Substrate
- Thread starter Mark
- Start date
Crashbandit05
Avid Member
None. Most of us prefer a substrate-less bottom to make cleaning easier and avoid impaction.
CJ's Exotics
Chameleon Enthusiast
Depends. No substrate if it is your average screen enclosure, like a ReptiBreeze, but there is bioactive as well, but that gets complicated. Please post a picture of the enclosure.
CJ's Exotics
Chameleon Enthusiast
Pictures please.
CJ's Exotics
Chameleon Enthusiast
You should have a lot more foliage in there, that is probably why you are struggling to keep humidity. That substrate looks like an impaction risk. Check out FLChams safe plant list, and get some live plants, but repot them first with soil without fertilizers, etc. Get rid of the red lights, they are unnatural, and replace them with a standard white incandescent light. Is that a linear UVB?
CJ's Exotics
Chameleon Enthusiast
What is the wiring and electrical tape on the wood for? I just noticed that.
jamest0o0
Chameleon Enthusiast
Impaction please... some of the most experienced keepers from Arcadia and others in the chameleon world use substrate successfully. You just need to know what to use. I never have to clean my cages and have yet to see or hear about an impaction that wasn't due to an illness or husbandry related flaw. As for everything else, do what @CJ's Exotics said. One thing though, I find the reptibreeze to be perfect for 'bioactive' substrate. A lot of tubs and flower pots fit snug beneath them.
CJ's Exotics
Chameleon Enthusiast
A lot of the general substrates we use, such as coco fiber, are very unnatural to a chameleon, and that is why they can get impacted so easily. If you want to go bioactive, you will definitely have to do your research, but not all substrates will cause impaction easily, like @jamest0o0 said. There are 2 good podcasts on the Chameleon Breeder Podcast about bioactive setups, but definitely do your research, also on microfauna.
CamrynTheCham22
Avid Member
Live plants themselves raise humidity along with their soil. The soil will stay damp after watering and significantly raise the humidity levels. Or you could use an actual warm mist humidifier because that is a surefire way to get the humidity up to the desired levels. For substrate, I recommend using paper towels that you can change out every day or so. That way the bottom of the enclosure does not get soiled and you can always have a clean cage. Just my perspective on the subject.
Goose502
Chameleon Enthusiast
Bioactive is by far the best way to go. Look up the biodude on YouTube. He has an episode on making a bioactive setup in a reptibreeze. His website sells everything you would ever need. As far as impaction goes, it sounds like most cases occur when an animal already is suffering from another medical or husbandry problem.
It’s so the twist tie won’t poke him
Goose502
Chameleon Enthusiast
If you’re going to try bioactive, there’s a learning curve. For the time being, remove your substrate and put in lots of live plants. Take your time and research bioactive enclosures, there is a lot to maintaining them successfully. A lot more to it than just a bag of dirt. You need a drainage layer, cleanup crew, and biodegradables just to name a few. Once you understand how it all works, you can create a beautiful natural environment the requires minimal cleaning, and provides a safe place for your chameleon.
