Hey everyone.

I've got an aluminium cage from lllreptiles.com that I just set up. The sides all are screen but the bottom is open and has a piece of cardboard or something that fits into it. I am concerned about humidity and drainage if anyone could help me.

How should I set it up so that the moisture will be able to drain but not pool and also not ruin the cardboard/coroplast bottom???

Should I use a tray to cover the bottom and then put my paper towel on that and then my plants? I wanted to use paper towel for a substrate by lining the bottom of the cage with it, I could also do that and then use a larger drip pan and put it under the enture enclosure for drainage. With an open bottom would a substrate be more useful than paper towel in order to maintain humidity?

I am a first time chameleon owner and expect a baby in the mail tomorrow so I just want to make sure it goes into the ideal home.

Thanks for any thoughts!

Amanda,
The cage bottom is made from pvc which you can drill a drain hole through this and setup a pan underneath.What kind of chameleon will dictate how much humidity you need.

Amanda,
I am assuming this is for your new Carpet Cham. that is coming in?

The cage setup you have is quite normal with that type of bottom, and should not produce a big issue humidity wise. If you line it with paper towels on the bottom just make sure they have time to dry before lights out. Also be sure to stay on top of keeping it clean down there. That bottom piece shouldn't get ruined by any water.

If you do a search for drainage here there will be quite a few topics that come up with pictures of others' setups. Many people have become quite creative here, with a different method throughout the member base here.

Regarding the substrate...stick to the paper towels. You're going to depend on your misting and the leaves retaining the water combined with your basking lamp to create that humidity. The substrate has potential for bacteria, so it's best to steer clear of that course when you can.

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Without aweso it's only me....I'm her other half. Deal with it.

i have cages from lll and the bottom getting wet isnt an issue. but if you are looking into a drainage system just use the search function and there are many threads that can help you.