New cage, HOORAY!!

[mika]

Thanks I have 6 including a pygmy that I can't find a mate for.

I used to use one of those plastic coated thin wires they have at Michael's arts and crafts but after a while it does rust but this one hasnt. You can also use those plastic ties for cables.. etc..

Here's the green tie & it comes with a cutter (see the silver thing near my thumb). I think its cheap too. I forgot how much though, it's been a while. The only thing with using this is you have to make the screen holes a bit wider or else the plastic comes off the metal.

 

[Brian]

Nice setup Mika, I keep all my chams on those white lifetime tables. I just bought the same rack about 4 days ago as I see many people use them. I was hoping to put 2 large 48" x 24" x 24" cages on it but it doesnt fit them. What size cages are those? I only have 1 cage on the rack with my male ambilobe but the only problem is the poles are silver and he sees himself and goes nuts! I was wondering why he was acting weird... he would just pace the side of the cage where the pole is all fired up and everything I see that you have a large cage on a single rack or stand, where did you happen to purchase that one?

Brian

 

[wendysjungle]

Thanks for posting the pic, I'm going to pick some up! The metal wire I used to suspend the vines already had me concerned as I know it will eventually rust, and I worry about Joyce somehow cutting herslef on it. I'm going to replace it with the stuff you've got, I don't mind widening the screen holes a bit for the added safety!

Are you breeding your chams?

 

[mika]

Oh god tell me about it!

They also sometimes would go underneath it when trying to run away from me that I fear it would hurt or scatch their buldging eyes

 

[mika]

Nice setup Mika, I keep all my chams on those white lifetime tables. I just bought the same rack about 4 days ago as I see many people use them. I was hoping to put 2 large 48" x 24" x 24" cages on it but it doesnt fit them. What size cages are those? I only have 1 cage on the rack with my male ambilobe but the only problem is the poles are silver and he sees himself and goes nuts! I was wondering why he was acting weird... he would just pace the side of the cage where the pole is all fired up and everything I see that you have a large cage on a single rack or stand, where did you happen to purchase that one?

Brian

I know, those racks are like 60-80 bucks at Target.. Expensive and they dont fit 2 of the 24x24x48 cages. Those 2 cages are 18x18x36.. I think you would have to buy 2 racks to fit 2 of the 48" tall cages.

The large cage I have is the 24x24x48 and my veiled cham is in it. It can only fit that one cage and it was on sale for $29.99 at Target. It's 36" wide and 18 inches in diameter. It's also short not like the silver one so I can't put bars and put a shelf on top of the cage.

The setup is in my living room and some in my room and I think the racks don't look good. I'd like to cover the bottom part where I have the reservoir for the misters. I have a pygmy underneath that big cage I have on that one rack.

I haven't had any problems with my Ambi seeing himself on the silver racks, does cage have plenty of plants? Mine rarely goes to the side, he's usually in the middle or the back where the sun hits.

Also, I see that black rack going on sale at Target all the time, the one where I have the big cage on.

 

[mika]

Are you breeding your chams?

Oh no, I'm not planning on it yet. That's why I don't heat the females enclosure that much. If you look on the right, that's her cage. Only half of it gets sun. You can't see her cuz she's at the corner where there is sun. Sunning herself..LOL. I have all males except for her.

I do want to breed the pygmy I have but I can't find a female.

 

[Brian]

Well...his cage is well planted with a large ficus a photos and a few jungle vines. I never thought he would see himself either, but since the cage is so big it sticks out a bit. The metal pole is on the outside, but like in the middle and he has a branch there so he stares at it all day. The black one sounds cool since it only holds one cage and its black so he wont see himself, I also see that it doesnt have those big poles like the other one. Do you roll your cages outside for some natural sun? The reason I bought it was to bring them outside...weather permitting.

Brian

 

[mika]

Well...his cage is well planted with a large ficus a photos and a few jungle vines. I never thought he would see himself either, but since the cage is so big it sticks out a bit. The metal pole is on the outside, but like in the middle and he has a branch there so he stares at it all day. The black one sounds cool since it only holds one cage and its black so he wont see himself, I also see that it doesnt have those big poles like the other one. Do you roll your cages outside for some natural sun? The reason I bought it was to bring them outside...weather permitting.

Brian

Nah, I don't roll them out but I have them in front of the windows so the sun hits the cage every day from 430 till around 8pm. I just open the windows. It would take up too much space outside and people have to walk thru there.

The only reason I didn't use the remaining poles on the black racks is cuz the cage is too high up and the poles won't reach the top. But yeah, it doesn't reflect anything like the silver one does so that will be good for you cham.

The problem with that setup in the pic is the mister is connected to the big cage and the females cage. The middle isn't. I want to be able to shift it around so they all get unfiltered sunlight. I was thinking of separate racks for each of the cages & have one of those wire shelvings attached to the wall on top of the cages to hold the lights, etc. That way I can lift those 2 cages higher and cover the bottom with something.

I dunno.. lemme see your setup, maybe I'll get an idea.

 

[mika]

Here's the black rack. The rest of the poles won't reach the top.

I'm still working on the enclosures cuz they look messy to me. Especially this big one which I haven't finished yet. I think this rack was 72 inches high.

See how the big cage is in front of a window I can't open. I have to switch the positions of the cages so everybody gets some sun and it's a pain in the you know what to disconnect and move all these things.

That's the extra shelving on the top..LOL

 

[Brian]

your idea sounds great mika, why not use those long party tables from costco? Do you like that the racks dont have the light on top of the cage? I have plastic buckets under the cages for drainage. The tables are pretty cheap also like $45. I'll post pics of my setup... I'll try and take some tomorrow and post them on this thread. If I dont I'll just start my own thread and show some pics of my chams also

 

[mika]

your idea sounds great mika, why not use those long party tables from costco? Do you like that the racks dont have the light on top of the cage? I have plastic buckets under the cages for drainage. The tables are pretty cheap also like $45. I'll post pics of my setup... I'll try and take some tomorrow and post them on this thread. If I dont I'll just start my own thread and show some pics of my chams also

I like the racks cuz I have a hose on each rack in the drip tray that goes to a bucket.

I don't think the costco tables have holes in them. Do they? Did you drill a hole on the tables? I would like to see pics of it.

I also don't like sitting the basking lamps on top of the cage because I've noticed chams would climb on the top so I don't want them to get burned.

I also have to be able to move each of the cages because that big cage is in front of a window I can't open.

 

[Brian]

I like the racks cuz I have a hose on each rack in the drip tray that goes to a bucket.

I don't think the costco tables have holes in them. Do they? Did you drill a hole on the tables? I would like to see pics of it.

I also don't like sitting the basking lamps on top of the cage because I've noticed chams would climb on the top so I don't want them to get burned.

I also have to be able to move each of the cages because that big cage is in front of a window I can't open.

What do you mean by a hose on each rack? I just drilled a hole in the cage PVC and on the plastic table. On the floor I have plastic bucket to collect the water.

Brian

 

[mika]

Doesn't the water drip on the sides of the cage?

 

[Brian]

I mist by hand now so it doesn't...Im not shure how it will be with the misting system though. We'll see

Brian

 

[mika]

Oh.. yeah.. when I misted by hand it would drip all over the sides of the cage. Using the misters it would drip more.

The pvc bottom I drilled holes, then I have a drip tray that has one hole that fits the entire cage except for the big one.

That hole has a hose that goes to a bucket and catches the water. The racks have holes so the tube (well actually a krazy glue casing that I drilled a hole into) fits the tube that goes to the bucket.

Only one drip tray has it but the other one I messed up so it has 2 holes. I need to replace the modified drip trays ..LOL

Here's he pic so u can see how messy it looks

 

[Brian]

WOW..it looks pretty neat. I see the hose on the large cage going to the bucket. Thats not a bad idea, I might try that.

 

[mika]

Yeah I have to fix it I just don't have time.

It looks aweful cuz it's in the living room. I want to cover the bottom so only the cages would show.

I think what I needed was the sink/kitchen stopper tube?

But I didn't have any at the time and my cham was stressing so I just put a hole at the other end of the casing where they put the crazy glue and it worked fine. I also glued it with aquarium silicone.

 

[Brian]

For the smaller cages... I see that there's no hose? It just drips down to the bucket?

Brian

 

[Dave Weldon]

Howdy Wendy,

Things look like they are coming together .

You may have already posted it somewhere else, but what is the make/model of the UVB tube? Be sure that there isn't any glass or plastic between the tube's surface and your chameleon's skin. I think you'll be better-off without the red heat lamp. If you need more heat than a 50w-100w white incandescent then it would be better with more white lights instead. Most keepers find that one white flood positioned to produce the desired basking temp does the job . This is part of the fun of "tuning" the setup . For starters, stick your hand right at the basking spot for 1 minute and if it feels hot, you might need to raise the basking lamp. Burns are a real bummer .

 

[mika]

Yeah, cuz i ended up drilling 2 holes. One was too small and the other was too big that the tube didn't fit.. Hahahahaha..

I'm not handy as you can tell so I have to get another one of those plastic storage things and cut it with a dremmel and punch one hole in it to fit the tube.

I haven't done so cuz I can't find the dang dremmel.

The reason I like the tube is I can make it longer so the bucket doesn't get stuck in that one position. If I have a longer tube I can position the bucket anywhere I want and if I need to I can put whatever I want underneath too. So it gives me flexibility.