a great guide for plants.
Of course, the primary staple of plants is pothos, which comes in many different varieties. This is one of the very few that will be okay without adding a special plant light. Just about all of the others need a plant light or they won’t survive long, and some of the more tropical plants like hibiscus need a really strong light. I like having a tall center plant and then surround it with other smaller plants at varied levels.

 

[jack_wardayyyy]

https://chameleonacademy.com/plants/ This is a great guide for plants.
Of course, the primary staple of plants is pothos, which comes in many different varieties. This is one of the very few that will be okay without adding a special plant light. Just about all of the others need a plant light or they won’t survive long, and some of the more tropical plants like hibiscus need a really strong light. I like having a tall center plant and then surround it with other smaller plants at varied levels.

Thank you so much! Always coming to my rescue! I’ll give a the link a look over and add pothos to the list of things to definitely get in Appreciate the advice with the light too! Seen a lot of people have a second light so looks like something I will definitely need

 

[crosscutts]

Thank you so much! Always coming to my rescue! I’ll give a the link a look over and add pothos to the list of things to definitely get in Appreciate the advice with the light too! Seen a lot of people have a second light so looks like something I will definitely need

I really like ficus other people don’t but I like to use a nice for ficus and then trim it back so there’s highways in hiding places then I’ll put IV in the bottom and try to get it to grow up . I also use two jungle Dawns in my small cages, and four in my large . Wasn’t able to get plants to grow till I started using them.

 

[jack_wardayyyy]

I really like ficus other people don’t but I like to use a nice for ficus and then trim it back so there’s highways in hiding places then I’ll put IV in the bottom and try to get it to grow up . I also use two jungle Dawns in my small cages, and four in my large . Wasn’t able to get plants to grow till I started using them.

this looks awesome! Thank you so much for sharing so you have two jungle dawn lights running 12 hours a day and that helps the plants grow yes?

 

[jack_wardayyyy]

I really like ficus other people don’t but I like to use a nice for ficus and then trim it back so there’s highways in hiding places then I’ll put IV in the bottom and try to get it to grow up . I also use two jungle Dawns in my small cages, and four in my large . Wasn’t able to get plants to grow till I started using them.

https://chameleonacademy.com/plants/ This is a great guide for plants.
Of course, the primary staple of plants is pothos, which comes in many different varieties. This is one of the very few that will be okay without adding a special plant light. Just about all of the others need a plant light or they won’t survive long, and some of the more tropical plants like hibiscus need a really strong light. I like having a tall center plant and then surround it with other smaller plants at varied levels.

Hi both just a quick one, regarding substrate what would you advise?

I have a list of things to mix for my substrate which would be:

Coco fibre
Coco chips
Horticultural charcoal
Orchid bark
Aqua soil
Sphagnum moss
Tree fern fibres
Black sand

However, I keep seeing Arcadia Earth Mix come up for half of these components when searched, do either of you know anything about this and if it is good? Would the Arcadia Earth mix with sphagnum moss and leaf litter be good enough?

 

[MissSkittles]

I had to look up the aqua soil and black sand and still not entirely clear on what black sand is. I wouldn’t use either of those. If it were available to me and I were only creating one enclosure, I would use the Arcadia Earth along with adding in some charcoal, cut up moss and orchid bark. The charcoal not only acts as a filter to keep everything fresh, but springtails really like reproducing in it for some reason. The moss will help with moisture retention and along with the orchid bark, prevent your substrate from becoming hard and compacted (and may help feed your cuc a little too). If I weren’t using the Arcadia Earth, I’d be using an organic garden soil, play sand and a bit of coco coir.

 

[jack_wardayyyy]

I had to look up the aqua soil and black sand and still not entirely clear on what black sand is. I wouldn’t use either of those. If it were available to me and I were only creating one enclosure, I would use the Arcadia Earth along with adding in some charcoal, cut up moss and orchid bark. The charcoal not only acts as a filter to keep everything fresh, but springtails really like reproducing in it for some reason. The moss will help with moisture retention and along with the orchid bark, prevent your substrate from becoming hard and compacted (and may help feed your cuc a little too). If I weren’t using the Arcadia Earth, I’d be using an organic garden soil, play sand and a bit of coco coir.

Thank you so much for the help! I have changed my substrate mixture list to what you said you use, really appreciate it

 

[crosscutts]

this looks awesome! Thank you so much for sharing so you have two jungle dawn lights running 12 hours a day and that helps the plants grow yes?

Yes it’s made such a big difference . I used to run T5 grow lights, and they just weren’t working.. in my opinion jungle Daws were a game changer.

 

[Flick boy]

Hi I'm also in the uk ,got my new muji with solid back and sides . One solid side would give better viewing depends on your preference, also using arcadia earth mix, as in chameleon academy, using lecca as drainage then mesh barrier, then charcoal layer then earth mix ,maybe add in some fern tree substrate, leaf litter , I believe abg mix in big in the states , but I just went for the earth mix as it has more nutrition in it

 

[Flick boy]

Lol yeah plants/ trees . I've opted for umbrella tree this time as I felt ( my ficus) wasn't sturdy enough for a male panther. I've also went for satin pothos ( not a true pothos) marble pothos, madagascar jasmine, wandering jew , alocasia silver dragon, pink princess philodendron ( lol a small starter as they are quite expensive)

 

[Sonny13]

Lol yeah plants/ trees . I've opted for umbrella tree this time as I felt ( my ficus) wasn't sturdy enough for a male panther. I've also went for satin pothos ( not a true pothos) marble pothos, madagascar jasmine, wandering jew , alocasia silver dragon, pink princess philodendron ( lol a small starter as they are quite expensive)

Time for some new pictures I would say

 

[Flick boy]

Time for some new pictures I would say

I've only started it , heads turned lol it never gets easier, where to put this plant that branch

 

[Sonny13]

I've only started it , heads turned lol it never gets easier, where to put this plant that branch

True, but also love this phase

 

[Flick boy]

True, but also love this phase

Love/ hate lol like flipsake I've only got 6 weeks