I saw this and thought "chameleon" - but how?

[Echoezra]

Okay so we're shopping last night and I saw this mini greenhouse, and I thought that could work so good, for either a homemade cage, or outside, or free range plant shelving, or something...
What do you think? It's only $35 bucks. It's about 5 ft tall, I was thinking for a homemade cage, probably take out the middle two shelves, place lights on shelf at top flat part, under the peak, and keep bottom two shelves, bottom one for drain pan, 2nd one for setting plant pots on. I guess my questions are: what kind of screen to use, how best to wrap/connect it, and how to make an easy-to-access door?
What do you think?

 

[pennington]

Not sure what heat would do to the plastic, It might be really humid inside and not enough air ciculating through.

 

[jonr]

Okay so we're shopping last night and I saw this mini greenhouse, and I thought that could work so good, for either a homemade cage, or outside, or free range plant shelving, or something...
What do you think? It's only $35 bucks. It's about 5 ft tall, I was thinking for a homemade cage, probably take out the middle two shelves, place lights on shelf at top flat part, under the peak, and keep bottom two shelves, bottom one for drain pan, 2nd one for setting plant pots on. I guess my questions are: what kind of screen to use, how best to wrap/connect it, and how to make an easy-to-access door?
What do you think?

i would cut one side of the plastic off and add screen to it so ur cham can get proper air flow

 

[Echoezra]

Actually I wasn't even planning on using the plastic cover, maybe if humidity is suffering or something, but I was mostly interested in the frame, and how to screen it.

 

[Jimturner]

Yea... It could work out pretty good. Mesh size would depend on the age and type of Cham you were thinking to put in it I guess. I have seen cages wraped with plastic fence material on three sides with PVC pipe door frames all ziptied to the frame. Maybe use a regular aluminum screen on the doors for better visibility and on the top so it can support your basking lamp without melting. It seems like a good idea and if you do go for it post pics of the final result. Cheers!

 

[ChameleonsInMyHouse]

that looks cool! and it looks like the plastic is optional, appears to be a zip-on type. even though it is in sections and arent very spacious in height, it could be laid on its side with screen installed, you could sun house multiple chameleons

 

[Echoezra]

Yea... It could work out pretty good. Mesh size would depend on the age and type of Cham you were thinking to put in it I guess. I have seen cages wraped with plastic fence material on three sides with PVC pipe door frames all ziptied to the frame. Maybe use a regular aluminum screen on the doors for better visibility and on the top so it can support your basking lamp without melting. It seems like a good idea and if you do go for it post pics of the final result. Cheers!

okay, jim, well for starters, the chams I'm debating on right now are between 2 and 4 months old. So let's say 3 months old panthers. What mesh size for that?
And secondly - please explain this : PVC pipe door frames all ziptied to the frame ??? Sorry I totally don't understand. I'm kinda helpless. Lol.

 

[Echoezra]

that looks cool! and it looks like the plastic is optional, appears to be a zip-on type. even though it is in sections and arent very spacious in height, it could be laid on its side with screen installed, you could sun house multiple chameleons

Well, Phil, the sections/shelves are removable, but it does leave one horizontal bar in the middle of each one. So I guess you can't have one tree trunk in the middle, you'd have to position it to either side ofthe bar. But on the other hand, would be nice for hanging plants at various heights & locations, which is not possible in present flexarium.
As for the plastic cover, looks like it just slips over top, and front "door" rolls up to open it. Maybe does that in the back too, from what I read on a similar picture on another website.
But you're right, on it's side keeping the shelf sections, it would make a nice little multiple baby apartment even.

 

[Jimturner]

Wow.. I just wrote a huge reply and my phone wouldn't let me post it! lol. Maybe check out www.melleridiscovery.com and look around for "indoor cage building" or somthing like that for a better idea of what I'm talking about, there are even pictures! Hope this helps. Cheers

 

[cbeal1]

that has a lot of potential! i think i would remove the 2 top shelves completely. tac weld screen to the outside of 3 of the sides and fabricate a door for the front.

 

[Echoezra]

Ugh, Jim, isn't that the worst? Lol. I will check that site out now.

 

[Echoezra]

Cbeal1 - I guess that's my main problem, how to fabricate a door??

 

[Samcham1]

Here is a pic of the enclosure i built with pvc and plastic mesh. I wish i would have use screen as the holes in the mesh are too big to keep crickets and roaches in. I a gonna rewrap in black screen when i get time. for now i have been tong feeding dubias which i also enjoy. For the door i just drilled holes on each side of the pvc and used a thin rod kinda as a hinge that goes through the door into the frame. I used hardware cloth on top to resist the heat from the lamp.

 

[Samcham1]

for the door u can buy the materials to make your own screen door and buy small hinges to attach it. I would make the door the LXWXH of the whole front. I made mine just on the bottom section and its kinda hard to reach up into the top.

 

[Echoezra]

What kind of materials am I looking for exactly, to make a screen door? Like what is the framing parts called?

 

[Samcham1]

you can buy a kit like this and it comes with the frame which you cut to length and then it has the plastic corners to connect them.
http://www.lowes.com/pd_172292-1536...me&pl=1&currentURL=/pl__0__s?Ntt=screen+frame

 

[Samcham1]

here is a better link http://www.homedepot.com/Doors-Wind...splay?langId=-1&storeId=10051&catalogId=10053

 

[Echoezra]

Okay, awesome, that looks almost do-able! Lol. Thanks.