Question about plants
- Thread starter OreoPapii
- Start date
ERKleRose
Chameleon Enthusiast
Where do you live? In certain areas, chams can be kept outside right now or year round! That saves the UVB and heat bulbs and fixtures! A nice big shefflera arboricola that takes up most of the cage and a nice pothos or two hanging near the top of the cage with their vines trailing down is great! Then you're only having to buy 2-3 plants! Add some oak (and other species of safe trees near you, like a crepe myrtle) branches throughout the cage, and voila, super nice cage!
jamest0o0
Chameleon Enthusiast
Says Virginia
ERKleRose
Chameleon Enthusiast
Here's the husbandry form if you want to fill it out! That way we can make sure everything else is at 100% and help you be the best keeper to your little guy (who is absolutely STUNNING, by the way!
) Make sure to use as much detail as possible:
Here is some recommended information to include when asking for help in the health clinic forum. By providing this information you will receive more accurate and beneficial responses. It might not be necessary to answer all these questions, but the more you provide the better. Please remember that even the most knowledgeable person can only guess at what your problem may be. Only an experienced reptile veterinarian who can directly examine your animal can give a true diagnosis of your chameleon's health.
Chameleon Info:
Cage Info:
Current Problem - The current problem you are concerned about.
--------------
Please Note:
) Make sure to use as much detail as possible:Here is some recommended information to include when asking for help in the health clinic forum. By providing this information you will receive more accurate and beneficial responses. It might not be necessary to answer all these questions, but the more you provide the better. Please remember that even the most knowledgeable person can only guess at what your problem may be. Only an experienced reptile veterinarian who can directly examine your animal can give a true diagnosis of your chameleon's health.
Chameleon Info:
- Your Chameleon - The species, sex, and age of your chameleon. How long has it been in your care?
- Handling - How often do you handle your chameleon?
- Feeding - What are you feeding your cham? What amount? What is the schedule? How are you gut-loading your feeders?
- Supplements - What brand and type of calcium and vitamin products are you dusting your feeders with and what is the schedule?
- Watering - What kind of watering technique do you use? How often and how long to you mist? Do you see your chameleon drinking?
- Fecal Description - Briefly note colors and consistency from recent droppings. Has this chameleon ever been tested for parasites?
- History - Any previous information about your cham that might be useful to others when trying to help you.
Cage Info:
- Cage Type - Describe your cage (Glass, Screen, Combo?) What are the dimensions?
- Lighting - What brand, model, and types of lighting are you using? What is your daily lighting schedule?
- Temperature - What temp range have you created (cage floor to basking spot)? Lowest overnight temp? How do you measure these temps?
- Humidity - What are your humidity levels? How are you creating and maintaining these levels? What do you use to measure humidity?
- Plants - Are you using live plants? If so, what kind?
- Placement - Where is your cage located? Is it near any fans, air vents, or high traffic areas? At what height is the top of the cage relative to your room floor?
- Location - Where are you geographically located?
Current Problem - The current problem you are concerned about.
--------------
Please Note:
- The more details you provide the better and more accurate help you will receive.
- Photos can be very helpful.
ERKleRose
Chameleon Enthusiast
Thanks! @OreoPapii what area of Virginia do you live in?
Thatcher
Chameleon Enthusiast
I live in Virginia too
OreoPapii
Member
Would I have to attach the sticks to things? I bought some more bird perches so he can climb but I would like some sticks I just don’t know how to go about all that
ElliotG
Chameleon Enthusiast
Let me get a few pics of how mine are set up for you!
OreoPapii
Member
I live in Newport News
OreoPapii
Member
I have filled one of these out before but it’s been a while so I might fill it out later tonight or tomorrow if I rememberHere's the husbandry form if you want to fill it out! That way we can make sure everything else is at 100% and help you be the best keeper to your little guy (who is absolutely STUNNING, by the way!
Here is some recommended information to include when asking for help in the health clinic forum. By providing this information you will receive more accurate and beneficial responses. It might not be necessary to answer all these questions, but the more you provide the better. Please remember that even the most knowledgeable person can only guess at what your problem may be. Only an experienced reptile veterinarian who can directly examine your animal can give a true diagnosis of your chameleon's health.
Chameleon Info:
- Your Chameleon - The species, sex, and age of your chameleon. How long has it been in your care?
- Handling - How often do you handle your chameleon?
- Feeding - What are you feeding your cham? What amount? What is the schedule? How are you gut-loading your feeders?
- Supplements - What brand and type of calcium and vitamin products are you dusting your feeders with and what is the schedule?
- Watering - What kind of watering technique do you use? How often and how long to you mist? Do you see your chameleon drinking?
- Fecal Description - Briefly note colors and consistency from recent droppings. Has this chameleon ever been tested for parasites?
- History - Any previous information about your cham that might be useful to others when trying to help you.
Cage Info:
- Cage Type - Describe your cage (Glass, Screen, Combo?) What are the dimensions?
- Lighting - What brand, model, and types of lighting are you using? What is your daily lighting schedule?
- Temperature - What temp range have you created (cage floor to basking spot)? Lowest overnight temp? How do you measure these temps?
- Humidity - What are your humidity levels? How are you creating and maintaining these levels? What do you use to measure humidity?
- Plants - Are you using live plants? If so, what kind?
- Placement - Where is your cage located? Is it near any fans, air vents, or high traffic areas? At what height is the top of the cage relative to your room floor?
- Location - Where are you geographically located?
Current Problem - The current problem you are concerned about.
--------------
Please Note:
- The more details you provide the better and more accurate help you will receive.
- Photos can be very helpful.
ERKleRose
Chameleon Enthusiast
Depends, you can wedge them in or build a frame or attach braces to the cage to tie them in. This link will be very helpful for branches:
https://chameleonacademy.com/choosing-and-arranging-branches/
What’s the highs and lows of the next couple of days/weeks where you are, along with the UV Index?
ElliotG
Chameleon Enthusiast
Get ready for a bunch of pics… Here’s How I have my cages branches set up and the plants.
My adult male veileds cage.
My juvie\baby veiled. His plants have some growing to do along with him.
My carpet Chams cage.
If you can see what I do I tie the sticks to the screen with bread/garbage ties. Make sure you tie them well and put a bit of weight on them to test them! Make sure they’re stable and ready for your Chams. I’ll also plant them in the pots of the plants. Make sure they’re also steady but this is great if you want vertical sticks. My Chams bed time was 10 minutes away when I took these pics so you might not see some of them since they were getting ready for bed (the carpet cham likes sleeping on the top of his stick.) but they can definitely stand on these and use them. Just make sure they’re stable and safe.
And here’s a pic of my sleepy boy drifting into sleep in his favorite plant. Getting tons of coverage can really help especially if they’re anxious. Zeppelin was an anxious cham all the time but I redid his cage. He’s been getting more and more comfortable/confident with me. It can really help their moods/ feelings of safety I feel.
Anyways sorry for the long post! Thought this would help since I was in the exact same situation as you. Seeing what others do can really help!
My adult male veileds cage.
My juvie\baby veiled. His plants have some growing to do along with him.
My carpet Chams cage.
If you can see what I do I tie the sticks to the screen with bread/garbage ties. Make sure you tie them well and put a bit of weight on them to test them! Make sure they’re stable and ready for your Chams. I’ll also plant them in the pots of the plants. Make sure they’re also steady but this is great if you want vertical sticks. My Chams bed time was 10 minutes away when I took these pics so you might not see some of them since they were getting ready for bed (the carpet cham likes sleeping on the top of his stick.) but they can definitely stand on these and use them. Just make sure they’re stable and safe.
And here’s a pic of my sleepy boy drifting into sleep in his favorite plant. Getting tons of coverage can really help especially if they’re anxious. Zeppelin was an anxious cham all the time but I redid his cage. He’s been getting more and more comfortable/confident with me. It can really help their moods/ feelings of safety I feel.
Anyways sorry for the long post! Thought this would help since I was in the exact same situation as you. Seeing what others do can really help!
Teddy the Jackson’s
Member
That’s 100% safe and to my understanding has been a staple plant in the chameleon community for a long time. Great choice!
OreoPapii
Member
Your cages look really really nice! I wish I could make my cage look cooler lol hopefully over time my cage will cool
OreoPapii
Member
One more question for anyone to answer what do I do about crickets getting into the dirt I put rocks over the soil so hopefully they won’t get into it I can send pictures if anyone would like to see because I just repotted another plant I have. So will they lay eggs in the soil? I see them always trying to shove their little egg tail thing into the floor of my chams cage. So what do I do about that? I don’t want little baby crickets all over my room
Flick boy
Chameleon Enthusiast
Hi @OreoPapii your post about lights and your mum wasn't on the thread when I first viewed must have been added while I was typing my post 
.sorry your mum lost her job hopefully things will look up
.sorry your mum lost her job hopefully things will look up
Klyde O'Scope
Chameleon Enthusiast
As far as I can tell, Brassaia arboricola is a cultivar of Schefflera arboricola—not a different species.
I think it would behoove the chameleon community to know specifically who is saying that Schefflera arboricola is toxic and why. (Specific citations/links only) Merely repeating hearsay is counterproductive.
Schefflera arboricola is on several chameleon-safe lists, and labeled as, "Veiled Tested" on Chameleon Academy.
OreoPapii, you can always look up a plant like this—or any other questions—in the archives; just be aware of dates in the event of old or conflicting information. Whenever in doubt, stick to the known safe lists:
I've never heard this, and if so, why would it be recommended on so many lists, including all 4 of the above?
Schefflera arboricola was the first plant I bought & installed in my enclosure 8 months ago, and it has not only survived—it's thriving in that environment!
IMO, a proper linear T5 HO UVB should take precedence over plants. (Plants can often be gotten from relatives, neighbors, friends of relatives & neighbors...)
There is no issue with his enclosure being wet at lights-out; in fact, many people mist specifically at that time. Like other species, chameleons like lots of humidity at night.
https://chameleonacademy.com/veiled-chameleon-care/
Just my theory, but I believe some chameleons may see a camera lens as the eye of a predator. Some phones have multiple lenses, which they may see as multiple eyes.
The workaround is desensitizing them to the presence of the camera (/phone) by having it visible (not necessarily in use) when you're working in/near the enclosure.
There are many ways of attaching things to/inside an enclosure. Here are a few less expensive methods:
- https://www.chameleonforums.com/threads/uvb-light-fixture.179591/#post-1622228
- https://www.chameleonforums.com/threads/little-positive-things.180671/#post-1637063
- https://www.chameleonforums.com/thr...ew-2x2x4-enclosure.183309/page-2#post-1676009
- ceiling egg crate lattice
- square tomato cages
- goat fencing
