A few cage saftey questions...

Hi there we are in the process of building a new bigger home for our little guy Sheldon and I was wondering do we need to wait a certain amount of time after the wood stain is dry before we put him in it? I am super excited about his new home and all the new plants that I have gotten to decorate it with.

Calmwaters said:

Hi there we are in the process of building a new bigger home for our little guy Sheldon and I was wondering do we need to wait a certain amount of time after the wood stain is dry before we put him in it? I am super excited about his new home and all the new plants that I have gotten to decorate it with.

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A good rule of thumb is to wait until you can't smell the stain. Put the cage in a well ventilated area or in the sun to really cook it. Once it seems dry I test it by rubbing the surface with a finger and then sniffing the rubbed area close up. If you can't smell the product its "cured". Did you use a water based stain? That's safest. Oil or petroleum based stains can leach out over time.

Sandra had a good breakdown of cage stains and sealants. Don't remember if it was a blog or described in her actual pic descriptions. Would wait a week or so, before using.

I am not sure if it is water base or not I will check when I get home, I do know it said that is also protects from water damage which we thought would be a good idea because of the humidity and water that may drip onto the wood.

Also if the dimensions of the cage are big enough for two chams is it safe to put either a screen or plexiglass divider in the middle so that I could have two?

Calmwaters said:

I am not sure if it is water base or not I will check when I get home, I do know it said that is also protects from water damage which we thought would be a good idea because of the humidity and water that may drip onto the wood.

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Its easy...did the instructions say you could clean up your brush with water or paint thinner/mineral spirits? If you could use water to clean up, its a water based stain. Also, water-based stains can protect from water damage...once they are cured and dry.

Yes it is water base and the dimensions are 30"x25"x48"

Calmwaters said:

Yes it is water base and the dimensions are 30"x25"x48"

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So, each side would measure 15x12x24...that's pretty small for adults unless you are keeping a smaller species such as a carpet cham.

Sheldon is a veil so I will not divide it off.

Calmwaters said:

Sheldon is a veil so I will not divide it off.

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I'd agree...he'll definitely want more space than that. But, if you do end up with another cham you can keep them visually separate pretty simply...cheesecloth, a towel, opaque plastic sheeting, Coroplast, all sorts of things.

I would not want him to feel cramped so if I can convince my other half that I really do need another one I would just build another cage.