Montane Pygmy Enclosure *Feedback Wanted*

[nicholas]

So I am getting a pair of R. Acuminatus on Thursday and have been working on their new home! I would love some constructive feedback if possible! Its a 56 gallon aquarium that is in the pics below. Would also love to know what you all think about having that pitcher plant in there as well. I went to a local Bog to grab the moss as well as the pitcher plant, so it will be as natural as possible, I still may add a few more plants into the mix, maybe a vine! Let me know what you think! Thanks!

 

[JaxyGirl]

I think it's looking good. I don't know anything about pitcher plants except that they are pretty. As for vines and such...I would add a few more so that the pygs have some foliage to hide in.

 

[Lizardlover]

I would not use pitchers in there. Not to mention they need copious amounts of sunlight. What size tank is that and how many chameleons are going in there? I would definetly take out the pitchers, and add a lot more sticks etc. Pothos, schefflera, ferns, and the like are all good for vivariums.

 

[VeiledOwner87]

this is the tank for my brev. you can get an idea on it if you want to use live plants which is always reccommended. lizardlover said to add more sticks, and i 100% agree with that. also too, you will want to add more foliage to help sustain humidity, these pygmies are montane species (obviously stated in the name) and will need a higher amount of humidity than brevs.

i dont have many climbing branches because i only have one, and she is pretty much steady in one area of the tank. she will climb on the screen and on her plant stems, but not to often is she active. but that isnt something you should gamble on. hope my tank helps with ideas

 

[nicholas]

I would not use pitchers in there. Not to mention they need copious amounts of sunlight. What size tank is that and how many chameleons are going in there? I would definetly take out the pitchers, and add a lot more sticks etc. Pothos, schefflera, ferns, and the like are all good for vivariums.

I pulled the pitcher plant from a very shaded bog so Im not to worried about the light issues regarding them, just wondering what other issues I may have with them. Its a 56 gallon and there will be 1.1 in there and I may add another female if I can find them available again, so it would be in the long run 1.2. I am not the biggest fan of pothos at all, But i do really want to add some ferns to top off the look of it as well as some more sticks.

And as for them being Montane, thats perfect because I really only deal with montane chams, No issues there! Thanks for the input guys! Keep it coming! Thank You!

 

[Lizardlover]

Your right, I was thinking about VFT...wrong carnivorous plant LOL. Anyways, I know that bouganvilia works really well too and looks really neat in vivs. I dont see anything wrong with pitchers I just wouldnt really recommend them. In some of my vivariums I only use ferns..they look really nice and provide good coverage, one thing to keep in mind is that they dont provide good climbing spots so you should make sure to have lots of sticks for them.

 

[VeiledOwner87]

what other chams do you have? i dont think uve ever shared

 

[nicholas]

what other chams do you have? i dont think uve ever shared

I've got melleri, montium, quads, merus, rudis, deremensis, Elliot's, hoenelli, and soon to be acuminatus. Just a few.... I have a warehouse. Oh any Johnston's and werners sorry for spelling I hate typing on my phone.

 

[joshuai]

Looks good! I would densify the foliage! I am waiting on my backgrounds to cure! I am going to be using a 40 gallon tall bowfront for my pair! 2 more days! I am pushing the setup but ill have it complete with spring tails and isopods, its going to be great! I cant wait to compare notes!

 

[nicholas]

Looks good! I would densify the foliage! I am waiting on my backgrounds to cure! I am going to be using a 40 gallon tall bowfront for my pair! 2 more days! I am pushing the setup but ill have it complete with spring tails and isopods, its going to be great! I cant wait to compare notes!

And if you would like we could deff trade offspring to start breeding projects!

 

[STRYDER]

Looks good, but heard that glass cages reduce ventilation heavily and can get alot hotter inside than screen.

personally I think screen cages are the best to house chams.

 

[AlexG]

This cage is a typical "stumptail-cage" and might work for "typical" stumptail-chameleons (although I would also provide more space and ventilation for them), but not for Rh. acuminatus, which is well known for beeing an arboreal species that lives in high bushes and even in trees, not on the ground!

 

[joshuai]

And if you would like we could deff trade offspring to start breeding projects!

I would sure be interested in swapping offspring! No problem! I am fortunate to find someone getting the same sp. I got the confirmation email, they will be here tomorrow!

 

[eisentrauti]

This cage is a typical "stumptail-cage" and might work for "typical" stumptail-chameleons (although I would also provide more space and ventilation for them), but not for Rh. acuminatus, which is well known for beeing an arboreal species that lives in high bushes and even in trees, not on the ground!

Exactly. And to be honest I can't imagine that this enclosure has 56 gallons ! Rh.acuminatus is a more or less aggressive stumptailed species which needs much more places to hide, more plants, thicker branches, in general more branches etc. This enclosure won't work long for them

 

[nicholas]

The enclosure is bigger than it looks... the pitcher plant makes it look tiny... that pitcher plant is almost 2 feet in diameter! And the aqaurium is all most 3 feet tall
I am adding some ventalation to it today by way of PC fan aswell

 

[eisentrauti]

That's better than nothing but still not ideal. How do you keep your other montane species ? I can imagine that a screen enclosure could be better than this glass tank.
Please follow the tip and put in much more branches and plants. That's really important for them.

 

[nicholas]

Oh I am deft adding alot more plants I ordered a ton of ferns as well as some bromiliads, and a couple small bushes. If you search for acuminatus in the forums there is a thread called my acuminatus setups and his are much smaller than mine in size wise and it seems he is very successful with his and the enclosures are glass as well.

 

[nicholas]

All of my other montanes are kept in screen enclosures. But there's always more than one way to do things.

 

[eisentrauti]

Oh I am deft adding alot more plants I ordered a ton of ferns as well as some bromiliads, and a couple small bushes. If you search for acuminatus in the forums there is a thread called my acuminatus setups and his are much smaller than mine in size wise and it seems he is very successful with his and the enclosures are glass as well.

Sounds good. I know the thread you are talking about, but here are some thoughts about it:
- those animals are kept seperated. Seperated specimen could be housed in many cases in relative small enclosures, pairs or groups need much more space
- I don't know if he is successful, but as far as I know, this guy keeps them not longer than some months. So maybe it's a bit too early to describe this as "successful". AlexG is an example for a successful keeper and breeder of this species, he published a good article about Rh.acuminatus here in Germany
- If you have enough humidity to keep your other montane species in screen cages, I don't know the reason why not to do it with Rhampholeon acuminatus. They are typical shrub inhabiters like many of the other species you keep.

 

[nicholas]

I suppose you do have a good point! Maybe I will switch it up. Thanks for the advise!