Pygmy chAm bioactive viv

[scott52019]

hello everyone. I am trying to get my hands on 3 pygmy chameleons when I find them. I would also like to put them in a bioactive vic. I have an exo terra that should be good for 3 (2 female, 1 male). Questions:

1. How do you make a bioactive viv?
2. How do you heat them or cool them?
3. Is it true they need uvb?

 

[Fireborn]

So first you need a drainage layer. This can either be clay balls or gravel. Second you need organic dirt. You can buy anything labeled organic without perlite or vermiculite, top soil, or black earth. Then you can add isopods and sprig tails. These insects make up the clean up crew. Then plant some safe non toxic plants. You do need plant lights to keep the plants growing.

 

[Fireborn]

As for heating and cooling tha depends on your rooms temperature. A reptile heat bulb can heat up a glass enclosure quite a bit if you have a cold room.

 

[reptiles4evar]

To cool an enclosure you need to just cool the whole room. As for heating, you can use bulbs that will help you. The way I did it for my veiled is one layer of clay balls on the floor, and then a layer of activated carbon on top of that. Both of these were separated by a weed blocker. Then, I used some safe soil without additives to hold my plants. Then I added springtails and Isopods as the cleaning crew. Good plants include wandering jew, pothos, creeping fig, and baby tears.

 

[scott52019]

As for heating and cooling tha depends on your rooms temperature. A reptile heat bulb can heat up a glass enclosure quite a bit if you have a cold room.

Do the isipods and springtails reproduce on their own or do you need to add more over time? I will get back to you on my temp, I am at work atm

 

[Fireborn]

They reproduce on their own. Dwarf isopods are very prolific.

 

[scott52019]

They reproduce on their own. Dwarf isopods are very prolific.

How long does it take?

 

[Fireborn]

Not very long but it depends on the species of isopods. By 3 months my soil was filled with them.

 

[scott52019]

As for heating and cooling tha depends on your rooms temperature. A reptile heat bulb can heat up a glass enclosure quite a bit if you have a cold room.

What small plant light do you recommend?

 

[InvisibleShad0w]

What small plant light do you recommend?

You can actually use energy saving lights with 6000 Kelvin or more.
It works fine for mine.
If u really wanna boost your plant growing you can use special plant growing led lights.
But I have a big bioactive enclosure and the plants are growing like crazy without a special lamp