Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Bowser's tank was working out so well for heat and humidity, I decided to go ahead and do up the other tank. This is a 29 gallon. I'm pretty happy with it.

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Torey
Eugene, Oregon, USA
1.1 Uromastyx geyri (Joe and Arthur)
3.0 Uromastyx dispar maliensis (Tank, Turtle, and Spike)
1.0 Uromastyx ornata (Scuttlebutt)
2.1 Anolis carolinensis (Bowser, Sprocket, and Leeloo)
0.1 African dwarf frog (Sheila)
1.0 Betta splendens (Mr. Miagi)
1.1 Felis domesticus (Roscolux and Jenny)

Have you ever considered replacing the gravel substrate with organic potting soil or compost and planting the vegitation directly into the substrate? It might make things a bit more "naturalistic" and would get rid of the pots.

I've found that by using gravel as the primary substrate it is easier to maintain a high humidity level. It also makes it easier to clean and prevents mold from growing. I like how he uses the large variety of gravel so not to risk the possibility of impaction. Making it look natural is more for our own amusement rather than for the anoles well being. As long as there are plants in the tank and places to lay eggs if needed everything should be fine.

I use a 2-3" layer of compost as a substrate. It is "finished" compost so any pathogenic bacteria have been eliminated. I also "nuke" it in the microwave to kill any potential parasites, millipedes, slugs, etc. It has the advantage of being completely organic and digestible so impaction is not a problem. It is still microbially active enough to quickly decompose any Anole feces which also adds to the basic fertility of the substrate as a whole. The plants are planted directly into the substrate.
I've not had any mold issues at all. It is highly absorbant and, at one time, it was accepting 32 oz of water per day without becoming waterlogged. The only concession that I have made is to add a 4" computer fan to extract air from the enclosure (a 40 gallon) to keep the humidity DOWN to acceptable levels. The fan allows me to use a higher wattage incandescent bulbs than otherwise possible. This makes the enclosure much brighter particularly in combination with the Reptisun 5.0 and GE Sunshine fluorescents.

Thank you for all the information!! How often do you replace the compost? Or do you replace it at all? And where do you get finished compost? I might give it a whirl and see how it works out. The feces are a definite problem with the setup I have currently - requires constant spot cleaning so it doesn't get into the water.
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Torey
Eugene, Oregon, USA
1.1 Uromastyx geyri (Joe and Arthur)
3.0 Uromastyx dispar maliensis (Tank, Turtle, and Spike)
1.0 Uromastyx ornata (Scuttlebutt)
2.1 Anolis carolinensis (Bowser, Sprocket, and Leeloo)
0.1 African dwarf frog (Sheila)
1.0 Betta splendens (Mr. Miagi)
1.1 Felis domesticus (Roscolux and Jenny)

My supply of compost comes from my gardening activities. I have a compost heap down near the garden and that's where I get mine. Perhaps a gardener friend will let you have enough to use for your enclosure. You may also be able to find it at an organic gardening store.
I usually "nuke" it in the microwave for about 15 minutes to kill all of the macro-organisms (like worms, slugs, insects, et. al.). It is still microbially active, though.
The substrate that I have in there now has been in the enclosure for about 8 months. As it decomposes further and reduces in volume, I simply add a bit more to it. I may change it after a year but as long as it is composting the Anole waste, there is really no need to do so since the decomposition also kills any pathogenic micro-organisms and parasites that might be present. I simply wash the feces off the plants with a squirt bottle and they are washed onto the substrate where they decompose and dissappear in a few days. Once every few months, I turn the top layer of the substrate with a "mini-rake" that I put together from a comb and a piece of aluminum.
I have a friend who is a successful Caribbean species breeder for many years that uses much the same system. Once a year, he simply "tills" the top layer of the substrate to mix it up. He has had a similar experience and hasn't changed his substrate in a number of years.

I used to have soil, but had problems with the humidity - if the soil was dry, humidity was way low, but if the humidity went up, the soil molded. This is my attempt to keep humidity up, but curb the mold. I know the pots are ugly, but I don't mind them so much.
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Torey
Eugene, Oregon, USA
1.1 Uromastyx geyri (Joe and Arthur)
3.0 Uromastyx dispar maliensis (Tank, Turtle, and Spike)
1.0 Uromastyx ornata (Scuttlebutt)
2.1 Anolis carolinensis (Bowser, Sprocket, and Leeloo)
0.1 African dwarf frog (Sheila)
1.0 Betta splendens (Mr. Miagi)
1.1 Felis domesticus (Roscolux and Jenny)

Atrax, what else are you providing to keep the humidity so high that you need to add the fan to lower? I'm having to use an automatic mister in order to try to keep it at a good level. My STH (ya know my Side Tank Heater) helps a little since I have water in my drainage layer but usually only at night.

I like having only gravel with an inch or two of water because the heat lamps heat the rocks which in turn evaporates the water. Having soil on top makes it hard for the humidity to seep through and if it does it makes it even more soggy. The only downside is having pleny of water on hand to refill it every few days.

I mist about three times a day by hand. I also have a Habba Mist set to spray for a minute every three hours. I also water the plants in the enclosure with a squirt bottle every 2 or three days. That keeps the humidity up to close to 85% so I run the fan to bring it down to about 60%.
When I was watering heavily, I used an UTH to warm the soil and evaporate the moisture from it.

Now I see.