help with habitat

[vgaines]

I want to have live plants in my Veiled's new home. I have an 18x18x36 all screen enclosure and I wanted to know if there is any safe ground cover to use on the bottom. I would really like to plant moss on the bottom as well as add a few live plants in pots. Is this a good idea. I was thinking that live moss on the bottom would help maintain humidity as well as look more natural.

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,
Virginia

 

[BeBoSON]

I would advise against moss. Just because the moisture mix with the chams urinate/fecal heat, crickets and moisture makes a breeding ground for bacteria.
I put papertowels down and large river rocks down before. It became a pain to clean with the chams and the cricket fieces. I usually keep it bare or put paper towel down. Its so much easier to clean that way.
Adding live plants will help with humidity. It looks great.

 

[ReptileLove18]

we tend to try to discourage the use of any substrate on the bottom on enclosures, including moss because your cham could become impacted if it eats any of it. live plants in pots are fine, just have to make sure that they are safe for chams, and what you want to do is put large river rocks(large enough the cham couldnt eat them either) over the soil in the pots so that your cham cant get to the soil. the live plants will help with the humidity quite a bit!

 

[GabeCastro]

I want to have live plants in my Veiled's new home. I have an 18x18x36 all screen enclosure and I wanted to know if there is any safe ground cover to use on the bottom. I would really like to plant moss on the bottom as well as add a few live plants in pots. Is this a good idea. I was thinking that live moss on the bottom would help maintain humidity as well as look more natural.

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,
Virginia

You pretty much got all the info you needed so far

If you want substrate, you could use live plants on the bottom of your enclosure. But be sure they dry out before mistings. If you don't, you can cause root rot in the plants and mold can occur.

If you do put plants, be sure to re-plant the soil with organic soil incase your cham does eat it. Veiled are infamous of exploring the bottoms of cages and digging. You can also put medium sized river rocks ontop of the soil to protect your cham, just be sure they're not small enough for him/her to digest. Sometimes a cricket jumps out of the feeder cup or you free range them and they'll end up in the soil. Also wash down your plants with regular dawn soap mixed with water in a spray bottle. This will help clean all the pesticides and what not on the plants.

Usually chams like being at the highest points in their cage, so as long as you have high foliage they'll be happy

To help humidity Hanging Potho's plants work well with a ficus benjamin plant. Pretty much any safe plant will help drastically with maintaining humidity. But remember, you don't want it too wet inside the cage...Always let your plants dry out between mistings

Also to help plants grow indoors, a regular 6500k grow light is your best friend.

Hopefully I covered allot of things for you.

-Gabe

 

[vgaines]

Thanks everyone for your reply's. So glad I asked... Paper towels it is !!!!
I just want to do whats best.

I have another quick question... They guy at the pet store told me I needed a 10.0 UVB REPTISUN for my chameleon's cage. From what I have read the 10.0 UVB is for desert reptiles. They told me at the pet store that I needed a 10.0 because of the size of my cage (18x18x36). Would it be better to use the 10.0 or get a 5.0 and move the 10.0 to my bearded dragon habitat?

 

[ReptileLove18]

ive been told you can use 10.0 for adult chams but not for babies because it can be too strong for their eyes. i would certainly get as many thoughts as possible on this tho!!

 

[hayden]

Is 24x24x48 to big and a lot to maintain? Including heat and humidity? Found one on eBay. I want to buy a pre built and modify for when he is proper size to enter

 

[ReptileLove18]

thats what im getting for when my cham is large enough, its not too big for an adult cham, more room the better for them! you just need to clean the feces up every day and do a thorough cleaning every several months, have proper drainage, lots of live plants to help with humidity and provide places for the cham to hide and walk. as for heat you have to have the proper light and watch the ambient temps, its definitely do-able