Substrate
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CamrynTheCham22
Avid Member
Check out this thread https://www.chameleonforums.com/threads/feeding-wax-worms.37888/
CJ's Exotics
Chameleon Enthusiast
Bioactive setups are an insane amount of work to do if you don't know what to do, and they can be expensive. For your general chameleon enclosure with screen sides, go bare bottom with safe live plants.
CJ's Exotics
Chameleon Enthusiast
So the green wire is the twist ties? That is a lot of twist ties, what are they securing?
jamest0o0
Chameleon Enthusiast
@CJ's Exotics how are they an insane amount of work? I have 3 panthers(2 males, 1 female) kept in XL reptibreezes ATM with bioactive substrate. I have 1 male panther in a dragonstrand atrium with substrate, and my parson's will be kept bioactively when he goes into his forever enclose. I literally do nothing, but empty the drainage lol. As for coco fiber being unnatural and causing impaction, whaaat, where are you getting this from? it's no different than swallowing a lot of other fibrous particles. eating mouthfuls of it wouldn't be good, but a bit here and there isn't going to do anything to a healthy animal. The same way it wouldn't do anything to you if you ate it. I'm not trying to attack you because I have said similar things in the past, but it really all just stems from BS myths people pass around because someone had a dehydrated chameleon eat a pile of dirt which caused impaction and death... Anyway for now, i do recommend the OP remove the stuff at the bottom and gain an understanding of what the fancy *bioactive* word means(nothing that special) before adding substrate. as mentioned above, a great place to start if interested, is listening to everything by John-Courtney Smith, he also has a book. The man has studied this stuff extensively and swears by it.
I highly recommend to everyone interested, give proper bio substrate a try, it'll make life so much easier. I can't even find cham poop with how fast it's cleaned up these days.
I highly recommend to everyone interested, give proper bio substrate a try, it'll make life so much easier. I can't even find cham poop with how fast it's cleaned up these days.
All of the wood and vines
Goose502
Chameleon Enthusiast
Turn off the lights. Ambient room temp is fine for a chameleon at night.
When I replace the red lights
This is my final. I changed the lights and added 3 plants with 1 more coming. I think he’ll really love it. Tell me if I should change anything. Thanks for all your help.
CJ's Exotics
Chameleon Enthusiast
More like 10 on average, plus other insects.
Should I leave 1 red in?
CJ's Exotics
Chameleon Enthusiast
Sorry if I came off that way, but I am talking about if you don't do your research, or don't pay attention. I made a really nice bioactive enclosure for some tinctorius dart frogs, and then, like an idiot, I read the bag of sand (I made a tropical soil mix with part play sand) and it contained crystalline silica, and I had to throw everything out. So it was a lot of work, and expensive. Coco fiber is an unnatural substrate, it is not like soil. It can cause impaction easily, versus different soil, chameleons evolved in the wild to eat dirt to get nutrients, if they died from it, why would they still do it? I'm pretty sure Mr. John Courtney Smith said that.
CJ's Exotics
Chameleon Enthusiast
Change them to standard white incandescent lights that you would use for your home (in appropriate wattage).
Extensionofgreen
Chameleon Enthusiast
There are pros and cons for different keeper, with different keeping methods, species, and climates.
There are some substrates that are never suitable, some that are sometimes suitable, and some that are 100% safe, whether used as a bioactive substrate or not.
Similarly, “bioactive” is a buzzword and really has its own layers of nuances and interpretations.
Some of the information out there is great, but at the end of the day, your set up needs to be suitable to your Chameleon and your keeping methods/environment.
You could use plain, peat moss as a substrate. It’s not good for planting plants in directly, but spread a couple inches deep, you can either sink pots into it or let them sit on top. Peat moss is sterile, holds moisture and releases it well, is acidic and helps minimize odors and maintain hygienic conditions. Dry peat moss is fairly dusty, so I suggest mixing it in a bucket with some water and wringing it out, before placing it in the enclosure. Coir is also a suitable option, as long as larger pieces are removed. Both options will need topped off or have the top layer removed and replaced, but weekly removal of feces should keep the substrate in good conditions for a year or more.
There are some substrates that are never suitable, some that are sometimes suitable, and some that are 100% safe, whether used as a bioactive substrate or not.
Similarly, “bioactive” is a buzzword and really has its own layers of nuances and interpretations.
Some of the information out there is great, but at the end of the day, your set up needs to be suitable to your Chameleon and your keeping methods/environment.
You could use plain, peat moss as a substrate. It’s not good for planting plants in directly, but spread a couple inches deep, you can either sink pots into it or let them sit on top. Peat moss is sterile, holds moisture and releases it well, is acidic and helps minimize odors and maintain hygienic conditions. Dry peat moss is fairly dusty, so I suggest mixing it in a bucket with some water and wringing it out, before placing it in the enclosure. Coir is also a suitable option, as long as larger pieces are removed. Both options will need topped off or have the top layer removed and replaced, but weekly removal of feces should keep the substrate in good conditions for a year or more.
