How to connect fake vines/furnishings?

[Scotty]

Hey all,
As you may or may not be aware, I live overseas and could not get a aluminium screened cage anywhere here.
So, you kind people pointed me in the direction of LLLReptiles who are sending me a 24x24x48 cage, awesome....
Looking at it, there doesn't seem to be anywhere to fix your fake vines to inside the enclosure. How do you guys do it, without drilling screwing or whatever to the enclosure, which seems the only way.
I have a exoterra 100G flexarium now and as you are probably aware, it has pvc pipes inside the cage (that is the frame), which makes it a breeze to tie your vines on to.
Give me some idea guys, as I have never seen these enclosures in the flesh!
Thanks in advance
Regards
Scott

 

[lonomac]

I bought a small spool of wire at home depot (local hardware store). Cost about 2 dollars and I use it to hang almost everything, feeder cup too. Just make sure any wire ends are OUTSIDE the cage

 

[CrazyChameleon5]

I bought a small spool of wire at home depot (local hardware store). Cost about 2 dollars and I use it to hang almost everything, feeder cup too. Just make sure any wire ends are OUTSIDE the cage

Thats what i am doing also, as well as before i had the wire i took a simple needle and black thread and sewed the vines to the wall it's really easy since it is screen.

 

[Scotty]

I bought a small spool of wire at home depot (local hardware store). Cost about 2 dollars and I use it to hang almost everything, feeder cup too. Just make sure any wire ends are OUTSIDE the cage

Yeah, well that's what I thought you would have to do...
So, you actually have to penetrate the screen with the wire, what a pain in the butt, this is a potential escape route for your feeders, albeit a small escape route...lol
Then there's the unsightly twisted ends of the wire externally on the cage....eerrrmmm!
OK, i'll think of screwing some sort of small hook or something internally to the frame and hang the vines off that...
Any more suggestions guys, as it seems this is the main type of enclosure everyone uses...
BTW, cheers lonomac....
Scott.

 

[lonomac]

Actually you wont have to penetrate the screen, get wire thats thin enough to go through the screen holes. That works just fine. If you have wire cutters you can cut the twisted end off and bend it against the screen so its hardly noticable.

 

[SierraNevada]

Tie Wraps aka Zip Ties. They work good. Put them in corners...loop your vines so they don't come loose and then head down or across and tie wrap them to another area. Once you have some base ties, you can wrap other vines to your anchored ones.

 

[Scotty]

Your right lonnie, just being anal I guess.
It seems funny that a (basically) purpose built chameleon cage haven't thought of this pretty important little extra, after all chams are arboreal and heating/lighting is almost always at the top, then again they really havent really thought of drainage as well.
Now as we all know, that's another topic!!!lol
Cheers
scott.

 

[Canopy Chameleons]

I use zip ties and twist ties. I prefer zip ties, because they last alot longer. I've used them on alot of flexariums, or reptariums without a problem at all. Just be careful with the live plants, you can't tie those too tight.

 

[SierraNevada]

Your right lonnie, just being anal I guess.
It seems funny that a (basically) purpose built chameleon cage haven't thought of this pretty important little extra, after all chams are arboreal and heating/lighting is almost always at the top, then again they really havent really thought of drainage as well.
Now as we all know, that's another topic!!!lol
Cheers
scott.

Ahh...drainage. Well...I found a quick and easy way to contain water in those cages with the green pvc flat bottom. Simply go to the hardware store and pickup some L shaped corner trim and a square piece of small dowl. Cut the pieces to line the sides of the bottom piece on the edges and use aquarium silicon to glue them to the back and sides. Use clamps for about 30 mins to secure them and they cure over night. You can put it right in your cage after the silicon hardens enough to keep the trim secure...it's non-toxic and I had no problems. For the front part where your lower lift up screen door is...I used that square long piece of dowl for the edging.

I did this to keep the bottom roomy for plants...and flat. I mist 3 times a day and have a habba mist, plus a sonic humidifier fogging and then dripping water all day off and on. There is never too much water to be contained down there, some of the plants suck up the water and the rest dries up during the day. If it gets dirty and watery...I can always use paper towels to mop up.

It's an easy job and works great.

 

[Scotty]

Ahh...drainage. Well...I found a quick and easy way to contain water in those cages with the green pvc flat bottom. Simply go to the hardware store and pickup some L shaped corner trim and a square piece of small dowl. Cut the pieces to line the sides of the bottom piece on the edges and use aquarium silicon to glue them to the back and sides. Use clamps for about 30 mins to secure them and they cure over night. You can put it right in your cage after the silicon hardens enough to keep the trim secure...it's non-toxic and I had no problems. For the front part where your lower lift up screen door is...I used that square long piece of dowl for the edging.

I did this to keep the bottom roomy for plants...and flat. I mist 3 times a day and have a habba mist, plus a sonic humidifier fogging and then dripping water all day off and on. There is never too much water to be contained down there, some of the plants suck up the water and the rest dries up during the day. If it gets dirty and watery...I can always use paper towels to mop up.

It's an easy job and works great.

So SN, no drain at all?
Do you find you have dead crix etc in the water on the bottom?

 

[davemailcall]

I used fishing line. But its a real beast...way too slippery. Use the wire.

 

[SierraNevada]

So SN, no drain at all?
Do you find you have dead crix etc in the water on the bottom?

Once in a while, but most of the time, they will go drink and then climb up a plant and then to the screen to be eaten. It's not that much water.

The plant in the pic is new and doesn't have a pot bowl yet. My other plants have water catch bowls under their pots. If there's alot of water going into the plant, it will go into the bowl and then evap.

Here's what I'm talking about with regard to the trim. It's pretty much the easiest option with that pvc bottom:

Here are the vines attached by tie wraps/zip ties:

 

[Scotty]

S/N,
Awesome looking setup and beautiful cham.....
Off topic but I have just purchased a small humidifier similar to the one in your pic, you have obviously mounted it towards the top of the enclosure, 2 questions if you don't mind: how did you mount it there?
Does your cham hang out in or near it?
Thanks
Regards
Scott.

 

[SierraNevada]

S/N,
Awesome looking setup and beautiful cham.....
Off topic but I have just purchased a small humidifier similar to the one in your pic, you have obviously mounted it towards the top of the enclosure, 2 questions if you don't mind: how did you mount it there?
Does your cham hang out in or near it?
Thanks
Regards
Scott.

It's not really mounted. It sits on the humidifier and is braced by a couple of boards at the bottom which aren't attached to anything. It stays up there by itself. You have the option of mounting it, but remember you have to take it off every time you refill your humidifier.

Yes...he hangs out under it and drinks from the dropletts that form at the top of the screen.

Scott

 

[DrewNYC]

can i give an easier idea for tying the vines, or at least i did it for all of my cages, i buy 3 5/8" dowels, (those round pieces of wood) screw them from the top frame and at the bottom thru the screen, one on the left, rear and right and there you have a piece of wood to wrap your zip ties around. i guess a picture would help, give me a minute.
drew

 

[DrewNYC]

here is an old picture of one of my enclosures, you should be able to see the dowels, i do not like to go thru the screen it tends to tear and get worse over time,

i also have attached a picture of my new 36" wide by 18" deep by 85" tall cabinets for my males, it has drainage at the bottom and plenty of room, i have finished 2 and will complete 2 more in the next week or two.

 

[DrewNYC]

try this again

and here is where you can see the dowels

 

[SierraNevada]

try this again

and here is where you can see the dowels

I can't see too well in that pic. It would seem to me that a few zip ties which take 20 seconds to put on...would be easier than taking the whole cage to the garage, cutting and fitting dowels and then installing them for vines.

That wood cage you have is really nice...did you make it?

 

[bluegoldfish]

Here are the vines attached by tie wraps/zip ties:

Hi, just wondering what kind of humidifier is that is there? is it one of those fooger/mist maker machines just in a bowl suspended up, or is it a special machine?

I wana do something similar in my 24x24x48 aluminium mesh screen cage, your set up looks awesome, the L-shaped trim looks like a really good idea too, i might have to try that.

 

[SierraNevada]

Hi, just wondering what kind of humidifier is that is there? is it one of those fooger/mist maker machines just in a bowl suspended up, or is it a special machine?

I wana do something similar in my 24x24x48 aluminium mesh screen cage, your set up looks awesome, the L-shaped trim looks like a really good idea too, i might have to try that.

It's a Sunbeam ultra sonic cool mist. No fogger in the bowl...it's just a feeding bowl for his waxworms that is up there for about an hour. It's just the humidity fog rising up from it when it went on.

If you decide to do the trim...make sure you seal the trim really good a second or third time after you initially get it glued on with aquarium silicon...fill in all the little holes and gaps.

I didn't think it was necessary...but an option is to water proof the trim with some Murphy's water seal and allow it to cure a couple of days before installing it.

Another option for trim is just some square dowel.

Also be careful to keep the trim on the edge and not allow it to slide over when clamping it down to dry. I had to make a few adjustments so it wouldn't do that and make it impossible to slide the bottom plate into the cage.