For Scrappy or anyone with screen bottom cage

Sandylynn

New Member
Hello,

I have a question regarding your setup. I saw your picture and I have that same type of shelving unit. How do you like having a screen bottom for your cage? Is it easy to clean? Do you have water everywhere because of the screen bottom? Any problem with the plants sitting on the screen? Is it easy to maintain the humidity? I am wondering if I should try something like that, but I wasn't sure on how easy to maintain and clean the cage? Thanks for your help.

Sandy
 
Hi Sandy,
Thanks for the comments. I really like the screen bottom. It had a pvc bottom and my hubby took it off and put a screen on it. It works really well for drainage, cleaning, etc. I keep a tub on the shelf below to catch the over spray and just pull that out and empty it. As for humidity...I'm still working on that. I took a large trash bag and covered the back side of the cage (this helps with overspray on the wall too), but I'm still having trouble with the humidity level maintaining a constant, so I think my next attempt will be to cover one (or both) sides with plastic. I'm going to try covering one side first and see if that helps and if not, then I'll cover the other side too. Humidity is an issue for me because of where I live, we get a wide range of weather and I don't have just one room designated to critters like many others do. My cham is actually in my bed room. I agree with covering the cage. I keep a sheet handy and cover mine just after the lights go out so it holds the heat in for a while, but it is also good to allow their temps to drop down in the mid 60's at night. I think that's really an individuals decision. I've heard both ways that some cover up every night and others never do.
Sorry to be so long winded, but the bottom line for me is I prefer the screen bottom. I've had the reptariums with the fitted plastic "boot" bottom and they are a pain to clean unless you take them completely apart.

Hope that helps! :)
 
Putting Screens on the bottom of my cages has been one of the worser choices I have made in Chameleon Keeping. Maybe overexaggerating a tad, but a mestake Ill never make again.
 
Howdy,

I've always stayed with the original pvc bottom, but drill a couple of dozen holes around ~1/8" to~3/16" holes for drainage into my homemade drain pan that then drain down a hose into a drain bucket. I have 3 of those setups running. I don't suggest trying to make them out of acrylic like these because it can be a bit tricky and expensive to work with. You may be able to get something made out of plastic to do the same job. Those with the big 24x24 enclosure bases can use the washing machine drip pans sold at Home Depot.

My homemade acrylic drip pan(s):
DrainPan.jpg


Drip pans in action:
LatestSetup.jpg
 
My cage floors are glass and they are easy to keep clean. Drainage is not a problem if the glass has a hole/drain in it either.
 
If your just using screen on the bottom and a catch container underneath you can pick up the feces. Then if you have a mister turn the noozle to the pressure spray and blow off anything stuck to the screen into the catcher. I still use one with my male. I could definately see the appeal of more controlled drainage though. I do this with a reptarium and the mesh does stay a little wetter for longer then I want it too. I guess that would not be a problem with some other mesh/screen options out there.
 
Hello,

Thanks for responding everyone. Dave, love your setups. You've done a beautiful job with your cages. Still not sure what I want to do yet with my cage. Utility sink or screen bottom on shelf. I'm thinking that I'll probably do the utility sink with a cage over it. Well, thanks everyone.

Sandy
 
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