Chameleon water

[RcManChild]

I suspect I will be doing weekly water changes anyways... wont be hard to do... turn on pump to hose to drain....

Pour in new water....

Its more the fact that in an enclosed vivarium with feces and dead crickets it is extremely easy for bacteria to grow and spread... Most (All the people I have seen) people who have setup a waterfall with a chameleon in a vivarium have an enclosed system and change the water daily or every second day... in order to do they take the water fall our of the cage, clean it put it back in and add water...

My plan is to setup a recirculating Sump such that maybe 1 gallon out of the 15 gallon sump is out of the circulation filtration system at any given time. This will dilute any bacteria that is in the water when it enter the sump automatically and it will also kill bacteria by going through the filtration system.

 

[rhdoug]

...I will then leave room for a protein skimmer if I deem one necessary or media reactor. ...

It is my (possibly incorrect) understanding that protein skimmers do not work in fresh water, you may want to check that.

I also kept chameleons for many years until the reeftank bug bit me. I had a huge wall enclosure for them, in which I had kept a pair of mini macaws before that. Good luck with your cham. Another thing to consider, I have a crested gecko who has lived for the last 14 years in a vivarium where the entire bottom is a full 30 gallon FW tank with chiclids or other fish in it. The top is an enclosure that is full of branches and plants that sits directly on top of the aquarium. The water quality does not seem to bother him and I can assure you he does occasionally drink from it. The water is minimally filtered, no carbon, only the ceramic filter media and sponges in a canister filter. I am also not nearly as diligent with water changes in this "jungle tank" as I am with the reef tank.
Pic of vivarium:

 

[karimwassef]

Skimmers do work in freshwater. Just not as effectively at removing protein, so they have to be very large/powerful to be productive.

 

[AdamAquatic]

Avoiding bacteria entirely is impossible, but that's okay because you'll need bacteria in order to filter the water properly. I think what the reptile guys are worried about is fouling the water with feces, which is a valid concern. However, if you have a large enough water volume and proper filtration, you should be able to achieve you goal.

The previously mentioned method using a large sump with sock filters and a return from a uv sterilizer is you best bet, but you'll need to add a few elements to equation. I suppose you could try a pellet reactor and a GFO reactor. I know they're primarily used for saltwater, but they should be somewhat effective in fresh. Certainly more so than a skimmer... believe me, I tried the freshwater skimmer route before. That dream is dead. lol Anyway, if you really want to go crazy you can build a refugium in your sump to help export the nutrients. I would also recommend some biological filtration like marinepure ceramic media.

Marine forum or not, it would be great to hear how things work out. Best of luck!

 

[karimwassef]

Feces are actually an excellent nutrient source for algae and plants ... nature known how to work her magic- don't fight her... go with the flow.

 

[AdamAquatic]

Feces are actually an excellent nutrient source for algae and plants ... nature known how to work her magic- don't fight her... go with the flow.

The substrate should hold more than enough for the plants to thrive. It worked well in my vivarium with heavy fog, but the waste water was really foul. For nature to effectively remove all of the waste would require a huge enclosure with a small animal load. Think of it in terms of an aquarium without filtration. A great excuse for a huge tank, but not very practical.