PardalisGirl
Avid Member
I've been working on my Melleri free range set up this week. It's complete enough that I moved my five Melleri into the setup last night. They seem to be enjoying it. It will be finished in a couple of days when some items are delivered. When it's done I'll take more pictures. Its hard to take them because it's in the middle of a cham room with cages on all the walls. Not much room to take full scale pictures in.
The base is a stainless steel tray coated with PVC. The tray was put together in pieces (bought from Cages by Design) and sealed to make it waterproof (the room is carpeted). I have three plant stands on the floor tray. One holds a big wide leaved Palm, one holds a tall Draceana plant and one tall table stand holds two potted Pothos plants that have a very tall trellis to hold the vines and provide perching areas for the Melleri. There is a wood branch that connects the two and has the cup feeder hanging from it.
The lighting is partially complete. I'm waiting for my Mega Ray 100 watt low bulbs that will go into a par fixture to provide UVB. The fixture allows the lights to be swiveled in all directions and locked into the position I choose. Right now I have two day time basking bulbs in that fixture. I am also waiting for two high lux 48 inch flourescent tubes that will be mounted into a shop light fixture. Right now I have two Reptisun 10.0 tubes in there. I am also waiting for three 60 inch Manzanita branches that will be secured over the Palm and Draceana plants under the lights at a position for proper UVB. I will measure my new Mega Ray bulbs with a meter and determine the proper position of the branches. The branches will also connect to the Pothos trellis set ups. So the Melleri can perch on the trellis system which has wood walkways connecting them or they can perch on the Manzanita branch network that will extend over the other plants. I may move the lighting fixtures after the wood and UVB bulbs get here. I wired the fixtures myself with long extension cords and tacked them on the ceiling. When I decide on final placement of the fixtures I will hardwire them into the ceiling.
I am also waiting for some things for my drip system. Right now I am misting the Pothos for drinking. I'm going to try to see if they will drink from a dripper that collects the water in a mesh covered tub set on the floor tray.
The Melleri seem to like their new home. They watched me as I put it together. They love the trellis system and have been walking up and down them. They've been eating out of the feeder tub. I've made sure that they can not reach up and grab any of the fixtures. The fixtures are further from the trellis setups than the picture makes them look. I don't want any burned Melleri! Anyway, I will post one picture to tease you with. The rest will come within a week.
The base is a stainless steel tray coated with PVC. The tray was put together in pieces (bought from Cages by Design) and sealed to make it waterproof (the room is carpeted). I have three plant stands on the floor tray. One holds a big wide leaved Palm, one holds a tall Draceana plant and one tall table stand holds two potted Pothos plants that have a very tall trellis to hold the vines and provide perching areas for the Melleri. There is a wood branch that connects the two and has the cup feeder hanging from it.
The lighting is partially complete. I'm waiting for my Mega Ray 100 watt low bulbs that will go into a par fixture to provide UVB. The fixture allows the lights to be swiveled in all directions and locked into the position I choose. Right now I have two day time basking bulbs in that fixture. I am also waiting for two high lux 48 inch flourescent tubes that will be mounted into a shop light fixture. Right now I have two Reptisun 10.0 tubes in there. I am also waiting for three 60 inch Manzanita branches that will be secured over the Palm and Draceana plants under the lights at a position for proper UVB. I will measure my new Mega Ray bulbs with a meter and determine the proper position of the branches. The branches will also connect to the Pothos trellis set ups. So the Melleri can perch on the trellis system which has wood walkways connecting them or they can perch on the Manzanita branch network that will extend over the other plants. I may move the lighting fixtures after the wood and UVB bulbs get here. I wired the fixtures myself with long extension cords and tacked them on the ceiling. When I decide on final placement of the fixtures I will hardwire them into the ceiling.
I am also waiting for some things for my drip system. Right now I am misting the Pothos for drinking. I'm going to try to see if they will drink from a dripper that collects the water in a mesh covered tub set on the floor tray.
The Melleri seem to like their new home. They watched me as I put it together. They love the trellis system and have been walking up and down them. They've been eating out of the feeder tub. I've made sure that they can not reach up and grab any of the fixtures. The fixtures are further from the trellis setups than the picture makes them look. I don't want any burned Melleri! Anyway, I will post one picture to tease you with. The rest will come within a week.
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