fully automated? ( hypothetical)

[chamguy]

I am looking into a project ( which will be a bit pricey) of making just about every aspect of a reptile room fully automated. I was wondering if how pluasable this could be as far as the day to day chores. ( feeding, watering, photo period, ect.) So basically I am setting up a hypothetical situation and want to see where dicussion gose.

When I say automated, I either mean everything set on "timers", thermostates, ect. or everything ( with in reason) able to be controled from a computer elsewhere. I know there are many Vivarium controllers out there, and although those maybe very useful in a project like this, it would take more than just that.

The daily tasks I am dicussing would be as follows;
- feeding ( may seem like a long shot, but I think its do-able)
- photo period
- watering/humidity
- heating/cooling
- observation ( webcam)
- Cleaning ( maybe a stretch, but could be accomplished once aweek manually)

At this point this is just a hypothetical situation, I am not "really" going to do this, just looking what it would take to accomplish something like this. I'm not looking into this due to boredom or laziness.

 

[chamguy]

also,... this is not limited to just chameleons, specifically reptiles tho.

 

[summoner12]

I am pretty close to 100% automated......

Automated:

• Misting
• Drainage
• Lighting
• Heat
• Humidity

Not automated:

• Cleaning cages
• feeding chams

 

[Adventures]

I am so down for putting some thought into this. Anyone else an engineer? The biggest issue I am running into is how to automate feeding. What I was thinking was a box with 7 days worth of food for cham, and food for crickets/worms spring loaded with a cam bar. Still thinking about it. Or a slow moving wheel with buckets that get tipped out once a day. Think ferris wheel. Only problem I can't seem to figure out is how to dust with supplements...

 

[BugCatcher]

Sounds really interesting to be 100% automated for the normal routine. The hardest part will indeed be feeding and cleaning. The others are a no brainer with the currently available equipment that is around.

 

[chamguy]

yes,.... I am moving away to college next fall and thought " wouldnt it be cool if I could care for my reptiles through my computer?". Possibly write up a program, have a computer in the herp room with servos, web cams, and such so you could activate them or set them on timers ( or both) through the internet. Probably best to have a "default" setting for everything to be timed incase you do not have access to a computer.

Yes I do admit cleaning would be the hardest, but if we really wanted to go that far there are kitty liter trays that sweep the litter automatically. Program it to sweep once a day in to a resivior with some odor less chemical to neutralize the waste. Of course that in it's self would have to be cleaned ( unless there was a way to flush) but not near as much. OR ( just had an idea) some how sweep the waste into an aquaponics system, which in itself is fully automated. The fish in the system will do away with the waste and the plants will filter the water. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aquaponics


I also have tortioses, and dragons, but I am getting out of dragons for chameleons. Automating the tortoises would be much easier due to the fact it dosent have to be "alive". The chameleons would be much tricker. Possibly set tubs with the feeders above the chameleons cage. Have a trap door that a few fall down per day in to a holding pen, once a day they are dumped into a bowl????

 

[melric]

That would be an idea if someone could figure out feeding and cleaning. I'm sure all together it would be expensive.

 

[Seeco]

Here is my setup:

https://www.chameleonforums.com/my-methods-part-4-baby-cage-rack-72876/

Do a search for automatic pond feeder! If you only have one cage it would be easy!

My outdoor cages don't even accumulate poop because most of it falls through the bars: https://www.chameleonforums.com/my-methods-part-3-outdoor-caging-72563/

 

[chamguy]

yes, well the entire idea would be for someone who is away for an extended period of time, but either way I think would be fun to atleast look at. Wish I knew a bit more about computers haha.

 

[chamguy]

I'm going to experiment with auto fish feeders, and report my findings on this forum. I think if I mix 3 parts mealworms to 1 part oat meal it should keep the worms alive for a few weeks.

 

[Olimpia]

I am pretty close to 100% automated......

Automated:

• Misting
• Drainage
• Lighting
• Heat
• Humidity

Not automated:

• Cleaning cages
• feeding chams

Me too.
I have the lights on a timer, therefore they get their heat and photo period every day on schedule. Their misting system is also on a timer, an they get 45 minutes of water a day, so their water and humidity are pretty constant. Their drainage is a bucket that I have to empty out about once a week or so, but easy enough.

The only things I need to do are feed and clean.

With this I can leave for a long weekend without problem, mine do great. Need be, I leave a medium plastic bin with some crickets and an egg crate and they will pick them off at their leisure as the crickets climb the egg crate, so they don't catch all 20 in one sitting. But since mine are adults, if they go 2-3 days without eating it's not a problem. So usually I don't worry about feeding them during my time away.