Was thinking about, bioactive setups

[JlaPinska]

Is there anyone on here that does bioactive setups at all? Can it even be done with larger species like veiled? i have researched a tiny bit but from what i see the best thing i can do is make sure everything in his cage is living plants or vines and sticks taken from nature but what about cleanup crew. I know it can be done with other herps, what about chams?

 

[johnnyev]

I have always kept chameleons in fully planted, with drainage layer & bio active substrates.
Years ago kept yemens & panthers, now keep montane species. I use exo terras atm, so enclosure size is easily catered for. If using substrate for yemens & panthers, you'll need to find a way to make enclosure water tight if using wood. And for mesh enclosures. You'll need to find a way to hold the substrate in.
I add all sorts of insects to clean up. Spring tails, tropical & native species of wood lice, worms (seem to do better in cooler set ups) the tiny beetles & their larvae that come in with the crickets.
Don't forget to allow for a decent depth of drainage layer. This is often the difference between the set up failing or thriving.

 

[JlaPinska]

someone told me i could find a bin big enough to set in the bottom of the screen cage and do it that way, but i'll have to drill holes to allow drainage through it so i'm not sure how well it will work

 

[distortionz]

I just made a 2 cage stop for some Panthers with a bioactive base and I haven't had to clean cages in the 3 weeks I've had it done I love it... Occasionally knock some poop off the leaves and that's it.. I got bins at the bottom and built the cages to the bins basically.. You put a bulkhead in the bottom and put a drainage layer of clay balls.. Then I did a 50/50 mix of peat and play sand loaded with Springtails and isopods topped with leaf litter

 

[shrum]

I do this for my Pygmy chams too....I have tons of dart frogs so I have springs and ISO pods all the time. I didn't want to drill my exo terra so I took a bottle and cut the top off and poked holes at the bottom. I made a false floor with that white plastic grate stuff you see in floresent light fixtures that they use instead of plexy glass. I covered that with screen mesh and and made a hole so the bottle fits to the bottom if the glass. Once filled with the substrate and leaf litter I put a seed pod over the hole so nothing falls in. Once a month move the seed pod and turkey baste the water out. Seems to work good for me and helps keep up humidity with the water sitting in the false bottom.

 

[MsCham]

*cough*
*cough*

 

[JlaPinska]

MsCham i am a member