Setting up Leonardo's enclosure.

[extrajordinary]

5. I bought a plant stand to elevate the ficus. It looks really nice in the cage and I currently have things set up so Leo can easily climb up into the ficus (there's a fake plant that I zip tied to the side of the cage and it hangs all the way down to the floor) but I'm wondering if the plant stand is okay to have in his cage. I can't imagine he'd be able to hurt himself and it's sturdy enough that he won't be able to knock it over. I think he'd actually be able to climb the stand itself (it's metal). Any opinions on using a plant stand? I can post a photo later.

 

[Arconna]

I definitely recommend sticks which you can find anywhere. But give them a good wash first in case of pesticides etc. Forked branches are great but just have to cut whatever you have down to size and make sure they're not too thick. Cheap artificial vines you can find on amazon cost about 2 quid (can get up to 3 that are about a meter long for the price) and come from china or as far and take about 6 weeks to come sometimes but it's a nice little surprise because you'll probably forget you ordered them. Plant stand should be fine to get the ficus a little higher. What have you planned about hydration etc?

 

[Arconna]

What sort of cham is it you're getting? One thing we made for our Panther cham was a ladder.
Basically take 2 tubes from wrapping paper or clingfilm/tinfoil depending how high you want it.
Get some kebab/cocktail sticks
Poke sticks in between the 2 tubes with enough of them bottom to top to make the ladder with however big gaps you want between the rungs.
Cheap and cheerful

 

[ERKleRose]

People bake, boil, bleach wash, or just use soap and water. All a personal preference. I personally use one of the first three to make sure all pests and eggs are killed

 

[Jesspete]

5. I bought a plant stand to elevate the ficus. It looks really nice in the cage and I currently have things set up so Leo can easily climb up into the ficus (there's a fake plant that I zip tied to the side of the cage and it hangs all the way down to the floor) but I'm wondering if the plant stand is okay to have in his cage. I can't imagine he'd be able to hurt himself and it's sturdy enough that he won't be able to knock it over. I think he'd actually be able to climb the stand itself (it's metal). Any opinions on using a plant stand? I can post a photo later.

I would think it's fine, but turn it upside down, and check all the joints. I've had ceramic decorations, made for reptile cages (bearded dragon), that drew blood on me, because of a sharp point. Check them for anything that might scratch your cham, or rust in the misting. I have seen lots of enclosures with stands though. Might also want to check for cricket or bug hiding places, and seal them up.

 

[Jkepes]

So I bought Leonardo's cage today. I put it together and realized it. Is. Huge. HUGE. The little ficus, plastic foliage, and pieces of wood aren't enough to fill the enclosure. I also don't have anything tall enough to provide a basking area for Leo. I've attached photos of my current setup. Can anyone please give me suggestions? I do have a vine that I want to hang up...but I don't know how to attach it to the cage.

We used jewelry wire, fits Thru holes easily, cuts with scissors, easily bought at craft store like michaels . Also put a 1”x1” wooden bar across the top( outside cage, and ran wire through top around it to hold hanging plants . Easy to adjust heights. Bar provides structure to hold weight

 

[Jkepes]

Some specific questions I have:
1. Can I just use sticks/branches from outside?
2. Are silk plants okay or should I only use plastic? (I read somewhere that silk plants are bad...but I don't remember why.)
3. Has anyone used the magnetic "rock" ledges? Opinions?
4. I want to cup feed Leonardo...but I don't know how I should set that up. I was looking at something like this: https://www.joshsfrogs.com/magnaturals-magnetic-feed-and-water-ledge-earth.html
Will crickets easily jump out of this? I read they can jump up to 3 feet... How do I keep them in a cup?

You can make feeder cups super easy , either poke holes in a little plastic to go container and wire it. Or get a bag of small magnets from craft store and glue one on a dish, other goes on outside to hold it on. The nice thing about wiring your plants instead of zip ties or whatever, that if you’re thoughtful about it it’s easy to unwire and remove plants for cleaning or changing them