Random questions about starting a setup

[alexrh]

Hi everyone!

I've worked in pet stores for a while now, and I have taken care of many chameleons in the store, but I have never owned one. Recently I've been wanting to try my hand at breeding, something which I've never intentionally done before. After TONS of research, and visiting many reptile shows, I've decided on the Ambilobe Panther Chameleon.

First off, I don't have my chams yet, but if all goes according to plan, I'll have them soon. My plan is to build my own mesh cage that measures 48" long, 36" wide, and 48" high with Pothos covered lattice down the middle, creating a visual barrier. The base will be about 15" high, and will be filled with a layer of Hydroballs on the bottom for drainage, a layer of mesh, and a bunch of dirt. Is 24"X36"X48" enough space per chameleon?

I'm also going to do live plants, with a layer of moss over the dirt to prevent them from eating the dirt and keep the female from laying eggs somewhere without me knowing. What are some of your favorite chameleon safe plants?

I was also thinking about adding some creepy crawlies to the dirt to serve as a way of turning the waste into food for the plants. Is this doable, and if so, does anyone know of a good bug to do this with? I was thinking maybe earthworms.

I think that's all the questions I have for now. And if anyone has any other suggestions, or I am doing something wrong let me know! I need all the help I can get! Thanks everyone!

 

[xephyr17]

That size enclosure is great for a cham. The normal recommended size is 24x24x48 minimally, and the bigger the better

The hydroballs and dirt is a bad idea unless you can cover it up so your chameleon does not accidentally eat it. They can get impacted and that's a tough one to fix. The best is to have nothing down there, except a hole for drainage into a bucket. All of your plants should have the pots covered so they can't get dirt out of there either. Moss presents the same problem. Just watch your female so you know when she's getting ready to lay and then use a Tupperware with dirt, etc. for her to lay. It's not hard to notice when they're gonna have babies.

Earthworms work. That's what I use. I have everything covered with mesh and big river rocks.

 

[Olimpia]

I'm not against soil in cages so I say that sounds fine, but I'm the minority opinion lol Unless you cover the soil with that really pretty terrarium moss that grows in clumps I would just leave the soil bare, something like sphagnum moss will be a nightmare to maintain, since bugs will dig into it and that's much more likely to get snatched up by tongues trying to catch crickets. Organic soil (no perlite, fertilizers, or pesticides) will be less messy, so long as it drains properly.

I mist so much that my soil would be mud in no time but if you're more moderate you should be able to pull it off.

Schefflera (umbrella plant), ficus, pothos, hibiscus are all great.

 

[Djturna4thakidz]

I'm not against soil in cages so I say that sounds fine, but I'm the minority opinion lol Unless you cover the soil with that really pretty terrarium moss that grows in clumps I would just leave the soil bare, something like sphagnum moss will be a nightmare to maintain, since bugs will dig into it and that's much more likely to get snatched up by tongues trying to catch crickets. Organic soil (no perlite, fertilizers, or pesticides) will be less messy, so long as it drains properly.

I mist so much that my soil would be mud in no time but if you're more moderate you should be able to pull it off.

Schefflera (umbrella plant), ficus, pothos, hibiscus are all great.

I do not think dirt or moss is a good idea. I have had two chameleons die from impaction, one from moss, one from dirt. Just don't use it and save yourself the headache, in my opinion.

 

[xephyr17]

I'm not against soil in cages so I say that sounds fine, but I'm the minority opinion lol Unless you cover the soil with that really pretty terrarium moss that grows in clumps I would just leave the soil bare, something like sphagnum moss will be a nightmare to maintain, since bugs will dig into it and that's much more likely to get snatched up by tongues trying to catch crickets. Organic soil (no perlite, fertilizers, or pesticides) will be less messy, so long as it drains properly.

I mist so much that my soil would be mud in no time but if you're more moderate you should be able to pull it off.

Schefflera (umbrella plant), ficus, pothos, hibiscus are all great.

I'd say avoid it even still, but it is also a fact that if you have the correct humidity, lighting, heat, supplements, etc. (And I mean 95% PERFECT or better) then your cham can fight off impaction from dirt, etc. and will have no problem. But that's hard to do.

Save yourself the time in the long run and spend the time now to make it so it's impossible for him to get impacted.

 

[Olimpia]

That's fine, I know I'm in the minority of people that are not anti-substrate in cages lol But I've worked with vets and exotic animals a long time and all the impaction cases I've ever seen are in already-sick animals, usually with MBD, or with a bad object like a rock or shard of bark. And it's not like I'm naive, some of you will know that my youngest dog has had 2 surgeries and a third hospitalization for intestinal blockages, but they were all really difficult things to pass, like bras or tube socks. So I'm familiar with intestinal impaction and careful (so I don't keep pebbles in my cages or whatnot) but something loose and particulate like soil doesn't worry me. So I've never covered up any plants and I leave my laying bins full of soil in the cages all the time. And my geckos live in fully-planted terrariums.

That's just me! A little particulate potting soil is not something I lose sleep over. I understand that others like being super careful, though.

 

[fuzzhc]

I'm all for a bio active substrate if the animal has the correct husbandry and is well hydrated. My first vieled was kept this way until I went for a screen cage. Good bugs ( that I use in my savs viv) are springtails which are a must, various beetles, mario worms, meal worms, crickets, lob worms and various organisms that came from the dirt outside and rotting wood. With these the viv is always smelling like a forest and in all honesty I havent seen any feces at all in over a year now. For ground cover maybe something like grass or a cover moss can be used? Someone else might chime in on wether the grass or moss would be a bad ground cover? I've only used bare soil and live plants without any cover.