Pickle-cham
Chameleon Enthusiast
Could you use gravity siphon with a squeeze ball valved primer?
Drainage Systems for Cages - get creative!
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Could you use gravity siphon with a squeeze ball valved primer?
Pickle-cham
Chameleon Enthusiast
Klyde O'Scope
Chameleon Enthusiast
Thanks. I'd prefer just plain gravity, so all I'll have to do (regularly) is fill the mister and dump the bucket underneath. Someone here (in a PM) put me onto an article on DS's site on how to do it with Drip Irrigation parts.
A Simple Gravity Drain For Dragon Strand Drainage Trays
It appears that the design of the trays (both sizes) has changed to ribs running across the trays, so a center drain (or close to it) should now be possible if desired.
Pickle-cham
Chameleon Enthusiast
Could connect up to nearest waste plumbing with flo-plast pipes no doubt, ensuring a u- bend in mix somewhere to prevent waste odours.
Then no emptying stank water buckets?
Then no emptying stank water buckets?
Klyde O'Scope
Chameleon Enthusiast
I know you're (half?) kidding, but believe me, if I could―I would―even if it meant installing an inline pump. But locations of the enclosure and nearest drains... uh-uh. A 4-6 gal. bucket should last a week or more before needing emptying, and I do the heavy maint. on the dragon once a week anyway (He's a messy dragon―and I don't mean ?; they get cleaned up & sanitized immediately).
Blizzy07
Member
What is the bottom layer in your enclosure?
NashansCamos
Chameleon Enthusiast
this person sundragon posted in 2014 and is no longer currently active on the forums
flyingpanther
Member
Here is a simple drainage system I constructed for a two piece China cabinet conversion.
I sawed through the top and bottom cabinet and cut into the divider walls to allow the draining basin to sit as deep as possible without interfering with the cabinet/drawer access below. It required a few difficult angles with various saw tools to get it level but it is not too bad if you take your time with it or have the correct tool, which I did not. I then made a custom catch basin out of used scrap wood since I found it a little easier to work with than acrylic or other such materials.
The interior got lined with a few layers of silicone and then I gave it a thorough water test to make sure there were no leaks. I put a drain bulkhead in the bottom and cut it down just a bit to allow a slightly lower water level inside the basin.
The outflow hose is just acrylic tubing attached to an irrigation shutoff valve hanging over a 5 gallon bucket. I cut down some pool noodles to use as a rain skirt to transition water from the background walls of the vivarium into the drainage basin.
It was fairly simple to cut and apply the formed foam and secure it in place with more silicone. You should allow just enough overhang to allow for a proper drip line into the catch basin especially if working with wood structures to prevent serious water damage if there is a leak. I used clay pebbles under a screen separator and then substrate on top.
I run another 5 gal R.O. from the other side of the cabinet which ties into a MistKing pump/ 8 nozzle spray system. So far it has been a very simple and effective design and would not be too difficult to tweak and apply to many different applications.
I sawed through the top and bottom cabinet and cut into the divider walls to allow the draining basin to sit as deep as possible without interfering with the cabinet/drawer access below. It required a few difficult angles with various saw tools to get it level but it is not too bad if you take your time with it or have the correct tool, which I did not. I then made a custom catch basin out of used scrap wood since I found it a little easier to work with than acrylic or other such materials.
The interior got lined with a few layers of silicone and then I gave it a thorough water test to make sure there were no leaks. I put a drain bulkhead in the bottom and cut it down just a bit to allow a slightly lower water level inside the basin.
The outflow hose is just acrylic tubing attached to an irrigation shutoff valve hanging over a 5 gallon bucket. I cut down some pool noodles to use as a rain skirt to transition water from the background walls of the vivarium into the drainage basin.
It was fairly simple to cut and apply the formed foam and secure it in place with more silicone. You should allow just enough overhang to allow for a proper drip line into the catch basin especially if working with wood structures to prevent serious water damage if there is a leak. I used clay pebbles under a screen separator and then substrate on top.
I run another 5 gal R.O. from the other side of the cabinet which ties into a MistKing pump/ 8 nozzle spray system. So far it has been a very simple and effective design and would not be too difficult to tweak and apply to many different applications.
Klyde O'Scope
Chameleon Enthusiast
Very impressive!
When you say, "The interior got lined with a few layers of silicone," was that just the seams? I can't see as well as I used to, so I can't tell if you applied anything to the inside of the boards.
flyingpanther
Member
Yes, I was just referring to the inside of the drainage basin here. Since there is a few inches of standing water On the bottom I wanted to make sure it was fairly thick. I tried to spread out about 1/8” layer and let it dry before applying the next and I think I did three layers on the basin. I also siliconed the entire inside of the cabinet as well before applying great stuff foam, cork, etc. and then another layer of silicone before background texture was added.Very impressive!
When you say, "The interior got lined with a few layers of silicone," was that just the seams? I can't see as well as I used to, so I can't tell if you applied anything to the inside of the boards.
Klyde O'Scope
Chameleon Enthusiast
What kind of silicone? I'm guessing not GE #1 calk.
flyingpanther
Member
ASI aquarium silicone. Mostly the black stuff on the background.
https://www.bestmaterials.com/detai...MI6bK3usKy7AIVRz6tBh3sOQWlEAQYASABEgLQwvD_BwE
Ta2Smitty
Avid Member
here’s what I came up with for my rack and it works flawlessly. I made my pan run the length of my rack. I used 1/4” plywood with 1x2 sides walls. Sealed them with silicone and covered the whole thing with flex seal rubber. I added a 1/2” tube in one corner that runs down into a bucket.
The rack rails are shaped like a C and the tray sits inside the C and the wire rack sits on the top of the C. Lastly, I raised one end of the rack to help the water move towards the hoses. I’ve poured a yeti tumbler full of water and not a single drop of water was lost/spilt. Granted, it’s not going to stop a flood but can surely handle the slow water flow from some malfunctioning misters.
It’s not the prettiest but no one can see it once I put cages up.
The rack rails are shaped like a C and the tray sits inside the C and the wire rack sits on the top of the C. Lastly, I raised one end of the rack to help the water move towards the hoses. I’ve poured a yeti tumbler full of water and not a single drop of water was lost/spilt. Granted, it’s not going to stop a flood but can surely handle the slow water flow from some malfunctioning misters.
It’s not the prettiest but no one can see it once I put cages up.
Last edited:
Ta2Smitty
Avid Member
Here’s what I came up with. It’s I used a plywood sheet cut down to fit in between my rack rails.
I added 1x1’s around the outside to act as walls then ran a bead of silicone to seal them
Added a 1/2”drainage tube in the corner
lastly covered it in flex seal rubber paint
here’s how it works the rack rails are”C” shaped so the drainage pan(the blue line)sits on the inside of the “C” and the metal rack(the red line)sits on the top like it’s supposed to.
After the i prop one end up to guide the water to the drainage tube. And it does work, I’ve poured a full yeti cup of water with no leakage. If I needed too I could’ve doubled up the 1”x1” to make the wall boarder higher. The great thing about it is both drainage pans are completely hidden.
Added a 1/2”drainage tube in the corner
lastly covered it in flex seal rubber paint
here’s how it works the rack rails are”C” shaped so the drainage pan(the blue line)sits on the inside of the “C” and the metal rack(the red line)sits on the top like it’s supposed to.
After the i prop one end up to guide the water to the drainage tube. And it does work, I’ve poured a full yeti cup of water with no leakage. If I needed too I could’ve doubled up the 1”x1” to make the wall boarder higher. The great thing about it is both drainage pans are completely hidden.
I've found you can remold PVC sheets using hot sand heated on the bbq into a bowl shape by setting the sheet on a frame and applying the hot sand to slump the PVC.
Once it cools you can carefully drill a hole and insert a bulkhead. If you drill small holes in the top sides of the bulkhead first it will lower the thresh hold for drainage. I run tubing from the bottom connector of the bulkhead to a collection container.
Once it cools you can carefully drill a hole and insert a bulkhead. If you drill small holes in the top sides of the bulkhead first it will lower the thresh hold for drainage. I run tubing from the bottom connector of the bulkhead to a collection container.
Klyde O'Scope
Chameleon Enthusiast
As the adage goes... "Can't see it from MY house." ?
Klyde O'Scope
Chameleon Enthusiast
No, no... not what I meant at all. During summers in college, I worked construction. Construction mistakes (muckups) weren't uncommon, and some could be really ugly—literally, which would often spur someone on the crew to recapitulate, "Can't see it from MY house." ?
Kind of a running gag.
Southernlead
New Member
Can you tell me how you fabricated the background. I love the texture and 3D effect?
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