Help with LLLReptile Drainage Pan

[PicassothePanther]

Guys, I am putting my new LLL cage together and I have an LLL drainage pan with it. Do I need to put the bottom white board/panel in the cage or do I just rely on the actual drainage pan as my tray? This might be a stupid question, I'm not sure lol..

 

[Elizadolots]

From their website ( http://lllreptile.com/store/catalog...screen/-/16-x-15-x-20-screen-cage-water-tray/ )

Note - the water tray goes under the outside of the cage. The original plastic bottom that comes with our cages is still used with the water tray. The pictures shown just don't display the plastic bottom so you can see the water tray!

 

[PicassothePanther]

I dont understand what the point of keeping the bottom of the cage in if I have the drainage pan.. how is the water and pee/poop going to be collected and go downt he pvc pipe to the junk reservoir?

Summoner? help?

 

[Elizadolots]

Well, there's a picture with the bottom in place. It looks to me like the little risers in the drainage pan push the bottom up a tiny amount. Enough to let water drain but not enough to let the animal out should he travel that far down.

Here's an angled picture of the drainage tray. You can see that the risers are a tiny bit taller than the sides.

My screen cage didn't have any floor but the plastic. It looks like that's true of their cages as well. If so, and you left the plastic off, the chameleon could potentially fall into water that pools at the bottom (and, it will pool...especially with all those risers in there).

 

[PicassothePanther]

I am drilling a hole with tubing to take care of any pooling that occurs.. check summoner's post and pictures.. that is exactly what i am doing. His idea was tho make a hole big enough to for feces/dead crickets to pass through, in addition to old poopy water.

 

[Texas Panther Man]

Yo bro. You just need to put some holes in the white bottom piece. So the water will flow into your pan. You will still have to wipe down the botom and pick up poop. lol We can't get out of that one. Tell me how your pan works cuz i'm gonna order me one next week. My cart from Bed Bath & B, should be here any day. Once i set that up then i can get an idea how im gonna tackle drainage.

 

[Texas Panther Man]

Oh yeah picasso. If you ever want to change out that white bottom piece. I found a good alternative. Its cheap and able to handle more weight. Go to Lowes or maybe Hd. I saw em at Lowes though. In the lighting dept they carry flourescent light plastic covers to go over flourescent fixtures. They come pre cut in 24 X 24 sizes. They do have those plastic pointed things on one side. I'm thinking about getting one and sanding off the sharp points and then drilling some holes in it. I hate that cheap bottom that came with my LLL cage. I thought I might even put a couple of pieces of laminate tile on it to make it look nice. I just gotta get my damn cart first. grrr

 

[PicassothePanther]

That sounds like a great idea, Texas. I got lucky - I found a 25 1/2 x 22" table on craigslist.. the guy was selling it for $5 !!!

AND he happened to be selling a fake 6 foot Ficus tree too.. I gave him $40 for both!

 

[PicassothePanther]

and to clean.. i have my hand-held steamer coming to me from ebay

 

[Texas Panther Man]

Thats a deal. Now you have a tree to free range on. I could kick myself for giving away all my ficus trees. I just got tired of dragging em in and out after i got out of the hobby. Now i am having hell finding big trees.

 

[Elizadolots]

I think water is going to hide behind some of those little risers.

I just read through the Summoner thread and he doesn't mention the issue of the plastic bottom.

When I was using a screen cage I drilled holes in the plastic bottom and put the cage on a large storage drawer. All the water drained into the drawer which was easily taken out to empty and clean. (that was an idea I got from a thread here).

 

[PicassothePanther]

with free-ranging i am worried at his age he will fall and if he does he will seriously hurt himself on my hard-wood floor.