Melons new cage build

[Lennoncham]

When I got melons old cage I thought I got a good deal but it was only because it was one of the old steel cages that rusts. It was still somewhat holding up but looking worse and worse everyday. So I finally got around to building her a new cage.

I started with a brand new xl reptibreeze cage ( 2x2x4)

First I put the cage together

Next I drilled a bunch of holes in the bottom panel for drainage. I may have gone a little over board but hey it will drain.

Next I got a piece of corrugated platic 48x96” and cut it to fit inside the back and 2 side of the cage. I used thin wire to hold it onto the screen then used clear packing tape to seal the back 2 joints and around the bottom

Next I prepared my flower pots. Since I’m spray foaming them into the background I needed some way for water to drain out. So I got some tubing and put a couple piece into the holes and sealed it up with a hot glue gun. I sealed the rest of the holes shut with duct tape inside and out.

Now for the spray foam. I use the great stuff gaps and cracks spray foam. I started with one side and put the spray foam from top to bottom then placed my flower pots kinda randomly kinda planed.

I let that sit for about an hour and went back and spray foamed over the pots then let it sit overnight to completely set. I repeated this for all 3 sides.

 

[Lennoncham]

Once the foam was all set it was time to trim. I trim the foam up for 2 reasons. One so I can get the desired shape. And two because silicone won’t stick to the shiny outside coat of the spray foam.

I trimmed all 3 sides and then touched up any spots that had big holes or where I didn’t put enough foam in the first place.

Next up I got some manzanita driftwood or is it grapewood? and figured out where I wanted to put them. Surprisingly some of them look like they were made for where I put them and I didn’t buy them until right before I put them in.

I spray foamed them in place let it sit then trimmed the foam.

 

[Lennoncham]

Once that was done it was time for silicone and coconut fibre. I use the ge silicone ii windows and doors. And canna coconut fibre. I started from the bottom and applied a bunch of silicone. Then I put some coconut fibre on top and press it in. I do t cover all the silicone I just put down I leave a inch or 2 then apply some more and more coconut fibre working my way up. I let that sit for several hours and repeat for each side. Standing it up in between sides to knock off the excess coconut fibre and clean up as much as I can by hand and with a vacuum.

 

[Lennoncham]

I let the cage sit for 5 days with a fan blowing on it so the silicone could off gas. It has a very strong smell.

Next I prepared the plants. I got flower pots and put HydroBalls in the bottom then a piece of screen ontop. I cleaned all the plants and reposted them with a mix of organic soil playsand and coconut fibre then topped the pot of with just coconut fibre

Once the plants were ready I started putting them into the enclosure. I kinda played around with them a bit until I thought it looked good.

 

[Lennoncham]

Vines! She needs more area to climb around on! I got a bunch of different sized vines for her.

These zoo med naturalistic vines have all these little nubs and thing on them the pull out fairly easily. I don’t want melon to accidentally ingest one so I went through the vines and pulled them all out. Then I twisted up the vines to make them look better.

I Used a hot glue gun to attach the vines to the background trying to give her as much climbing area as possible.

The middle was looking a little bare so I attached another flower pot to one of her branches with zip ties and put another plant in.

 

[Lennoncham]

I also got her a new light fixture that holds 4 t5 bulbs. I have 3 6500k plant bulbs and one reptisun 5.0 uvb.

I got her misting nozzles I stalled. 2 spraying from the front towards the middle/back.

I put her cage up into her drainage table put the lights ontop attached the misting system. Gave the misting system a test run then introduced melon to her new home.

 

[Clayton0520]

AWESOME CAGE!!!! Bad @$$!!! I’m so jelly right now. Good job let us know how she likes her new mansion.

 

[Lennoncham]

AWESOME CAGE!!!! Bad @$$!!! I’m so jelly right now. Good job let us know how she likes her new mansion.

Thanks. Definitely my best cage build yet.

Well she was glad to get into it but just because she was off of me lol. She sat there for a bit taking it in then started to explore a bit. Im sure she will be happy in a few days or so.

 

[Eddie3187]

Wow this is incredible. Amazing work!

 

[zigzagzug]

looks crazy good! nice work

 

[zigzagzug]

how many cans of the great stuff did you use in total?

 

[Lennoncham]

how many cans of the great stuff did you use in total?

I think about 9.

 

[Beman]

FREAKING AWESOME!!!!!!!!!!!! I absolutely love it!

 

[jagmom98]

wow, love it!

 

[AnamCara]

Keeping this up all day while I build my new guys viv!

 

[Thehippie]

wow!!! amazing job!!!

 

[Rlc1994]

Awesome setup! Your chameleon probably loves it! Probably thinks it’s his own little section of his jungle in there haha

 

[JoXie411]

That’s hella sick man. Now I want to work on mine

 

[jamest0o0]

Just seeing this now, nice job man!

 

[Lennoncham]

Keeping this up all day while I build my new guys viv!

If you are doing the same thing or similar I have a couple suggestions. Although it may be to late lol.

I would do the spray foam in smaller sections. The corrugated plastic kind of bowed out from the foam expanding.

I would also stuff the pots with newspaper or something a couple of mine kind of caved in from the foam expansion.