Specifications and Complications: Slice of Nature

For my main project, I will be creating a planted terrarium with a self-sustaining ecosystem intended for two chameleon geckos (Eurydactylodes Agricolae). These terrariums, called bioactive terrariums, at their foundation consist of a substrate mix, live plants, insects such as springtails and isopods, and the inhabitant of the terrarium. The insects, colloquially known as the CUC (“clean-up crew”), eat dead leaves and most notably the inhabitant’s waste to “clean” the enclosure. This creates a self sustaining environment that needs little to no cleaning. 

My top 5 specifications are functionality, enrichment, visual appeal, successful growth, and looking natural. 

1. Functionality: I would like the terrarium to fulfill the needs of my animals, first and foremost. They are very small geckos, about 3” maximum in length, and they love to perch along long thin branches. They also prefer a few different “zones” of exposure to their UVB light, which functions as an artificial sun to promote vitamin D production. To do this, I will have the top area of the enclosure be more “open” and bare, with lots of horizontal branches, and it will become more grown in and leafy as the geckos travel down the enclosure. 
2. Enrichment: This goes hand-in-hand with functionality, and by creating a dynamic and ever changing environment the geckos will have plenty of stimulation and opportunities to utilize their instinctive behaviors. 
3. Visual appeal: I would like this enclosure to be visually appealing, which means well balanced in terms of the plants and with a large variety of plants. 
4. Successful growth: The plants will grow over time, but sometimes certain plants don’t take to their new environment well and die off. I want all the plants to successfully grow in and fill up the enclosure, so I will do extensive research to make sure I am using plants that all have similar needs. 
5. Looking “natural:” I want this enclosure to look as natural as possible and mimic the geckos’ natural environment in New Caledonia. I will try to mimic the appearance of their natural environment to do so. 

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The top 5 constraints I face are the timeline, supplies, cleaning the enclosure, monetary investment, and making sure the geckos get along. 

1. Timeline: I need to complete this project as quickly as possible so the plants have ample time to grow, so my aim is to complete it by the end of spring break. 
2. Supplies: I am trying to use the supplies I already have, but I may need to go purchase specific varieties of plants and moss. 
3. Cleaning the enclosure: The enclosure has not been used in a while, and has hard water stains all over the glass. It will take a lot of effort and time to clean it. 
4. Monetary investment: I am trying to complete this project in a sustainable and cheap way, but I may need to invest in some quality lighting to aid in the plants’ growth. 
5. Geckos getting along: The specific species of gecko (Baurs’ Chameleon Geckos, or Eurydactylodes Agricolae) are able to be kept in pairs or groups depending on their genders. I have a male and a female, which benefit from cohabiting, but in general reptiles are strictly solitary animals and get very territorial. My two geckos will most likely get along, but there is always a risk that they will fight. I will make sure to have an extra enclosure ready to separate them if needed. 

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Citations: 

Image 1 by Peter coxhead – Own work, CC0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=18672965

Image 2 is mine