Hibiscus dropped leaves
- Thread starter tryme
- Start date
dodolah
Retired Moderator
anybody tried japanese maple?
They are gorgeous and supposedly safe.
I am thinking of giving it a try for my panther baby.
For some reason, hibiscus thrive in my cham's cage.
Pothos on the other hand always die under my care
People often say "whaaaaatttt?"
I have killed 3 pothos in the cage. and I have 8 hibiscus that are getting too big for the baby cage now.
I do rotate them once in a while.
But, so far, I only rotate one of them once. I have used the new one for 3 months and still flowering.
Other hibiscus that i have (since my first chameleon) are still alive and one of them almost died but I save it and now grows too big for the 4 feet cage.
Hibiscus loooooove bright light.
Here are few tips that i used for mine:
1. Use organic soil
2. Open the window curtain and let the sunlight bask the cage allowing ample UVA to hit the plants (if you open the window, it will allow UVB to get in for your chameleon as well -do open the window when the temp allow).
3. During winter, I do sometimes use extra UVA lamp (20 watt or so to shine directly to the hibiscus).
4. Some members do use plant grow light (i never use them so idk what brand to recommend, sorry).
5. Raise the hibiscus pot so it never touches the floor allowing the excess water to trickle down).
6. Hibiscus like the damp soil. Ficus loves dry soil in between watering. Hibiscus love constant damp soil (not wet) which is not difficult to maintain in chameleon enclosure.
7. When you see the leaves starting to drop or turn to yellow, check your watering. Is it too much or not enough.
At one time, you might need to take it out of the cage to salvage it. Don't let the plants to almost dying condition be4 removing them.
They are gorgeous and supposedly safe.
I am thinking of giving it a try for my panther baby.
For some reason, hibiscus thrive in my cham's cage.
Pothos on the other hand always die under my care
People often say "whaaaaatttt?"
I have killed 3 pothos in the cage. and I have 8 hibiscus that are getting too big for the baby cage now.
I do rotate them once in a while.
But, so far, I only rotate one of them once. I have used the new one for 3 months and still flowering.
Other hibiscus that i have (since my first chameleon) are still alive and one of them almost died but I save it and now grows too big for the 4 feet cage.
Hibiscus loooooove bright light.
Here are few tips that i used for mine:
1. Use organic soil
2. Open the window curtain and let the sunlight bask the cage allowing ample UVA to hit the plants (if you open the window, it will allow UVB to get in for your chameleon as well -do open the window when the temp allow).
3. During winter, I do sometimes use extra UVA lamp (20 watt or so to shine directly to the hibiscus).
4. Some members do use plant grow light (i never use them so idk what brand to recommend, sorry).
5. Raise the hibiscus pot so it never touches the floor allowing the excess water to trickle down).
6. Hibiscus like the damp soil. Ficus loves dry soil in between watering. Hibiscus love constant damp soil (not wet) which is not difficult to maintain in chameleon enclosure.
7. When you see the leaves starting to drop or turn to yellow, check your watering. Is it too much or not enough.
At one time, you might need to take it out of the cage to salvage it. Don't let the plants to almost dying condition be4 removing them.
Last edited:
The problem is not enough light. People do not realize that even deep shade in the forest chameleons receive a lot more light then we provide. The damage we do with strong lighting is you need to diffuse it, otherwise it can cause stress. Metallic egg crate works well for this purpose and still lets in UV rays. Most fluorescent bulbs do not need to be diffused unless perhaps you are using a lot HO T8's or T-5's (HO or normal) in a small area. Diffusing the light (and providing a source for the heat to escape) is a MUST for high discharge (HD) lighting like mercury vapor bulbs.
You need strong full spectrum lighting (6500 k), at least 1,000 lumens (same as candle foots) reaching the plants. Depending on your tank set-up, height, etc you might need to put at least 4,000-5,000 lumens because most of it will escape through the sides or reflect and escape back through the top. You can supplement this with UV for the chameleons. I suggest T-8 (best for the money) or T-5 bulbs (still expensive for housing, hard to find bulbs) for energy and light output. These are also available in HO bulbs, which are even more efficient. It is important to have the light close to the cage so you do not light before it reaches the enclosure.
Metal halide lights work well, but are costly (both bulbs and housings) and produce a lot of heat. Many of them do produce good amounts of UV and light very close to that like the sun. I am not too familiar with the popular self ballasted mercury vapors bulbs, but they seem that they would work well as long as the heat escapes readily (unless the animals are lowland and need the heat).
Pretty much it comes down to understanding the climate of your chameleon and the plants you use. Lighting is very important for both of these. You can order light meters for about $15-$50.00 online and work wonderfully.
You need strong full spectrum lighting (6500 k), at least 1,000 lumens (same as candle foots) reaching the plants. Depending on your tank set-up, height, etc you might need to put at least 4,000-5,000 lumens because most of it will escape through the sides or reflect and escape back through the top. You can supplement this with UV for the chameleons. I suggest T-8 (best for the money) or T-5 bulbs (still expensive for housing, hard to find bulbs) for energy and light output. These are also available in HO bulbs, which are even more efficient. It is important to have the light close to the cage so you do not light before it reaches the enclosure.
Metal halide lights work well, but are costly (both bulbs and housings) and produce a lot of heat. Many of them do produce good amounts of UV and light very close to that like the sun. I am not too familiar with the popular self ballasted mercury vapors bulbs, but they seem that they would work well as long as the heat escapes readily (unless the animals are lowland and need the heat).
Pretty much it comes down to understanding the climate of your chameleon and the plants you use. Lighting is very important for both of these. You can order light meters for about $15-$50.00 online and work wonderfully.
Well, if you had enough of them they would work. I would use your 10.0's along with a few T-8 6500k bulbs. It gives a much better light for chameleons (along with the 10.0) and plants. You can get 6500k fluorescents for about $6.00 for a set of two at Home Depot or Lowe’s.
You’ll need a T-8 housing, Wal-Mart sells T-8 shop lights for about $15.00, Home depot has them for $25.00-$30.00. You could use regular T-12 fluorescent lights, but they don’t put out as much light per a bulb and use more electricity.
You’ll need a T-8 housing, Wal-Mart sells T-8 shop lights for about $15.00, Home depot has them for $25.00-$30.00. You could use regular T-12 fluorescent lights, but they don’t put out as much light per a bulb and use more electricity.
I guess you don't ahve Wal-mart, Home Depot, and Lowe's, but I am sure you can find what you need.
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