Remodel!

dominitri · 2024-11-23T19:40:14-0600

Just posting because I'm excited, I just remodeled jalapenos terrarium! It's so much taller and nicer than his old one, and he's barely been in there for five minutes but he looks pretty relaxed already

I need to buy more vines for him to climb, but other than that I think it's great! The wire thing in the side is just his thermometer/ humidity thing, I had to put it up with zip ties because I can't really use a suction cup on the mesh

Raymond1412 · 2024-11-23T20:01:01-0600

I really like that you got a taller enclosure, your chameleon is going to love that!! A few recommendations:
- If you want to keep the dirt substrate, make sure that it doesn't get super wet. I would just take out the dirt and have the tray, but you only need to take out the dirt if it gets too wet because it can grow bacteria.
- I would put some more plants for coverage, maybe a monstera on the bottom and a pothos somewhere on top, but any chameleon-safe plants will do. (real plants are always better)
I know everyone starts somewhere with their husbandry and enclosure setup, and that's okay! I think it looks great so far, and I can't wait to see how it looks in the future!!

Sending love from Daffodil to Jalapeno

MissSkittles · 2024-11-23T22:33:03-0600

Hi. Just want to toss a few ideas your way. To attach branches, vines and even plants, there are options. Dragon Ledges are incredible! https://dragonstrand.com/dragon-ledges/ I have been using garden trellis, wired to the frame. To prevent the trellis from sliding down, I added a couple of tiny screws to the frame to attach the wire to. Pics below. However you do it, you may need to disassemble the enclosure to add these types of supports and you want the frame of the enclosure to bear the weight and no weight at all on the screen.
The other is if you have soil substrate, you need to either remove it and keep the bottom bare or set up a true bioactive system. https://www.chameleonforums.com/blogs/intro-to-bio-activity.2429/ It’s really not too difficult. I use root pouches to contain my substrate and sit it on a substrate tray to contain any excess drainage. This size works well for a 2x2x4’ enclosure. https://www.homedepot.com/p/Root-Po...ge_rr-_-n/a-_-0-_-n/a-_-n/a-_-n/a-_-n/a-_-n/a I fold the excess height down, lay my clay balls or lava rock, a landscape fabric barrier and then add my substrate (& mix it all up well), plants, leaf litter, cork bark for the clean up crew and then isopods and springtails. Last to go in is the chameleon.

To just put soil with no drainage or anything else, it will become a nasty stagnant mud in a short amount of time.
If there’s anything that any of us can help with, just ask. So many of us have made or witnessed so very many mistakes and we do our best to help others not make the same ones.

One last thing and that is I never told you how much I love your little cutie’s name. It’s just perfect!