New Enclosure Critique?

[DartFrogKeeper]

I just set up a 24" x 48" screen cage. It has plastic fencing on the sides to help with climbing. It has an umbrella plant, 2 large exo terra vines and some sticks. I think I need more horizontal branches and was thinking of getting them from the woods if that's okay. Lighting is a T5 zoo med tube. And another uvb bulh and heat bulb that came with the zoomed double dome fixture. I also have some 60 watt white bulbs if I need to switch the heat bulb out (i read that the included one may not be good?) Temp is 86 in the basking spot. I dont have an automatic mister but I do have several mist bottles since I have several dart frog tanks as well as giant day geckos, leopard gecko and a red eye tree frog. Not the greatest pic but it will give you an idea. I am wanting to get a baby veiled chameleon. Also, I made a feeder out of a water jug. I keep crickets and various worms for my other critters. As well as hydei fruit flies. I thought maybe a small chameleon could est hydei for a while. Kinda nervous about getting a chameleon but excited too.

 

[nightanole]

I see we have the same taste in poultry netting.

That shefellara isnt going to make it. You get a gold start if you can keep it alive. Id get some pothos in there too. Other than that i would add more sticks in different directions, and thicknesses, and have the stick under the basking light angled so they can tune as needed.

 

[Thehippie]

i would add some more horizontal vines or sticks

 

[DartFrogKeeper]

I see we have the same taste in poultry netting.

That shefellara isnt going to make it. You get a gold start if you can keep it alive. Id get some pothos in there too. Other than that i would add more sticks in different directions, and thicknesses, and have the stick under the basking light angled so they can tune as needed.

Would adding an LED 6500K light help with the Shefellera? Also, it's next to a window for added sunlight, maybe that will help some? I want to add more plants for sure, especially pothos. Pothos seem to thrive just about anywhere.

I think I'm going to double up both my jungle vines and fasten them horizontally at two different heights. And I'll adjust basking brach at an angle like you said. And I gotta get some branches from the woods as soon as it stops raining here.

 

[SmithSe]

@DartFrogKeeper Adding a 6.5K daylight or plant grow bulb will absolutely help! I have the dual UVB/6.5K daylight bulb fixtures from LightYourReptiles for my chameleons and my schefflera are thriving. I actually have to trim them on a weekly basis because their growth is getting out of hand.

The other suggestion I'd make for keeping schefflera alive is purchasing something to divert water from misters/drippers away from the plant. Root rot from overwatering is one of the largest killers of these plants, and I've lost dozens over the years until I decided enough was enough. I purchased these: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B075X9KC38/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 UVB-resistant, animal friendly tree mats off Amazon and wrapped them around the base of my plants and they've done wonders. They redirect most of the water off the base of the plant while not inhibiting the beneficial bacteria in the soil!

 

[DartFrogKeeper]

I wondered about that. I've had the schefflera in my living room since Dec and have watered it kind of sparingly and it's done okay so far but it looks like I don't want to divert the water from the dripper into the base of the plant after all. For lights, I have several of the Beamswork LED fixtures that I got from amazon for my frog tanks. They're cheap and work pretty good. I will order another of those I think.

 

[JacksJill]

If you repot the schefflera in a taller pot put an inch of gravel in the bottom to give it drainage. If you hang a small pothos you will get more coverage and vines that will wrap around branches. I use natural branches in my viva oak are my favorite as they seem to last the longest.
I'm not knocking veiled but as a dart frog guy/gal/etc I would think you would be more into panthers.

 

[jamest0o0]

If you repot the schefflera in a taller pot put an inch of gravel in the bottom to give it drainage. If you hang a small pothos you will get more coverage and vines that will wrap around branches. I use natural branches in my viva oak are my favorite as they seem to last the longest.
I'm not knocking veiled but as a dart frog guy/gal/etc I would think you would be more into panthers.

Veiled keeper's tend to be more into toads

 

[JacksJill]

You know what I meant about the colors.

 

[DartFrogKeeper]

If you repot the schefflera in a taller pot put an inch of gravel in the bottom to give it drainage. If you hang a small pothos you will get more coverage and vines that will wrap around branches. I use natural branches in my viva oak are my favorite as they seem to last the longest.
I'm not knocking veiled but as a dart frog guy/gal/etc I would think you would be more into panthers.

Haha, I think you're exactly right. I'm just a bit nervous about getting a chameleon so I was thinking along the lines of... maybe a veiled is a tiny bit hardier. The colors of panthers are really enticing though.

Oh, great idea on replanting the schefflera. That's basically what we always do with vivariums, having a drainage layer. Makes total sense. And am definitely going to add pothos.