noob question about substrate

[fallenangelfyre]

hey all,

new to chams, but have kept leopard geckos and crested geckos for several years. a recent trip to a reptile expo and the girlfriend is in love with chams. so i'm reading everything i can about them.
one major question i have:
why does everybody recommend bare floors for the cages? especially if they are a species that requires high humidity as well as screen sides and good ventilation (which are at odds with each other).
my cresties tanks are all naturally planted in a custom substrate including blended tree fern fiber, fine & medium grade orchid bark, chopped sphagnum moss, coir, and organic charcoal. this resists compaction and rests on top of a screen seperator on top of a base of hydroton for drainage. on top of the substrate i put live moss which prevents any animal from accidentally ingesting any substrate when hunting. a decent load of microfauna like springtails and isopods act as a clean-up crew munching down any fungus or debris.
it seems to me if you are trying to provide high humidity in a screen cage with lots of airflow, a natural substrate like this would only help. can anyone tell me why i shouldn't do this in a cham cage as well? thx-

 

[nightanole]

1. chams are never on the floor
2. food hides in floor
3. It normally "rains" in cham cages several times a day
4. Plants are always potted and the dirt covered with largish rocks

So if you put a substrate in it, instead of a drain, you will end up with mud and dead bugs.

If you want a tank setup like you got now, buy some pigmies chams, they should love your moss setup.

 

[ferretinmyshoes]

Welcome to the forums! See the links below for information on setting up a chameleon cage!

Chameleon cages should be large and preferably have at least several sides of screen for proper ventilation. Having a fully planted bottom like you describe would be very difficult to do in the size and type cage they need. I use that method in my glass cages for my Pygmy chams so I do know what you're describing. With all the water the larger chams need I think even that system would be flooded easily and then you'll have a huge mess on your hands. Plus there are risks to substrate impaction. I live in Denver (very dry climate) and with some modifications to the cage I can keep humidity at perfect levels without the use of substrate.

 

[Sinfulintent]

There is also the chance that your cham can eat the substrate and have issues with digesting. Not all of them will but some may, karma would walk on the floor and do hunting for all the crix, which he probably ingested some of the substrate as well as got all over his head, body, and maybe even in his eyes.