main Q419
12/12/24
Dragon Strand cages are hand built and there is a time element that comes with that. There is presently a lead time for new orders. To inquire about the status of the particular build your order is in please email me at [email protected] for an update.
Dragon Ledges ship each week
Mountain Dragon are in stock!
Tall Hybrid Cage System (with Drainage Tray) shipping Dec 30
Tall Screen Cage System (with Drainage Tray) In Stock
My name is Bill Strand. I wanted to make cages specifically for serious chameleon keepers/breeders and I found the most experienced chameleon cage makers that had not yet had their business taken overseas. With Dragon Strand you can have cages that were hand made in the US by a team that was creating cages before there was such thing as mass market cages. The challenge with that is there is a certain flow that can be maintained. Therefore we often have a backlog of orders. We try and be as transparent as possible and the above schedule is usually pretty accurate. Unexpected things happen, but we try to communicate when this occurs. Let me know if you have any questions via email or phone!
Bill Strand
The Tall Cage System Family
Top level summary: Dragon Strand cages are designed to provide chameleon keepers the features they need and be as all-inclusive as possible. The goal is that I include the accessories you need and often don’t realize you need until you buy a standard cheap cage and then have to spend money adding to it. I am a lifelong chameleon keeper and so I have included what we need to make a cage functional.
What do these features do for me?
- Dragon Ledges. These are the brackets you see on the sides. These allow you to mount branches and plants up in the mid section of the cage where the chameleon needs them. There is a strategy to get the most out of your Dragon Ledges and I have laid that out on this website and on YouTube. I will make sure you get it!
- Drainage tray. Mist, fog, or dripped water ends up somewhere and that somewhere needs to be under the cage with a floor panel physically separating it from the chameleon, poop, and escaped feeder. A substrate tray is what is usually available with cheaper cages (that is because substrate trays can be made cheaper). substrate trays go inside the cage and this is actually the opposite of what we want. Water needs to get out of the cage, not contained in with the poop and escaped feeders! You egt a Drainage tray included standard with each cage.
- Hydration Mounts and Fogger input. I include two hydration mounts that will hold standard Mist King and CLi-Mist mist nozzles and I include a fogger input that accepts the standard 22mm fogger hose. I don’t want my customers to get their mister and fogger in and then have to figure out how to attach to the cage. So I took care of it for you. Even if you are not sure if you will use certain parts they are there as you develop in your husbandry and may, one day, want to use them.
- Two Floor Panels Standard. I include two floor panels. One is a solid plastic floor panel incase you want to put potted plants ont he floor. It gives you strength. If you use the Dragon Ledges for all your pots then you can use the screen floor for maximum drainage. No better eway to make sure you don’t have puddles on the floor!
- Solid Backs. Yes, you expect the Hybrid version to have a solid back, but I also designed my screen version with a solid back. This does NOT impede your ventilation. But it does protect the walls of your house and furniture from getting mist overspray. Yes, I use my own products and that is why they have all the features they do!
Summary of the Tall Cage System . The Tall Cage System comes in two styles – a Screen version and a Hybrid version. These cages have been designed to provide keepers of arboreal reptiles with a higher quality experience and to aid us in creating the proper environments. Both versions come standard with a Drainage Tray, white PVC floor panel, and a Screen floor panel.
The Screen version (23.75″ x 23″ x 46″) is made for applications where high ventilation is desired. This screen cage is unique as the back is solid to protect house walls from mist overspray, but with all other panels being screen, ventilation is retained.
The Hybrid version (23.75″ x 23″ x 48″)is for keepers who want more control over the hydration and humidity in their caging environment. With both sides and the back solid PVC humidity gradients may be created and a more rigorous mist coverage can be handled to accomodate a denser planting strategy. The front main door and top front panel of the Tall Hybrid are acrylic for clear viewing, humidity retention and to create a chimney effect. The chimney effect is where the warm air near the top screen panel rises and pulls air through the service door under the main door. This produces a subtle, but constant, air circulation through the cage.
All Dragon Strand cages, including the Tall Cage family members, have been upgraded to have the following:
Solid white PVC back. As most cages are up against a wall, this protects the house walls from mist overspray and reflects light back into the cage. The Hybrid system extends the PVC to both sides.
Patented Dragon Ledges. Dragon Ledges are anchors that allow you to easily mount horizontal branches and potted plants. They are standard with all Dragon Strand cages. The Tall Cage Systems come with two for each side and two for the back.
Hydration Mount. This included mount allows the installation of Mist-King and Cli-Mist nozzles and also a grommeted input for 1/4″ tubing. This tubing input can be used for installing a plant watering drip system. Both the Tall Screen and Tall Hybrid Cage versions come with two Hydration Mounts.
Drainage Tray with Screen Floor. Each cage includes a drainage tray which is placed under the cage. The cage rests on the tray and the water from the cage flows into the tray. The major benefit is that waste water is physically separated from the inside of the cage where the poop, water, and escaped feeders can combine to create an unhygienic bacteria pill for the chameleon. A screen floor is also included which allows you the option to switch out the solid one. If you have plants on the floor then the solid one is good to use for support. If you use the Dragon Ledges to create a floating garden style in the air with the bottom clear, then use the screen floor for 100% drainage of the water.
Tall Cage Options
Tall Hybrid Cage System
There are no additional shipping charges for orders of the Tall Hybrid Cage System
shipping Dec 30
Tall Screen Cage System
There are no additional shipping charges for orders of the Tall Screen Cage System.
Dragon Ledges
Dragon Ledges are a patented accessory designed to allow keepers of arboreal reptiles the ability to mount branches and potted plants on the sides of a screen cage. You can learn more here:
Select the size based on how wide your cage side panel is. The most common application is the ZooMed Reptibreeze cage line.
For ZooMed Reptibreeze XL (24″x24″x48″) use 24″ Dragon Ledges
For ZooMed Reptibreeze L (18″x18″x36″) use 18″ Dragon Ledges
For ZooMed Reptibreeze M (16″x16″x30″) use 16″ Dragon Ledges
Non-Dragon Strand cage accessories
Dragon Ledges and Drainage Trays for ReptiBreeze, DIY, and Exo-Terra cages
Mountain Dragons by Jan Stipala
An image rich journey into the highlands of Kenya with Jan Stipala to search for rare chameleons.
Comments (27)
Would your clear sided enclosures be suitable for Giant day geckos?
Yes, the Clearside Enclosures will do very well for Giant Day Geckos.
Hi I was wondering when the Large Screen Atrium Enclosures will be back in stock? Thanks!
We are targeting around the first half of April for the Large Screen Atrium to be available
Hi, what are the deminsions of the atrium cage?
The new Large Atrium will be around 48″wide x 24″deep x 48″ high. We are working on the final design now. The Medium Tall Atrium will be 30″ wide x 24″ deep x 48″ high. The Medium Tall, both screen and hybrid versions, will be out by the end of the month and the Large Atrium, both screen and hybrid versions, is planned for the first half of April.
Great, thank you bill
Hi bill, would I be able to pre-order the hybrid large atrium cage or do I have to wait until they are available?
For the Large Hybrid Atrium you would have to wait until I can finalize the design. Once that happens I will have an official price and I will open up ordering because I know that the cage will ship within a week.
Ok thank you bill
How is the virus affecting the release schedule of your cages?
Jason,
There have been some delays here and there in the supply chain, but we have, thankfully, not experienced anything disastrous. My team is still up and working and we expect to be releasing more designs (such as the Large Atrium) in the first half of April.
Bill
Hi Bill,
Are you discontinuing the Large Clearside Atrium enclosures and instead using the hybrid system? If not will the large clearside atrium enclosure be available the same time as the large atrium all screen enclosure?
We are currently working through the redesign of the Clearside cages. The Large Atrium variations are being prototyped right now and we expect to have them available this month.
Do you still have plans for a clear-sided large atrium hybrid or will they all be the solid PVC? I’m torn between the benefits of the hybrid, but not being able to get natural light through the sides of the cage.
There has been an unexpected wrinkle in the clearside line. There is a serious backlog in orders for acrylic due to the corona virus. I have at least 14 weeks before I will be able to get the material necessary to make that product line! All the acrylic has been purchased by retail companies making protective shields for their cashiers and they have literally bought up all the available sheets. So, I will be able to release the clear side line when acrylic supply returns.
Hello Bill,
I was looking to possibly purchase the medium atrium and was wondering if there are any pictures of them as well as price and availability? Thanks John.
John,
The Medium Atrium is being redesigned and is scheduled for a May availability. Unfortunately, I won’t know pricing until the design is finalized.
Bill
I also wanted to know if the hybrid version comes with screens for the sides so you could interchange the pvc panels if need be? Thank you.
John,
The Hybrid version only comes with the solid PVC sides.
Bill
Hi bill,
Any update on when the breeder series cages will be released? Specifically the medium and hatchling breeder series cages.
The rack compatible Breeder series is planned to be released in May.
Bill
Hi Bill,
I just received and assembled my cage. Wow. Thank you very much. It is fantastic. Easy, solid construction. Great access to the interior of the cage. Can’t wait to order our chameleon
Hi,
Just wondering if we’ll ever see the part screen and part glass cage come back for sale? That’s what I’m holding out for.
Thanks,
Jay
Yes, you will. The design is done and the only thing holding it back now is this crazy corona virus situation has produced a run on acrylic as retail locations are making protective areas for their cashiers. The lead time now on acrylic is 14 weeks. As soon as the world supply rights itself I will be launching the cages. I don’t think it will take 14 weeks, but that is what I am being told right now.
Hi,
When will the substrate tray be available for the Tall Hybrid enclosures? I would like to convert mine to bioactive. Thank you.
The Substrate trays for the Tall Hybrid and Tall Screen are in development now and will be available in about two months.