5 new cages

nick barta

Chameleon Enthusiast
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The new Chameleons are coming, and their homes are almost done! On 12-30-08 I have a Mellers CH (FLChams), an Oustalet and Verrucosas CB(Chameleon Company) coming to live with us. These will add to my male Veiled (5 months old) and my 12 week old Panther cross (Chameleons Northwest).
I have attempted to make water collection simple with a new collection drain pan that Elliot of Chameleons Northwest told me about.
Shedding leaves of Ficus, sheffelera, and other typical plants in Chameleon habitats I have used in the past create hiding places for feeder insects, make a mess in the cage, and offer fodder for bacterial growth, so I have taken a hanging Pathos, removed the hanging hook, and built a bamboo shelf for it to sit on.
By wrapping the Pathos around the numerous branches, wood dowels and bamboo sticks in the habitat, it gives the hiding places in the mid to upper level, and creates the jungle-like appearance I wanted while leaving the floor of the cage completely clear for cleaning.


This water tray is 32" by 51" which will handle two 24" by 24" wide cages side by side. It is perfect!
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This water port attaches to a regular garden hose, and comes with the water tray.
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The wood frame that the 2 cages rest on are 2x10 on the end pieces, and 2 x 2 on the connecting pieces. The light support bar is 2 x 2.
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Inside the cage I installed 4 corner posts 3/4 by 3/4, connected by 3/8 dowels. The corner posts are 1 inch in from each edge to allow the bottom door to swing open. This also gives room to assemble the framework inside the cage by pushing the dowels through the holes in the corner poles. Once assembled, hot glue all the dowels in place.
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The Pathos live plant is hot glued to 2 horizontal bamboo sticks. Tree branches and sandblasted corkscrew branches are hotglued as well.
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On both the 48 inch and 36 inch tall cages, the Pathos is the only plant in the cage, so the floor is easy to keep clean. I try to land the branches onto the wood structure for easy cleaning, and to stop food insects hiding.
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My 10 week old Panther Cosmos is at home in his Ecoterra 16 x 16 x 20 cage.On this cage there is not enough heigth to hang a plant, so no dowel structure was used.
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Here is Cosmos heating up.
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This is a picture of Cosmos parents from Chameleons Northwest, and his birthdate.
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The Pathos plants are my favorite, they will grow in standing water, don't extensively drop leaves, and you can wrap them around the bamboo and branches for a great effect.
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Carpos, my 6 month Veiled is feeding from his food bowl in his new 24 x 24 x 48 inch cage.
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Points of information:

1) The water tray was purchased wholesale at a heating and air conditioning supply firm. I don't think you can buy them retail, they are a drip pan for air conditioners or furnaces. The company is DiversiTech Corporation. Wholesale cost was about $30.00 each. I bought through a contractor I know.

2) My Herpmist System is due in soon, and once installed, I will set up the drain hoses for the 2 sets of cages, drill some drainage holes in the cage bottoms, and create a tray for Cosmos' smaller cage.

3) The wood structures inside the cage cost about $15.00 each, using 3/8 inch dowels, and 1 x 2's split in half for the corner posts.

4) The Pathos were $14.00 each for plants that hung down 3 feet (Home Depot had little ones for $6.00, but I wanted hiding places for my new Juvinile Mellers, Oustalets and Verrucosus coming in Tuesday)!

5) The 4 large cages were purchased from LLL Reptile, $57.00 each for the 36 inch and $79.00 each for the 48 inch.

6) By using a flourescent fixture that takes a 48 inch bulb, I reduce long term bulb costs. My basking lights are a collection of many bulbs, and presently give basking temps of 80 to 92 degrees.

I am looking forward to my new Chams, and continued interaction with the forum members.

CHEERS!!!

Nick Barta

Puyallup Washington
 
Looks fantastic, I really like pothos. I know there are different kinds too. Is there any issues with mold developing on the wood framework?
 
Nice work!

Pothos are great! I am using them in the same fashion. My two veiled have a Pothos each. they are so over grown they don't need a Ficus or other type of plant to wander through.
 
pothos will really take over in an enclosure that is misted regularly i have it hanging too and it has grown to the floor then back up to the top its amazingly hardy plant really nice setups you have there!:)
 
Haven't got the water going yet, but in the past there have been no problems, the water will run to the center of the floor to the drain holes, as I "pull" the floor down by a wire through the drain holes. I attatch the wire to the wood framework that the cages are resting on.

CHEERS!!!

Nick Barta

Puyallup Washington
 
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