Drainage Systems for Cages - get creative!

[jshaffer740]

Do you need a drainage system if you are just using a squirt bottle in your cage?

Probably not. One thing to check is how much you are dripping from your dripper. Many people will direct the drops from the dripper to fall into a small container that has been covered in screen (to prevent the cham and feeders from drowning).

 

[pepezkakap]

Probably not. One thing to check is how much you are dripping from your dripper. Many people will direct the drops from the dripper to fall into a small container that has been covered in screen (to prevent the cham and feeders from drowning).

Can't you just arrange the dripper to drop on the leaves and then leaves to lower leaves or branch or soild directly?
Sorry if my qestion seems absurd as I have never made one and thinking of doing one.

 

[ChuWuti]

I need to ask a dumb question . . . DH & I are planning a cham enclosure and we're complete newbies. We got an appliance tray to put under the base of the screen cage, but when I look at all your drainage set-ups, I see 5-gallon buckets, sinks, big tubs . . . I have a very strong suspicion that our appliance tray will not be adequate for the amount of water we should be expecting!

How much water drains off daily?

What about connecting the appliance tray to a household drainpipe? Does that sound completely crazy?

Thanks for your help! I really appreciate all the great photos!

 

[reptoman]

Drainage for 2- 24x24x48 cages. Wood is African mahogany and Peruvian walnut. Sloping drain material is PVC shower pan liner with 3/4" PVC stock milled to fit 3/4" PVC pipe for support. Pipe is covered with a PVC lattice cut to fit the top.

 

[summoner12]

View attachment 74890View attachment 74891View attachment 74892View attachment 74893

Drainage for 2- 24x24x48 cages. Wood is African mahogany and Peruvian walnut. Sloping drain material is PVC shower pan liner with 3/4" PVC stock milled to fit 3/4" PVC pipe for support. Pipe is covered with a PVC lattice cut to fit the top.

That is awesome and some serious craftsmanship!

My only suggestion would be to not use the lattice. The flat parts will cause water to collect and not fall straight down immediately. The PVC pipes will work just fine alone supporting the weight of the cages. I am only suggesting this out of personal experience. I think what I would do if the opening for the drain table is larger than the cages, is to cut an opening in the lattice the size of the cages. This way the lattice can act as a sort of 'cover' to the drain table on the edges of the cages.

Edit:

OK, NOW I see how this all fits together. Never mind my silly suggestions above.

 

[Rush2112]

View attachment 74890View attachment 74891View attachment 74892View attachment 74893

Drainage for 2- 24x24x48 cages. Wood is African mahogany and Peruvian walnut. Sloping drain material is PVC shower pan liner with 3/4" PVC stock milled to fit 3/4" PVC pipe for support. Pipe is covered with a PVC lattice cut to fit the top.

Here are the pics of this after I set it up at the house with the cages.

 

[summoner12]

I need to ask a dumb question . . . DH & I are planning a cham enclosure and we're complete newbies. We got an appliance tray to put under the base of the screen cage, but when I look at all your drainage set-ups, I see 5-gallon buckets, sinks, big tubs . . . I have a very strong suspicion that our appliance tray will not be adequate for the amount of water we should be expecting!

How much water drains off daily?

What about connecting the appliance tray to a household drainpipe? Does that sound completely crazy?

Thanks for your help! I really appreciate all the great photos!

The purpose of the drainage buckets is to collect the water and then dump it without having to move the cage and drain trays. Moving a flat tray full of water is very hard unless you don't mind spilling half of it

 

[Rush2112]

I need to ask a dumb question . . . DH & I are planning a cham enclosure and we're complete newbies. We got an appliance tray to put under the base of the screen cage, but when I look at all your drainage set-ups, I see 5-gallon buckets, sinks, big tubs . . . I have a very strong suspicion that our appliance tray will not be adequate for the amount of water we should be expecting!

How much water drains off daily?

What about connecting the appliance tray to a household drainpipe? Does that sound completely crazy?

Thanks for your help! I really appreciate all the great photos!

The buckets are very easy to get in and out and to empty. I usually empty mine 1-2 times per week and it's never even half full when I do.

 

[summoner12]

Good Purchase!

I like this very much!

 

[reptoman]

That is awesome and some serious craftsmanship!

My only suggestion would be to not use the lattice. The flat parts will cause water to collect and not fall straight down immediately. The PVC pipes will work just fine alone supporting the weight of the cages. I am only suggesting this out of personal experience. I think what I would do if the opening for the drain table is larger than the cages, is to cut an opening in the lattice the size of the cages. This way the lattice can act as a sort of 'cover' to the drain table on the edges of the cages.

Edit:

OK, NOW I see how this all fits together. Never mind my silly suggestions above.

Thanks Kevin. I have the same type of drainage for all my cages but the project for Jon allowed me to have fun with cabinetry for this one. Mahogany and walnut is a winning combo.

 

[pigglett79]

Here is what we did with our cages.

https://www.chameleonforums.com/finally-ultimate-cage-build-complete-sort-97517/

 

[ChuWuti]

Thanks for the info, folks!

Sandy

 

[FrankTheTank]

Here is what I'm working on for my new cage setup. Going to use PVC shower funnel drain pan underneath the screen to drain into a bucket
Please excuse the crude drawing

 

[dkillian90]

Here is mine:

The PVC floor on the cages is drilled in the middle, above the blue trays.

wow im amazed if I had the space in my house I would try that set up

 

[dkillian90]

dream set up

Here is mine:

The PVC floor on the cages is drilled in the middle, above the blue trays.

wow im amazed if I had the space in my house I would try that set up

 

[ChamMan15]

i just finished my drainage system and its pretty decent. i got the idea from MCSEB on the drainage system thread. it only costed me $20 . i cannot post it again so if you want pictures follow this link - https://www.chameleonforums.com/check-out-my-finished-my-drainage-system-108954/

 

[TheHoff93]

I took a softball & hand pressed it in the middle of the pvc bottom and heated the center of the pvc floor with a hair dryer so it was malleable. once i got the right amount of angle to where water would run to the middle i drilled 5 small holes in the center of the "drain" so water would drain into the bucket below. btw i drilled a 8" wide hole in my table so i could put the enclosure right on top with the bucket underneath. and wala quick and easy drainage system. now if i could only get my stinkin' schefflera to stop dropping leaves ill be happy.

 

[SaintJimmy]

Picture time!

Cage stand without anything in it

With the cage and rocks in it

Around the backside there's a hole with.. a bucket! and a drain with a lip

70% wood and hardibacker sealed in black waterproof paint.

The "wet" spot on the sloped drain underneath is just hardibacker cement (to seal the hardibacker together) it is not a leak.

Also we spraypainted the inside and do not care about the cosmetics on the INSIDE where no one (but you) will ever see.

 

[ApocalypseUK]

Would love to see some creative drainage systems involving glass cages! but all in all these are all very good idea's even gave me and few idea's because of it

 

[jaklz]

Built a 3' high base. Removed the plastic bottom and installed some mesh for easy drainage. Lined the inside if the cabinet with a shower curtain to create a cone shape. Glued a funnel to the bottom of the shower curtain and attached a hose for draining into a bucket. Thanks to this site for all the wonderful ideas.

Last step, decorating and adding a Mist King.Then I can finally add a Chameleon

Sorry for the sideways pictures. They weren't flipped when I uploaded them.