DocZ
Chameleon Enthusiast
I can only find names of board members. It does say they have matched up to $100000 per year in donations to USARK for several years
What enclosure to buy
- Thread starter Brieb17
- Start date
Kaizen
Chameleon Enthusiast
I could’ve sworn zoomed had something to do with the birth of usark. However, smarter people than this drunk Canuck will know better, since usark is an American thing. Us lowly maple-leaf-lovers don’t enjoy such vociferous representation.
DocZ
Chameleon Enthusiast
I’m sure one of the founders is from Zoomed
And all of the reptiles in Canada probably have free health care anyway and are very friendly
Kaizen
Chameleon Enthusiast
Friendly, yes; good hygiene...um...not so much.I’m sure one of the founders is from Zoomed
And all of the reptiles in Canada probably have free health care anyway and are very friendly
Thatwizard420
Chameleon Enthusiast
DIY has them for $124
They're sturdier than the ZooMed one. It's just the cage, no LED lights or anything.
They're sturdier than the ZooMed one. It's just the cage, no LED lights or anything.
CasqueAbove
Chameleon Enthusiast
I like Zen habitats, but for the same price range I would go dragon strand, it come with all the accessories.
Klyde O'Scope
Chameleon Enthusiast
Well, I bought a DS, and I think it's overhyped, overpriced, and has some design & production problems.
The PVC panels on the Zen are twice as thick as DS, it has an actual frame (of 1" aluminum tubing) instead of just a bunch of screens screwed together with sheet metal screws, a reinforced top better suited to taking the weight of lighting, and free shipping.
I have enormous respect for Bill's knowledge & experience regarding keeping chameleons, and I know there's a DS following on this site, but my honest impression of the DS, after having assembled it, having to make modifications & repairs out of the box to make it serviceable, and living with it and its shortcomings, is somewhere between disillusioned and ripped off.
No enclosure is going to be perfect, but IMO, the Zen Habitat enclosures are better designed & built than the DS—and for less money.
MissSkittles
Chameleon Enthusiast
I bought a diy enclosure and so far like it more than the Repti Breezes I have.
DocZ
Chameleon Enthusiast
I’ve never seen a Zen I person. They look great. Thanks for the recommendation
I really like my DS enclosure, and I have a reptibreeze that came with a xanth I adopted. There is no comparison between the Zoomed and the DS from my experience.
DS is better quality in all aspects and includes the ledges which make branching and plant design so much easier (I bought them for my XL). The misting wedges are also helpful for installing the mist nozzles.
But to be honest Bill Strand’s contribution and commitment to the community makes the investment more than worth any difference in price, and is why I’m part of the DS following
Klyde O'Scope
Chameleon Enthusiast
The ledges are one of the problems with the hybrid enclosures; he cut corners and left out the pieces that attached directly to the outside of the frame, and just uses the 2 screws through the spools to attach them to the PVC panels. The main problem is that the panels are so thin (1/8") and the screw heads so small, that the screws can rip right through the PVC with the weight of a couple pots on them. This was just one of the things I had to correct to make the darn thing even serviceable.
DocZ
Chameleon Enthusiast
I’ve only installed them on screen cages. Does the outside PVC piece not screw into the frame of the cage?
Klyde O'Scope
Chameleon Enthusiast
No, that's the point. There is no outside piece.
I think the ledges are grossly overpriced too. If you can manage a hacksaw and drill, you can get aluminum stock & screws from a home improvement store for a fraction.
MissSkittles
Chameleon Enthusiast
Not all of us are that handy. I can’t afford a DS for any of my chams, but I do love the ledges and find them well worth the price.
DocZ
Chameleon Enthusiast
Certainly a fair criticism. Again I don’t have any experience with installation on a hybrid cage
Klyde O'Scope
Chameleon Enthusiast
I'm aware not everyone is. That's why I qualified, "If you can manage a hacksaw and drill....".
I have to pay a little more for the things I can no longer do too. I don't have access to a table saw, so I paid to have the pieces cut when I built my beardie enclosure. I also can't get a 4 x 8 sheet into my current vehicle, so I sometimes have to pay to have things cut down to fit or to be delivered.
However the main point of this exchange is that DS cut corners on the ledges provided with their hybrid enclosures to (IMO) the detriment of the finished product, without informing customers and without providing a simple remedy.
Klyde O'Scope
Chameleon Enthusiast
Nice mod with the wood trellis on the bottom. I used ceiling egg crate under the screen (because I used some up the back between the ledges for climbing vines) but anything that will distribute the weigh will do.
