Help with new enclosure for less problems with mold

[TheChamGizmo]

Dose anyone have any idea on how I can stop mold from growing when I build my new enclosure right now I spray my chams cage every night after her lights shut off for about 1 mins from the top of the enclosure and the next day I keep it pretty dry and fill her dripper a bit and let it drip for about a hour or 2 and then it’s dry the rest of the day but alotnof the sticks are turning black is this bc of the sticks I used and how harmful is this to my chameleon? Should I start right away or do I have some time ? I have lots of questions should I do bio active for my next enclosure is it better it seems like it would make thinks a little Easier with cleaning and I could put more live plants. If anyone have any ideas for my next cage let me know and also with the drainage system is there a way to make it smaller ? For bio active how would the drainage work any good links to videos for enclosures leave please and thank you .

I show some photos of the black branches and photos of how white the branch’s were and also of how when I scrub the one spot how it comes off black

 

[TheChamGizmo]

Her lights are also on for 12 hours and off for 12 hours the uvb and heat is this good or dose anyone recommend different

 

[ItsMike64]

Are you talking about the white on the screen? I’m not really seeing mold. If that white mark on the screen is what you’re talking about, I think it’s just from harder water. My screens get that in some places too.

 

[MissSkittles]

What kind of branches are those? I think they may be the cause for mold. I use a lot of oak and sycamore with bark still attached and have no mold.

 

[Uri]

I know those branches they sell them a lot at pet stores I used to use them for my reptiles but they mold easily despite being marketed for aquariums and tropical reptiles even in my desert gecko terrariums they molded never to that extent tho I’d just switch to oak branches they work well and are easy to collevt

 

[BostonKeith]

springtails or isopods will help keep mold down! Like others said though ditch that wood and get some oak. I would still throw some cleaners in there after.

(Just realized these are all fake plants. Cancel the cleaners.)

 

[yoteango]

A lot of times "new" wood will have a mold bloom that passes eventually. I've seen the same thing in both fish tanks and isopod enclosures. Might have to wait for it to go away naturally.

 

[Beman]

It's happening due to the branches you are using. They are sold at craft stores for decor. These are willow branches and they strip them down completely and dry them out. Issue is any moisture causes them to blacken and start growing mold. They also become very brittle over time with continued exposure.

Here is an old thread where everyone put info and pics for how they set up drainage... https://www.chameleonforums.com/threads/drainage-systems-for-cages-get-creative.102038/

Here are some blogs on how to set up a bioactive enclosure. https://www.chameleonforums.com/blogs/intro-to-bio-activity.2429/

 

[TheChamGizmo]

What kind of branches are those? I think they may be the cause for mold. I use a lot of oak and sycamore with bark still attached and have no mold.

Hey I got the branches at Michaels and they were wayyy over priced lol so I don’t even know what kind of wood they are

 

[TheChamGizmo]

It's happening due to the branches you are using. They are sold at craft stores for decor. These are willow branches and they strip them down completely and dry them out. Issue is any moisture causes them to blacken and start growing mold. They also become very brittle over time with continued exposure.

Here is an old thread where everyone put info and pics for how they set up drainage... https://www.chameleonforums.com/threads/drainage-systems-for-cages-get-creative.102038/

Here are some blogs on how to set up a bioactive enclosure. https://www.chameleonforums.com/blogs/intro-to-bio-activity.2429/

Thank you so much this is definitely why you really know your stuff lol I will be going to get new branches as I just built her a climbing tree out of branches a cleaned from outside and I’m going to do the same thing with the new enclosure as I’m building it much bigger aswell and bioactive

 

[jamest0o0]

Hey I agree with the others about the branches. Little different topic, but same point on this other thread, check my first couple posts https://www.chameleonforums.com/threads/please-help-wood-lice.187446/

To ease your mind, the mold is most likely harmless(like most). Some types cause allergies and/or are toxic, but they tend to be very rare or take high concentrations. Use common sense with that though, if it stinks bad and you’re wheezing… get rid of it lol.

Lastly, I agree with the one poster above. Mold growth happens in new tanks that haven’t been established with beneficial bacteria and custodians yet. Like aquariums, bioactive enclosures go through a ‘cycle’ where the good bacteria takes time establish. Mold often pops up in these times, but goes away. Freshly sterilized wood, soil, etc(anything porous with nutrients) gets colonized fast by whatever takes hold. Problem with branches is fungi likes to take hold and doesn’t usually go away, it breaks the wood down fast. Insects will also often come for that dead wood. That’s why a freshly cut branch with not much more than a rinse and maybe if you want, sun bake to get insects off works best. Spot clean bird poop, but I wouldn’t completely sanitize and strip the whole branch.

 

[Beman]

Thank you so much this is definitely why you really know your stuff lol I will be going to get new branches as I just built her a climbing tree out of branches a cleaned from outside and I’m going to do the same thing with the new enclosure as I’m building it much bigger aswell and bioactive

I know some stuff lol. But I know this because I made the same mistake... Not only did I get mold on the branches I got lovely weevils that were boring holes out of the branches. It was a super fun experience. Being new to the hobby at the time thought I was doing a great job buying these branches.

 

[jamest0o0]

I know some stuff lol. But I know this because I made the same mistake... Not only did I get mold on the branches I got lovely weevils that were boring holes out of the branches. It was a super fun experience. Being new to the hobby at the time thought I was doing a great job buying these branches.

I remember that haha.

I can’t blame people. We’d probably all initially think that cleaning/sterilizing would make this less likely to happen. In this case, it’s like the more you clean, the more it gets ‘dirty’.

 

[Beman]

I remember that haha.

I can’t blame people. We’d probably all initially think that cleaning/sterilizing would make this less likely to happen. In this case, it’s like the more you clean, the more it gets ‘dirty’.

Yeah remember I was freaking out on you about the hole in the wood. Tore the entire cage apart to pull it all out. I was slightly neurotic in the beginning.

 

[jamest0o0]

Yeah remember I was freaking out on you about the hole in the wood. Tore the entire cage apart to pull it all out. I was slightly neurotic in the beginning.

Hey we’ve all been there at some point. That anxiety is what forces us to do awesome things and take great care of our pets