I'm building my first cage so Harold can upgrade and wasn't able to get out this weekend so my dad decided he was gonna do everything without any research. He went to the hardware store and came back with pine posts and what looked like chicken fence. It's thin steel screen with about a half inch squares. Another thing is he wants to use a fish tank on the bottom and build up from that so none of the crickets escape. I just wanna say I think it's a dumb idea and I'm partially doing this because he's stubburn and thinks the guy at some reptile store is right about the whole fish tank/cage idea. I would like some suggestions on what type of screen I need and maybe some blueprints to a cage that's been built. I'm looking for something that's big enough for a male adult veiled but still visually attractive because it's going in my room

Hey there, sounds like youve got a good start on the cage... and by that I mean because your still researching. First off...as for the pine, I dont know if its cham safe, so wont comment on that. Secondly, the fish tank idea, although may have its benefits for climate control, might just cause more problems then it solves.
Although it is possible to do a tank bottom, and screen top(which i assume is what u meant) there are water issues, i.e drainage, that will need to be dealt with. How would you clean the bottom of the tank without removing the whole top?
As for the crix escaping, try a feeding cup, or just placing them in the pots of the plants.
As for the chicken wire idea, I actually like this idea and wish I would have used it instead of screen. As your cham gets older, the screen holes are get to small and often cause nail problems. Anywho, good luck with the cage and keep us posted with your blueprints.

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Yes but if it's the same chicken wire I'm thinking of it is very coarse and it would be easy for a chameleon to cut his feet on, so keep that in mind. If you're not worried about crickets escaping I'd go with the vinyl temporary fencing stuff. It's usually right next to the chicken wire at HD or Lowes. It comes in either green or black and has diamond shaped holes. I used aluminum pet screen on my home built cage. I tiled the floor and put one level of tiles around the inside perimeter so loose crickets wouldn't be able to climb up. Of course they can still climb everything else so luckily my guy is eating from a cup now. The fish tank for the cage bottom sounds like a bad idea, no way for drainage and hard to clean. For the bottom drainage is your number one concern, you do not want standing water in the cage. As far as wood goes I don't know if pine is okay or not, but either way make sure that you seal the wood 100%. Remember an adult male veiled is going to need at least 4'x2'x2'. Just frame it out with 2x2's, build the door frame, figure out what you want for the bottom and staple the screen on. I built my cage in a couple of hours minus tiling and screening, helps to have an extra set of hands too. I know it can be frustrating with your dad trying to help, (I know I just built a fence for my dad and he was getting on my nerves like no other, getting in the way, making stupid suggestions) but this is your project and you need to do it how you want it.

I would tend to disagree that the fish tank would be a totally bad idea.. It would depend on How High he was planning to build. I think that if you go High enough, you ventilation problems would be solved. However there comes an issue of drainage which will need to be solved.

Pine is alright to work with, just make sure you seal it well from all the water that is involved.

I think screen is also fin too. although the crickets will be able to escape fairly easy.

Overall I think the concept can work with what you got here. However there may be easier and more esthetically pleasing ways to do it. It can work though

OPI

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you can get a hole drilled in the bottom of your fish tank and any half decent aquarium shop, as long as its not a "tempered bottom" then its as simple as a rubber plug to drain when you need it. Vinyl block moulding/baseboard you can get in 1x2 or 2x2 posts which makes a great mold free alternative to wood posts and never needs refinishing.