Live plants

[Journey96080]

I'm looking for between 3-7 live plants for my two chameleons habitats. We have a veiled who is almost 1yr and a panther Cham who is just over 21/2 months. I would like them to range in color and prefer plants that don't need a ton of sun. PLEASE HELP ME. I'm thinking baby tears and some type of fern mixed with some succulents so that I can create a rock quarry at the back base. Ty in advance.

 

[Extensionofgreen]

It depends on your lighting. Succulents like it bright and dry, so aren't really suitable. Are these outdoor enclosures or indoor? What type of material is the enclosure made of and what sort of light is it getting?

 

[kinyonga]

Above all...make sure the plants are non-toxic!

 

[Journey96080]

It depends on your lighting. Succulents like it bright and dry, so aren't really suitable. Are these outdoor enclosures or indoor? What type of material is the enclosure made of and what sort of light is it getting?

Open air black aluminum cages. They get sunlight but only from morning when we open our curtains. We use uvb for most of their lighting. So to answer your question, indoor!! Our veiled loves his habitat but I really would like live plants instead of the plastic ones. Maybe some kind of ivy? And do you know much about baby tears? We could easily put their habitats in a more chameleon appropriate area of our home. Our little guy is actually still in his starter habitat ( large plastic bin ). We are starting to create his habitat today. I could send pics of what their areas look like. I'd rather be safe than sorry!!!

 

[Extensionofgreen]

It sounds like your lighting situation is limiting.
Baby tears is going to probably do ok. If not shaded by other plants.
You have spider plants, pothos, agloenema, fittonia, some bromeliads, phaleonopsis orchids, calathea, anthuriums, draceana, and more or less things found in the houseplant selection of box stores. Some toxic plant list will list various plants as toxic, however none that I have mentioned carry and risk greater than pothos, which contain oxalate crystals, that many of veileds have consumed and shown no cause for concern. On that note, you might try caldiums, if your humidity is high enough. In general, the more colorful, the more light the plant will require. An eBay search will show you a fantastic array of colors of agloenema, but keep in mind, the more colorful, the more light they need to show the colors. Guzmania bromeliads will give you some pops of colors for several months. You might even try an African Violet for its blooms.

 

[Journey96080]

It sounds like your lighting situation is limiting.
Baby tears is going to probably do ok. If not shaded by other plants.
You have spider plants, pothos, agloenema, fittonia, some bromeliads, phaleonopsis orchids, calathea, anthuriums, draceana, and more or less things found in the houseplant selection of box stores. Some toxic plant list will list various plants as toxic, however none that I have mentioned carry and risk greater than pothos, which contain oxalate crystals, that many of veileds have consumed and shown no cause for concern. On that note, you might try caldiums, if your humidity is high enough. In general, the more colorful, the more light the plant will require. An eBay search will show you a fantastic array of colors of agloenema, but keep in mind, the more colorful, the more light they need to show the colors. Guzmania bromeliads will give you some pops of colors for several months. You might even try an African Violet for its blooms.

I'm noticing that all of the baby tears I look at say that they're an aquatic underwater plant??? Do they need shade? Or no shade? I ordered some small spider plants, a dwarf umbrella tree, a plectranthus australia (Swedish ivy begonia??), an asparagus fern and a hibiscus rosa-sinensis. What would you suggest about our lighting conditions? I have an area in front of our bedroom window that I could put them in front of???

 

[Extensionofgreen]

All that you chose, aside from the hibiscus should do fine. The aquatic babys tears is different then the terrestrial plant, so you might need to use google or eBay and type "houseplant" after the common name. Window light varies by numerous factors. I suggest you see how your plants do and then consider changing or adding to your set-up. The chameleon needs a basking light and UVB light, but window light is fine for ambient lighting, though you may want to add some additional daylight lighting for shorter Winter days.

 

[Camo Charlie]

Camo has a fiscus and two photus in his enclosure

 

[Davecameos]

Some hibiscus and camellia may work under those conditions

 

[Journey96080]

Have any of you made corner shelves for your chams habitat? I'm really wanting them but not sure what kind of solid wood to buy?!?!?! I'm fortunate enough to live on 117 acres of nothing but grass and oak trees so we went and got a bunch of dead branches and pressure washed them and left them outside to dry, but as far as a flat surface to cut into a corner shelf I'm clueless. Anyone experienced in this??

 

[Journey96080]

All that you chose, aside from the hibiscus should do fine. The aquatic babys tears is different then the terrestrial plant, so you might need to use google or eBay and type "houseplant" after the common name. Window light varies by numerous factors. I suggest you see how your plants do and then consider changing or adding to your set-up. The chameleon needs a basking light and UVB light, but window light is fine for ambient lighting, though you may want to add some additional daylight lighting for shorter Winter days.

Ty so much. We do have heat lamps as well. And after thinking about the advice you gave me I ordered four of the plants you suggested. One more question, do you suggest that we have outside habitats so they can get natural light? And if so, how long would you put them outside and would it be in direct sunlight or under our back porch? We live in Northern California where it gets super hot. If you're familiar with the red bluff or Redding areas you'll know exactly why I'm asking.

 

[Journey96080]

Ty so much. We do have heat lamps as well. And after thinking about the advice you gave me I ordered four of the plants you suggested. One more question, do you suggest that we have outside habitats so they can get natural light? And if so, how long would you put them outside and would it be in direct sunlight or under our back porch? We live in Northern California where it gets super hot. If you're familiar with the red bluff or Redding areas you'll know exactly why I'm asking.

"Basking lights"

 

[Extensionofgreen]

Outdoor time is a great thing for a chameleon and if you can provide shade, and the correct humidity and temperatures for your species, you can house them outside indefinitely. I'm not familiar with CA, so can't speak for the climate in those areas, but shade and misting is needed for any species, when temps are above 85-90F.
Outdoor caging is an optional consideration and many people keep and breed many species indoors. If I had the climate to do so, I'd have all of my chameleons outdoors at all times.

 

[Journey96080]

Lil dicks habitat is coming along. Can't wait to finish it up.

Camo has a fiscus and two photus in his enclosure