Reuse bird cage

[Winterlandbullies]

I know this has been asked before.... but hear me out. I have some large parrot cages my mother in law left behind when she up and moved to Wyoming. Can anyone think of a reason I couldn't mount some pvc board on the sides and back and screen the top and front door, and bottom and use the slide out tray for drainage? I plan on adding a kingmist to the cage after setting up bioactive setup.... also any down sides to full spectrum controllable led grow lights? Obviously doesn't produce uvb. But does provide uva, grow light is strictly for the plants. I'm able to turn it down to 25% with the controller.

 

[Klyde O'Scope]

Can anyone think of a reason I couldn't .... use the slide out tray for drainage? I plan on adding a kingmist to the cage after setting up bioactive setup....

I'm not clear on how using the slide out tray for drainage would work with bioactive.

Whether there might be other issues would depend on the cages & features. Pictures?

also any down sides to full spectrum controllable led grow lights? Obviously doesn't produce uvb. But does provide uva, grow light is strictly for the plants. I'm able to turn it down to 25% with the controller.

"Full Spectrum" is more of a marketing term than well-defined, but LED grow lights are (IMO) the best option.
Do you have any specific models in mind, and why and in what way would you need to control them?

 

[Winterlandbullies]

I'm not clear on how using the slide out tray for drainage would work with bioactive.

Whether there might be other issues would depend on the cages & features. Pictures?


"Full Spectrum" is more of a marketing term than well-defined, but LED grow lights are (IMO) the best option.
Do you have any specific models in mind, and why and in what way would you need to control them?

So my led light In which I'm talking about. I already have from my past led weed grow. https://www.growagromax.com/products/led-grow-lights/afs-1830-led-grow-light/
With the controller I can control how dim I want it. And if I chose too I could set so it's dim when it comes on brightens up over day and dims at night...obviously I would still use a daytime heat lamp as well as uvb. The led light I can set any height desired above said bird cage... I don't have any pics currently as I have three in the garage just got to pull them out.i can probably find a Pic online.

 

[Winterlandbullies]

I'm not clear on how using the slide out tray for drainage would work with bioactive.

Whether there might be other issues would depend on the cages & features. Pictures?


"Full Spectrum" is more of a marketing term than well-defined, but LED grow lights are (IMO) the best option.
Do you have any specific models in mind, and why and in what way would you need to control them?

As for cages these are the exact ones I have available

 

[Jpeff]

Bird cages aren't made for water I have a few. They will rust no mater what u do. Inless you got the stainless steel ones. The square tube where the bar meet are the problem and inside the square tube will cause rust stains. The trays are like inch inch and half. I put my old 40x80 double macaw cage outside and started to rust in like week before I sold it. Yea they are powered coated but not the inside of tube. Once they start to rust the coating pops off. Sell the cages and make a nice one or buy one already made. Sure you probably could make it work if you never mist or use dripper

 

[Jpeff]

I also have those same led light. When they say full spectrum they mean the color the light they put off. I wouldn't put on my chameleons cage. There reason they recommend you wear glasses when working around them. Even dimmed hurts my eyes after awhile. Now if you got some old sunblazers with the white LED light they could work they basically the same as jungle Dawn led. But I don't knw for fact that those leds will hurt ur cham. When your growing weed you need different spectrum of light for veg and bloom for better results. For your every day house plants that's not really needed

 

[Klyde O'Scope]

So my led light In which I'm talking about. I already have from my past led weed grow. https://www.growagromax.com/products/led-grow-lights/afs-1830-led-grow-light/
With the controller I can control how dim I want it. And if I chose too I could set so it's dim when it comes on brightens up over day and dims at night...obviously I would still use a daytime heat lamp as well as uvb. The led light I can set any height desired above said bird cage... I don't have any pics currently as I have three in the garage just got to pull them out.i can probably find a Pic online.

IC. Some people do use dimmers for basking & plant lights. I don't have a feeling about it either way; IDT it's necessary, but I don't have a problem with it as long as the chameleon's needs are being met.

That's a big light—10X what many/most here use for a (typically) 24" x 24" x 48" chameleon enclosure, so I see how the dimmer would be necessary. At 36" x 36" I would think that light would dwarf any of the bird cages, and I agree it would have to be suspended up high enough to allow for a T5HO UVB and basking light (plus dome) closer to the top of the enclosure.

Many here are using this Sansi 70W for a 24" x 24" x 48" chameleon enclosure. I have a double-wide enclosure (48"W x 24"D x 48"H) and I use 2 of them.
https://www.chameleonforums.com/threads/simple-uvb-fixture-supports.177896/#post-1692470

 

[Klyde O'Scope]

As for cages these are the exact ones I have available

One potential problem I see with all of them (and have seen with other bird cages as well) is that the doors are just too small for getting decent sized centerpiece plants in and out.

Another is size. What are the dimensions of the cage portions (not the oversized trays beneath)?
Chameleons need vertical space, but they also need horizontal space. All of the "top 3" (species in the pet trade) need a minimum of 24 x 24 x 48, and larger if possible.

Are you thinking about putting the PVC inside or outside the bars? Chameleon enclosures try to mimic conditions in rainforests, so they can be very wet places (which is why PVC is preferred over wood products). Jpeff has some good points about water.

Also, I'm still not seeing how using the slide-out trays for drainage would work with making any of those cages bioactive.