I have a confession!

[Kate]

Today I removed the substrate out of Popeyes viv and replaced it with reptile carpet. The reason I haven't done it before is I didn't think I could maintain humidity. I think the replacement will work just as well. I am bracing myself for harsh words but I am glad I have done it. Popeye very rarely goes to the bottom of his viv but you never know-----!

 

[squeekz1992]

As long as it's out now I don't think people will be harsh. Watch out for signs of impaction tho!

 

[reptilover]

HOW COULD U BE SO EFFIN CARELESS WITH A LIFE!!!
I'm only playing its a good thing u switched better now then never!

 

[squeekz1992]

HOW COULD U BE SO EFFIN CARELESS WITH A LIFE!!!
I'm only playing its a good thing u switched better now then never!

Hahahaha <3 it

Saw all caps and was like maybe I was wrong, then read it and lol'd

 

[DavidBuchan]

Well, since we're confessing.......I've always used soil and compost in all my cham enclosures. Never seen any of them deliberately eat it. A tiny bit has got into their mouths as youngsters but they still spit most of it out. Anyway, I mention it every now and again and nobody has yet been mean to me about it
Bear in mind that everyone on this forum recommends to have a laying bin with females, containing sand or soil or both. Very rarely do they start eating it.......

 

[twatts704]

Well, since we're confessing.......I've always used soil and compost in all my cham enclosures. Never seen any of them deliberately eat it. A tiny bit has got into their mouths as youngsters but they still spit most of it out. Anyway, I mention it every now and again and nobody has yet been mean to me about it <br />
Bear in mind that everyone on this forum recommends to have a laying bin with females, containing sand or soil or both. Very rarely do they start eating it.......

Its the bigger substrate that scares people like reptibark, cypress mulch, and even some soil with the big chunks of bark in it.

 

[reptilover]

Well, since we're confessing.......I've always used soil and compost in all my cham enclosures. Never seen any of them deliberately eat it. A tiny bit has got into their mouths as youngsters but they still spit most of it out. Anyway, I mention it every now and again and nobody has yet been mean to me about it
Bear in mind that everyone on this forum recommends to have a laying bin with females, containing sand or soil or both. Very rarely do they start eating it.......

I'm a firm beliver in guidlines are not law.. that wouldn't work for my cham cause he does deliberately seek out dirt. It's ridiculous really...

 

[ISA my Veiled]

I'm a firm beliver in guidlines are not law.. that wouldn't work for my cham cause he does deliberately seek out dirt. It's ridiculous really...

I agree, many people set guidelines that are somewhat ridiculous in the sense that sometimes things work other ways. Not one way is correct. There are several ways to do things in this hobby and a lot of things work for different people.

 

[Kate]

Well I didn't expect that. I feel a whole lot better now!

 

[DanSB]

I personally think a paper towel or repticarpet is ugly and would never ever put either in any enclosure in my house.

I dare anyone to show me where eco earth (Ground coconut husk) or any fine organic soil killed their otherwise harmed a healthy cham.

I see that any chunks would be a bad idea and there is post showing where moss killed a cham but I have yet to uncover any evidence that substrate outlined above is actually bad.

 

[Kate]

I personally think a paper towel or repticarpet is ugly and would never ever put either in any enclosure in my house.

I dare anyone to show me where eco earth (Ground coconut husk) or any fine organic soil killed their otherwise harmed a healthy cham.

I see that any chunks would be a bad idea and there is post showing where moss killed a cham but I have yet to uncover any evidence that substrate outlined above is actually bad.

Cant see repticarpet as it has plants on it and i have a wooden viv with glass doors and a screen top. It was fine cocobrick. No lumps. It needed to be changed anyway so i will see how the humidity goes.

 

[DanSB]

Cant see repticarpet as it has plants on it and i have a wooden viv with glass doors and a screen top. It was fine cocobrick. No lumps. It needed to be changed anyway so i will see how the humidity goes.

I just can't possibly imagine how the cocobrick / eco earth / ground coconut husk as a huge danger like so many seem to believe.

I personally generally opt for nothing on the bottom of the enclosure because it is easier to clean daily and ensures I'm not letting any filth hide.

I plan to try out a planted enclosure using organic soil and eco earth seeding with isopods and springtails I imagine I will never actually have to clean other than spot cleaning the poo as it shows up.

 

[Kate]

I would agree. But i felt very uncomfortable when others were told " not recomended". Any way its done and can be undone if need be. Thanks for your support Dan.

 

[pssh]

I just can't possibly imagine how the cocobrick / eco earth / ground coconut husk as a huge danger like so many seem to believe.

I personally generally opt for nothing on the bottom of the enclosure because it is easier to clean daily and ensures I'm not letting any filth hide.

I plan to try out a planted enclosure using organic soil and eco earth seeding with isopods and springtails I imagine I will never actually have to clean other than spot cleaning the poo as it shows up.

The bricks I've gotten always had stringy bits of coco husk in them so I don't know how that would do inside the belly of the chameleon, but I agree about the fine substrate.

The no substrate thing is generally just a guideline for new keepers. With chameleons being a little more work than some other commonly kept lizards, making everything as easy and simple as possible always helps. Once people gain more experience keepers can experiment all they want to see what works for them.

I personally don't keep substrates in my chameleon enclosures (except when I keep pymgies) because it's just easier for me. My veiled enjoys occasionally trying to eat soil/sand and he hasn't dropped dead yet so...

 

[reptilover]

The bricks I've gotten always had stringy bits of coco husk in them so I don't know how that would do inside the belly of the chameleon, but I agree about the fine substrate.

The no substrate thing is generally just a guideline for new keepers. With chameleons being a little more work than some other commonly kept lizards, making everything as easy and simple as possible always helps. Once people gain more experience keepers can experiment all they want to see what works for them.

I personally don't keep substrates in my chameleon enclosures (except when I keep pymgies) because it's just easier for me. My veiled enjoys occasionally trying to eat soil/sand and he hasn't dropped dead yet so...

I'd definatly recommend rubbing it through a screen (any substrate) to make it as fine as possible. Removing all strings and clumps. My male veiled had a dirt eating phase (luckily over with) to the point where his poop had more dirt and sand than poop. But I fixed the nutritional issue and he hasnt tried or had any problems since. So making sure it is very fine substrate is important.. I regardless belive nothing is best for the animal since they don't see. The ground often in the wild. I don't need the astetiks and simple to clean

 

[ISA my Veiled]

I am going to add to what I think about the Repticarpet though. The only thing bad about it is that it will get wet and hold bacteria very well in its soggy innards making it a bacteria breeding ground. So unless you wash it every other day or stop misting,(which obviously you aren't going to stop misting) I WOULD ditch the repticarpet and get something else. It is good for desert reptiles like Leopard geckos and Beardies but honestly not for a creature that needs the high humidity and the about of hydration that a chameleon needs. That is my take on it.

 

[pssh]

I've never kept the carpet, so I don't know how much it does indeed get moldy/bacteria-y but you could always mist less if it's an issue. Just use a dripper all day instead and have a catch container. There are some very successful keepers who use drippers mostly and only mist once a day or so (with veileds and panthers or other species that are kept in glass.) Obviously monitor the situation, but it can work very successfully.

 

[reptilover]

I've never kept the carpet, so I don't know how much it does indeed get moldy/bacteria-y but you could always mist less if it's an issue. Just use a dripper all day instead and have a catch container. There are some very successful keepers who use drippers mostly and only mist once a day or so (with veileds and panthers or other species that are kept in glass.) Obviously monitor the situation, but it can work very successfully.

I used the carpet successfully for a very long time. Every other day I'd pull it. Rinse it and run it through the dryer. Don't ring it out! Roll it and squish it. Ringing it out stretches it and ruins how it sits :

 

[Hoj]

I use a outdoor carpet I get from home depot. It is all natural fibers, resists molds and fungus and I about $10 for a 3 ft x 6 ft pc. Also has a nice pattern/texture to it witch gives a very nice look.
Not the typical astro turf ugly plastic stuff

 

[Kate]

I use a outdoor carpet I get from home depot. It is all natural fibers, resists molds and fungus and I about $10 for a 3 ft x 6 ft pc. Also has a nice pattern/texture to it witch gives a very nice look.
Not the typical astro turf ugly plastic stuff

I'm interested in this. Does it have a name and do you think I would get it in uk? Just got home from work and all is well. I have a wooden viv and my mist king is aimed on my plants so carpet not wet. Plants in wide self watering pots which are easily emptied. Think I'm sorted.