ESU cages pure junk

Fate X

New Member
i got 4 of esu fresh air habitats 30x30x18 and the screen is already rusting out . their only 4 months old ,what a shame ,i was on the belief the screen was aluminum must be steel though, that makes alot of sense aluminum frames with steel mesh .
 
Wow... only 4 months? Where do you live? I was wondering if you live near the ocean air, because that will definitely increase rusting in metals. I would definitely write them, show them a photo, and if you have a record of when you purchased it, show that as well. Your cages shouldn't be rusting at all, let alone in 4 months time.

I have had some Fresh Air Habitats and I haven't had any problem with rusting at all (have had them longer than a year), however, they are a HUGE pain to clean (no lower door to open and the inability to remove the flooring for deep cleaning). I no longer purchase them for this reason.

Talk to ESU and perhaps they will do something about this problem...
 
I've been using ESU cages for over a year. The only part that's ever rusted was the screws. Everything else is coated aluminium.
 
Hey... I just discovered that if you remove the bottom side screw towards the front of the cage on both sides and remove the bolt on the front, the bottom will swing out like other cages with this feature. MUCH easier for cleaning, especially if you have your chameleons outside and can take a spray hose to the floor of your cage.

I'm always tinkering to make things more efficient if I can... At least those cages won't go to waste now.
 
many of the bottom screws are rusted along with areas of screen towards the bottom and sides also , i will be putting pics here so you can see what i mean.and they are only 4 months old ,they were brand new when i got them from reptile direct.
i live at Reading, Pennsylvania.


the screen is steel ,must be to be rusting out
 
I think it could be because of cheap materials. I cannot believe how cheap those ESU cages are. I made my 2x2x3' aluminum cages for ~$40 each, but I did not get volume discounts on raw materials.

I sold them at a reptile show last year, and was mocked by the vendors there, for buuilding my own cages - they don't understand the idea of a "hobby", I guess...

They buy the largest ESU cages for $20 or less in volume. They must not be composed of the finest quality "ingredients" to sell so cheaply.

I had one of my cages outside for over a year, winter and summer. I broke it down to use as a demo cage at a reptile show. I set it up next to one that was for sale, and I could not tell the difference between the two. I was impressed.

If the screen's rusted, there's not much you can do. If the hinges are rusting, replace them with brass, or something less prone to corrosion. Brass will react to aluminum, but less so than steel reacting to the elements!
You can get nice sheet metal screws that won't rust too. I bought the cheapest ones at home depot, and they don't rust.
 
ESU Fresh Air Habitat

Mass produced screen cages. You can get them pretty cheap, and they are readily available. I wish they offered a larger size. I kept my panther in a medium sized one until he outgrew it; no problems that I can recall.
 
Ok I found them but on the cheap ones how does the cage open. I cant tell from the pics. Does the whole side swing open or is it top open only?
 
you can get esu 30" by 30" by 18" for 75$ delivered from reptile direct but i wouldnt because you could spend a extra 30 $ and get these other cages that are all aluminum i dont know the name of the place its on my fav list .
and as far as the esu cages the screen should be aluminum not steel and theres a way to fix them but its gonna take a lot of time and patience it requires re-screening all the frames with aluminum screen for which i would need aluminum screen and spline and a spline tool. each cage has 7 screen frames ,so i am planning on re- building them with upgraded parts like those brass hinges and rust proof screws n aluminum screen.

i still think esu cages r junk though, they should use aluminum like everyone else.
 
I definitely prefer a custom cage.

Why I prefer non esu screened cages:
  • custom sizes - many different sizes are available, including custom sizes
  • bottom door - this addition makes cleaning much easier
  • material options - some companies such as cages.net offers screen material options.
  • cage side options - some companies such as bluebeastreptile.com gives you the option of a partially screened cage.
  • better quality - this can vary, but usually these cages are of a higher quality when compared to the esu cages.

I do like the esu fresh air cages more than the reptariums. If I ever find myself in the situation where I need a new cage immediately , I would probably purchase a small esu cage again as a temporary solution.
 
i happen to beleive the mesh on these esu cages is made of coated steel for the simple fact that i have alot of rusting around where the mist nozzles are.
i am going to have to seal around where i cut the holes for the mist nozzles with aquarium sealer because now there is starting to be too much rust if you look at some pics i took you can see what im talking about.
i was with the belief that aluminum will not rust.
 
aluminum doesnt rust..........its a non ferrous metal.

Anodizing is how aluminum CORRODES and corroded aluminum is named aluminum oxide.

If its rusting, you got jipped.

I would use aluminum screen and brass harware or at the best side, stainless steel.
 
I found a great deal on a EUS black screen cage 30Lx18Wx30H for $45. I figture it was a good buy. I use it for a year old male is this not a good cage for him.
 
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