quattlebaum12194
Member
Do chameleons need substrate
Substrate
- Thread starter quattlebaum12194
- Start date
Klyde O'Scope
Chameleon Enthusiast
Nope.
+1. Females require a lay-bin, but that can be a plastic dishpan filled with 50/50 play sand & potting soil.
My male panther has never gone lower than halfway down the plants since I got him. IDK if he even knows there is a floor or what it's made of.
Klyde O'Scope
Chameleon Enthusiast
..And I thought substrate was for ease of cleaning up 
! 
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quattlebaum12194
Member
whatdo you suggest putting on the bottom of the enclosure then?
Klyde O'Scope
Chameleon Enthusiast
I think that depends on your setup & drainage. If not bioactive, IMO, ceramic tile makes the best substrate for many—but not all—situations.
I originally intended to use ceramic tile (it's very easy to clean up and sanitize), but the drainage system in the enclosure I bought would not easily support tiles, appropriate size tiles (that would fit the enclosure) were not readily available, and I didn't have access to a large tile cutter/saw.
My enclosure came with a screen bottom for drainage into the drain pan, but the supports in that pan were IMO poorly spaced for tiles or plant pots (or drainage, for that matter). My solution was to put ceiling egg crate down on the drain pan supports to evenly distribute the weight of the pots (I have 3 centerpiece plants plus others), and put the screen bottom on top of the egg crate. I turned the screen so the mesh was in direct contact with the egg crate, preventing damage to the mesh. Water can drain directly through to the pan beneath; anything larger stays on the screen.
It's not as easy to clean as tile, but I clean weekly, and by then most of the has dried & solidified. Easy to pick up and then spritz with Nature's Miracle Small Animal Cage Cleaner to sanitize & remove any odor.
PVC isn't a bad substrate (many enclosures now come with PVC walls & floors) as long as there's provision for drainage. If using pots directly on the floor, PVC will scratch easier than ceramic tile, so care must be taken when moving pots or sanitizing.
Also: https://www.chameleonschool.com/what-chameleon-substrate/
I originally intended to use ceramic tile (it's very easy to clean up and sanitize), but the drainage system in the enclosure I bought would not easily support tiles, appropriate size tiles (that would fit the enclosure) were not readily available, and I didn't have access to a large tile cutter/saw.
My enclosure came with a screen bottom for drainage into the drain pan, but the supports in that pan were IMO poorly spaced for tiles or plant pots (or drainage, for that matter). My solution was to put ceiling egg crate down on the drain pan supports to evenly distribute the weight of the pots (I have 3 centerpiece plants plus others), and put the screen bottom on top of the egg crate. I turned the screen so the mesh was in direct contact with the egg crate, preventing damage to the mesh. Water can drain directly through to the pan beneath; anything larger stays on the screen.
It's not as easy to clean as tile, but I clean weekly, and by then most of the
has dried & solidified. Easy to pick up and then spritz with Nature's Miracle Small Animal Cage Cleaner to sanitize & remove any odor.PVC isn't a bad substrate (many enclosures now come with PVC walls & floors) as long as there's provision for drainage. If using pots directly on the floor, PVC will scratch easier than ceramic tile, so care must be taken when moving pots or sanitizing.
Also: https://www.chameleonschool.com/what-chameleon-substrate/
Last edited:
jamest0o0
Chameleon Enthusiast
Bioactive is the way to go if you can. Best looking enclosures. Happiest chameleons(IMO). Healthiest environment. Many of the experienced cham keepers use bio(with many that don't too, but it's usually breeders that want to have a closer eye on fecals with more of a hospital-like set up). In any case, just research and do it right.
suprdude
Avid Member
I think that depends on your setup & drainage. If not bioactive, IMO, ceramic tile makes the best substrate for many—but not all—situations.
I originally intended to use ceramic tile (it's very easy to clean up and sanitize), but the drainage system in the enclosure I bought would not easily support tiles, appropriate size tiles (that would fit the enclosure) were not readily available, and I didn't have access to a large tile cutter/saw.
My enclosure came with a screen bottom for drainage into the drain pan, but the supports in that pan were IMO poorly spaced for tiles or plant pots (or drainage, for that matter). My solution was to put ceiling egg crate down on the drain pan supports to evenly distribute the weight of the pots (I have 3 centerpiece plants plus others), and put the screen bottom on top of the egg crate. I turned the screen so the mesh was in direct contact with the egg crate, preventing damage to the mesh. Water can drain directly through to the pan beneath; anything larger stays on the screen.
View attachment 294706
It's not as easy to clean as tile, but I clean weekly, and by then most of the
PVC isn't a bad substrate (many enclosures now come with PVC walls & floors) as long as there's provision for drainage. If using pots directly on the floor, PVC will scratch easier than ceramic tile, so care must be taken when moving pots or sanitizing.
Also: https://www.chameleonschool.com/what-chameleon-substrate/
You could also put black weed guard on top of the egg crate because it looks much better and drains just as well (it makes it almost invisible). That's what I did.
nightanole
Chameleon Enthusiast
Yours doesnt disintegrate after a few months? If i can see any of the black cloth, the sun turns it into flakes in a few months. guess thats why its meant to be under mulch.
Klyde O'Scope
Chameleon Enthusiast
suprdude
Avid Member
I've used this week guard for 12 years for my frog vivarium and I'm in the process of updating it for a future chameleon...the weed guard is 100% intact as it was the day I put it in!
Klyde O'Scope
Chameleon Enthusiast
I think the sun puts out much higher levels of UV (A, B, & C) than any bulbs outside of a laboratory.
Distance is another factor, of course. IDK the strength & distance used in frog vivariums, but hardly any (if any) UV is likely to reach the floor of a 48"H chameleon enclosure.
