Has anyone used full planter on bottome of cage

K

ktravelet

New Member
I currently free range my veiled in ficus plant and a money tree, but was thinking of making a large box to plant both of the trees in. Then ontop I could use a couple inches of play sand. This will then provide full natural drainage, and include sand to lay the eggs in.

Has anyone done something like this? I havent cam across it yet for the short time that I have been on this forum.

Thanks.
 
ok you are creative, but i have to say something about it, ive never seen anything like it!! forst i say take the ficus out she might get hurt,next i think you should take the sand stuff out. if you cham will lay eggs she will start digging a hole to lay them in. could you post a few pics to see the cage set up?
 
ktravelet said:
I currently free range my veiled in ficus plant and a money tree, but was thinking of making a large box to plant both of the trees in. Then ontop I could use a couple inches of play sand. This will then provide full natural drainage, and include sand to lay the eggs in.

Has anyone done something like this? I havent cam across it yet for the short time that I have been on this forum.

Thanks.
Click to expand...

I'm not sure your trees will like the sand layer and the box will have to be pretty deep to support their roots and keep them from getting rootbound. The lower levels of the box might not drain enough...sure water can percolate through the sand, but the tree roots might stay too wet. No reason you can't try it, but it might not work all that well for the trees.
 
Yeah, it's only the plants to worry about - if you think you can keep them alive then give it a go, won't hurt the chams, so if you can sort the drainage, with a deep enough layer of sand (or maybe just still have a laying bin on top?) - worth a try, mate
 
My plan for drainage would be rocks on the bottom with a hole to drain into. If I use the right rock combo it might filter the water so I won't have to through it out.
 
Well Carlton is right, you're going to need a pretty deep box to pull it off.....but I don't see why not, keep an eye on it, might be a bit of trial and error involved, fun though......
 
ktravelet said:
Uhh what? Since when is a ficus bad, and it's recommended to have females lay in sand.
Click to expand...

Its not that its bad, you just need to be careful because the sap ficus plants secrete can damage a chams eyes so you have to watch for broken branches and trimming
 
I don't use the benjiman ficus which secretes the sap. Im using the weeping ficus which has yet to release anything.

I think I'm going to try the giant planter soon. I know it's going to have to be deep, but it will be worth it.
 
I will say that the root balls for ficus aren't the biggest but they still are pretty big and to let it flourish it would need at LEAST 3 feet deep by about 4 feet long and wide... JMHO
 
I've done pretty much exactly what you're talking about with both of my chameleon cages. Here are my posts:

For Leo, my Panther:
https://www.chameleonforums.com/new-cage-finished-question-about-lighting-43051/

For Drake, my Jackson's cham:
https://www.chameleonforums.com/check-out-my-cage-modiication-45550/

As you can see, in each planter I put a bottom layer of stones with a drain on one side, and some screen over the stones before adding soil. Then on top of the soil I put a layer of sand and then some stones. The stones are to prevent the chams from eating sand in case they eat a bug off the substrate.

So overall I think this setup is working. I've added a Mistking also which keeps humidity up in both cages. In the larger panther cage I have two nozzles and it seems water never comes out of the drains. However in the smaller cage, which has one nozzle, drainage is more of an issue. I take a wet vac and suck water out about once a week and it seems fine. Plants seem to be doing fine in the cages, however I do have a problem with the little white flies that I can't seem to get rid of! I may just have to pull all the plants out and replant them if I can't get rid of them somehow. :mad:

That's my 2 cents...
 
YES!!! that's pretty much what I'm talking about. I hand feed too so I'm assuming I don't need the rocks. Obviously I'd have to watch carefully though.
 
ktravelet said:
YES!!! that's pretty much what I'm talking about. I hand feed too so I'm assuming I don't need the rocks. Obviously I'd have to watch carefully though.
Click to expand...

Most of the time they don't eat stuff off the bottom, but still rocks are better than having them walk on wet sand if they do go for a walk down there.
 
ktravelet said:
I don't use the benjiman ficus which secretes the sap. Im using the weeping ficus which has yet to release anything.

I think I'm going to try the giant planter soon. I know it's going to have to be deep, but it will be worth it.
Click to expand...

the weeping fig/weeping ficus is the same thing as a ficus benjamina. i don't have a problem with it, just thought i'd let you know if it comes up again. i dont think most people end up having a problem with it but some people don't like em.

sounds like a really awesome project to me and i say go for it! :)
 
fiscus is fine so long as the white sap doesnt get in eyes
I've read that money trees are poisonous.

rather than a box (which might leak) you might consider a very large plant-pot to plant them in together, or something like a cow trough or pre-fab pond.
 
Here is my thoughts on the subject. ficus is fine for any cham It's the most adaptable houseplant for light and pot size (I have grown one in the same pot for 22 years) A Sand layer on top will work perfect as long as there is potting soil around the roots. Most of the posts on this thread are unfounded BS. Don't let them lead you astray your on the right track.
 
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