Things to buy

[jamest0o0]

Ahhh that's the million dollar question haha. Well I know one person that uses sunshine mix #4 with great success. It really depends on the plants you choose to keep though. For most I think a good, fine-grained organic soil, mixed with playsand, and some coconut fiber works great. This helps the substrate stay pretty well drained in our heavily watered systems. Then I like a thick layer of leaf litter on top for the clean up crew to benefit from. The soil could even benefit from a little bit of orchid bark or something similar mixed in for aeration.

 

[Curlytails]

Ahhh that's the million dollar question haha. Well I know one person that uses sunshine mix #4 with great success. It really depends on the plants you choose to keep though. For most I think a good, fine-grained organic soil, mixed with playsand, and some coconut fiber works great. This helps the substrate stay pretty well drained in our heavily watered systems. Then I like a thick layer of leaf litter on top for the clean up crew to benefit from. The soil could even benefit from a little bit of orchid bark or something similar mixed in for aeration.

Can i get the arcadia soil mix and add spagnum and leaf litter?

 

[jamest0o0]

That was regarding soil^

For lights I'd say the megaspott 40w jungle dawn bulb is the best you can get. T5ho from Arcadia grow bulbs are nice too. I use t8 5000k LEDS on my Parsons set up though because they run cooler and my plants are thriving.

 

[jamest0o0]

Arcadia soil mix?

 

[Curlytails]

That was regarding soil^

For lights I'd say the megaspott 40w jungle dawn bulb is the best you can get. T5ho from Arcadia grow bulbs are nice too. I use t8 5000k LEDS on my Parsons set up though because they run cooler and my plants are thriving.

Yeah i know but i found the arcadia soil mix. It has lava rock inside for drainage too. 5000k? I guess that might work. Im into aquariums also and i find that 6500k cfls do ok for low light plants.

 

[Curlytails]

They make everything these days!

 

[jamest0o0]

Ohhh that stuff isn't available in the US

 

[Curlytails]

Since my cag

Ohhh that stuff isn't available in the US

do you guys have any alternative lighting because the jungle dawn costs a ton

 

[Curlytails]

Well guys it turns out bioactive is wayyyy to expensive for me for now. Only the lights would cost me around 90 dollars. Ill do bioactive when i upgrade cages. What can i buy now???

 

[Lennoncham]

Look into bioactive enclosures. I haven’t cleaned mine in over a year, just trimmed all the plants every couple weeks. If you spent $500 and all you got was a large zoo med enclosure and what’s in the picture, you got ripped off.

If they are Canadian which I am guessing they are. Everything is crazy expensive here. I look at your prices and I'm very jelous. Have spent thousands in the past year on my animals.

 

[Curlytails]

If they are Canadian which I am guessing they are. Everything is crazy expensive here. I look at your prices and I'm very jelous. Have spent thousands in the past year on my animals.

Even worse. Im british

 

[Goose502]

Well guys it turns out bioactive is wayyyy to expensive for me for now. Only the lights would cost me around 90 dollars. Ill do bioactive when i upgrade cages. What can i buy now???

I would buy a bunch of live plants. They can stay in their pots inside the cage. Shouldn’t be too expensive, and will provide much needed coverage for your enclosure. Adding more sticks/vines would be a cost effective way to improve the habitat too.

 

[Curlytails]

I would buy a bunch of live plants. They can stay in their pots inside the cage. Shouldn’t be too expensive, and will provide much needed coverage for your enclosure. Adding more sticks/vines would be a cost effective way to improve the habitat too.

Plants arent expensive so ill buy pothos and ficus but how do i light them? Can i use a full spectrum cfl?

 

[Goose502]

Plants arent expensive so ill buy pothos and ficus but how do i light them? Can i use a full spectrum cfl?

The plants aren’t as picky as the chameleon. Again, avoid any cfl’s. They have been known to irritate chameleon eyes, and all and all they are a terrible design. The are built to overheat and go out prematurely. I quit using them for my house about 8 years ago, just overpriced, overmarketed garbage. Most basic LED’s will work well for plants, as well as plant directed t8, or t5 fluorescents. I’d add the plants, and if they start to burn, yellow, or die, then make lighting adjustments.

 

[Lennoncham]

Even worse. Im british

Oh true. Havnt heard to much about prices from there. But from the sounds of it it's around the same as here (not sure about how it would work out with the conversion though).

 

[Curlytails]

The plants aren’t as picky as the chameleon. Again, avoid any cfl’s. They have been known to irritate chameleon eyes, and all and all they are a terrible design. The are built to overheat and go out prematurely. I quit using them for my house about 8 years ago, just overpriced, overmarketed garbage. Most basic LED’s will work well for plants, as well as plant directed t8, or t5 fluorescents. I’d add the plants, and if they start to burn, yellow, or die, then make lighting adjustments.

So a basic blue red grow light would work?

 

[Curlytails]

Oh true. Havnt heard to much about prices from there. But from the sounds of it it's around the same as here (not sure about how it would work out with the conversion though).

The xl reptibreeze on its own costs 160 bucks us or 200 cad. Cheapest heat lamps are 8 dollars cad and normal incandescent bulbs are now illegal so... vines are around 25 cad each and uvb controllers cost around 100 cad without the bulb which is about 40cad

 

[Goose502]

So a basic blue red grow light would work?

I believe so, but I’m not sure if an LED with a heavy array of red LEDs will upset a chameleon.

 

[Curlytails]

I believe so, but I’m not sure if an LED with a heavy array of red LEDs will upset a chameleon.

I believe so, but I’m not sure if an LED with a heavy array of red LEDs will upset a chameleon.

Not expensive on ebay so i might try it. If not ill have a light for aquarium plants.

 

[Lennoncham]

The xl reptibreeze on its own costs 160 bucks us or 200 cad. Cheapest heat lamps are 8 dollars cad and normal incandescent bulbs are now illegal so... vines are around 25 cad each and uvb controllers cost around 100 cad without the bulb which is about 40cad

Sounds about the same as here. Is stuff as hard to find there as it is here? I find myself driving to a bunch of stores looking for certain items and other items are everywhere.