Fridolyn
New Member
Hi everyone!
I have two questions about our setup with Fridolyn, our chameleon, and I’d love to hear about your experiences!
1. How active should the soil be in a bioactive setup?
We have a 60 × 60 × 40 cm planter underneath our mesh enclosure. The substrate is a mix of coco coir, herb soil and potting soil for flowers. There is also a plastic catch tray underneath to collect any excess water that drains through.
The planter contains several plants, including orchids, Ficus benjamina and Dracaena. We also have some dried grapevine branches for climbing, as well as a living grapevine that Fridolyn loves to nibble on.
Our plan was to establish a cleanup crew (CUC) in the planter to help break down waste and keep the soil healthy. We added a mix of critters, including isopods, springtails, earthworms (Lumbricus terrestris) and red wigglers (Dendrobaena).
However, I have the feeling that our cleanup crew has simply disappeared! Whenever I dig around in the substrate, I can't seem to find anything alive.
I've searched the forum and came across this thread: https://www.chameleonforums.com/threads/bioactive-enclosure-curiosity.195163/
Unfortunately, it doesn't really answer my question about how active a bioactive substrate should be or what I should actually expect to see.
For those of you with bioactive chameleon setups:
Do you regularly see your cleanup crew on the surface or when digging around in the substrate?
Is it normal for them to be almost impossible to find, even if the system is working properly?
Could the combination of substrate, watering and the different species be unsuitable for them? Is there anything specific I should check?
I'd like to know whether our cleanup crew is actually doing its job or whether we need to change something.
2. The mystery of the pooping flower
My second question is a little more unusual: is there anything specific about chameleons and their choice of toilet spot?
The first time Fridolyn pooped, he climbed all the way to the enclosure exit, perched on the edge and then very deliberately pooped outside the enclosure. Quite impressive aim, really!
We recently rearranged things a little to make room for a new plant, and ever since then, he seems to have developed a very strong preference for pooping on one particular orchid. Unfortunately, it's a real pain to clean.
So now I'm wondering what the best approach would be.
If the bioactive setup were working properly, would the cleanup crew eventually take care of the poop that lands on the orchid or falls into the planter? Or is that asking too much of them, especially when it comes to waste sitting on the plant itself?
Should I:
A) Move the orchid somewhere else and hope Fridolyn chooses a more convenient spot?
B) Accept that this is now the designated pooping flower and keep climbing around the enclosure to clean it whenever Fridolyn is outside?
C) Try something else entirely?
I'd also be curious to hear whether your chameleons tend to have favourite spots for doing their business, or whether Fridolyn is just being Fridolyn.
Thanks in advance for any advice!
I have two questions about our setup with Fridolyn, our chameleon, and I’d love to hear about your experiences!
1. How active should the soil be in a bioactive setup?
We have a 60 × 60 × 40 cm planter underneath our mesh enclosure. The substrate is a mix of coco coir, herb soil and potting soil for flowers. There is also a plastic catch tray underneath to collect any excess water that drains through.
The planter contains several plants, including orchids, Ficus benjamina and Dracaena. We also have some dried grapevine branches for climbing, as well as a living grapevine that Fridolyn loves to nibble on.
Our plan was to establish a cleanup crew (CUC) in the planter to help break down waste and keep the soil healthy. We added a mix of critters, including isopods, springtails, earthworms (Lumbricus terrestris) and red wigglers (Dendrobaena).
However, I have the feeling that our cleanup crew has simply disappeared! Whenever I dig around in the substrate, I can't seem to find anything alive.
I've searched the forum and came across this thread: https://www.chameleonforums.com/threads/bioactive-enclosure-curiosity.195163/
Unfortunately, it doesn't really answer my question about how active a bioactive substrate should be or what I should actually expect to see.
For those of you with bioactive chameleon setups:
Do you regularly see your cleanup crew on the surface or when digging around in the substrate?
Is it normal for them to be almost impossible to find, even if the system is working properly?
Could the combination of substrate, watering and the different species be unsuitable for them? Is there anything specific I should check?
I'd like to know whether our cleanup crew is actually doing its job or whether we need to change something.
2. The mystery of the pooping flower
My second question is a little more unusual: is there anything specific about chameleons and their choice of toilet spot?
The first time Fridolyn pooped, he climbed all the way to the enclosure exit, perched on the edge and then very deliberately pooped outside the enclosure. Quite impressive aim, really!
We recently rearranged things a little to make room for a new plant, and ever since then, he seems to have developed a very strong preference for pooping on one particular orchid. Unfortunately, it's a real pain to clean.
So now I'm wondering what the best approach would be.
If the bioactive setup were working properly, would the cleanup crew eventually take care of the poop that lands on the orchid or falls into the planter? Or is that asking too much of them, especially when it comes to waste sitting on the plant itself?
Should I:
A) Move the orchid somewhere else and hope Fridolyn chooses a more convenient spot?
B) Accept that this is now the designated pooping flower and keep climbing around the enclosure to clean it whenever Fridolyn is outside?
C) Try something else entirely?
I'd also be curious to hear whether your chameleons tend to have favourite spots for doing their business, or whether Fridolyn is just being Fridolyn.
Thanks in advance for any advice!
