Fresh-Air Enclosures

[138]

does anyone use these for T's? if not, why?

 

[Anklebitr]

I think that the issues a lot of people have with using screen enclosures is that they will not retain any sort of humidity, and the Ts have the potential of getting a leg stuck in the screen.

 

[138]

understood, but don't chameleons need alot of humidity also? i always see them in fresh-air enclosures.

 

[Anklebitr]

Dunno! I don't keep chameleons. What is the RH where you would be keeping the T and this enclosure?

 

[Nitibus]

What substrate is that ? It's not garden mulch is it ?

 

[Scorpendra]

i have one of those. it was intended for Ts, but then i found out how poorly it retained humidity. only use it ever got was for a praying mantis i found on my friend's window on Halloween.

 

[138]

i live in miami, fl. humidity is usually 80% or higher. i keep the window open during the day in my T room and mist every other day. now i wouldn't use this enclosure if i lived anywhere else in the US. i'm just trying to get suggestions here.

 

[mikeymo]

something similar for my Pink Toe, what you can do is take some saran wrap/plastic wrap and cover a bit of the screen from the top (maybe 20%) and that should help keep a bit of humidity in. Misting the sides of the tank and keeping a full water dish helps too

 

[mikeymo]

actually upon closer inspection, is that mesh on the SIDES of the tank also?

If yes, then you're likely to have a hard time keeping humidity in, sorry

 

[Scott C.]

Hey bro,
Try it out, and let us know how it goes. Given your location, I'd say the only draw back would be stuck claws in the screen, and feisty T's chewing through it. That said, I have never seen either happen personally. I'm sure it does, just never seen it myself.
I've toyed with the idea of open air caging as I believe it would be great for live plants. I need a whole room to keep humidified though due to the desert climate over here.
Cheers,
Scott

 

[fantasticp]

That would be fine for an avic if you always had a full water dish. Some species would dry out in a cage like that.

 

[chris 71]

check this out

http://www.arachnofreaks.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=597&KW=fang+power&TPN=1

 

[ironmonkey78]

yeah doesnt look like the mesh sides would last too long with that guy.

 

[spid142]

too much air

There would be so much air flow, the enclosure would stay very dry. I would agree to cover maybe a third of the screen with something to block out air flow, and it would keep humidity better. Also, the screen would be a potential problem where the Ts legs could be caught on the mesh. For this reason, I dont use any enclosure with screening at all.

 

[titus]

understood, but don't chameleons need alot of humidity also? i always see them in fresh-air enclosures.

Some Chams are very picky about air flow the worst that comes to my mind is the Jacksons (three horn) that will do nothing but die if not provided in some way with good ventilation. I don't keep my Chams in these but glass with screen tops and fans pushing fresh air. Your lighting alone makes it hard to keep the humidity up in Cham cages so all mine are connected to a misting system that is set to go three times a day for 15 secs.

 

[Mc225]

138, I'm also in Florida and I've been thinking about the same thing. After all B. vagans are living north of you and I've seen a couple old threads on here referencing Avics south of me in the Fort Myers area or somewhere. I'm surely newer to Ts then you are so I'm not suggesting you should listen to me, but I think many people just parrot the things they've heard about care without really finding out for themselves what's true or not.

So without getting into the specifics of what I do or don't agree with about T care, since it's neither here nor there at the moment, I say go for it with an inexpensive T. I'll be trying it with one of my A. avics when it gets to 2" or so if I ever get off my butt and decide on a material. I've only been hesitent for two reasons: feet getting caught in screening and the T's potential for tearing through it.

I'd be interested in hearing any ideas about potential material for open air enclosures. At the moment, without having looked for anything at all, I had in mind a chicken wire gauge metal thats been rubber coated or w/e the process is. I'm wondering if something like this would solve both the feet getting caught as well as escape issues. A simple wooden frame and it could sit on a shelf or put a hook in one corner and hang it like a house plant.

Biggest problem I see isn't humidity but poo shooting w/o walls.

 

[138]

lol @ poo shooting. well, here's the bottom line. i've had a 2.5" avic in one of these for almost 2 weeks now. it seems happy with the space although it just stays on the sides. i put the wood from its old habitat in the new one along with some vines/branches, but i haven't seen it on there at all. as far as it getting the legs caught in the screen, no signs of that yet. it seems to like the screen better than glass. the crickets seem to like climbing the screen sides too and she ate one just fine the other night.

and as far as it chewing thru the screen, it's theoretically possible for them to do that with a 5-10 gal on its end with a screen side side too.

i have 2 of these enclosures. i was going to put a p. regalis in the other one but decided not to. maybe it'll make a nice home for the other avic i have coming in next week.

haven't noticed any poo stains on the wall yet...

 

[musihuto]

well if if rh is consistently 80% then drying out isn't really an issue!

cheers!
- munis