never heard of drainage system

[dmscats]

I have read and read and never hear of it. I am getting set up for a veiled chameleon. Do I have to cut holes in the boťtom netting of cage, so I'd I do then the newspaper will get wet and need to be changed daily? I have no live plans but if I get them I would keep a drip pan under them. I just never have heard of this. Please explain and give advice. Thank you.

 

[MCSEB]

I have two veilds... they are awesome
But what exactly is your question? not really understanding you

I think he's asking to explain what a drainage system is because he keeps hearing about it but doesn't quite understand what it is. He's saying if he should open holes on the bottom of his cage and have the water drip down. He is going to have a newspaper under the cage so he wants to know if he has to change it daily or something like that. He is also getting plants very soon. This is what I understood. I myself really can't answer this because I don't know anything about a drainage system. I'm going to be setting up for my veiled chameleon this weekend so I'm trying to learn about the drainage system because I keep hearing about it but I don't quite understand it either.

 

[Olimpia]

We call a "drainage system" anything that gets excess water from misting away from the cage and not all over your furniture or carpets. There is no one way to do it and everyone makes it however they need it to be set up. And some people don't even need to use one if their cage doesn't get very wet. For example, here would be mine:

(I would upload the photo but I'm on my tablet and can't)
The "system" under the table the cages are on. The PCV pipe connects to a catch tray under each cage and directs the water out into buckets: http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-7fCbmQVE2os/T3uSv_oRcPI/AAAAAAAAACQ/vNeEZ5aKU6k/s1600/IMG_8026.JPG

Here is the whole construction blog, so you can see it all pieced together: http://muchadoaboutchameleons.blogspot.com/2012/04/my-chameleon-room-cages.html

Many people just lift the cage up a little bit (say, with bricks under the frame, they slide a storage bin under the cage as a tray and drill holes on the bottom of their screen cage floor. So the water drips out of the cage into the tray and they just jump it out every night.

 

[Barb]

I hear ya. Just found out yesterday about the need for drainage and my cage is built and my Cham is coming tomorrow. I am doing without drainage for now. If I see that the cage bottom is collecting more water then I had anticipated, then I will ad a drainage at that time.
BTW, if you have a screen bottom, you could just set the cage over a tub, or tote box.

 

[Decadancin]

Absolutely! You would have to set up your drainage system in the tub, or empty it often, but many do exactly that.

 

[dmscats]

Hmmm, I just have not ever heard of a need for drainage before. Does 2 times a day 5 min a day. A dripper and considering a mister have the need for drainage? Do I really want him to run around looking for crickets in wet newspaper, or should I set up a ceramic bowl to keep insects in. Do I empty the drainage container at night , also how often do I wash his plastic plants? Daily when empty his drainage cage? I was going to use the green flat substrate used for lizards that I used for my mastiff, would buy a new one. Would that be better then newspaper, and maybe absorb the water and wash it out every day?

 

[Fastedmclintock]

Here is what I recently did for a drainage system:

https://www.chameleonforums.com/custom-cage-build-100528/