I said I used coco-fiber for my leaf chams - I lied 
I was just looking over pix of their setup and I used repti-bark (the small chips) with soil beneath, a layer of stone and charcoal and stone beneath that. I also had a piece of screen b/t the soil and charcoal. Anyway, if you want to see a bunch of pix I will be happy to send them along - I have photos of the layering step-by-step. Email me directly.
As I recall, it was suggested NOT to use the coco-fiber b/c the pieces are small enough that a leaf cham could easily get some while shooting at food. They were much less likley to swallow a piece of repti-bark.
As for setting it up to be self-contained, as Carlton said there has to be a balance, but since the leafs use substrte, need higher humidity, etc. you could, in time and with diligence, create something that would call for minimal maintenance. Obviously, you can't rip it apart every month and re-do it but with live plants (a must) there would have to be some changes as they outgrow their pots, die, need to be cleaned and cut back, etc.
hope this has helped.
lele
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0.1 veiled - Luna
0.2 green anoles Jaida & Jetta
0.1 brown anole - Jamaica
0.2 house geckos - Gaia & Tia
0.2 felines - Kyndra and Líta
Whereas with the repti-bark, because it is larger, it is much less likely they would inadvertantly swallow it - simply because of its size. This is just what was recommended to me when I first got them. Two of the three cup-fed so I really wasn't too concerned, but Kaiya hunted so I stayed with the repti-bark. I do use the coco-fiber in my other herp tanks and I pack it down real well. I do like the way it holds moisture, dries out quickly if you need it to - and, if it's important to you (it is to me) is a renewable resource unlike peat.
