Leaking from enclosure.

[Sam Carline]

Hi. I have a Yemen chameleon who is currently in a mesh cage. I am having difficulty with leaking at the moment from the bottom of it. Can anyone suggest a quick fix or a better cage type for me to get that will prevent this problem? Please help!

 

[Adman]

By leaking do you mean that it has no drainage?

I'm looking into this issue as well as my chameleon's going to be in a Reptibreeze XL in a few months and I'm exploring possibilities. I'm considering buying a strong gardening tray into/onto which I'll be able to place the vivarium after drilling small drainage holes into the base to allow liquid to filter through but too small for feeders to escape.

 

[Sam Carline]

Hi, I don't have any drainage holes and I haven't had this problem before. He's nearly 2 years old and it hasn't been an issue. Are mesh enclosures the best type for them? I see a lot of people with glass enclosures but surely they have the same issue!?

 

[Adman]

Mesh enclosures are thought of by many to be one of the best options, but saying for sure which is best is difficult because there are many people on here who're for and against them. I'm in the pro mesh camp because of how convenient they are in terms of the ventilation and cleanliness, however like almost anything there are drawbacks, some people report their lizards having claws pulled out by the mesh when climbing, and of course there is the frequent structural weakness of the mesh itself, but there are ways to negate such issues.

In regards to drainage there are various thread on here that have discussed and explored options to solving drainage issues in both mesh and non-mesh enclosures, I've seen some wonderful ideas on here. Are you a particularly handy person? I've seen small frames built to house drainage trays and all sorts.

 

[Adman]

Here are some links to such threads:
https://www.chameleonforums.com/drainage-systems-cages-get-creative-102038/

https://www.chameleonforums.com/reptibreeze-drainage-63687/

https://www.chameleonforums.com/reptibreeze-xl-current-setup-easy-drainage-system-139840/

 

[Pharaoh2015]

What I did for my cage was I went to lowes and bought a Blackhawk plastic shelves
They are about 35 dollars
Srill holes in the bottom of cage and placed a bucket underneath the cage. The shelves have openings that will allow the water to go to the bucket

 

[Sam Carline]

Thanks for the info guys. Looks like I'll have to try and sort some drainage out. I'm in the UK so I'll have to have a chat with some reptile shops and get some more information. I will take a look at the links you've sent as well - thank you.

 

[MelissaB]

Here's a link to Muji's Hydroflo bases. If they were in the US, that's what I would be using. I really like the way the look.
http://www.chameleonworldmuji.co.uk/home/enclosures/

 

[Adman]

Thanks for the info guys. Looks like I'll have to try and sort some drainage out. I'm in the UK so I'll have to have a chat with some reptile shops and get some more information. I will take a look at the links you've sent as well - thank you.

I'm living in France but I'm originally from the UK, so most of the purchase options I'm exploring are from the UK too.

 

[Adman]

Here's a link to Muji's Hydroflo bases. If they were in the US, that's what I would be using. I really like the way the look.
http://www.chameleonworldmuji.co.uk/home/enclosures/

Yeah, I've contacted them to enquire about their drainage trays because I don't think they come with a water collection tray so I want to be sure I get one the correct shape/size in regards to curved or squared corners.

 

[Sam Carline]

Thanks for all your help everyone I really appreciate it. I will do some digging

 

[Carlton]

Thanks for all your help everyone I really appreciate it. I will do some digging

This is one of the biggest failures of most commercial cages! Useless bottoms that don't collect or contain liquid. There are lots of "creative" options devised by cham owners over the years.

 

[Djturna4thakidz]

drill some holes and put a bucket under it. I also run a bead of silicone around the bottom of the cage to ensure the corners dont leak.

 

[Carlton]

drill some holes and put a bucket under it. I also run a bead of silicone around the bottom of the cage to ensure the corners dont leak.

And, to help direct the water to one drainage point over a bucket, you can put a bottle cap under one or two corners of the cage frame to tip it very slightly. It doesn't take much.

 

[jajeanpierre]

You can buy a drain pan for under a washing machine and put the cage in that. A wet vacuum can be used if too much water collects.