New diy enclosure!

[egk]

Hello! My dad and I are converting this old cabinet into my Veiled Chams new hybrid enclosure! (screen on the front, side panels, and top.) If anyone has any tips for converting cabinets into habitats let me know, thank you!

 

[Motherlode Chameleon]

Congrats! That looks like a great DIY chameleon enclosure project.

Post updates when you can!

Best Regards
Jeremy A. Rich

 

[MissSkittles]

Wow! That’s going to be pretty! I’ve never converted anything but there are a good number of those who have and posted about it. There’s lots of enclosure build threads that you can search the archives for. I can tell you that you will need to waterproof the inside with a product that is safe… I think @Beman can tell you what a good product is. I only know that 100% silicone is safe, which is good for sealing the cracks and corners. I assume you’ll be replacing the glass panels with screening? If not, you will need to have some ventilation vents at the bottom somewhere and then have the top an open screen, for the chimney effect ventilation. That’s pretty cool for at the bottom, you can drill a drainage hole and have a bucket hiding in the little cabinet. You’ll just need to have the drainage hole be at the lowest part, so may need to build up around it a bit. Great Stuff pond & stone is a cool and safe product that may help you with that, or with hanging branches and things. Pond liner might be something you’ll want to use to waterproof and tidy up the bottom. If you are doing screening, you can probably secure it with staples and to cover the pokey ends and make it all neat, can cover the ends with thin wood trim or I think they’re called furring strips. No tape at all ever with a reptile. The only other bit of info I can offer is to make sure to allow a good length of time for whatever products you use to gas off. I hope you’ll be sharing your progress and final result. What kind of chameleon are you planning for?

 

[Beman]

Use the forum search function to find info on cabinet conversions... But you will have to waterproof the entire inside with something like flex seal and you will want to work out a plan for drainage along with ventilation. For the top panel you will have to cut it out and replace with aluminum window screen. Make sure it is aluminum as the uvb lighting will not penetrate through other types of material in the same levels as aluminum.