Some Questions Re: DIY Enclosure
- Thread starter Klyde O'Scope
- Start date
nightanole
Chameleon Enthusiast
1) concrete mixing tub, or washer overflow pan
3) plastic "bulk head" meant for hydroponics, should be $4, but some can really get you at $30.
4) 5/16 -1". Thats the good stuff that will be facing sun/elements.
5) every reptibreeze has the beaded side inward. This is purely cosmetic.
6) aluminum. If you cant find that, go galvanized. If you are rich(and hate your scissors) go stainless
If you would like feeders to eat their way out, go nylon
mesh size i prefer is 1/4" spacing. This is toe friendly, and easy to climb on. As for the rest of the weird material, again, good old house screen, possibly marketed as "solar screen". But all that other stuff (pet friendly etc) is if you have a dog that wants to eat it. You certainly dont want you dog chewing through and swallowing bits of metal screen, or cutting their mouth. You dont have that problem with lizards.
Look up "hardware cloth" or "poultry netting". You wont find the wider spaced stuff under window screening, since the house stuff is also referred to as bug guard.
7)i would prefer to not have a screen top/bottom, so i could mount stuff to it. its easier to "hang" lights in the cage, vs just laying them across the top or dangling them.
8) 1 mist king can do an almost unlimited amount of cages, just keep adding nozzles. Yes it will spray outside the cage. Yes it will be "badly" id say arounda foot. Mesh size wont have an effect.
3) plastic "bulk head" meant for hydroponics, should be $4, but some can really get you at $30.
4) 5/16 -1". Thats the good stuff that will be facing sun/elements.
5) every reptibreeze has the beaded side inward. This is purely cosmetic.
6) aluminum. If you cant find that, go galvanized. If you are rich(and hate your scissors) go stainless
If you would like feeders to eat their way out, go nylon mesh size i prefer is 1/4" spacing. This is toe friendly, and easy to climb on. As for the rest of the weird material, again, good old house screen, possibly marketed as "solar screen". But all that other stuff (pet friendly etc) is if you have a dog that wants to eat it. You certainly dont want you dog chewing through and swallowing bits of metal screen, or cutting their mouth. You dont have that problem with lizards.
Look up "hardware cloth" or "poultry netting". You wont find the wider spaced stuff under window screening, since the house stuff is also referred to as bug guard.
7)i would prefer to not have a screen top/bottom, so i could mount stuff to it. its easier to "hang" lights in the cage, vs just laying them across the top or dangling them.
8) 1 mist king can do an almost unlimited amount of cages, just keep adding nozzles. Yes it will spray outside the cage. Yes it will be "badly" id say arounda foot. Mesh size wont have an effect.
Klyde O'Scope
Chameleon Enthusiast
Well, it just shows ta go ya... compose a post over 3 days, edit, & rewrite umpteen times, and I still can't make myself clear! 
I was looking for more practical experience or cautions, e.g. do they warp, things to do/not to do, careful when... ______.
I've actually had superworms eat their way through a polypropylene sherbet container.
Any experience with or feelings about fiberglass or coated metals?
Definitely not rich, but not cheap either. I just want to do things right—without cutting corners.
When I built my beardy's enclosure, I didn't like the look of dome fixtures, so I installed a recessed aim-able eyeball fixture in the false ceiling, with wiring, controls, etc. hidden above. It works great.
Appreciate the input.
My bad. I have a drain pan picked out; it's the closest size I could find for my enclosure, but it will be a little higher than the bottom frame, so there will be a 1" vertical gap.
I was looking for more practical experience or cautions, e.g. do they warp, things to do/not to do, careful when... ______.
Never done hydroponics. I'll look that one up.
OK. I read in a few places that aluminum can cut into feet(?)6) aluminum. If you cant find that, go galvanized. If you are rich(and hate your scissors) go stainless
I've actually had superworms eat their way through a polypropylene sherbet container.
Any experience with or feelings about fiberglass or coated metals?
Definitely not rich, but not cheap either. I just want to do things right—without cutting corners.
OK. Again, my bad. (I think) I'm looking for a happy medium; a mesh size that won't harm the lizard but won't let feeders through either. That's why I was including asking about 8/8 or 10/10 or... whatever.
That's what I was thinking originally, but I read so many posts admonishing not to do that because a chameleon would climb on the bulb/fixture and possibly burn or injure itself.
When I built my beardy's enclosure, I didn't like the look of dome fixtures, so I installed a recessed aim-able eyeball fixture in the false ceiling, with wiring, controls, etc. hidden above. It works great.
Good to know. That may influence how "hybrid" I may make the sides & back. Building an odd-size enclosure is presenting some challenges in getting the right material for the solid panels—can't just buy 24" x 48" project panels and cut them down a bit.
Appreciate the input.
nightanole
Chameleon Enthusiast
I didnt even know they made 8/8... But the wider the gap, the more toe friendly. Its up to your feeder size, and if you cup feed. All my feeders for the adults, are way too big to fit through 1/4" spacing.
There is no "best material". It just needs to not rust, and can not be chewed through. The most popular are vinyl coated(some dont like the look), galvanized, and aluminum. Reptibreezes are galvanized. Nothing is going to cut feet unless you get some Really fine gauge wire. And the wider the gap, the thicker the wire in most cases.
All of my T5HO fixtures are in the cages. The lizards love to use the tops as 4ft long heat rocks(mid to lower 90's temps), and i make little ramps for the geriatric ones. I do not place the basking lamps in the cages.
There is no "best material". It just needs to not rust, and can not be chewed through. The most popular are vinyl coated(some dont like the look), galvanized, and aluminum. Reptibreezes are galvanized. Nothing is going to cut feet unless you get some Really fine gauge wire. And the wider the gap, the thicker the wire in most cases.
All of my T5HO fixtures are in the cages. The lizards love to use the tops as 4ft long heat rocks(mid to lower 90's temps), and i make little ramps for the geriatric ones. I do not place the basking lamps in the cages.
Klyde O'Scope
Chameleon Enthusiast
You must have some big damn feeders!
I was planning on cup-feeding, but I tend not to trust that bugs won't figure a way out. I bought an "escape proof" feeder bowl for dubias; they can't climb the walls, but they can "World War Z" their way out (climbing on top of each other until they reach the rim).
"Food" for thought...
Do you know if the ¼" (4/4) aluminum is flexible enough to squeeze into the screen framing and then press the spline into? (This will be my first time working with this stuff.)
So... your basing light comes in from the side? My beardie-basker is at an angle, but still in the ceiling.
I was planning on cup-feeding, but I tend not to trust that bugs won't figure a way out. I bought an "escape proof" feeder bowl for dubias; they can't climb the walls, but they can "World War Z" their way out (climbing on top of each other until they reach the rim).
"Food" for thought...
Do you know if the ¼" (4/4) aluminum is flexible enough to squeeze into the screen framing and then press the spline into? (This will be my first time working with this stuff.)
So... your basing light comes in from the side? My beardie-basker is at an angle, but still in the ceiling.
nightanole
Chameleon Enthusiast
The spline has to match the screen. But just about everything can fit into a frame.
https://www.qualitywindowscreen.com/howto-spline-size-guide.html
You may be fine with the finer 8x8 stuff, or even 10x10. Its the 16 or 18 stuff that nails can get caught in.
Yes my basking bulbs are at an angle, so that the basking hot spot is an oval, to prevent burning.
https://www.qualitywindowscreen.com/howto-spline-size-guide.html
You may be fine with the finer 8x8 stuff, or even 10x10. Its the 16 or 18 stuff that nails can get caught in.
Yes my basking bulbs are at an angle, so that the basking hot spot is an oval, to prevent burning.
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Klyde O'Scope
Chameleon Enthusiast
Good Link. THX.
