"Show Me Your Setup" Up Close and Personal.

[UrbanChameleon]

I have a couple of questions regarding the screen cages. I just ordered my first LLL cage and have quite a few concerns. Sadly, the only plant I have is a small Pothos. I'm still on the hunt for an Umbrella and Ficus. At this point, I'll take anything I can get on the non-toxic list. Winter in small town Kentucky. Go figure.

Anyways.. I bought the 24x24x48 cage with the drip tray. I'll stress about the drainage and what not after the cage gets here. For now I'm wondering about decor and functionality. I'm wondering how I will get the therm and hydrometer probe into the cage and under his basking spot. I also have the Exo Terra Monsoon mister. Is there a way to not tear apart the screen in order to keep these inside the cage and in place? Would the screen rust if the mister nozzles were on the outside? Basically.. how do I get things of that nature secured and in the right spot without cutting the screen? And if I do have to cut the screen.. what's the best way to do it?

Next, I'm curious about the vines, dowels, fake decor, etc. How do I keep these at all levels of the cage without falling? I remember Jan (I could be wrong on this) saying she uses push pins. I'm not sure if they are regular pins used for a cork board, or some kind of heavy duty pins. I have the plastic cable ties but I don't think they will fit through the screen. So I want to hear ALL of your idea's that have worked.

Another question has to do with the Potho's I have. I'm pretty sure the LLL cages don't have a support bar at the top. So would this pothos have to sit at the bottom of the cage?

I'm really going to be bugging you guys this month. It feels like starting over all over again. I worry way too much. I have no idea what I'm going to do for drainage, where I can find his plants (I've looked everywhere), what his cage is going to sit on, and especially what to do with his humidity. It's the middle of winter, he's currently in a glass cage, and his humidity is at 40%! I've never had a problem with it until this past week. I think I'm overly anxious/excited for his new home and I'm in panic mode. I'm the girl who likes to plan everything. Lol.

I'll try to make this easier.. Here's a summary. Lol.

1) Is there a way to get a thermometer, hydrometer, and mister into a LLL screen cage without cutting the screen? If so.. how? If not.. what is the best way to cut it? How should I secure these?

2) Fake vines, dowels, fake decor, etc. How would one go about securing these things at various levels of the cage? Detailed up close pictures and explanations would help!

3) In the type of cage I am getting.. where can the Pothos go? Can it hang from the top? Or does it need to be on the bottom with the vines draping all over?

Thanks everyone. This is going to be like the "Show Me Your Setup" thread on steroids! Help, help, help. Pictures of secured vines, close-ups of mister nozzles, small Pothos plant ideas.. all of it! If you feel like there is anything else I need to know.. tell me. I'm sure I will end up asking it at some point.

 

[Zen Reptiles]

For a lot of your questions....copper wire is your best friend.

It will take some time, but using some kind of thin, strong wire will go through the screen and can be twisted and doubled/tripled to gain some strength.

As for the pothos....Go get a piece of bamboo or wood that will run the length of your cage. Place the bamboo ABOVE your cage, rest it on the frame, and let there be an extra 1/2 inch or 1 inch go over either side of the cage.

Next, run your wire through the screen and wrap it a dozen times around the bamboo or the wood.... I would use 3-5 pieces of separate wire for safety, you could use more.

Next, get a planter with a hangar on it (a hanging basket), plant it up with your pothos, and wrap the wire around the hangar,

Be liberal, you don't want the plant falling.

Same goes for fastening vines and things to the sides of the cage...you really only need one piece of wire for each 'connection' for that.

 

[chamelisa]

The cages LLL has are the same ones I get. They come with a couple of tie downs (for lack of a better term) that screw into the cage's frame. You can hang biovine in there or make a support to hang a hanging plant. It's a new feature of the cages now. I think you'll like the cage. They're my favorite.

 

[SonTigerPantherCham]

Jordan, go to a craft store and buy the wire they use in floral designs. Super cheap, I got green, its coated so it wont rust, really thin, fits right thru screen holes. Wrap it around vines, dowels etc several times. Push it thru to the outside, twist tie it up.
And yes, like Lisa said, the LLL's come with 2 loops that you can hang plants.
Zipties work awesome to tie vines and branches together for stability
Let me look at what else, I can send you pics tomorrow if you like
Anne