vacant pygmy chameleon enclosure (looking for CB resident) :P

[sharksax]

I am putting up pictures of my bearded pygmy chameleon enclosure I made during my winter break. I finish setting up the plants on Dec.23rd, while all the other fixtures like branches and extra leaves where done last week, and these pictures where taken earlier tonight.

I’ll post up the specifications of my setup after the pictures, please give any suggestions or comments of what I can do to make it better (Going to be waiting out for some CB so I got plenty of time to makes some adjustments to the enclosure)

Terrarium Size/Type: 18x18x18 ZooMed
Lighting; 1 REPTISUN 5.0 UVB light and 1 plant grow light
Humidity Device: 1 Ultrasonic Humidifier
Background 1 cork bark 18x18x15 I think
Drainage: Clay balls
Substrate: Exoterra Plantation Soil mix (1 ½ brink)
Plants :2 Umbrella Plants I Ficus, 1 Golden Pothos, 2 Pink Poka-dot Plant(saw this on some UK person pygmy site as plants they used so i decided to use it), 2 Jade Pothos, 1 fern (it was on the safe list but forgot which one)
Clean Crew: springtails, dwarf white isopods, and orange isopods (feeding these guys occasionally vegetable scraps but they usually take care of any fallen leaves, clippings, or fungus)

 

[AddictedToReptiles]

Looks great! Lots of highways, loving the humidifier, should make some pygs a happy home

 

[ferretinmyshoes]

Wow, they're going to LOVE that!! Excellent setup! Makes me want to make some adjustments to mine...

 

[ChameleonsInMyHouse]

that looks awesome! but you deffinately do NOT the 5.0, the daylight 6500K is good enough. at least you have a new 5.0 for something else now

 

[ferretinmyshoes]

There's nothing wrong with having a UVB bulb because we still don't know whether or now they need UVB. Generally it's recommended to have a used 5.0 or a 2.0 over pygmies just because we don't know, so why not use it in case it gives them some benefit? But regardless, it won't hurt them or anything.

 

[Maurer3D]

Looks pretty cool, going to make a Pygmy or 2 very happy. As stated above the 5.0 bulb is to much for these ground dwellers, the Plant grow light should produce plenty of uvb for them. Would love see picures once you get the chameleons in there

 

[pssh]

Whaaaaat? Plant grow lights aren't designed to produce UVB.

I found that my Pygmies tended to avoid the side that I put my plant light on. They preferred lesser light.

 

[warpdrive]

a 2.0 is all they will need as they tend to live under some heavy growth.
the plant light is great for the plants but may not be needed as the UVB should help take care of them with maybe a drop of a low watage basking bulb.

pigs don't like too much light and tend to stay away from heavy lighting.

Harry

 

[lisa h]

OMG! My pygs are packing up and moving to your place LOL. I think it's great, and fwiw, some of my pygs like to be up near the heat light, some don't. Give them enought space and they can make the choice.

 

[Tazjunky]

I have to say that there are plenty of people over here in the UK who have used UVB with absolutely no problems at all. Dont forget although these live in shaded areas of the forest floor, that isnt to say that they wont bask and seek sunlight out.

There are keepers over here that have kept pygs for over 3 years and have commented that they have been basking under the 5.0 bulbs.

In contrast there have been plenty of people that have had all of their pygs die in a short space of time using only a 2.0 bulb! i unfortunately am one of those unlucky keepers.

So i think before we condemn 5.0 bulbs, it cant hurt to try them and give constructive feedback to new keepers. I am in the middle of setting up a new exo and already have a 5.0. if the pygs dont like it, im sure they will avoid it as im setting it on one side of the exo only. I have a 2.0 for the other side so I guess time will tell!

 

[ferretinmyshoes]

I have a used (over 6 months old) 5.0 bulb over mine. They bask under it sometimes and other times don't. But they prefer that side of the cage hands down even plant growth is actually thicker on the other side. Maybe they need it, maybe they don't, but exposure to 'sunlight' won't hurt them or they'd be nocturnal in my opinion. Plus it's nice to have extra use for those bulbs after the obligatory 6 month limit of use!

 

[pssh]

Mine like 15 watt basking bulbs when the ambient is under 73 ish. The area they bask under is about 76-79 ish and they just bask as they please. They also prefer the side with the incandescent bulb over the other end (colder maybe?) they are in a 40-50 gallon sized enclosure, so they have plenty of room to move around if they want, but they still choose the basking area side.

 

[sharksax]

Thank you guys for your replies and comments, I am probably going to replace the grow light with a 2.0 bulb but I ll still used 5.0 bulb.

For the pictures I took had the grow light in the front because of picture taking purposes and I initially used it to promote heavy growth in the plants so they would take up some of the empty spaces which more or less is done (I actually having to prune some of my plants now).

What I'm planning to do is to alternate the lighting position (where one one day the 2.0 bulb is going to be and fore ground while I'll put the 5.0 in the back and the next day it will be switch)and some days just used one light source without using the other and switch off on those days as well during which I'll make observations on the pygmy's behavior to see what they may like or not like.

Thanks again for your replies and comments and hopefully I might be getting some CB later this coming week

 

[pssh]

Okay, well because we don't know for sure if the Pygmies need the d3 and if they will seek it out make sure to give them places to get out of the UVB.

 

[sharksax]

Okay, well because we don't know for sure if the Pygmies need the d3 and if they will seek it out make sure to give them places to get out of the UVB.

Will do...working on positioning the lights where it they can bask, however leaving enough dark areas where they can go and hide.

 

[primestick]

whats the name of the pink spotted plants and the umbrella looking plant ?

 

[powersauce]

Beautiful viv! Love it! I'm looking for CB pygmies myself... so hard to find ones that I KNOW are captive bred.... oh well, more time for setting up my own viv I guess! :]

 

[powersauce]

primestick, the pink spotted plants are Hypoestes phyllostachya, a Madagascar native. The umbrella looking plant is a species of Schefflera, either arboricola or actinophylla.

 

[sharksax]

primestick, the pink spotted plants are Hypoestes phyllostachya, a Madagascar native. The umbrella looking plant is a species of Schefflera, either arboricola or actinophylla.

you are right on the plants powersauce, and the schefflera is of the arboricola kind.

UPDATE: I found the out pink spotted plans (Hypoestes phyllostachya) is considered poisonous, thus I am considering removing this plant from the enclosure. I know that the pygmies I am getting are not plant eaters, but I can't say the same for feeders (such as crickets) and should they ingest a feeder that has feed off of one of these plants, it could be bad for the chameleon :T

 

[powersauce]

Cool. Kind of a plant dork here. :] Friends of mine have Hypoestes phyllostachya in their Poison Dart Frog vivariums, without any issues of feeder insects eating the plants and passing the toxins on to the animals. BUT I know chameleons are very sensitive (and have a different physiology than frogs), so your caution is well-justified.