Substrate?

[UrbanChameleon]

Any ideas for a substrate that's not paper towel or newspaper? I have an Exo Terra for a new baby to live in until he moves into his adult screen cage. I obviously don't want to use any substrate the pet stores sell (soil, sand, etc.) but paper towel/newspaper gets too wet. My mister only goes off for a short period but I would have to change the paper every other day. Which is a huge hassle. I can't seem to find Hydro balls anywhere. My plan was to use them as a bottom layer and then put paper towel on top. I'm not sure what to do.

 

[Rottsko]

Any ideas for a substrate that's not paper towel or newspaper? I have an Exo Terra for a new baby to live in until he moves into his adult screen cage. I obviously don't want to use any substrate the pet stores sell (soil, sand, etc.) but paper towel/newspaper gets too wet. My mister only goes off for a short period but I would have to change the paper every other day. Which is a huge hassle. I can't seem to find Hydro balls anywhere. My plan was to use them as a bottom layer and then put paper towel on top. I'm not sure what to do.

Hey Jordan. What is the bottom of the exo terra like? If its just a plain surface, I'd just leave it plain.

I have my little girl in a bin with sticks and vines inside it. I have a basking lamp and UVB light on top. She's pretty small still so I have her there instead of her cage right now. oh...I have a mister running like 15 seconds or so about 4-5 times a day and I have a paper towel on the bottom. It dries in between mistings and I replace it once a week. Pretty simple clean up.

 

[waynederby]

I currently use Newspaper, although the crickets seem to hide in it alot

 

[Texas Panther Man]

I dont think you'll find anything better than paper towel for substrate. If your worried about it getting too saturated triple layer the paper towels. Ive tried newspaper but its gross after it gets wet. It just starts falling apart.

 

[UrbanChameleon]

Ok thanks guys. I used to do about 3 layers of paper towel but it was still saturated. I think it will work though. I had it only going off for 12-16 seconds ever hour or two. Now that it's summer the humidity here stays around 40-50%. So maybe I'll have an waist time. What's really hard is getting it to dry out between mistings. It will have only a 25 watt bulb which keeps it in the low 80's. Someone mentioned sponges to me. Like putting them under paper towels. Which would be great for falling, but would hold bacteria.

I'll let you guys know how it goes and if I run into any problems. If anyone else has a different method, feel free to share your ideas.

 

[Olimpia]

I actually really don't like paper towels. I rather have organic soil on the floor over paper towels. They remain intact even when wet, and will make it through the digestive tract in a single piece. So if the chameleon shoots at, rips, and swallows a piece of the paper, it can cause a blockage. Things with a lot of drag cause blockages/impaction most often (trust me, I just had a dog in the hospital for getting his intestines clogged with a sock), so paper towel would constitute one of these things.

I keep my floors bare with my chameleons. If you don't want to have just bare glass, what about kitchen liners? Easily wiped clean.

 

[UrbanChameleon]

That makes complete sense Olimpia. I'm sorry for your dog by the way. Lol. Poor thing must love his socks.

Kitchen liner would be a wonderful idea. I used to keep fine organic soil in the Exo Terra. But it is a straight up hassle to clean the cage. I would love to use something I could easily take out, wash, and put back in. I spent today at Lowes. I didn't really see anything that popped out, but I'll go back tomorrow and see what I can find. I ended up leaving with a little Umbrella Plant (Yay for live plants!) and a soldering iron to use for a cricket bin. I'm looking forward to spending the weekend cleaning and decorating for the baby. I'm really doing and buying a lot more than I need. I'm just super excited! It's tough trying to get a few of these things after spending a couple hundred on a panther. College student salary. Lol.

 

[Olimpia]

Thanks, he's doing better today but the sock came really close to doing him in Saturday night. Luckily we have a 24 hour vet nearby and they took great care of him. A couple techs sat with me in the lobby during the surgery and we chatted about all the terrible things animals eat (one swallowed a box of sewing needles!) so now we have a much more very vivid understanding of what stuff is dangerous and what isn't. Paper towels are among them - not as bad as socks but not great either.

And I hear you on the college budget! lol I always think I have enough for the animal/set-up/equipment I want but then spend the last week before I get paid eating ramen cups! I never learn.

 

[UrbanChameleon]

Thanks, he's doing better today but the sock came really close to doing him in Saturday night. Luckily we have a 24 hour vet nearby and they took great care of him. A couple techs sat with me in the lobby during the surgery and we chatted about all the terrible things animals eat (one swallowed a box of sewing needles!) so now we have a much more very vivid understanding of what stuff is dangerous and what isn't. Paper towels are among them - not as bad as socks but not great either.

And I hear you on the college budget! lol I always think I have enough for the animal/set-up/equipment I want but then spend the last week before I get paid eating ramen cups! I never learn.

Haha! I feel you on the Ramen. Sometimes I'll splurge and get some canned spaghetti. You know.. livin' the good life. Lol.

If that was any of my dogs, I would be hysterical. It's a really good thing that you found out when you did. One of my dogs, Jack, has decided to eat everything that falls off of my Hibiscus. Why? I have no clue. He is one odd pup. Dogs will eat the weirdest things. And sometimes you can't even figure out how they swallowed it! You have some of the most beautiful Chams by the way. I just saw your adorable Carpets! You are extremely lucky.

 

[Olimpia]

Haha! I feel you on the Ramen. Sometimes I'll splurge and get some canned spaghetti. You know.. livin' the good life. Lol.

If that was any of my dogs, I would be hysterical. It's a really good thing that you found out when you did. One of my dogs, Jack, has decided to eat everything that falls off of my Hibiscus. Why? I have no clue. He is one odd pup. Dogs will eat the weirdest things. And sometimes you can't even figure out how they swallowed it! You have some of the most beautiful Chams by the way. I just saw your adorable Carpets! You are extremely lucky.

Lol Yea, the life of extravagance and luxury!

Thank you for the compliment on my chams!