Epic Parsonii Enclosure: Part 1
- Thread starter Extensionofgreen
- Start date
cyberlocc
Chameleon Enthusiast
I know what PVC is, however PVC sheeting would not fill in gaps for screws ect, so there would be places for air/water to get in. Same thing as the PVC melamine like board (PVC Laminate) sure it will resist water till you drill some holes in it. I am not saying it wont work at preventing 99% of the water, it wont prevent it all though. Depending on design and way of applying it. The best method for that would have been build it from PVC 2x4s to begin with.
I do agree that PVC sheeting would look good and protect from most of the water. Personally I would rather use the epoxy with kevlar
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Extensionofgreen
Chameleon Enthusiast
This is a 3-5 year cage. I'm moving wishing that time frame. The wood that would be at risk for rotting is the wood that would be compromised by the soil moisture, but that will not be an issue, due to the rubber liner. I used untreated wood OUTDOORS, for my melleri 's Summer home and had a sprinkler ( lots more water than a mister ) hosing it down several times a day and I had to demolish them, 3 years later, when I moved. There were no issues with rot. Yes, eventually that would have changed and might in this case, too, but my end goal is build this cage again, bigger even, and use natural stone tile to cover the back, sides, and floor, because I want this to be a show piece. I would have made this even more of an advanced project, this for round, but a week before the building started, $15k in central AC, our refrigerator, our portable AC, and our upstairs shower, ALL needed replaced at once! Yes, all at once! All told, I'm well over $7,500. invested in the pair itself, the caging, the plants for the cage, the 11 species of roaches I'm breeding for them, vet check for them, and over $1,000 in lighting alone. I think that's a good enough effort, for now!
Extensionofgreen
Chameleon Enthusiast
Nicholasdeaan
Avid Member
Looking great extension! I can't wait to see the end product.
tjdeerslayer37
Member
Love it!
Dirtydominican77
Member
Truly epic. I agrew with savage, can't wait to see that vine setup.
KevinMcI
New Member
HI Extensionofgreen Just checking out your project. Looks like it it is coming along great. I had a pair of Parson's back in the 90's and miss them (Bonnie & Clyde). I can't quite see what you are doing right now for side walls and ceiling, are you leaving the 2x4's exposed, with the bare wall behind them? And when you built the frame did you use exterior screws or stainless nails? I don't see any places where water or moisture would get trapped, so with good ventilation you should be all set. If you have any further concerns about water and or moisture damage, check out this product: Hydro Ban. You "paint " it on and it waterproofs very well. It would not be an unattractive green color. It is used for waterproofing pools, shower stalls, etc. You could nail a wooden box together, paint the inside of it with Hydro Ban, fill it with water and it would be water proof for up to 25 years. The only thing I am not sure of, is if there any toxicity to it. Probably not much of an issue unless you lined a pool with it and were going to put fish in it. Good luck with the rest of the project. PS you picked the right guy for your lighting too, Todd is great.
Kevin M
Kevin M
Extensionofgreen
Chameleon Enthusiast
85% complete. My imagination was larger than the cage dimensions, so a few plants were not planted, that I had hoped to include, but I still have some hanging planters to hang and the soil to cap. I'm waiting on the mist system resevoir to drain, so I can hook that up, but the nozzles are all installed. It's looking AMAZING!
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Extensionofgreen
Chameleon Enthusiast
Finally finished and the parsons had an immediate change in activity, demeanor, and appetite, once put in the new enclosure.
The hanging planters look kind of sad and need time to grow in, and I'll decide whether they stay or go, after a month or so. The feeders on the doors will be moved, once I buy some magnets that I can glue to the wood and use to install them in a different place.
I'm thrilled with their little slice of paradise.
The hanging planters look kind of sad and need time to grow in, and I'll decide whether they stay or go, after a month or so. The feeders on the doors will be moved, once I buy some magnets that I can glue to the wood and use to install them in a different place.
I'm thrilled with their little slice of paradise.
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Nicholasdeaan
Avid Member
Looks fantastic man! Everyone who owns chameleons dreams of enclosures thus stature. Keep us updated with pictures of the parsons.
Extensionofgreen
Chameleon Enthusiast
She can lay her eggs in the substrate itself, though she has at least a year to go, for egg laying age.
Football Master
Member
tjdeerslayer37
Member
Might've missed it, have you introduced the clean up crew yet?
Extensionofgreen
Chameleon Enthusiast
I have not, in the sense of isopods, but I inoculated the planting substrate with benificial microbes. I will probably add isopods at some point.
Twitchet
Chameleon Enthusiast
Wonderful- just wonderful and very inspiring. I'm making two enclosures with wooden frame work too !- lol -sadly not quite as big for two parsons I'm getting in a few weeks so have been taking notes on your splendid set up. Definitely will be adding some hanging baskets too - lovely job, no wonder they are so happy.
lol -sadly not quite as big for two parsons I'm getting in a few weeks so have been taking notes on your splendid set up. Definitely will be adding some hanging baskets too - lovely job, no wonder they are so happy.
Extensionofgreen
Chameleon Enthusiast
I want to take a moment to explain the lighting.
After much consultation, enthusiasm, vision, and finally execution; I took Todd's of lightyourreptiles.com advice and created a magical, naturalistic, lighting arrangement. At 8 am, the 4 Jungle Dawn LED lights come on, giving for all the world like morning sunlight, shining through breaks in the forest canopy. 2 hours later, 6, dual tube T5 fixtures come on. 4 of these are from Todd and include one each of his plant and aquarium bulbs and one of his daylight bulbs. Since these are equipped with reflectors, they are placed on top of the cage, placed vertically, front to back. The other 2 fixtures are shop lights, without reflectors and are equipped with zoomed 10.0 bulbs ( these were ordered, before I found out how much Arcadia bulbs had to offer ). These are mounted inside the cage, because of the depth of the enclosure. The LEDs, as seen in the photos, are also inside the cage. At the time the T5s come on, the fans also come on. At 12 noon, a 165 watt Mercury Vapor bulb, from Todd, comes on, this is strategically placed, slightly off center and near one of the Jungle Dawn LEDs. This goes off at 5pm. At 10 pm, the T5s go off, leaving the LEDs, simulating a fading sunset. The LEDs go out at midnight ( I am a night owl and this photo period maximizes opportunities for feeding). While many people give a 12 hr on and 12 off schedule, observation has shown my animals start to roost around 8-9pm and the natural day length, during the warmer months is much greater than 12 hours, as the morning light brightens things up by 6am, with darkness coming at around 9pm. I will likely shorten the day length for their brumation, providing a 10 hr photo period.
I can't say enough about the way the Arcadia bulbs provide ideal lighting for the size of my enclosure, ideal spectrum for the plants, and the parsonii find the lighting stimulating, with both having notably increased appetites, from a few hours being placed in the new enclosure.
After much consultation, enthusiasm, vision, and finally execution; I took Todd's of lightyourreptiles.com advice and created a magical, naturalistic, lighting arrangement. At 8 am, the 4 Jungle Dawn LED lights come on, giving for all the world like morning sunlight, shining through breaks in the forest canopy. 2 hours later, 6, dual tube T5 fixtures come on. 4 of these are from Todd and include one each of his plant and aquarium bulbs and one of his daylight bulbs. Since these are equipped with reflectors, they are placed on top of the cage, placed vertically, front to back. The other 2 fixtures are shop lights, without reflectors and are equipped with zoomed 10.0 bulbs ( these were ordered, before I found out how much Arcadia bulbs had to offer ). These are mounted inside the cage, because of the depth of the enclosure. The LEDs, as seen in the photos, are also inside the cage. At the time the T5s come on, the fans also come on. At 12 noon, a 165 watt Mercury Vapor bulb, from Todd, comes on, this is strategically placed, slightly off center and near one of the Jungle Dawn LEDs. This goes off at 5pm. At 10 pm, the T5s go off, leaving the LEDs, simulating a fading sunset. The LEDs go out at midnight ( I am a night owl and this photo period maximizes opportunities for feeding). While many people give a 12 hr on and 12 off schedule, observation has shown my animals start to roost around 8-9pm and the natural day length, during the warmer months is much greater than 12 hours, as the morning light brightens things up by 6am, with darkness coming at around 9pm. I will likely shorten the day length for their brumation, providing a 10 hr photo period.
I can't say enough about the way the Arcadia bulbs provide ideal lighting for the size of my enclosure, ideal spectrum for the plants, and the parsonii find the lighting stimulating, with both having notably increased appetites, from a few hours being placed in the new enclosure.
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