Final touch to my viv one last plant.
- Thread starter Dave Joel
- Start date
SaintJimmy
Avid Member
It looks amazing, but I'm sure others like me will comment on some of the no-no's in your husbandry here.
1, the substrate is always considered a very bad idea due to some horror stories of chams swallowing dirt and dying (and believe me, they WILL do it no matter how you are feeding them).
2, not many people keep chams in glass cages. Not saying it can't be done, but they do better with ventilation for the most part.
3, I don't know how big your cage is, but the ficus and money tree look like immature plants, therefore I'm assuming it is a little small for your (obviously) adult panther. Your picture of him in the corner makes the cage look a little too small.
Just my two cents/thoughts, but I hope others will chime in and verify.
I just don't understand why no one commented like this yet.
1, the substrate is always considered a very bad idea due to some horror stories of chams swallowing dirt and dying (and believe me, they WILL do it no matter how you are feeding them).
2, not many people keep chams in glass cages. Not saying it can't be done, but they do better with ventilation for the most part.
3, I don't know how big your cage is, but the ficus and money tree look like immature plants, therefore I'm assuming it is a little small for your (obviously) adult panther. Your picture of him in the corner makes the cage look a little too small.
Just my two cents/thoughts, but I hope others will chime in and verify.
I just don't understand why no one commented like this yet.
craig90
Member
Yup, I would start with getting the substrate out and then think about a larger screen cage, but maybe that cage is bigger than it looks in the pics.
I like the look of the plants and stuff though.
SaintJimmy
Avid Member
No need to prove me wrong, I already stated that screen cages are doable just not as often.
We highly recommend you remove your substrate first though. That is priority along with maybe a bigger cage, because it does seem a bit small for him.
We highly recommend you remove your substrate first though. That is priority along with maybe a bigger cage, because it does seem a bit small for him.
bugboy
Established Member
I think we may be jumping to conclusions on this one. It's obvious that the OP cares about having a realistic environment for their cham, let's not scare them away. I don't know much about this enclosure other than it's perfect for a chameleon, given the right size and substrate.
It looks like an Exo-Terra, which is perfectly suitable for chameleons. However, we do not know the exact size of the enclosure. From the picture provided it looks like MAYBE this animal might be cramped in there, but we still don't know the dimensions. I would request the OP provide us with the exact dimensions of the cage, and the length of the animal in question wouldn't hurt much either.
The plants are fine, I don't really have any problems with what you have in there. The only problem would be as said if the animal in question is so large he could possibly break them as he clambers around his enclosure.
As far as substrate goes, the picture is too small (at least on my computer) and too dark to indicate exactly what is there. If it is bark, I would suggest removing it. However, if substrate like coco-fiber is being used, the chameleon should have no problem passing it through. Yes, I know, chameleons mostly live and feed where substrate is not present. That does not mean anyone who uses substrate in their enclosures has their chameleon die from ingesting it. Don't get me wrong, I use screen cages on all of my animals with a bare bottom for safety and easier cleaning. But that doesn't mean this is the only way to keep them. Just look at all the members who keep pygmys, the smallest chameleons available. As long as a substrate small enough to ingest, such as coco-fiber is used, there seem to be little to no problems. But again, we have no idea what is being used in this picture; the OP has yet to comment.
I for one think this enclosure is a reflection of a perfect environment for any tropical animal, including chameleons. Hell, I wish I could create naturalistic environments half as nice as this one. We just need to know the specifics before we make any conclusions on whether it will be suitable for this particular animal.
It looks like an Exo-Terra, which is perfectly suitable for chameleons. However, we do not know the exact size of the enclosure. From the picture provided it looks like MAYBE this animal might be cramped in there, but we still don't know the dimensions. I would request the OP provide us with the exact dimensions of the cage, and the length of the animal in question wouldn't hurt much either.
The plants are fine, I don't really have any problems with what you have in there. The only problem would be as said if the animal in question is so large he could possibly break them as he clambers around his enclosure.
As far as substrate goes, the picture is too small (at least on my computer) and too dark to indicate exactly what is there. If it is bark, I would suggest removing it. However, if substrate like coco-fiber is being used, the chameleon should have no problem passing it through. Yes, I know, chameleons mostly live and feed where substrate is not present. That does not mean anyone who uses substrate in their enclosures has their chameleon die from ingesting it. Don't get me wrong, I use screen cages on all of my animals with a bare bottom for safety and easier cleaning. But that doesn't mean this is the only way to keep them. Just look at all the members who keep pygmys, the smallest chameleons available. As long as a substrate small enough to ingest, such as coco-fiber is used, there seem to be little to no problems. But again, we have no idea what is being used in this picture; the OP has yet to comment.
I for one think this enclosure is a reflection of a perfect environment for any tropical animal, including chameleons. Hell, I wish I could create naturalistic environments half as nice as this one. We just need to know the specifics before we make any conclusions on whether it will be suitable for this particular animal.
Dave Joel
New Member
Ok, I will be removing substrate ASAP as this is bark. Big mistake I now see. As for the size of enclosure I have just moved him from a smaller enclosure. This new one is extra tall ExoTera 90 wide 45 deep 90 tall, the length of my panther just body is 6inches just, I have also connected 4x aquarium fans to pull air out of the enclosure every 3 hours for 15 mins to add extra air flow. So apart from the substrate I feel happy with how I am looking after my Cham.
I find this kind of amazing really, just how alike this terrarium setup is like my own! Left I have a Ficus, in the middle my umbrella and on the right my pothos 
The only difference is that I also have a bromelia in the front
My terrarium that looks so houses a mini-Eliotti (He's mini because he's about half the size he should be. Either his parents were brother and sister, hence why ever other young chameleon died, leaving him an only child, or he didn't get enough nutrition when he was very young).
Against what people here have been saying, I have substrate and a glass terrarium for humidity. The air here is really dry (my husband's hands are actually cracking and bleeding from the dryness) so I needed an optimal way of keeping things humid. The terrarium has side-bottom ventilation and a fully screened top for air circulation. Needless to say, Marimo is healthy, 1 year, 4 months old chameleon. I have also added some bugs for cleanup in his setup, which keeps the poop and dead leaves from piling up.
I suppose I could be considered lucky that things turned out as awesomely as they did. He hasn't ingested any substrate, but he hardly ever goes under halfway towards the bottom his terrarium and the substrate hasn't molded (Might be the type, I'm not sure what it is exactly, but it soaks in moisture like a sponge and it gets soft but stays clumped up in bigger pieces).
I just felt the need to testify that, if you are careful with your husbandry, and your location calls for a glass terrarium with substrate to keep humidity levels around/above 80%, it CAN work out
The only difference is that I also have a bromelia in the front My terrarium that looks so houses a mini-Eliotti (He's mini because he's about half the size he should be. Either his parents were brother and sister, hence why ever other young chameleon died, leaving him an only child, or he didn't get enough nutrition when he was very young).
Against what people here have been saying, I have substrate and a glass terrarium for humidity. The air here is really dry (my husband's hands are actually cracking and bleeding from the dryness) so I needed an optimal way of keeping things humid. The terrarium has side-bottom ventilation and a fully screened top for air circulation. Needless to say, Marimo is healthy, 1 year, 4 months old chameleon. I have also added some bugs for cleanup in his setup, which keeps the poop and dead leaves from piling up.
I suppose I could be considered lucky that things turned out as awesomely as they did. He hasn't ingested any substrate, but he hardly ever goes under halfway towards the bottom his terrarium and the substrate hasn't molded (Might be the type, I'm not sure what it is exactly, but it soaks in moisture like a sponge and it gets soft but stays clumped up in bigger pieces).
I just felt the need to testify that, if you are careful with your husbandry, and your location calls for a glass terrarium with substrate to keep humidity levels around/above 80%, it CAN work out
xcrystalx
New Member
hi there you dont want to keep your humidity high.you want peaks of high humidity..my enclosure rises to 85% once misted and i let it fall to 55%/50% before a re-mist obviously making sure its fully dry first
constant high humidity will stagnate the air allowing mold and bacterial growth.
constant high humidity will stagnate the air allowing mold and bacterial growth.
