Jevin
Chameleon Enthusiast
I have gotten past the point of making a design for Chandler's adult enclosure and have started to acquire material to build it. Mainly just missing the 2"×2" pieces of wood that will be used for it.
Currently my design is for a 5' tall cage on an integrated 18" stand that is 30" wide and 24" deep. I will be using aluminum window screen for the top and sides. The door which will meet with the top of the basin, will have angled edges on the inside that correspond to an angled piece in the doorframe area of the enclosure, resulting in the door appearing to be part of the frame of enclosure rather than separate. The hinges for the door will be flush mounted and to ensure the enclosure is prey item escape proof, I am going to use foam tape with adhesive only on one side to ensure that the angled perimeter of the door seals.
The bottom 8" of the cage part will be made into a basin that the screen from the sides is attached to on the inside perimeter of the basin so that any water droplets on the screen will collect in the basin. The basin area will be covered in the same material used on counter tops to ensure an easily cleanable surface. The bottom of the basin will also be given a low angle to one corner of the cage so a screened drain can be installed to ensure drainage of the water that collects in the enclosure.
The enclosure will also be heavily foliaged and will feature a MistKing, possibly two basking areas and a dual bulb T5 HO fixture with a 12% Arcadia bulb and a 6500K bulb installed in it purchased from light your reptiles. This is the one: http://www.lightyourreptiles.com/30...ure-with-arcadia-12-and-6-5k-day-light-bulbs/
I know that some would not recommend a 12% Arcadia bulb, but I have talked with Todd, @Venutus1, about which bulb would be best to use for this setup. Since it will be heavily foliaged and the fixture itself will be mounted on the outside of the screen, he recommended the 12%, this is also due to the size of the enclosure. The wood in the cage will all be sealed so that it will not be damaged by water and to give the build a finished look, all corners of the enclosure where the screen will obviously be cut and leave a rough edge will be finished off using pieces of 90° moldings.
I would like to build a deeper and taller enclosure, however do to requiring 18" of storage underneath for chameleon care related supplies, I can't build it any taller than 8' total due to the height of my ceiling, hence the enclosure part will be 5' tall to ensure that there is still enough clearance and space for proper and safe operation and ventilation of the lights. I also cannot easily make the cage wider as I only have about 33" of space between the edge of my bed and the door of my closet. Also due to the cage being beside my bed, making it more than 2' deep would cause issues for accessing my bed as it lifts up as seen in the picture.
I will update this thread with pictures as construction of the enclosure progresses.
Currently my design is for a 5' tall cage on an integrated 18" stand that is 30" wide and 24" deep. I will be using aluminum window screen for the top and sides. The door which will meet with the top of the basin, will have angled edges on the inside that correspond to an angled piece in the doorframe area of the enclosure, resulting in the door appearing to be part of the frame of enclosure rather than separate. The hinges for the door will be flush mounted and to ensure the enclosure is prey item escape proof, I am going to use foam tape with adhesive only on one side to ensure that the angled perimeter of the door seals.
The bottom 8" of the cage part will be made into a basin that the screen from the sides is attached to on the inside perimeter of the basin so that any water droplets on the screen will collect in the basin. The basin area will be covered in the same material used on counter tops to ensure an easily cleanable surface. The bottom of the basin will also be given a low angle to one corner of the cage so a screened drain can be installed to ensure drainage of the water that collects in the enclosure.
The enclosure will also be heavily foliaged and will feature a MistKing, possibly two basking areas and a dual bulb T5 HO fixture with a 12% Arcadia bulb and a 6500K bulb installed in it purchased from light your reptiles. This is the one: http://www.lightyourreptiles.com/30...ure-with-arcadia-12-and-6-5k-day-light-bulbs/
I know that some would not recommend a 12% Arcadia bulb, but I have talked with Todd, @Venutus1, about which bulb would be best to use for this setup. Since it will be heavily foliaged and the fixture itself will be mounted on the outside of the screen, he recommended the 12%, this is also due to the size of the enclosure. The wood in the cage will all be sealed so that it will not be damaged by water and to give the build a finished look, all corners of the enclosure where the screen will obviously be cut and leave a rough edge will be finished off using pieces of 90° moldings.
I would like to build a deeper and taller enclosure, however do to requiring 18" of storage underneath for chameleon care related supplies, I can't build it any taller than 8' total due to the height of my ceiling, hence the enclosure part will be 5' tall to ensure that there is still enough clearance and space for proper and safe operation and ventilation of the lights. I also cannot easily make the cage wider as I only have about 33" of space between the edge of my bed and the door of my closet. Also due to the cage being beside my bed, making it more than 2' deep would cause issues for accessing my bed as it lifts up as seen in the picture.
I will update this thread with pictures as construction of the enclosure progresses.
Last edited:
Happy Holidays!!! 
