Hey everyone!First thanks for the feedbacks on lighting system suggestions for my new custom(5x5x7.5)trioceros melleri wooden screen cage,i just bought 2(48 inch 54w t5 life-glo)tubes and(48 inch t8 reptisun 5.0 uvb+48 inch t8 life-glo)tubes with ballast&reflectors...Now in the back of the cage i am planning to build a vertical plant wall,something like you would see in a PALUDARIUM but adapted to a chameleon enclosure,the main plantes will be POTHOS but i would like to incorporate different types of plants to create color contrast and have a nice tropical look.The way im thinking of building this,1st place a water protection membrane covering the back wall of the cage and overlapping the(ebb&flow)hydroponics flood table that is built in the cage to drain all excess water.2nd place a 1 or 2 inch styrofoam insulation board over the membrane.3rd place all the planting pots in a 45 degree angle.4th to hold the planting pots in place use a thick coat of spray foam insulation and to finish use 3 coats of quick setting cement over the insulation foam.
Vertical plant wall advice plz!!
- Thread starter DEVO
- Start date
Oopss so my questions.1st do you think i should use some type of water sealant over the cement.2nd do you think i should build water channels in between the styrofoam boards and the insulation foam to drain the plants properly.3rd any plant suggestions to incorporate with the pothos.4th any tips,tricks,advice on how to build a vertical plant wall or how you would do it would be helpful for final planning thank you!!!!
pssh
Avid Member
I made a wall with this expanding insulating foam called great stuff. Then, once it was dry, I covered it with silicone and pressed coco fibers/moss/etc. Onto it while it was still wet. I put small plant pots in the great stuff so I could hang pothos/vines from them. A little bit of the bottom of the plant pot sticks out so I can drain (but it's asthetically covered up.) I also put some nice big pieces of corkbark/drift wood into the great stuff so it kind of looks like there are moss covered trees along a mossy wall with plants hanging down. Does that make sense? In a bigger cage with some grow lights you could probably incorporate a hibiscus in there and 'train' it to grow on the wall. (tie it down!)
Thanks PSSH for some very good advice!Ya i use grow lights,just bought 2(48 inch 54w t5 GLO(LIFE-GLO)tubes with reflectors and i think smaller hibiscus plants of different colors would look amazing very good suggestion,i know the cement finish is used in similar technics for aquatic 3d backgrounds and they are safe,i think the silicone and pressed coco fibers,moss would look nicer,more natural look but is it hard to keep clean and is it a problem with molds and bacterias.
UVC sterilizer?mine hasn't molded or gotten nasty yet. I've had it for a few months now. Seems to be working just fine for my needs.
Ya probably with a underwater uvc sterilizer HEY THAT GOT ME THINKING,i know my t5 tubes are made to be used in aquatic setups and they are very good to grow plants in chameleon enclosures but i am wondering if they are uvc germicidal sterilizer types light bulbs,ill look in to that,well i thrust the experience of other cham keepers and i think ill go with the silicone and pressed coco fibers,moss.I am afraid the cement might crack with time.Hey everyone feel free to give any tips,tricks,advice or how you would do it your self,any plant suggestions would be helpful for final planning thanks.
sandrachameleon
Chameleon Enthusiast
Sounds like its going to loo great
You might look into how dart frog keepers build their living walls for more ideas
You might look into how dart frog keepers build their living walls for more ideas
Hey sandra!Exactly the poison frog habitat are called PALUDARIUMS it is something similar that i am looking for but at the sametime adapted for chameleon keeping,it should be simpler to built compare to a paludarium that demands very sophisticated filtering systems because they work with waterfalls and they are part terrestrial and part aquatic.
