What do you guys think?

[Reganold]

hey guys its me with another question. gonna be a bit long/complicated but i wanna see what you guys think before i go and get supplies or anything.

so i realize that substrate is not reccomended. but i had and idea. i was thinking something along the lines of this:

layer 1-Sphagnum Moss
layer 2- a very thin and flexible mesh called fly screen lol
layer 3- a plastic pan that droops towards the center with a hole in it which a piece of pvc tubing to drain water to the collection tray underneath the cage (no substrate etc. would get in in due as i would place the substrate around it. i would also have a piece of mesh over the hole for crickets and such)
layer 4- tan looking thin slate pieces around the hole
layer 5- large river rocks with smaller pebbles glued down to the slate to prevent cricket escapes also around hole.
layer 6- final layer of mesh.

i know the plan has a few kinks to it was just seeing what you guys thought of the idea. any suggestions would be appreciated

 

[Reganold]

also if anyone has ever tried anything like this let me know the results

 

[DavidBuchan]

In general I have no problem with sensible use of substrate. It is easier without it in may ways, I'm sure......but I've always used organic compost/soil/sand with my chams and once or twice I saw my first one get a little tiny bit in her mouth. She just spit it out. My current 2 I have never noticed nearly eating it at all. The risks are sometimes exaggerated, but since eating it can easily result in death there is a good reason to take care.

So, if your cham can't eat it and you solve the drainage issue with no mouldiness it should be fine. I still don't like the sphagnum moss for chams, but under mesh I guess there's no reason why not.

 

[Reganold]

im a bit wary of the moss my self. but it would look better and i think i took enough safety precautions to make sure he cant get to it... anyways if i did go through with this it would be during spring break

 

[Reganold]

any suggestions/comments

 

[p1u5h13r4m24]

Use a hanging plant, plastic bottom with a drip tray. use a towl to soak up the water daily. Also they sell drip trays, you can drill some holes in the bottom of te cage and remove te drip tray when it's full, you can even syphon it out!

 

[Reganold]

oh no i didnt mean as a drainage system since, since i already have one. i was reffering more as you know would this system work etc.

 

[Olimpia]

I'm not sure I am picturing what you're describing. Any way you could sketch it out in Paint or something?

 

[Reganold]

I'm not sure I am picturing what you're describing. Any way you could sketch it out in Paint or something?

no problem. ill get on that.

 

[Trik]

While it may accomplish what you are looking for (a bottom or "substrate" that drains quickly) I think this will be a pain to clean.

I thought about a layer of rocks over mesh or grating on the bottom of my enclosure, but even that would turn an almost daily "spot clean" of fecals, into a long laborious cleansing process that I could only do on weekends.

So, is the juice worth the squeeze?

 

[Reganold]

While it may accomplish what you are looking for (a bottom or "substrate" that drains quickly) I think this will be a pain to clean.

I thought about a layer of rocks over mesh or grating on the bottom of my enclosure, but even that would turn an almost daily "spot clean" of fecals, into a long laborious cleansing process that I could only do on weekends.

So, is the juice worth the squeeze?

youre most likely right. just wanted to know what you guys thought.