Hiding and camouflaging large plant pots

[CasqueAbove]

Agreed with your point, but klyde insisting that the only part that matters is where they sit most of the time is wrong. There is no solid proof either way that the bottom doesn't matter or matters. We don't know how it affects their immune system, comfort, etc. May not at all, may more than we think. Also, as most of us with chameleon experience know, chameleons do regularly travel to the ground.

I would tend to agree here. A simple example is chams eating soil. Is this only in captivity ? Do chams have "natural remedies" they would know to go to the ground for? It would be nearly impossible to truly answer these, but as you mention we don't really know. Trips to the ground may be more common than we think. If it was a once in a while thing, like dogs eating grass, we may never see it in the wild. Though other animals have shown these behaviors.

 

[jamest0o0]

I would tend to agree here. A simple example is chams eating soil. Is this only in captivity ? Do chams have "natural remedies" they would know to go to the ground for? It would be nearly impossible to truly answer these, but as you mention we don't really know. Trips to the ground may be more common than we think. If it was a once in a while thing, like dogs eating grass, we may never see it in the wild. Though other animals have shown these behaviors.

Exactly my thoughts.

 

[BryanP]

Agreed with your point, but klyde insisting that the only part that matters is where they sit most of the time is wrong. There is no solid proof either way that the bottom doesn't matter or matters. We don't know how it affects their immune system, comfort, etc. May not at all, may more than we think. Also, as most of us with chameleon experience know, chameleons do regularly travel to the ground.

I am leaning towards making my next enclosure a full naturalistic/bioactive setup for this exact reason. I want it to look like I took a 4x4x2 slice out of the jungle and placed him into it.

I keep thinking about what I would see at a good Zoo display and want to shoot for that.

 

[jamest0o0]

I am leaning towards making my next enclosure a full naturalistic/bioactive setup for this exact reason. I want it to look like I took a 4x4x2 slice out of the jungle and placed him into it.

I keep thinking about what I would see at a good Zoo display and want to shoot for that.

Yup that's what got me into bio/natural enclosures. I went all out on my one, drilled holes into logs for bromeliads to anchor onto and everything. You won't regret it! Like a reef tank without water

 

[Klyde O'Scope]

Agreed with your point, but klyde insisting that the only part that matters is where they sit most of the time is wrong.

Way to mischaracterize something I... didn't actually say.

 

[Shanar808]

I think every keeper will have their own preferences on focal points, and it truly comes down to what the keeper can set up to provide the best care they possibly can for their chameleons. If bioactive is used I’m all for being as close to nature as possible, but if clean and sanitary is used I’m also supportive of the cleanliness and modern look as well. And regardless of whether the top of the enclosure or the bottom is lively and beautiful as long as it provides all the necessities for the chameleons and brings joy/content to the keepers. My dream would be to have an enclosure that has a flow of focal points from top to bottom and from every side.

 

[Klyde O'Scope]

I think every keeper will have their own preferences on focal points, and it truly comes down to what the keeper can set up to provide the best care they possibly can for their chameleons. If bioactive is used I’m all for being as close to nature as possible, but if clean and sanitary is used I’m also supportive of the cleanliness and modern look as well. And regardless of whether the top of the enclosure or the bottom is lively and beautiful as long as it provides all the necessities for the chameleons and brings joy/content to the keepers. My dream would be to have an enclosure that has a flow of focal points from top to bottom and from every side.

I don't disagree with that at all. A focal point—in the context in which I used it—is the point or points where the eye is drawn, which is usually—in the case of most chameleon enclosures—where the light is. It's also where the chameleon usually is, unless the animal is sick, looking to lay eggs, hunting, etc., OR one of the terrestrial species.

Ask yourself, when you see a picture of an enclosure that you know contains a chameleon, where does your search begin—at the dark bottom, or at the lighted top?

Also note that my very next phrase was, "Not necessarily true for all enclosures".

 

[CasqueAbove]

Way to mischaracterize something I... didn't actually say.

I understood what you meant. You were only referring to focal point and how it looked. You weren't referring to any health benefit or not.

 

[Beman]

I have avoided this convo but ALL aspects of the enclosure matter! Hands on experience with chameleons teaches you this and I am not talking about a few months. They change their areas of use as they age. The top, middle, and bottom. Because they utilize ALL space provided. So not setting up the bottom to be cham appropriate is a fail. Males specifically will do full territory laps in their enclosure. No matter the size of the enclosure once they hit about 6-8 months old and their hormones start kicking in.

We focus on the top but in fact you should focus on every aspect of their space. Ensuring it is not only safe for them but clean.

 

[BryanP]

A little off topic but there are a lot of bioactive people here...

For those that have gone bioactive... would this be an acceptable drainage layer? My enclosure is going to be a zen habitats style (I'm DIY'ing my own) 4x2x4 so the base will be 8sqft... that's over 50lbs of expanded clay balls if I go with 1.5" depth drainage layer. This filter pad is much MUCH lighter, 1.5" thick, and is is made for water to literally flow through it. I would go with the grey or blue (most and 2nd most dense).

 

[Sonny13]

A little off topic but there are a lot of bioactive people here...

For those that have gone bioactive... would this be an acceptable drainage layer? My enclosure is going to be a zen habitats style (I'm DIY'ing my own) 4x2x4 so the base will be 8sqft... that's over 50lbs of expanded clay balls if I go with 1.5" depth drainage layer. This filter pad is much MUCH lighter, 1.5" thick, and is is made for water to literally flow through it. I would go with the grey or blue (most and 2nd most dense).

I don´t know for sure, I´ve thin textile fibre. Normally these filter layers wont be exposed to dirt / soil and I got the feeling they will saturate quickly with soil, but I don´t know for sure, just a feeling. Maybe in combination with still a textile layer. Why do you wanna run it through a filter? You´re planning to reuse the water?

 

[BryanP]

I don´t know for sure, I´ve thin textile fibre. Normally these filter layers wont be exposed to dirt / soil and I got the feeling they will saturate quickly with soil, but I don´t know for sure, just a feeling. Maybe in combination with still a textile layer. Why do you wanna run it through a filter? You´re planning to reuse the water?

Not trying to filter it at all... this is just a lightweight alternative to the expanded clay balls everyone uses. It will still have a layer of screen between it and the soil layer so that they stay separate.

I got the idea from this product here...

https://www.thebiodude.com/collecti...s/supergrow-matala-lightweight-drainage-layer

 

[Sonny13]

Not trying to filter it at all... this is just a lightweight alternative to the expanded clay balls everyone uses. It will still have a layer of screen between it and the soil layer so that they stay separate.

I got the idea from this product here...

https://www.thebiodude.com/collecti...s/supergrow-matala-lightweight-drainage-layer

Sorry my bet, misinterpreted it. Thought you would lay it on top of the clay balls. Okay this makes sense and could definitely by a good alternative