pennington
New Member
arh. I agree with you here but I also like to see my rainforest leaves dripping and a slow trickling pump acheives this really well although I still haven't decided to go ahead with anything yet.
Waterfall Compilation
- Thread starter Syn
- Start date
arh. I agree with you here but I also like to see my rainforest leaves dripping and a slow trickling pump acheives this really well although I still haven't decided to go ahead with anything yet.
Texas Panther Man
New Member
In my opinion you'd be better off constructing a rain chamber in a portion of the enclosure. Ive seen some examples on here in the past and if executed properly I could see myself making one in the future. Esp. if you have a montane cham like a mellers or a parsonni that love long slow drinking oppurtunities and high humidity.
fluxlizard
Avid Member
I know this isn't what we are talking about in a chameleon forums, but a properly set up waterfall is not necessarily bad for all herps, and neither is bacteria.
Bacteria are a key component of biological filtration in a fish tank. A similar effect to the effect an undergravel filtration plate has in a fish tank can be achieved in tanks for small herps. I used to use waterfalls all the time in dart frog tanks for example, and these would work just as well for small day geckos or anoles and the like.
The method is this- a deep substrate of gravel or hydroponic clay balls (several inches is best, but with small frogs and the like just enough to cover the pump). On top of that layer put fiberglass window screening, and on top of that put whatever you are using for "earth" (coco fiber or peat moss for examples). Except in the area you want your waterfall. Beneath the base put a layer of gravel all the way down to the fiberglass. Put this area on the opposite end of your tank as your pump. Stack some big rocks (or place a single large rock) up on top of the gravel base. Run your water tube from the pump to the top of the rock pile. Add your water and turn on your pump.
Water is drawn from the pump, spills over the rock pile for the waterfall, drains through the gravel base and into the bottom level of substrate, then is drawn through the gravel base substrate all the way across the tank to the pump again. Beneficial bacteria grow in the gravel base and clean the water as it flows through the gravel.
This can further be improved upon if you have some plants who have roots that reach down into the bottom layer of gravel.
Get a book on aquarium filtration to understand how it all works.
This system can even be used for medium sized lizards- I once set up a 125 gallon tank for a pair of green basilisks that had a waterfall on one end a pool at the other end, with lots of live plantings in and out of the water. Once every week or two I would siphon the water out of the pool end and replace much of it- just like anyone would do for a fish tank. Never had a problem and the basilisks bred like crazy in there.
I doubt any of this is useful for chameleon enclosures though.
It doesn't apply to the little plastic self contained waterfalls either because you cannot draw the water through a large volume of gravel - you need a pretty good volume of gravel and water drawn through it for the bacteria to do their job and clean it.
But if the other forums you are on is for frogs or smallish lizards, if they are using a setup like I am describing, maybe my description helps explain the hows and whys.
Bacteria are a key component of biological filtration in a fish tank. A similar effect to the effect an undergravel filtration plate has in a fish tank can be achieved in tanks for small herps. I used to use waterfalls all the time in dart frog tanks for example, and these would work just as well for small day geckos or anoles and the like.
The method is this- a deep substrate of gravel or hydroponic clay balls (several inches is best, but with small frogs and the like just enough to cover the pump). On top of that layer put fiberglass window screening, and on top of that put whatever you are using for "earth" (coco fiber or peat moss for examples). Except in the area you want your waterfall. Beneath the base put a layer of gravel all the way down to the fiberglass. Put this area on the opposite end of your tank as your pump. Stack some big rocks (or place a single large rock) up on top of the gravel base. Run your water tube from the pump to the top of the rock pile. Add your water and turn on your pump.
Water is drawn from the pump, spills over the rock pile for the waterfall, drains through the gravel base and into the bottom level of substrate, then is drawn through the gravel base substrate all the way across the tank to the pump again. Beneficial bacteria grow in the gravel base and clean the water as it flows through the gravel.
This can further be improved upon if you have some plants who have roots that reach down into the bottom layer of gravel.
Get a book on aquarium filtration to understand how it all works.
This system can even be used for medium sized lizards- I once set up a 125 gallon tank for a pair of green basilisks that had a waterfall on one end a pool at the other end, with lots of live plantings in and out of the water. Once every week or two I would siphon the water out of the pool end and replace much of it- just like anyone would do for a fish tank. Never had a problem and the basilisks bred like crazy in there.
I doubt any of this is useful for chameleon enclosures though.
It doesn't apply to the little plastic self contained waterfalls either because you cannot draw the water through a large volume of gravel - you need a pretty good volume of gravel and water drawn through it for the bacteria to do their job and clean it.
But if the other forums you are on is for frogs or smallish lizards, if they are using a setup like I am describing, maybe my description helps explain the hows and whys.
Syn
Avid Member
Excuse any nonsense I may type ahead of time, I have a 104F temperature and just woke up from a nap..
It could have happened, it's just not posted about. That or I can't find the threads. I'll take a look around again, it's been a while since I've done this search. But... It's incredibly hard to find anything on google or what not because all that pops up are advertisements for Exo Terra's waterfall that "prevents the development of harmful bacteria".
Well, Exo Terra acknowledges harmful bacteria can build up in a waterfall, that's a first. However, does it truly prevent it or is it just resistant?
"But it looks so pretty!"
Not too many people feel "safe" enough posting about how/why their chameleon died.
It could have happened, it's just not posted about. That or I can't find the threads. I'll take a look around again, it's been a while since I've done this search. But... It's incredibly hard to find anything on google or what not because all that pops up are advertisements for Exo Terra's waterfall that "prevents the development of harmful bacteria".
Well, Exo Terra acknowledges harmful bacteria can build up in a waterfall, that's a first. However, does it truly prevent it or is it just resistant?
"But it looks so pretty!"
Texas Panther Man
New Member
"But it looks so pretty!" [/QUOTE]
That cracked me up. lol
[/QUOTE]That cracked me up. lol
ChameleonNerd
New Member
i had a waterfall in my viv originally. i was kind of clueless when i first got my chameleon, and the pet store owner told me it keeps humidity up - and it did. a month or so later i started to understand the complications behind the waterfall and all the other things that come with chameleons. i put a small bowl under the waterfall to catch some of the water. it was piss yellow...
balmybaldwin
New Member
A few from the UK:
http://www.reptileforums.co.uk/forums/lizards/661748-warterfall.html
http://www.reptileforums.co.uk/forums/lizards/650837-available-waterfalls.html
http://www.reptileforums.co.uk/forums/snakes/647738-waterfall.html
And a different point of view:
http://www.captivebredreptileforums.co.uk/vivarium-design/42511-waterfalls.html
HTH
http://www.reptileforums.co.uk/forums/lizards/661748-warterfall.html
http://www.reptileforums.co.uk/forums/lizards/650837-available-waterfalls.html
http://www.reptileforums.co.uk/forums/snakes/647738-waterfall.html
And a different point of view:
http://www.captivebredreptileforums.co.uk/vivarium-design/42511-waterfalls.html
HTH
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