DIY Double Cage Build

[ERKleRose]

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.

Will the pvc hold up to the weight of the substrate? Just hot glue a few layers of mesh over the drainage hole. Isopods can climb, which is why I added those extra few inches on my bin. Everything will be completely sealed in my cage except for a 1/16” or 1/32” (Ibelieve) gap around the doors, so hopefully none escape

 

[Croninking]

I was wondering the same thing about the PVC. I've never worked with it before so I honestly don't know. Maybe I'll make a flat bin with a lip to support the PVC.

 

[ERKleRose]

I was wondering the same thing about the PVC. I've never worked with it before so I honestly don't know. Maybe I'll make a flat bin with a lip to support the PVC.

PVC panels are extremely flexible, but you can always get glass and basically make your own aquarium, too, which will hold together with the weight of the substrate. Or line a wood bin with PVC or glass. Are you using PVC pipe for the frame of the cage?

 

[Croninking]

I found some stuff called RDF that I think I'll use to line the substrate bin, which I'll make out of MDF. For the cage itself I was just going to make it out of screen door framing. Idk exactly what it's called. What recommendations do you have for the screen? Attached is what I found at Home Depot that I was gonna use.

 

[ERKleRose]

I found some stuff called RDF that I think I'll use to line the substrate bin, which I'll make out of MDF. For the cage itself I was just going to make it out of screen door framing. Idk exactly what it's called. What recommendations do you have for the screen? Attached is what I found at Home Depot that I was gonna use.

What’s RDF? Type of screen depends on each cham and if you free range your feeders. If your cham a screen climber and you cup feed, then get fiberglass, if your cham doesn’t climb the screen or you free range your feeders, go with a metal screen

 

[Croninking]

I think it's called RDF. it's some sort of thing plastic that they use in bathrooms. It's got kind of a rough side and a smooth side.
Right now he's a screen climber, but that could be cause he doesn't have a ton of stuff to climb on in his current cage.
As for the cage, should I build it into the tray (so slightly smaller dimensions than the tray)or can I have it sit on the limp of the tray and then use brackets of some sort to keep it attached?

 

[ERKleRose]

I think it's called RDF. it's some sort of thing plastic that they use in bathrooms. It's got kind of a rough side and a smooth side.
Right now he's a screen climber, but that could be cause he doesn't have a ton of stuff to climb on in his current cage.
As for the cage, should I build it into the tray (so slightly smaller dimensions than the tray)or can I have it sit on the limp of the tray and then use brackets of some sort to keep it attached?

Either-or

 

[Croninking]

Either way I'm gonna have to seal the edge, right? Those isopods look pretty small. Also, with isopods, are they pretty self-regulating population-wise? Right now my biggest fear with a bioactive cage is the isopods population growing out of control, making them harder to contain, and increasing the likelihood of escapes.

 

[ERKleRose]

Either way I'm gonna have to seal the edge, right? Those isopods look pretty small. Also, with isopods, are they pretty self-regulating population-wise? Right now my biggest fear with a bioactive cage is the isopods population growing out of control, making them harder to contain, and increasing the likelihood of escapes.

Yes, seal all seams, edges, and corners. Isopods can grow out of a container, so if you see tons, remove some soil with them in it and either keep them to repopulate the cage later on, keep for a new cage, or sell them. If you see the ecosystem molding, etc. there isn’t enough isopods or springtails and you have to add more

 

[Croninking]

Good to know and where can I purchase isopods?

 

[ERKleRose]

Good to know and where can I purchase isopods?

eBay, Josh’s Frogs, Amazon, Bugs in Cyberspace, online, exotic pet stores, reptile expos, etc, amongst other places. Some site sponsors may have them, too

 

[ERKleRose]

Make sure to buy springtails, too and have leaf litter and charcoal in your substrate to support them and the isopods

 

[Croninking]

Awesome so I just told my roommate my idea of doing a bioactive cage and he's REALLY not thrilled about the isopods due to the risks of escapes. Will earthworms serve the same purpose as the isopods? What can I tell him to curb his fears?

 

[ERKleRose]

T

Awesome so I just told my roommate my idea of doing a bioactive cage and he's REALLY not thrilled about the isopods due to the risks of escapes. Will earthworms serve the same purpose as the isopods? What can I tell him to curb his fears?

They’re just rolly pollies and are unlikely to escape, their food and shelter is in the cage, if they even can escape. Bioactive is more visually appealing. You shouldn’t have told him they can escape! Earthworms will work, I’m just not sure how well without isopods or springtails

 

[Croninking]

I didn't specifically say anything about escapes. I was describing them to him and his immediate reaction was "tiny insects = infestation." He's already not thrilled that I keep crickets lol

 

[ERKleRose]

I didn't specifically say anything about escapes. I was describing them to him and his immediate reaction was "tiny insects = infestation." He's already not thrilled that I keep crickets lol

Tell him they’re good insects, that they eat mold, mildew, and poop

 

[Croninking]

I think I'll stick with the "they won't escape" argument. Particularly what you said about their food and shelter being in the cage.

 

[Croninking]

If the isopods eat all the decaying matter and such, are there any additional cleaning requirements for a bioactive set up?

 

[ERKleRose]

If the isopods eat all the decaying matter and such, are there any additional cleaning requirements for a bioactive set up?

Just the occasional spot clean and cleaning off the arboreal parts of the enclosure

 

[Croninking]

That's what I thought. Unfortunately it seems my roommate is putting his foot down on this bioactive idea :-/ guess I'll just have to design something that's quick to tear down for cleaning purposes