Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Is it possible to set-up a vivarium that will no longer require to be cleaned every month-- Just set-it-up and leave it as it is?
Because I've been reading that some people have done this? How about when the animal defacate, won't that make the whole vivarium acidic? Detailed Help here PLEASE!!!
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1.0 Garter Snake (Evola)
0.1 Python
1.0 Green Tree Boa
1.0 Green Iguana (Shhhhhhhh)
5 (unknown sex) Read eared Slider (Ganbu, Shoty, Aulfayan, Phlegm, Lucky, n/a)
3.3 Malayan Box Turtle
1.0 Pyxidea Mouhotti (Driffy)
0.1 Diamond back Terappin (Genbu)
1.0.2 Sulcatta (Darien Wings, Tblt, and Damaso)
0.1 Red Foot(Elsa 140)
1.0.2 Alligator Snapping Turtle (Kilthum, Leudo, and Nanazusa)
1.0 Skinnypig (Poppolochrois)
1.1 Rabbit (Bugs, n/a)
0.1 Albino Cranwell's horned Frog (Mandella Banana)

*Fishes, insects, Dogs, Cats, and Birds are not included.

To do this you would need a completely live-planted terrarium with soil microbes and insects and animals that are balanced in size and metabolic rates with everything else. It is a really delicate art. If you read much about terrarium setups you'll notice the ones that are a convenient size for a room in a house only have fairly small vertebrates in them such as dart frogs. I think such a setup that houses relatively large vertebrates such as chams you'd need a HUGE space like a greenhouse. A site that goes in depth with terrarium design is http://www.blackjungle.com

i have this setup for my dart frogs and anoles and it works very well...but these are big tanks (55 gallons) and small reptiles/amphibians...to do a setup for a chameleon would be challenging but not impossible...the cage could be a bit difficult...you might have to make something custom because you'd need a solid bottom to hold soil and screen walls for ventilation...but it's do-able...