Flexarium Modification

[MattiBee]

Hi all, after several ideas scrapped i have decided that i want to get a mesh enclosure and replace 2 of the sides (back and one side) with a solid wall such as corrugated plastic, this is because The enclosure will be near a wall and i don't want issues with misting and causing damp/damage. I was wondering if there is anyone here who could help with ideas for the best way to do this (specific enclosures that work well?).

If anyone uses the exo terra flexarium here if they could just explain if that would be suitable to do this mod on and what the enclosure is like in general. Pictures of their flexarium set up would be greatly appreciated as i am not sure what to do with placing the light fixtures etc.

thanks

 

[tryme]

you have got a very good point i have the flexarium and its ontop of a chest of draws and next to my wardrobe therefore backspray etc will most likely be causing me damage to the walls etc through the back of the enclosure



as you can see my reptisun 10.0 tube, my incandecent light, and you see the she box on the wardrobe thats where my big dripper sits. (also inso the enclosure not sure if you can see i have my hygrometer some plants and rope and of course my little guy)

 

[MattiBee]

thanks for that, i was under the impression you wouldnt be able to place the light on top of the flex, but it looks as though yours is similar to how i want to set mine up. would you say the zip to get into the enclosure is good, i don't want to shake the whole thing when im trying to open it.

Also have you had any problems with the mesh melting from the heat lamp?

And as i live in england there is a concern with the heat in my house and the flexarium keeping its heat, i measured it last night and the room my cham will be in stays between 70-80 degress, with lows of 65. Is this going to be too cold to have a full mesh viv?

thanks for your help

 

[tryme]

My zips aren't to great but have caused me some problems for example if it gets stuck you have to zip it back up to unzip it if you see what I mean? I have had no problem with the mesh melting as my tube fitting is the only thing that actually touches the enclosure from the outside - The edges of the tube where the fitting is is plastic. (My incandecent bulb is on my wardrobe and doesnt actually touch the mesh). I live in England to, Temps of around 70-80 are fine as far as I know for a young cham, when they reach about 6 months or older I believe it should be hotter in the basking area. Temps dropping to 65 should be fine as this will help simulate life for the cham in the wild. I hope that helps and also I would appreciate somebody giving a second opinion on this.

 

[MattiBee]

oh right thats just what i needed, someone who lives in england with a flexarium! lol everyone i have spoken to in england has used semi mesh enclosures, mainly made of glass or similar. Yeah its just i thought that my room might make the flex loose too much heat but i will be running between 75-100 watt basking bulb so it should be fine.

Would you be able to do me a huge favour and just list your set up at the moment and just if this is working fine for you (just brand and model of lights etc)? I really appreciate your help and opinions and i am just concerned about what lights to get as i have heard some can cause burns.

thanks

 

[Julirs]

I wouldn't replace the mesh with anything. If you end up cutting it I really don't see it being stable at all. You could somehow attach either plastic sheeting or some type of thin hard plastic cut to size to the outside.

 

[MattiBee]

yeah that was one idea i had, im just trying to work out how sturdy these flexariums are so i can decide on what to do. I think just attaching a sheet of plastic will be better.

 

[tryme]

ok no probs so far i have:

38Gal Flexarium
10.0 Reptisun fluorescent UVB tube (18Inches, 15 watts)
Arcadia Fluorescent lighting controller (standard 14w-15w 15inch-18inch)
Just a standard desktop lamp with a 40W ES fitting bulb (you may need to go higher depending on how your temps go)
zoo med hygrometer
3 metres of rope (which I got from b&q)
2 house plants which are the umbrella plant and the weeping fig
Zoo Med's - The big Dripper
A manual hand spraying bottle from a garden centre (you should go for the pump spray not the manual, im also going to change to the pump spray version)
And i personally use paper towels on the bottom to collect the water falling off the leaves although a flextray is highly recommended with these flexariums as you can end up with a very wet carpet or rotting your ornament which your flexarium is sitting ontop of.

I think thats pretty much everything but also don't forget your suppliments which are Calcium WITHOUT D3, calcium WITH d3 and a multivitamin.

But also please remember, this is just a standard setup you can make it much more complex and interesting as you wish as i'm sure i'm going to in the near future!

 

[MattiBee]

brilliant thanks for that! Im going to replicate that as much as i can, as i beleive its better to start out simple than to complicate things straight away and forget the basics.

Have you ever had to deal with a power cut in your area with your cham?

 

[tryme]

No, although thats a very good question and one which I need an answer to also lol. Here's a pic of how the desktop lamp is situated (also it gives me a chance to show off my cham)

 

[MattiBee]

Yeah i would like to know of a precaution for power cuts (if i hear of one ill let you know), as i imagine flexs don't keep their heat for long! Lovely cham by the way! Would you say 38g is the right size for an adult in your opinion?

 

[tryme]

They dont keep heat for to long but I dont think they are that bad really...thanks i haven't had him to long. when the cham reaches about 6-9 months you should really be heading for atleast 2ft wide 2ft back and 4ft high (for a male veiled) in my opinion any way, a 100gal flexarium would be really good although im going to upgrade to an aluminium when he reaches adult size, although in England they can be hard to find.

 

[MattiBee]

yeh well im getting a temporary enclosure for my cham when i get it (its only 3 months old so 38g will prob be too big) and then im going to buy similar stuff that you have listed and that should last for a while. i dont mind replacing the flexariums as they are only £30-50 lol! much better than my beardies viv, which was £150!
Yeah ive looked all over the internet for an aluminium or similar mesh enclosure and i cant find them anywhere. Have you come across any yet? Thanks for your help.

 

[tryme]

yeah my leo's enclosures wernt cheap either, yeah i did find one guy but i cant find the link right now ill have to post it up later.

 

[MattiBee]

thanks. Just wondering, how old is your cham now and how long have you had him/her for? If you had it since it was young, what did u use as a starter enclosure? The person i am buying mine from has said a glass enclosure will last a few months but im thinking about just going straight to a flex, the 22g one

 

[Brad Ramsey]

Night time temperatures for veil need to be 60 to 65 degrees f. the cool down is very important, so your room temps sound perfect.
I would really try to find a screen enclosure and not go with the mesh.
In the end, I think you be so much happier. Search google, ebay, etc ... I know I have seen them for sale on a UK site ...if I come across it again, I will link to you.
With the screen enclosure you can just screw on foam core or pvc with the screen when you put it together. Very easy and looks clean and neat.
I think a couple "solid" walls on the screen enclosure is a smart idea. I have foam core to protect my walls and as a visual barrier between enclosures.
Also the white reflects light and makes the enclosure much brighter.

-Brad

 

[MattiBee]

thanks for that, it sounds like a good idea. Now while my cham is young (3 months) is it ok for him to be in a medium exo terra mesh lid viv? Ive been told people use these for younger chams as their size is good for them to hunt to food, any larger and they wont be able to catch it.

The breeder im getting him from uses glass tanks that he modifies with extra ventillation and says that this will be fine for a younger cham. Is this true?

 

[Cherron]

Tryme.. be very careful using the desk lamp as your basking light. They are not made to be ran 12-14 hours and many are only rated to be used with up to a 40 light bulb. The high temperatures may eventually cause it to melt if it has platic parts or create a fire hazard. Your best bet is a ceramic dome fixture. They are made just for this sort of thing

 

[MattiBee]

and ive heard just now from the breeder i know that house bulbs can cause problems with chams eyesight. Something to do with the kind of light they emit.

Oh so many different opinions with chameleons! its overwhelming....

 

[MattiBee]

If i had a small glass, well ventilated viv with no loose substrate (paper towels will be used), and a few branches and a plant with UV and a heat bulb keeping it at the right temps and humidity, cleaning it regularly and feeding with the right supplements etc would that be ok while its still young?

as this is what my breeder is saying hes kept and bred chams for years with and saying that it will be ok while my cham is young, then upgrade to a screen enclosure when its older.