Adult Panther Chameleon Cage Schmatics

well i drew up this cage for somthing to build for a Blue Bar Cham at the local pet shop ive been saving up and can almost afford him. I'm 16...... Ok sooo what ever nuff about that heres my schmatics. its not really to scale.
props/crits/suggestions?

^ i am aware that the 11 1/4 bar should be 10 1/2

^ this ones like ideas of the base and the door and a possible background/wall

bump...
tell me if i should change the desighn or if the desighns fine

as long as you have enough space to put a bucket or something under it and there is some screen..a door and a place to put lights itll do just fine.

i dont think i would even bother with the middle supports on the sides, but that would be good if you screw in eyelets on the inside to help secure vines and stuff.. maybe just put them further up for that purpose.

also if you want to have any hanging plants id put a little brace at the top for that as well..

heartben said:

as long as you have enough space to put a bucket or something under it and there is some screen..a door and a place to put lights itll do just fine.

i dont think i would even bother with the middle supports on the sides, but that would be good if you screw in eyelets on the inside to help secure vines and stuff.. maybe just put them further up for that purpose.

also if you want to have any hanging plants id put a little brace at the top for that as well..

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alright thanks i was also thinking about having a base that was deep and doubles for drainage where i could grow plants out of what u think or is that just too much trouble? i mean i wana make a nice cage

Meow Kitty said:

alright thanks i was also thinking about having a base that was deep and doubles for drainage where i could grow plants out of what u think or is that just too much trouble? i mean i wana make a nice cage

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hi. how high are you having the setup overall i.e. floor standing, stand etc. incorporating a stand into the build means you can use the base as drainage overspill area and an hidden collector to recycle the now "nutritional soup" . if you want to integrate the substrate/planting into the build add an extra 10" or so in height for the soil/drainage purposes. but then that means you have to waterproof the soil area someway. . looks more natural tho' methinks

nic

S6t6nic6L said:

hi. how high are you having the setup overall i.e. floor standing, stand etc. incorporating a stand into the build means you can use the base as drainage overspill area and an hidden collector to recycle the now "nutritional soup" . if you want to integrate the substrate/planting into the build add an extra 10" or so in height for the soil/drainage purposes. but then that means you have to waterproof the soil area someway. . looks more natural tho' methinks

nic

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thanks i saw your tank its jesus of all tanks...what was that water instilation you used ... also its gona be an inside tank soooo it has to be under 10 feed so it would probly be like 6ft tall in my house so around a 2-3 ft base for the drainage / plants and junk

Meow Kitty said:

thanks i saw your tank its jesus of all tanks...what was that water instilation you used ... also its gona be an inside tank soooo it has to be under 10 feed so it would probly be like 6ft tall in my house so around a 2-3 ft base for the drainage / plants and junk

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hi. thanks for the praise. mine stands at 6' overall inc substrate area and stand which is ideal for the cham's basking and rest area being high up to help him/her feel more at ease. on the waterproofing side you can easily adopt the plastic tub/tank method to keep the substrate and water in place and so easy to drain off as need be.



this method can be adapted to run directly below the strainer(upturned perforated food tub, ideally with a sponge in and outside the strainer) with tubing to a collector. put the drainage medium above the strainer and the tube in the strainer halfway between the bottom and top of the medium.

and here is the "soup" that gets recycled back into the viv and for my toads plants. . just to give you some idea's to employ in the build.

good luck with the project

nic

p.s. if you want another method please ask as i use another type for my toads and talk about simplicity, well.....

bump... Any more flaws? ^ima make a waterproofed base

Meow Kitty said:

bump... Any more flaws? ^ima make a waterproofed base

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i don't see any flaws in the design. there is so many ideas and adaptions you can integrate into the build. PM'd you on the base.

nic

temporary cage for my new baby panther ima order from chameleonsonly.com probly since the adult i was gona buy got sold

bump... comments, threats?

Is this an outside cage? Are you building it out of wood? Are you doing it yourself?

Eltortu said:

Is this an outside cage? Are you building it out of wood? Are you doing it yourself?

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no, yes ,yes i am building it outa 2 x 4s and a table saw, wood glue and some finishing nails ive decided to cut the rounded edges off and planing all the planks an 1/8th of an inch off of course sanding, to water proof it ill simply just use a water proof poly..... personally this is a small project with no need for special jibs or machinery i could use hand tools but some power tools will speeed it up reallly fast If i can do it soooo can u
with the help of S6t6nic6L ive also figured out a base that i could use some nice wood to finish the frame and hide the plexi-glass/drain system

Meow Kitty said:

no, yes ,yes i am building it outa 2 x 4s and a table saw, wood glue and some finishing nails ive decided to cut the rounded edges off and planing all the planks an 1/8th of an inch off of course sanding, to water proof it ill simply just use a water proof poly..... personally this is a small project with no need for special jibs or machinery i could use hand tools but some power tools will speeed it up reallly fast If i can do it soooo can u
with the help of S6t6nic6L ive also figured out a base that i could use some nice wood to finish the frame and hide the plexi-glass/drain system

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2 x 4's will make the cage heavy. Pine is not the best wood around moisture, even if you are using a good oil based water proof. If I were you, I'd get 1 x 2 poplar or maple strips. They are hard wood and not expensive at all. just giving you my 3 cents...

Eltortu said:

2 x 4's will make the cage heavy. Pine is not the best wood around moisture, even if you are using a good oil based water proof. If I were you, I'd get 1 x 2 poplar or maple strips. They are hard wood and not expensive at all. just giving you my 3 cents...

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i dont think the cages weight would matter since it will be stationary

The cages weight certainly does matter as it is taken into account when you have to factor in the stress that it can support.

Building (or rather, DESIGNING) a cage is much more complicated than it seems. Your initial images did not show up for me, so I'm not entirely sure what you are planning to do, but if you would like some help/questions on the design feel free to shoot me an IM/PM and I can help you out.



You can build something super-simplistic and the design will be easy...but the more things you incorporate, the complexity adds up fast...

@Eltortu's response: I have to disagree with him on this. I have used standard pine 2x4's and plyboard for several builds now and it is holding up perfectly fine (and is far cheaper than any alternative wood that I could find). I believe the secret to this is to PROPERLY SEAL YOUR WOOD. I use an All-Purpose Weatherproof Deck Stain by Behr designed to withstand hail and snowstorm conditions. My oldest build with this technique is now about 7.5 months old misted daily with no bending or any other signs of water damage. I do apply at least 1 coat to each piece of wood BEFORE connecting it and then 1 final coat after the structure is complete.

If you do not properly seal your wood and/or use a wood which does not react well to water....you will be looking at both mold/fungus issues and potential structural issues down the line. (This is also another factor where weight does play into your design....IF it does weaken, you need make sure it doesn't buckle)


TO CLARIFY*** When I said I use 2x4's I don't mean for the entire thing. I use 2x4's for my structural studs/supports combined with 1/2"-3/4" plyboard (depending on structural needs) for the main body. If you are planning to plank 2x4's...that might be pretty heavy....but if you are just using 2x4's for a skeletal frame and running screen over everything else (all 5 sides) then I can say with confidence that structurally it will hold fine....though it will still be kinda heavy (but I actually find that to be a benefit, as it makes it more sturdy as well....you won't move it THAT much)

You can AIM me @ ManiArabi and i'll be glad to take a look at your specs


EDIT: Depending on the dimensions of your overall cage, 2x4's might be too big....you can prob get away with 1x4's or maybe even 1x2's for a smaller cage (like 24"x24"x48" or so) depending on the other weight factors you are putting in

thanks for that weather proofing idea.... bump any more love?

Meow Kitty said:

thanks for that weather proofing idea.... bump any more love?

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No love from me, but I'd like to see pictures when you are done with your project.

Eltortu said:

No love from me, but I'd like to see pictures when you are done with your project.

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lol k well in class today i cut out all the peices and trimmed the sides to a nice non curved peice

Meow Kitty said:

bump... comments, threats?

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I am the Great Cornholio!!!!!!!!!!