martinlemus
Member
how does a drainage tray exactly work ? I'm thinking of buying one so my screen cage won't leak as much
Drainage tray
- Thread starter martinlemus
- Start date
jpowell86
Chameleon Enthusiast
It is just a tray that is designed to fit underneath your screen enclosure. It utilizes raised areas within the tray that support the weight of the frame. The excess water is collected in the bottom of the tray away from the bottom of your enclosure.
Personally, I like to create my own. I usually put an actual drain in the middle of my enclosure, that connects to a pvc pipe, which directs the water to a tub below the enclosure. That way I don't have to move the enclosure itself to clean and do regular maintenance. Just IMO.
Personally, I like to create my own. I usually put an actual drain in the middle of my enclosure, that connects to a pvc pipe, which directs the water to a tub below the enclosure. That way I don't have to move the enclosure itself to clean and do regular maintenance. Just IMO.
Orcawhale
Member
I bought a drainage tray just last week and its amazing! You will occasionally have to move the setup to dump it out, but its 70,000 times better than having to mop it up with a towel twice a day! What I did was I got the proper size tray, then I drilled about 9 holes into the bottom part of the screen cage. (pretty small) you don't want bugs getting through them. And put it in place. The water filters right through.
martinlemus
Member
where did you buy yours. ?
Orcawhale
Member
I got mine right here
! http://www.lllreptile.com/search/?start=1&q=water+tray I believe they have all the standard sizes.
martinlemus
Member
out of 10 what would rate it ?
Orcawhale
Member
I would rate it 9/10 because occasionally you have to lift the enclosure up so you can dump the water in the tray out! But I love it. Makes life much easierout of 10 what would rate it ?
.
martinlemus
Member
you just sit your cage on top of it ? no tricks ?
martinlemus
Member
what specific materials did you get ? like where did you get the tubes etc
jcarlsen
Chameleon Enthusiast
My drainage tray is from Dragonstrand, and the pieces are all Mistking pieces (small bulkhead and tubing).
trickedoutbiker
Avid Member
http://dragonstrand.com/accessories/
I got mine from here. http://dragonstrand.com/accessories/
I got the HEAVY DUTY drainage tray: http://dragonstrand.com/product/large-heavy-duty-drainage-tray/
I like that one because look at the HEAVY DUTY design, then look at these other ones - http://dragonstrand.com/product/large-keeper-drainage-tray/
Those second ones are pretty much the same ones that LLLReptile sells. http://www.lllreptile.com/products/14111-24-x-24-x-48-screen-cage-water-tray-5-tray
The only difference is the small riser design of the middle.
Now go back and look at the HEAVY DUTY tray. I'ma tell you why I bought that one over any of the other designs. The risers go all the way from the corners to the middle, leaving NO gap in-between the corners and the middle. It's a solid straight line of riser and support. Now, with this same design, you can put ANY size cage on it. With the other designs, you would have to get a small drain tray for the small cage, and get another one for a large cage; because there is a gap between the middle and the corner risers, only one size cage is able to fit on it without rocking around. On the HEAVY DUTY drain tray, you can put ANY size cage on it, and center you cage within the "X" basically. With solid supports the whole way through and no gap, you just center that "X" on the middle of your cage and bam.... you are good to go. Then when you get a bigger cage, you cage use the SAME ONE for it and not have to purchase another larger one. I have a 16 x 16 x 30 cage on mine right now, and the HEAVY DUTY is made for any size cage up to a 24 x 24 (x 48). It works like a charm. Then you take that tray and drill holes wherever you want the tray to drain - it could be down, through a cabinet, into a bucket. Or instead of drilling through a cabinet, you can do what I did, and drill some holes for some bulkheads on the back (I have two). Then I ran some hosing from those holes, down to a 5 gallon bucket that is under the small stand I got (that way I didn't have to drill through a piece of furniture)
Then, if you want it to work better --- I took a few small pieces of thin wood and put under the drain tray, up near the front of the tray. This gives it a very slight tilt - not enough for it to wobble to and fro (mine's super stable), yet enough for it to make the water drain towards the back, straight to the overflow holes.
The tray was a little pricey, but I figured for $14 more, I can get a tray that fits all size cages, and never need to ever buy another. I love it. Then the whole bottom of my cage has screen so that all my water drips into the tray and absolutely none stays on the floor (you can make your own like I did, or Dragon Strand sells a screen insert for cage bottoms too). The screen catches all the feces, and prevents insects from escaping as well. Wipe down the tray every now and again as you would with anything else and you be good as long as you provide a way for the water to exit the tray.
Hope this helps
I got mine from here. http://dragonstrand.com/accessories/
I got the HEAVY DUTY drainage tray: http://dragonstrand.com/product/large-heavy-duty-drainage-tray/
I like that one because look at the HEAVY DUTY design, then look at these other ones - http://dragonstrand.com/product/large-keeper-drainage-tray/
Those second ones are pretty much the same ones that LLLReptile sells. http://www.lllreptile.com/products/14111-24-x-24-x-48-screen-cage-water-tray-5-tray
The only difference is the small riser design of the middle.
Now go back and look at the HEAVY DUTY tray. I'ma tell you why I bought that one over any of the other designs. The risers go all the way from the corners to the middle, leaving NO gap in-between the corners and the middle. It's a solid straight line of riser and support. Now, with this same design, you can put ANY size cage on it. With the other designs, you would have to get a small drain tray for the small cage, and get another one for a large cage; because there is a gap between the middle and the corner risers, only one size cage is able to fit on it without rocking around. On the HEAVY DUTY drain tray, you can put ANY size cage on it, and center you cage within the "X" basically. With solid supports the whole way through and no gap, you just center that "X" on the middle of your cage and bam.... you are good to go. Then when you get a bigger cage, you cage use the SAME ONE for it and not have to purchase another larger one. I have a 16 x 16 x 30 cage on mine right now, and the HEAVY DUTY is made for any size cage up to a 24 x 24 (x 48). It works like a charm. Then you take that tray and drill holes wherever you want the tray to drain - it could be down, through a cabinet, into a bucket. Or instead of drilling through a cabinet, you can do what I did, and drill some holes for some bulkheads on the back (I have two). Then I ran some hosing from those holes, down to a 5 gallon bucket that is under the small stand I got (that way I didn't have to drill through a piece of furniture
) Then, if you want it to work better --- I took a few small pieces of thin wood and put under the drain tray, up near the front of the tray. This gives it a very slight tilt - not enough for it to wobble to and fro (mine's super stable), yet enough for it to make the water drain towards the back, straight to the overflow holes.
The tray was a little pricey, but I figured for $14 more, I can get a tray that fits all size cages, and never need to ever buy another. I love it. Then the whole bottom of my cage has screen so that all my water drips into the tray and absolutely none stays on the floor (you can make your own like I did, or Dragon Strand sells a screen insert for cage bottoms too). The screen catches all the feces, and prevents insects from escaping as well. Wipe down the tray every now and again as you would with anything else and you be good as long as you provide a way for the water to exit the tray.
Hope this helps
trickedoutbiker
Avid Member
Exactly! Dragon Strand is what's up. And ironically, the 2 bulkheads I used on the back are ALSO the mistking 1/4" bulkheads, with black airline tubing running from those, down under my end stand table into a 5 gallon bucket below. Got the two bulkheads from Josh's Frogs, and I got the same black 1/4" tubing he sells from my factory I work at for free. It all just runs down into a bucket below my stand, and I clip the hosing lightly into the bucket so it doesn't wobble around.
Works perfect. And the front of mine is slightly elevated as I mentioned in my last post, to make all the water drain to the back. No standing water in the drain tray that way, cept maybe a slight bit at the back.
With my front slightly raised up, this ^^^^ isn't really an issue. I wipe it down once a month with disinfectant but that's a precaution I'd take even if no water ever got down there.
martinlemus
Member
looks great !
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