Cage almost complete, any suggestions?

[Tropheus]

I'm almost done with my new 36x30x84" cage. The actual cage space is 36x30x72". I plan on setting pothos in the top back corners, a corn plant and maybe a ficus as well. Any ideas on a drip system, mister, humidifier? I'm thinking about trying to find a tub that fits in the bottom.

 

[Marc10edora]

Looking good. Does it have a drainage system?

 

[NickBoudin]

Looking good. Does it have a drainage system?

I think that's what the tub is for that he's talking about getting.

I'd suggest getting one, and putting it atleast a foot away from the bottom. That way you can make a hole in it (around 1 inch in diameter) and use some kind of screen to catch junk that falls in, and then put some kind of pail under neath to catch the water.

Make your own mist system, just make sure you have an efficient pump, and mist/drip nozzels!


Goodluck, and keep us posted

 

[Chameleon Company]

Tropheus

However you end up with watering, drainage control, etc, there are many options open to you. In the end it is often governed by what the area around the cage will tolerate. In example, if indoors on good floors, even a tub in the bottom will not solve the problem of splash from leaves, etc. caused by the drip of any water off leaves, regardless of whether you started with a mister, dripper, etc. I write that more for others to consider when building a cage, as moisture containment, use of a tub, etc, is often step one in planning, above which the rest of the cage is designed if it is to be an indoor cage. Such things as cage dimensions, height off floor, etc, and often location, are all impacted by choice of drainage.

However you go, one important factor to keep in mind will be to avoid the accumulation of any standing water inside the cage. Whether this is something as seemingly innocent as a tray under a potted plant, or a larger tub, any standing water will become contaminated, whether more quickly by loose/dead crickets or chameleon droppings, or more slowly just by air currents and organis debris. After two days, and certainly by four, this can reach dangerous levels such that it can be taken up by loose crickets etc. Turning them into poison pills, they transfer large doses of otherwise more random common bacteria back into the chameleon, causing potentially fatal consequences over a time frame of 4-12 weeks, depending on just how nasty the standing water gets. Eliminating standing water is one of the most overlooked problems with indoor caging, and also one of the most difficult to engineer if not planned for in advance.

To all indoor cage builders, wheels on a cage can work wonders.

Nice looking craftsmanship, btw.

 

[CammieNLeno]

Here is my recommendation for you!

http://www.blackjungle.com/gallery/talltank/page1.html

Doenst do ANYTHING to anwser your questions, but man it would look AWESOME in your homemade cage, and would really top off the project. Check it out, tell me what ya think

 

[angus310]

I made a similar one the suggestion directly above me. I used the great stuff, then put brown latex paint over that, then spraypainted. I let all this cure for about a week. I added driftwood before spraying the great stuff. It worked great and then I screwed the plywood that it was built on to the screen cage frame directly. I cut the excess foam from each side and then painted the ends with just the brown paint. You can't even tell that it isn't real. I will be posting pics soon. Sorry for not writing in the order of my project.

At the end I added a 1/4 inch by 1/4 inch black plastic fencing on top of the normal screen cage. This way, the chameleon can safely climb on it without hurting its feet and you can still limit the crix etc. from escaping.

As a note, I have plenty of the fencing left over and am willing to ship some out to anyone on this forum who wants it. All you would have to pay for is the shipping. Send me the measurements and I will cut you all you need.

 

[Phatturk]

To all indoor cage builders, wheels on a cage can work wonders.

Nice looking craftsmanship, btw.

This is great advice! I got 6 wheels on my setup and it allows me to move it pretty much anywhere in my house. Before I leave in the morning I turn the whole thing to face out the window. I know he dosen't get UVB that way but he really likes looking out the window, I think. I also made mine so that it breaks in half just in case I need to move. Here is a pic of it so far.