new cage input

[ramhemi55]

hey everyone. first off let me say this site is great! so much information so far from everybody. to the point now, i am making a cage, well planning one right now, but here are my ideas. critique please!!

4 ft tall inside, raised 1 ft off the ground for drainage for the misting system im making. 3 ft wide square box frame. thick mesh wire on top for lights. Not sure about what im going to use around the cage for screening. not a fan of the aluminum mesh. my one concern is the crickets. i need to make this screen tight so they dont escape. not sure if im going to double frame it or just wrap it around the outside and staple it.
any suggestions from anyone would be great!!!

 

[vindicatedornot]

first off, hello and welcome.

4 ft tall inside, raised 1 ft off the ground for drainage for the misting system im making.

4ft tall is a good size, but I would definately raise it higher off the ground. Chameleons being arboreal will be much less stressed higher up, rather than eye level. A good reference is to have the basking spot above your head.

thick mesh wire on top for lights.

The thick mesh on top is a good idea. It wouldnt be a bad idea to have mesh on top of the wood that is the "top" and another layer below the "top" boards so that your chameleon can not climb the mesh the basking lamp is resting on. They arn't always bright enough to realize they are too hot and getting burned.

Not sure about what im going to use around the cage for screening. not a fan of the aluminum mesh. my one concern is the crickets. i need to make this screen tight so they dont escape.

I used hardware cloth for my outdoor enclosure, but seeing as you don't want crickets to escape this would be useless. You could try cup feeding. If not then I would have to suggest the aluminum mesh. Most fabrics are easily chewed by the crickets.

not sure if im going to double frame it or just wrap it around the outside and staple it.
any suggestions from anyone would be great!!!

This is up to you. If the cage is for inside (i'm assuming it is.) I would have it inside the cage so it is more visually appealing. You could get aquarium silicone or something non-toxic to go over the edges so its not sharp, if you didn't want to double frame it. I wrapped the screen around the outside on my outdoor cage, but its more about functionality rather than looks since its outside.

-Andrea

 

[Surfrat]

Yea I am a big fan of cup feeding. You know what they are and are not eating and the crickets cant go hide and clean the calcium/vitamin dust off themselves before they are eaten. I unfortunately have a stuborn male who will not cup feed at the moment so I am working on him!

I also use the 1/4 inch hardware cloth.

 

[eisentrauti]

For what chameleon