Getting ready to upgrade Milo's enclosure...advice on screened cages
- Thread starter Big Gulp
- Start date
Olimpia
Biologist & Ecologist
I'm partial to the ones by LLL. I've had some of the older DIY cages before they dedid their design earlier this year (so I haven't tried the new ones) but I wasn't impressed. All the hardware is rusty and the screen is flimsy.
But my LLL cages still look really good the same amount of time later.
But my LLL cages still look really good the same amount of time later.
Lpsouth1978
Avid Member
I'm with MelissaB on this one. I have both the LLL cage with water tray and a ZooMed cage. The LLL is definitely better built. I tried a DIY (built by me, not an actual cage from DIYcages) setup and had A LOT of trouble with it, though I am not really a handy person. I am looking to score a couple more cages on Cyber Monday from LLL.
FlChamMom
Avid Member
I have a Reptibreeze and a DIY (the brand). I just got the DIY a few months ago, after the update and I like it, it is sturdy and the latches are cool. My Reptibreeze is a few years old and there are several places that I have to wire it together where it came apart. I do have the drainage trays from LLL though and they are not a perfect fit but they do work fine. If I was buying the whole setup new I would probably get it all from LLL so that everything would be a more perfect fit. I have not found drainage trays anywhere else and the LLL ones work great!
Lpsouth1978
Avid Member
So the LLL cage before the Reptibreeze? Im looking to buy either of them soon so will be good to know!
I personally prefer the LLL over my reptibreeze. The LLL uses better quality mesh. The only thin I changed on my LLL cage was to add a handle to the door. It was incredibly difficult to open the door without a handle of some kind. That was not a big deal since it only took a couple of minutes and a couple of dollars to remedy.
Progrmor
Member
Big Gulp
Established Member
Also, LLL is having a Cyber Monday sale, on December 2nd.
LLL advertised that they'll be having their Reptibreeze 24x24x48 marked down on cyber Monday...$30 off. So I asked if they're gonna mark down the LLL 24x24x48 ones too. They replied with the Reptibreeze is that size, with a winky face. Almost made it sound like the LLL ones won't be marked down.
And how do the water pans work? You take them out to empty the water? Or they stay in, and you drill the hole in it for the drainage?
Someday I hope to build a nicer custom enclosure.
Lpsouth1978
Avid Member
LLL advertised that they'll be having their Reptibreeze 24x24x48 marked down on cyber Monday...$30 off. So I asked if they're gonna mark down the LLL 24x24x48 ones too. They replied with the Reptibreeze is that size, with a winky face. Almost made it sound like the LLL ones won't be marked down.
And how do the water pans work? You take them out to empty the water? Or they stay in, and you drill the hole in it for the drainage?
Someday I hope to build a nicer custom enclosure.
I hope they have the LLL cages on sall as well. If not I guess I will get whatever is the cheapest. As for the water tray. You will need to drill a whole in it and direct the drain water to a bucket or something similar.
MelissaB
Avid Member
I hope it's not just the reptibreeze cages on sale.
The water trays sit under the cage,on the outside, there are supports that hold up the cage at the corners. You still need the plastic bottom that comes with your cage. I drilled some small holes in the center of the plastic sheet on the bottom of my cage so water could drain from the cage to the pan. I drilled a small hole in the pan, small so it would hold an elbow fitting tightly, put a fitting in it and attached a hose to drain into a 5 gallon bucket. It's been working great. I used silicone to make sure it wouldn't leak, but you could also use pvc glue to join it. As long as your hole wasn't too big for the fitting.
The substrate tray is the one that is sized to sit inside the cage, and doesn't have the little support pieces. I saw a really cool thread where someone put a sink drain in the middle of it to drain the water away, looked nice.
Either way, if you want the tray(substrate or water) to empty on it's own, it'll have to be modified somehow. If you don't have a ton of excess water, theoretically, it should be able to just evaporate. I have a bunch of excess water, so not sure how that would work.
The water trays sit under the cage,on the outside, there are supports that hold up the cage at the corners. You still need the plastic bottom that comes with your cage. I drilled some small holes in the center of the plastic sheet on the bottom of my cage so water could drain from the cage to the pan. I drilled a small hole in the pan, small so it would hold an elbow fitting tightly, put a fitting in it and attached a hose to drain into a 5 gallon bucket. It's been working great. I used silicone to make sure it wouldn't leak, but you could also use pvc glue to join it. As long as your hole wasn't too big for the fitting.
The substrate tray is the one that is sized to sit inside the cage, and doesn't have the little support pieces. I saw a really cool thread where someone put a sink drain in the middle of it to drain the water away, looked nice.
Either way, if you want the tray(substrate or water) to empty on it's own, it'll have to be modified somehow. If you don't have a ton of excess water, theoretically, it should be able to just evaporate. I have a bunch of excess water, so not sure how that would work.
Last edited:
Progrmor
Member
Looks like the LLL cages wont be on sale: http://lllreptile.com/specials/
Lpsouth1978
Avid Member
That's too bad. I guess I will have to get a couple of Reptibreeze cages then. I have to get 2 cages and if LLL is not discounting theirs I will get the ones that are discounted.
Progrmor
Member
Big Gulp
Established Member
Bummer. Thanks!
Lpsouth1978
Avid Member
I don't know. I am hoping that they have A TON of the sale items, or at least some kind of drop ship agreement with the manufacturer. I plan on getting 2 of the XL Reptibreeze cages myself.
Similar threads
