ERKleRose
Chameleon Enthusiast
I’m using plywood and 2” by 4”s for the stand
DIY Double Cage Build
- Thread starter ERKleRose
- Start date
ERKleRose
Chameleon Enthusiast
The entire substrate bin will be full of bioactive soil, there will be at least one ton, if not more, of weight in each bin, not including the cage, bin, frame, background, and furnishings in it
Croninking
Established Member
How tall is the stand?
ERKleRose
Chameleon Enthusiast
18” I believe
ERKleRose
Chameleon Enthusiast
But I have to work with my ceiling height, you can make it taller
Croninking
Established Member
That's why I was wondering, cause the standard ceiling height is 7 feet and 78 inches is already 6.5 feet. Made me wonder how tall the stand was and how you were gonna fit lights on top lol
ERKleRose
Chameleon Enthusiast
I left 18” on top for lights and enough airflow for them to cool off
Croninking
Established Member
I've seen what you said you're going to seal your substrate tray with, but what are you building it out of? For mine I'm going to have to build or buy something that the cage can sit inside of. I was thinking PVC but idk what I would use to bond the sides together to get a perfect seal.
ERKleRose
Chameleon Enthusiast
I’m using MDF sealed with epoxy paint with the corners and seams reinforced with fiber glass mesh and silicone. You could line the MDF in PVC panels with the seams and corners sealed with silicone, but I’m doing it the hard way for peace of mind
Croninking
Established Member
I was actually thinking of doing it the other way. PVC panels backed by MDF for support. I figure that way I have to worry less about the wood rotting. So silicone should make for a strong bond between sheets of PVC? Also, I tried googling isopods cause I had no idea what they even were. What came up was pretty broad and a little vague. What exactly am I looking for for use in a chameleon enclosure?
ERKleRose
Chameleon Enthusiast
I think we’re talking about the same thing: a bin made out of MDF with the interior lined with PVC panels. Aquarium safe silicone will seal the seams where the two panels meet and make them water proof. They’re rolly pollies. They, along with springtails, and even earthworms, etc. eat and turn mold, mildew, waste, and decaying matter into food for your live plants
Croninking
Established Member
Ah! My apologies! I misunderstood what you said. Thanks for all the great information and advice! On a side note: time for me to get creative lol. Just called about a 30x30x60 cage I was going to order from DIY cages and they are discontinuing that one. So I'm gonna have to go with the 30x30x72 and get creative with the drainage system. I was going to use a 5 gallon bucket which would've fit perfectly in the foot of space I had underneath but now I'm down to 6 inches.
ERKleRose
Chameleon Enthusiast
Use rain gutters to direct the water from the cage into a low bucket nearby, maybe
ERKleRose
Chameleon Enthusiast
You can also build your own cage with window screen frame, mesh, spline, and screws
Croninking
Established Member
That might not be a bad cost saving measure. Also, crisis averted. Just doubled-checked: 8 ft ceiling FTW!
Croninking
Established Member
Is there any particular reason you went with 18" deep for your box?
ERKleRose
Chameleon Enthusiast
I wanted at least 3-4 inches of drainage and over a foot of substrate for trees to take root (ficus, shefflerra, crepe myrtle), and a little extra. You can always make it shallower, too
Croninking
Established Member
Ah ok. I'm thinking of making the bottom of the substrate concaved PVC with a hole and some sort of "strainer" (to keep everything from just washing out) at the bottom. About an foot of vertical space from the top of the slant sounds reasonable. (So, say I slant it down two inches, total height would be 14" from drain to the top of the soil.) Can/will the isopods climb? If so I imagine I'll want the tray to be a couple inches deeper than the substrate.
Similar threads
