Reptile & Amphibian Forums

i havent thought hard about this but i got a good idea for a cheap, easy, and comfortable cage idea, maybe some of you have thought of it or have it or have already realized that it's crap.
ok so first, for the bottom a large rubbermaid or other large tub to hold the dirt and be the floor, then build a pvc fram around the tub that can go over it and be lifted up or the tub can be a tray that slides out. then plexiglass (or wood) is attached to every side of the pvc structure except the bottom, the edges don't really need to be sealed unless its a small species that can escape. holes or even designs can then be cut into the plexiglass for ventilation with strong screen or some claw resistant material sealing the holes. i haven't exactly thought about the doors, i would probably have at least one on top and one on the front and would just cut rectangles from the plexiglass and attach them with hinges and door locks, possibly support them wih more pvc. with the doors the cage can be maintained and for good cleaning the bottom tray can be slid out and removed (scratch it, with branches, waterbowls, and other stuff this would not work) and the plexiglass/pvc caging can be lifted for a better cleaning.
please write back with comments,
-jake

P.S. just to clarify, the pvc goes on the inside of the frame so the sides can be as close to the tray as possible (maybe it can even be locked together) and they would be resting on whatever surface the cage was resting on

P.P.S. this is for my juvenile rudi

and just cuz i love this picture (and his expression in it):

Were you thinking using a rubbermaid because of its resistance to deteriorating under high humidity? Just curious why you were thinking about going with a plastic tote.
Sounds feasable. Go for it, if you fancy to.
I know after the holidays, you can purchase these totes for 75% off at target. You can get huge ones, like 6' long even. Theyre marketed as christmas tree storage containers. I think theyre about 2' deep, and 2' wide. GIGANTIC, really. I think you could fashion somthing using one of these as a base.

BTW, this 75% off applies to all the seasonal items. Like lights, etc. ALL is 75% off at the first of the year. Just a good bit of info to tuck away for when the time comes. =)

actually i was thinking of it cuz it is already made and probably cheap and easy, but as i look browse through store inventory's to get a ballpark price, i can't find any that are as big as i want so i am begining to think maybe a bookshelfn i find turned on its back (and sealed for waterproffing) or building my own box and waterproofing (just so i can get ti to the dimensions i am looking for (about 3 ft deep and 6 ft wide i think, at least). can you give me any tips on this? i have never really built a cage before.
depending on pricing and convenience i may still go with the rubbermaid but i think i want something bigger and easyer to make sure it fits plush with the plexigklass/pvs to help prevent escape (and dirt from falling out).
-jake

I made a cage similer to what you are talking about, but I used 2x2s and screwed them together. Then I mounted plexiglass on 3 sides. You monitors claws will scratch up the plexiglass and make it look real bad. Plexiglass scratches very easy.

Why not use 2x4s instead of PVC, and screw plywood into 4 sides. You could then mount plexiglass on hinges and cut an opening in the front a little smaller than the plexiglass. This would probably be stiffer and offer no chance of excape.

I designed the following cage so I can take off the "window's wall" and add to the cage. This would make the cage 4 deep X 8 long X 7 tall.

Outside

Inside

3 foot monitor inside

Same monitor on basking shelf

-----
Ed

These heat lamps make my electric bill to high.

Plastic rubbermaid bins can work really well, but be careful to make sure the top is escape proof. While a larger monitor may not fit through a small hole, it certainly has more strength to find weaknesses and exploit them. Plus monitors can fit through some pretty tight spaces with ease.

Go for it, just build it stronger than you think necessary. There are many ways to house monitors when small, when they get bigger the viable options lessen somewhat.

--Robert

well i was going to have the rubbermaid be filled or mostly filled with dirt for him to dig and enjoy and for the plants to be planted there, then the "lid" which is basically a pvc/plexiglass box, would fit over the tub and be the cage. this way i can easily work with every aspect of the cage, here is a ballpark idea of what i mean without any dimensions. (though im still toying with the idea of using wood instead of the pvc and/or the rubbermaid, but i wanted to keep it light for easy transport... being a college student)

it would probably be like 4-5 ft tall (1-2 ft will be dirt) and 6 or 7 ft wide and 3-3.5 ft deep, this ok for an average rough neck?

You could attach the top to it easy enough to be escape proof.

I use large rubbermaid tubs for transport. They have a lip around the top edge. This lip makes securing the lids easy by simply screwing through the lid and down into the sides.

What I did is screwed up from the bottom and added a bolt that fits tightly. I then place the lid on and use wing nuts to secure the lid. I use these when the hurricanes decide to come knocking at my door.

You could do something similar for your cage idea.

if i do find a tub large enough (i've been looking, its doubtful) i would secure it with some rope opr some other nice looking alternative and having that go under the tub and attach to the sides, kinda weird sounding, but it would work...

I would suggest to do something more along the lines of what Jody said (bolts/nuts) than rope.

You can always get two tubs, and use one upside down for the top, cut out/design a door of some sort, a small vent and your set.

I don't keep rudis, but cagesize is something where bigger is always better.

You could always go to a trough of some sort, they make plastic ones as well as steel ones.

--Robert

thanks, that actually sounds a lot simpler than what i was thinking, and thanks for the advice with the bolts, even though i wasn't just gonna tie rope, i definitely don't have the experience to know yet, i'm glad it was brougt up.
-jake

if you could tell me where i can get plastic troughs that would be grand

A feed store or the internet, there should be plenty of feed stores anywhere there are livestock.

--Robert

thanks, what do you think of this: http://www.loomistank.com/troughs.html all the way at the bottom of the page, 80 x 40 x 20 (think i'm going with my original idea but i am going to attach locks so i can lock the cage to the trough
-jake

n/p