mychamtini112012
New Member
Water sealed wood wouldn't work.? If not, and I have to get pexi-glass or silicone, how would I properly drain that.?
home-made cage plans. critque.
- Thread starter mychamtini112012
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Davonat
Avid Member
Here is the thing with me....& how Ive done it for the last 5 years or so....I dont mist my cham for him to drink... He has a dripper for that & drink he does! My Mist King is for humidity purposes only, So... many short sessions just to dampen the cage works just fine. My cage never gets flooded, so I dont need a drainable cage. I think if you need a drainable cage you have way toooo much water going thru it. Even the paper towels at the bottom almost dry out between mistings. My chams have never had any respiratory problems & the only time Ive had to take 1 to the vet was some wierd growth on a foot of 1. So to answer your question....I dont recommend just wood for the bottom,,,, no sealer is that good & it will get soaked and breed all kinds of bad stuff FAST! And my opinion is any cage with that much water with cham waste & plant drainage needs to be disinfected alot! You will have to figure something non porous and easily cleaned.Think about it......Why do people have all that extra waste water every day????? Because your cage didnt need it! & it had to go somewhere
Solid Snake
Avid Member
How do you drain it? With holes leading to tubs. The sealed wood could last quite a while, but with dirt and water sitting on it 24/7, not indefinitley. I am going to attempt a planter box for my FR this summer, with no drainage. Its all going to depend on the RH were you live, how much you water, and the volume of substrate used. Its possible to have the planter box in the bottom, without it becoming hypersaturated. This was my concern as well. I think that in my situation, it wont be a problem. Running 3+ nozzles on a small amount of soil, could be though. You will just have to decide for yourself.
mychamtini112012
New Member
I'm not understanding. If I put, lets say plexi-glass, at the bottom, I have to be able to take it out and clean it.? With it being the bottom of the planter box I don't see how cleaning it would be possible. Maybe I'm just not understanding though.
mychamtini112012
New Member
It would be six to eight inches of soil throught the whole bottom of the cage, and three nozzles throughout the whole six foot cage as well. So would plexi-glass be better then.?
Solid Snake
Avid Member
Even with plexiglass, flooding could be an issue, sooner or later. But covering the bottom, and those 6-8" of sides with plexiglass would definitley be somthing I would do. It nullifies any chance of the wood coming into constant contact with the water, eliminating the possibility of the wood rotting/swelling/warping.
I am going to do the same thing essentially, but with a plastic tub. Then I will build a wood frame around it for decorative/stability purposes.
mychamtini112012
New Member
The plastic tub is great idea, and the I could just have the holes leading to the tubs. Would that work pretty well.?
Solid Snake
Avid Member
IMO
You could cut 2-3 drain holes in the plastic tubs. Large, like 3-4" in diameter.
Cover them with screen.
Fill them with dirt and plants.
In case you get too much water, it can drain out.
You are going to lose dirt into the tubs over time. So adding some dirt/replanting them may be needed later on.
Replanting/potting has to be done periodically anyhow though.
mychamtini112012
New Member
Okay. That's a lot more suitable it seems. 
