Coconut husk
- Thread starter Rasta
- Start date
MissSkittles
Chameleon Enthusiast
It can be a bit expensive to do and you do need to keep watch for any mold growth, but it can be nice.
I used it for my girls for a while and they seemed to enjoy climbing it...and pulling it back to sneak peeks at their handsome neighbor. It was quite dark. After trying that and a faux background, I now have returned to shower curtain and have a blue sky one.
I used it for my girls for a while and they seemed to enjoy climbing it...and pulling it back to sneak peeks at their handsome neighbor. It was quite dark. After trying that and a faux background, I now have returned to shower curtain and have a blue sky one.
Attachments
Steve A
Chameleon Enthusiast
I don't like the idea of keeping in humidity as it is. Everything I've read says you should really keep the air circulating well in a humid environment (esp for chameleons). Also, as @MissSkittles already said, I'd be worried about mold developing.
I'm personally dealing with humidity being low (due to forced heat on with low temps in new jersey) and instead of trying to trap the humidity in my enclosure (full mesh), I am adjusting misting sessions. Adding more / raising the length accordingly. This has worked well for me. I'm still getting his humidity in the 80s-90s at night with these adjustments.
I know not everyones situation is the same. But for me personally, I just feel like trapping humidity seems risky.
I run my fogger from 1am-6am continuously without trapping the humidity. And of course I mist as well on a schedule for 2-3 mins.
Just my two cents!
I'm personally dealing with humidity being low (due to forced heat on with low temps in new jersey) and instead of trying to trap the humidity in my enclosure (full mesh), I am adjusting misting sessions. Adding more / raising the length accordingly. This has worked well for me. I'm still getting his humidity in the 80s-90s at night with these adjustments.
I know not everyones situation is the same. But for me personally, I just feel like trapping humidity seems risky.
I run my fogger from 1am-6am continuously without trapping the humidity. And of course I mist as well on a schedule for 2-3 mins.
Just my two cents!
I’d worry about aflatoxins growing on the corn husks…
https://afs.ca.uky.edu/dairy/common-questions-regarding-aflatoxin-corn-grain-and-silage
https://afs.ca.uky.edu/dairy/common-questions-regarding-aflatoxin-corn-grain-and-silage
Rasta
Member
Yeah I thought it was cool they can climb it and it’s natural. Good note about the mold tho.. I’m planning on doing the bag coconut mat and the rest open air flow
Rasta
Member
That’s a good point thank you!! I’m planning on doing the back all coconut husk and the rest mesh. I was planning on putting some vents towards the bottom as well I’m doing a pretty complicated DIY build. I just didn’t want a plain wall. Is there any device or anything that can tell the level of mold buildup?
MissSkittles
Chameleon Enthusiast
You could make a faux background using egg crate lighting panel, great stuff expanding foam, silicone and then loose coco coir. That too is expensive, but can look really nice. You can foam in plant pots too. *no idea why my pics are showing sideways but it doesn't matter much.
Rasta
Member
Dang that looks so cool!!!! Your chams must be so happy!
elizaann2
Chameleon Enthusiast
She has the best enclosures.
MissSkittles
Chameleon Enthusiast
Well, they may have been. lol I took those down and substituted fabric shower with a blue sky with little clouds. It was so dark and I wanted to lighten up my chameleons worlds.
MissSkittles
Chameleon Enthusiast
Thanks love, but not sure of that. I love @Camiezone enclosures. Those are gorgeous!
Andrew1283
Chameleon Enthusiast
Totally agree. Gotta soak things and let them dry out completely. I do cover two sides to protect the drywall in the corner. Plants also have to dry out or you get lots of annoying gnats.
Steve A
Chameleon Enthusiast
Yeah I would take her advice on this. Not only does she have excellent experience, but in all honesty..... those foam made walls are awesome. And you can shape them how you want. They will be much safer for your chameleon.
IMO, you shouldn't use any of the cocounut husk. I just think it's really risky.
It looks cool though and I understand wanting to use it aesthetically. Maybe you could make a large coconut backdrop and just put it behind the chameleon enclosure up against a wall?? That would be neat.
But yeah -this is just my opinion- I personally think you should either just go full screen (if you can.....if you have issues with way too low humidity, then you may NEED a hybrid design....), or go with those foam walls.
I really wanted to do the foam walls myself for the back of the enclosure, but I ended up not having the time and I built my enclosure out of wood so I just had enough once it was done lol
elizaann2
Chameleon Enthusiast
Oh yes I love her enclosures as well.
nightanole
Chameleon Enthusiast
I never got any mold growth, even with poop. However LOWD does the loose crickets love to breed in the stuff...
Orangejuiceman
Member
What type of wooden branches are you using. I fear my main trunk on my boys house might be holding onto mold. The branches are a bit porous and have been in his cage for over a year. I had a dream and something in it told me that the wood in his cage is where the bacteria or mold came from that caused his URI. Could this be a valid concern?
MissSkittles
Chameleon Enthusiast
I use primarily what I can scavenge. My neighbors have a massive oak that they get trimmed every now and then and I stock up then. I found a downed sycamore on the roadside a couple years ago and stocked up then too for the low low price of looking like a weirdo (it’s Florida though, so there is no weird). You want to avoid pine, eucalyptus and other trees/branches with heavy odor or sap. No need to remove bark, bake, bleach or any of that. Get a bucket of soapy water (I use dawn dish soap) and a plastic bristle scrubby brush and give the branches a nice little bath. Rinse very well and let dry in the sun. I leave on whatever didn’t come off with a scrub, like lichen. I like the natural look of it all. Also, I get everything from twice the diameter of a thumb to just big enough not to break to give my chams the opportunity to exercise the mitten muscles.
Wood breaks down. Your more susceptible areas are directly under fogging inlets and misting heads. But it will break down and there is a chance of mold/fungal growth when this happens. I will every 6 months or so go in and pinch my branches under these area... They will squish if they are breaking down. That is when you want to replace branches.
