for people using utility sinks or cement basins

Sandylynn

New Member
Hello Everyone,

I am planning on getting a chameleon and I am trying to plan out a cage setup with drainage. I was thinking of using the utility sink or a cement basin. My question is can I buy an aluminum screen cage with no bottom to set on the utility sink or basin? How do I attach the cage to the sink or basin? Does it get screwed in or just rest on the sink? Would I have to seal the cage to the sink with some type of sealant? I'm worried about crickets escaping in that area of the cage. Is this type of cage easy to clean out? If I use the utility sink would I need to cover the drainage hole with some type of screening to keep the crickets from escaping? Any help you could give me would be much appreciated. Thanks so much.

Sandylynn
 
Hi SandyLynn,

I have one of those screen cages, and after a bunch of fuss and bother worrying about drainage, I just cut a hole in the plastic floor that comes with the cage and put in a sink drain. The one I bought even has a miniature basket, so no crix escape through it. I built a stand for it that has just rails to support the cage, and then set a large plant right on top of the drain. The plastic dips in a bit, and water runs out of the drain just fine. No standing water at all. Here is a pic of the bottom.. couldn't take one of the top because the cham is sleeping and she gets grouchy!

sinkdrain.jpg
 
My hubby pulled the plastic bottom off ours and put a screen bottom on it. Then I purchased a plastic storage tub (like an under-the-bed type storage box) and put that under the cage to catch the drips. Guess I should add that my cage is sitting on a stand with several adjustable shelves (Home Depot). The cage is on one shelf and the tub is on the shelf below. I'll try to get pics up later.
 
Hey,

I think I sent you a private e-mail about this, but my computer is not confirming that it went through.

Zip me a note telling me whether you got it...

Cages.net will sell you one without the bottom. It will actually be cheaper. Then you just set it on top of your enclosure. It is heavy enough to stay on.

Matthew
 
Howdy,

Many screened enclosures have a PVC bottom. Add a few little supports bewteen the drain pan surface and the PVC floor to keep it from bending too far. This type of floor setup is sturdy enough to take the weight of 2-3 large plants while also being easy to drill several dozen ~1/8" drain holes. I drill mine with holes spread out all over the bottom. The weight of the plants may cause puddling in certain areas and that's where I'll add another hole or two after the puddles are located.

Here's an article on watering and drainage. You'll see a photo of my homemade drain pan. http://www.chameleonnews.com/watering.html

For those who have enclosures with bases around 24"x24" Home Depot sells a fairly nice white plastic washing machine drip pan. I think it is around 27x30 and not too much money either. I had been speaking with a couple of companies, trying to get them to produce something tailored to our needs but that didn't go anywhere (yet).
 
Hello,

Thanks for responding everyone. Matthew... didn't receive the e-mail. I sent you another email with a different address you could use. Dave...checked the link and is the cage with the utility sink your cage? If so, how did you attach the cage to the sink or is it just resting on the sink? I'm thinking of using a a aluminum cage on a utility sink and I don't know how to attach it to the sink. Do I screw it on the sink? If it just rests on the sink it could slip off the sink it being kind of light and all. Thanks.

Sandy
 
Here's a pic of mine as I explained this morning. It's not the most ideal setup compared to some I've seen, but it works for me and was cheap. You'll notice that the bottom of the cage is screen also. When I mist, it drips through into the plastic tubunder the cage then IU just pull it out and dump it and wipe it out. My hubby pulled the pvc bottom off and replaced it with screen. The weight of the plants isn't an issue because it is sitting on a wire shelf which holds the weight and allows for drainage. The one thing I would like to change is finding a better sized tub for underneath since the current one I have isn't quite long enough.

newhouse3.jpg
 
Back
Top Bottom