Drainage for Aluminum cages

[xoiceox]

I've seen all sorts of amazing drainage systems on here!

I just ordered a 24x24x48 Aluminum from LLL and I was wondering what is the best and easiest way to make a drainage system for this kind of setup!

it will be going in my room and I have wood floors, so it needs to be something as neat as possible with minimal spillage

 

[xoiceox]

14 views and no replies *cries*

 

[Garrett]

I really like the laundry sinks from lowes or home depot for that type of cage. Extremely easy to keep clean, you can run a mist nozzle in the center of the cage for hours without water getting out, they're pretty cheap (25-30 bucks) and they fit the lll reptile cages almost perfectly!
gw

 

[xoiceox]

Oh wow, so u take the bottom of the cage off and just sit it on the sink? It hold tight and doesn't tip or anything??? And the mist thing ur talking about replaces the nozzle on the faucet?

 

[xoiceox]

I like that sink, its low to the ground. how much was it?? The ones I found are expensive!

 

[tru510]

I have the same cage as you. All i did was go to the hardware store get a sink drain 2 1/2 trace it and cut a hole in the white board that sits at the bottom of the cage. Then I hooked up a drain tube and called it a day. You will have to use some good sealant and let it dry for a day. Total cost for the drain setup was $5.68.

 

[Garrett]

this is the only one I could find online -
http://www.lowes.com/lowes/lkn?action=productDetail&productId=20137-332-102011&lpage=none

I bought mine at lowes a few years ago, and they were about 25 bucks. I'm pretty sure they still carry them. Look for the model that is 14"H x 23-3/4"W x 24-3/4"D
Yeah just remove the bottom, and place right on top. It's pretty stable as long as you don't bump into it, or put anything really heavy on top (in the picture you can see a 48" light strip on there with no problem.)
I have a promist misting system, and just run one nozzle per cage into the top center of the screen. I can run 2 cycles a day for an hour each without any leaking problems

 

[xoiceox]

I have the same cage as you. All i did was go to the hardware store get a sink drain 2 1/2 trace it and cut a hole in the white board that sits at the bottom of the cage. Then I hooked up a drain tube and called it a day. You will have to use some good sealant and let it dry for a day. Total cost for the drain setup was $5.68.

Ok I like this idea and its cheap! Thanx I think this is what I will do! What do u prop the cage on?

 

[Garrett]

Oh I forgot to mention, you also get an extra 14" of interior cage height without the floor as a bonus

 

[xoiceox]

Ya thats true. We have a sink outside. I think I will use this idea when itake him out to get sun with the smaller cage or something.... I like the lil drain idea, simple, and cheap! hehehe I am broke as a joke!

 

[tru510]

Ok I like this idea and its cheap! Thanx I think this is what I will do! What do u prop the cage on?

I was at a reptile show and got a sweet deal on a Exo Terra stand made for reptile cages. You can do a google search and it will come up.

 

[xoiceox]

Oh ya I've seen plenty of those they are sooo expensive. I might just use a rubbermaid upside down or something b/c I am poor lol

 

[tru510]

Oh ya I've seen plenty of those they are sooo expensive. I might just use a rubbermaid upside down or something b/c I am poor lol

They are very high priced. I got mine for $35 bucks at the end of a show

 

[xoiceox]

lucky lil mother f***er haha

 

[Hutbug]

I drilled a bunch of holes in the bottom piece, put a heavy rock in the center, put white grates from Walmart on the bottom and put the plants on those. The cage sits on a plastic shelf/table I also bought at Walmart, and under that I tied a plastic lid from an under-bed storage container and tilted it so that all the water flows to a hole I drilled in one corner of the lid. The water goes through the hole to a bucket underneath. The shelf/table is meant to be used outdoors for potting plants i suppose, so it has long open spaces in it for water or dirt or whatever to drain through. So you need the 'drain tray' to catch and direct the water.

 

[xoiceox]

Wow very creative!

 

[mczoo]

just made 2 cage drains pics

Here is how i made my last 2 cage drainage systems for screen cage

First i marked the center of the PVC base and drew a template around a standard sink drain from home depot (5 bucks)

i then decide to use a tray method on the first one so i drilled from the inside out (better for safety) inside the drain template so i could later convert if desired. i used 3/8" bit you could probably use smaller

you can see the results from below

i used 2x4 treaded and sealed lumber in a box with second method of drainage for pan (ignore the screen i am taking that out)

second option is to cut out hole with dremel and put drin directly in. i found a 2x2 piece of PVC naturally bows toward center so drainage is good

from below ignore the wood cage this can also be done on screen cage

hope this helps

Sean

 

[gregdabender]

Awesome posts !!! I was just trrying to figure out a way to do this without lookingto ghetto ! I currently have my cage sitting on top of a 26 1/8 X 18 inch rubbermaid container with holes in the bottom of my cage secured by velcro

My next project will be the sink....such a good idea and a nice way to get some more vertical space.

 

[Dankmeleon]

i use hydroponic flood tables, on a slight tilt by putting a couple magazines under one side so the water runs down the slope into my drain


hydro flood tables cost like a hundred bucks and they are awesome because they have raised floors so all the water falls down in the groves

on a budget and what i do for my other cages is I buy a 10 dollar "supertub" from lowes, they are located in the concrete section next to the smaller mortar pans which can also be used for smaller cages

then you just drill a hole big enough for which ever drain option you want to use, its really simple

i think i use a 1 5/16 drill bit because thats what the hydroponic flood and drain fittings call for, then its just a tube down to a bucket or 5 gallon jug which i find easier to empty than the bucket

 

[Hutbug]

I still like my solution best, because (1) was cheap (2) was very easy to set up (2) works perfectly (my nozzle/bucket setup allows for an actual rainshower in the cage of aprx. 12" diameter, so all that water is captured by hitting the bottom, running to the center and out to the drain tray and then to the bucket), and (3) there's an extra 2' of shelf for putting stuff on.
The drain tray was the key to making this work; and I didn't think of it, I saw it somewhere last year, either here or somewhere else on the internet.