Built my own DIY cage

[Brodybreaux25]

talking to the clerks

Well there’s your problem lol^

 

[Trailgem]

Where do the the pros get the materials they build the cages with? They got to get the material for the frame somewhere...

 

[Thatwizard420]

Alumiunum screen. Crickets can and will very very easily chew through that fiberglass stuff. The only thing fiberglass screen is good for is seperating a drainage layer and soil layer in bioactives lol.

I can help ya, when you go to build. If you do it right, (I will finish a sketch for ya) you can make the door sit flush while still being the 5/8x1.25 the rest of the cage is. It will also hide the cut marks on the face frame. Though you will still see mechanical holes from your screws/nails, but if you paint the outside frame you can hide that.

All in PVC might be cheaper if it's rigid enough for a build like this one. Because you will not have to seal it. I have been thinking about building one out of PVC myself for my QT instead of using the Reptibreeze and converting it.

Where do I find PVC? Like are they pipes?

 

[JoXie411]

Where do I find PVC? Like are they pipes?

No it’s a broad he’s talking about

 

[cyberlocc]

Where do I find PVC? Like are they pipes?

No they are Trim boards.

They are like 1x2s, but PVC instead of Wood.

https://www.lowes.com/pd/EverTrue-Actual-0-625-in-x-1-5-in-x-12-ft-Common-PVC-Board/1000444033

They come in 1x2 (linked) up to 1x6.

I attached a pic of one of my pieces, that I have for my QT cage, I cut them to 36inch lenghts to make them easier to work with and store till the rest of my stuff gets here.

You can cut them, with a Hacksaw super easy, though a Miter box would be helpful. Also any wood cutting saw would also work, Chop Saw, Table Saw, whatever. They can be drilled, they can be screwed, they are just like working with wood.

There is also Sheets of the stuff, my Lowe's/HD don't carry them, but the ones in big city's usually do. (Their prices, at least Lowe's is high though, for the Palight stuff she linked.) But in Pheonix their is some plastics shops that sell sheets for like 100 each 5x10 I believe.

They are pretty rigid. I can bend them, about an inch or two maybe, with great force, but they snap right back straight when let go. They can only be bent the 1inch direction which is actually 5/8, the 1.3inch side doesn't bend at all.

You could PVC glue them together, and make 2x2s that would not bend in any reasonable lenght. I would only do that for 6'+ prices though. For 36-48 inches, built correctly (like you would with 1x2s) they should not bend.

 

[dshuld]

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Veranda-HP-1-2-in-x-48-in-x-8-ft-White-PVC-Trim-H120AWS6/205309788

 

[cyberlocc]

^ that would be the stuff HD doesn't have here. But likely does in Pheonix.

If your going to make a very big from that. I think reenforcement would be needed. I don't know, but I would think. Dealing with the 1x2s, and how they bend on the 1 inch axis, you may need to put some of them on the outside as a Skelton to hold the weight on like 6-8ft tall build.

 

[jedijon]

UV light, plants, and yes—a chameleon!

Feeder is bottom of a juice container, magnet hotglued to it, and a matching one outside the screen.

 

[cyberlocc]

UV light, plants, and yes—a chameleon!

Feeder is bottom of a juice container, magnet hotglued to it, and a matching one outside the screen.

You need ALOT More plants. You have Zero foliage in the top half of the cage.

 

[Brodybreaux25]

They need hiding spots to feel secure. Look into hanging some Pothos or Spider plants. Foliage is not optional.

 

[JoXie411]

They need hiding spots to feel secure. Look into hanging some Pothos or Spider plants. Foliage is not optional.

Yes I find when I hide in a big bush I feel much more relaxed that my purple hair gets lighter sorry wrong post

 

[jedijon]

I agree that more plants is better, does beg the question of ‘what’s a sufficient amount to make this animal feel at home’.

It’s looking pretty sprightly in there!

At the moment, Theres DENSE cover to 12”. Tallest plant at 20”.

Rome wasn’t built in a day. Will be primarily letting these ones grow in. Packing any more into the current substrate is going to be limited to just cuttings. If you’re really interested, the photo is ponying steeply downward which plays some optical tricks. But yes, about half open for now—plan is to grow and let grow.

The ginger is starting to flower! How cool. anybody growing ginger?

 

[cyberlocc]

I agree that more plants is better, does beg the question of ‘what’s a sufficient amount to make this animal feel at home’.

It’s looking pretty sprightly in there!

At the moment, Theres DENSE cover to 12”. Tallest plant at 20”.

Rome wasn’t built in a day. Will be primarily letting these ones grow in. Packing any more into the current substrate is going to be limited to just cuttings. If you’re really interested, the photo is ponying steeply downward which plays some optical tricks. But yes, about half open for now—plan is to grow and let grow.

The ginger is starting to flower! How cool. anybody growing ginger?

Chameleons don't use the bottom 12inches of cage.....


He needs plants he can hide in, he needs plants in the Top of the cage. Not in a few years, Today!

They live in trees, dense foliage trees. Not on sticks in a desert, not in the soil, In trees!

What is sufficient you ask. Well Trees for starters, Chameleons DO NOT want to be seen. They want to hide in foliage, what foliage do you see for him to hide in? Look at Litteraly anyone else's cage, and see this is completely and utterly wrong.

And why are the misting nozzles attached to branches in the middle of the cage.... Have you read anything about setting up a chameleon cage? this thing couldn't get much more wrong.

 

[Brodybreaux25]

I agree that more plants is better, does beg the question of ‘what’s a sufficient amount to make this animal feel at home’.

It’s looking pretty sprightly in there!

At the moment, Theres DENSE cover to 12”. Tallest plant at 20”.

Rome wasn’t built in a day. Will be primarily letting these ones grow in. Packing any more into the current substrate is going to be limited to just cuttings. If you’re really interested, the photo is ponying steeply downward which plays some optical tricks. But yes, about half open for now—plan is to grow and let grow.

The ginger is starting to flower! How cool. anybody growing ginger?

No, no one is begging that question.

Your not getting us. Everything is backwards. Bring the leaves up and the bottom bare. That needs to happen today.

Why are you using substrate? Are you Bioactive?

 

[cyberlocc]

No, no one is begging that question.

Your not getting us. Everything is backwards. Bring the leaves up and the bottom bare. That needs to happen today.

Why are you using substrate? Are you Bioactive?

No we are misunderstanding, Rome wasn't built in a day, and neither was a forest, Chameleons lived long healthy lives in the desert while there forests were built .

We need to Grow and let Grow . Besides, Chameleons love wide open spaces .

 

[MissSkittles]

Hi there. It’s going to take a good amount of time before your plants grow in enough to reach the top. Please check out dragon strand ledges (one of the site sponsors). I am so very glad that I invested in them as I can put the plants where the cham wants and can use them...in the upper part of the enclosure. While I’m waiting for my plants to grow, I’m using some artificial to give coverage and leaves to drink from. Every day I have to look carefully for a few minutes to find my girl. I believe that is the way she likes it.

 

[cyberlocc]

Hi there. It’s going to take a good amount of time before your plants grow in enough to reach the top. Please check out dragon strand ledges (one of the site sponsors). I am so very glad that I invested in them as I can put the plants where the cham wants and can use them...in the upper part of the enclosure. While I’m waiting for my plants to grow, I’m using some artificial to give coverage and leaves to drink from. Every day I have to look carefully for a few minutes to find my girl. I believe that is the way she likes it.

Lol, Love the plug.

His cage is wood... He can't use, and doesn't need Dragonstrand Ledges.

He just needs a stainless steel hook, a hanging pot and a Pothos. Easy .

I guess we should have said that from the beginning.

OP all you need is a Stainless steel hook, strong thick one. And a Pothos, they come huge in hanging pots, 16 dollars.

Put the hook in the top back of the frame, Swap the soil, wash the plant very well, hang the plant drape the vines over the branches, done. Easy, cheap, fixes the issues. At least until your your trees grow out, Alot.

You don't have to use it forever, just at least until your trees take up 3/4+ of the cage.

 

[MissSkittles]

Lol, Love the plug.

His cage is wood... He can't use, and doesn't need Dragonstrand Ledges.

He just needs a stainless steel hook, a hanging pot and a Pothos. Easy .

Lol. I love the ledges! Didn’t know they can’t be used with wood though. Whatever & however, definitely needs more plant cover for the top.

 

[cyberlocc]

Lol. I love the ledges! Didn’t know they can’t be used with wood though. Whatever & however, definitely needs more plant cover for the top.

I mean I guess they could, but they would have to be modified. Or at least screws swapped, but they serve little purpose in wood, as you can just run hooks or a wooden version.

 

[Brodybreaux25]

No we are misunderstanding, Rome wasn't built in a day, and neither was a forest, Chameleons lived long healthy lives in the desert while there forests were built .

We need to Grow and let Grow . Besides, Chameleons love wide open spaces .

No, I understand quite well. Veilds do not come from barren environments devoid of foliage.

You were literally advocating for adding foliage “today” one post before mine. How can your advice vary so wildly over such a short period of time?